In Royce's classes, an overt is an act not motivated by love. An act of suppression, or manipulation, dishonesty, third-party gossip, judgement, fraud, and false impersonation, are all overts.
Also, not doing something can be an overt. If you don't stop to help someone in need, when you easily could have, is an overt. Not picking up a piece of trash when you are walking by it or not showing appreciation when you could have is an overt. Withholding appreciation or love, is an overt.
A covert overt, is something you have done, an overt, that is posing as an act of kindness but is really motivated by something other than love, and you don't know you're doing it. You may be doing it everyday and not be aware that it is an overt.
I have a friend I love dearly. She is a gossip. She loves to sit and talk about how fat or how bald or how dumb or how ugly or how stuck up someone we know has become. She came back from a vacation in New York where she met up with some old classmates and all she wanted to tell me about was how fat Ginny got and how bald James is and how tacky Vicky is..... Here's the deal. I sat there and listened to her go on and on as she always does and I didn't stop it. I let it continue, as I always do. I don't enjoy the conversation but I listen. I thought that was the polite thing to do. I sat there, on the phone, feeling uncomfortable, but not saying anything. That is a covert overt. By not saying anything I allowed her beliefs and judgements to go unchallenged. By not stopping her I gave her the impression that it was okay to talk that way. I didn't know it was an overt....it was the covert overt.
All overts stimulate a sense of guilt. It may be a subtle feeling of discomfort but it is there. We may not be able to figure out why we are feeling guilty because the overts are not always the first thing we look at. We look at others for why we are feeling what we are feeling. It must be his fault or her fault that I feel this way. She's making me feel guilty or he manipulates me with guilt. That is not possible. If you are feeling guilty, then you are guilty. Someone can't make you feel it if it isn't already there to feel.
What is the antidote for guilt? Forgiveness. Learn the lesson, forgive yourself and TRUST your process.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime
Ya gotta love summertime here at the beach. There are free concerts in parks and on beaches up and down the coast. Performing tonight, on the Hermosa Beach Pier, will be, none other than, Tommy James and The Shondells. "I Think We're Alone Now" a song I remember from one summer night in 1968, when I was holding hands with Jerry Skaff in the backseat of the fastest car in Hawthorne California, Woody McCain's. I couldn't begin to tell you what make or model it was but, I do know it was the fastest because all the boys said so. When I hear that song I am transported back to that moment and the fragrance of Jerry's cologne and the sweet taste of his kisses. Man-o-man I loved kissing on that boy. I was only 16 but I knew a good kisser when I met him.
So, this evening I'll be on the beach with friends and family, having a gourmet picnic, a cold glass of wetness and the jammin sounds of sixties rock and roll. Last week we sat on the sand and listened to The Animals. Like I said, summertime on the beach, there's nothin' like it.
"I Think We're Alone Now"
Children behave
That's what they say when we're together
And watch how you play
They don't understand
And so we're running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Look at the way
We gotta hide what we're doin'
'Cause what would they say
If they ever knew and so we're
Running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
So, this evening I'll be on the beach with friends and family, having a gourmet picnic, a cold glass of wetness and the jammin sounds of sixties rock and roll. Last week we sat on the sand and listened to The Animals. Like I said, summertime on the beach, there's nothin' like it.
"I Think We're Alone Now"
Children behave
That's what they say when we're together
And watch how you play
They don't understand
And so we're running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Look at the way
We gotta hide what we're doin'
'Cause what would they say
If they ever knew and so we're
Running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Running just as fast as we can
Holdin' onto one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now (alone now)
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now (alone now)
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Integrating Mind, Body and Soul
A book, Body, Self, & Soul Sustaining Integration, sits on my bookshelf and is tattered and torn. I've read it and re-read it. Here, I will quote it.
One doesn't need gurus or temples or pilgrimages because the experience of God or Tao or Self is immediate. From the transpersonal perspective, there is only Self. There is no Other. All separations are artificial. "You are what you seek." as in the Hindu phrase. As one begins to understand this and direct his seeking inward, a tremendous amount of creative energy is released. This powerful expression of inner awareness and energy can cause energy in their lives. The journal becomes an even more important tool for reporting, studying, and capturing this energy. To allow a person to become more familiar with the exploding inner experience of Self, we introduce him to the practice of meditation.
One can never race toward oneself, only away
For the dazzling essence of Self is stillness
And to experience this stillness one must stay and listen.
Rev. Daniel Panger
"Thoughts and Benedictions"
Be still and listen. I love that. That will be my mantra today. So often I hear my voice inside my head go on and on about silliness. I've spent an entire afternoon worrying, needlessly, when I could have said, "Be still and listen." Always, there is the Divine guidance. Always there is Divine Direction.
I am taking a deep breath, or two or three....and remembering that I am Source. I am still.
Here's a newsflash...Radiant health begins with good nutrition and exercise....
Yep, you heard it here, folks. I know, I'm a genius. Where would you have ever heard such honesty? I mean besides every diet book and health program ever created.
Vitamin supplements, essential oils and fatty acids, minerals and herbs go a very long way to keep us on the right track to health. To me, taking supplements is like health insurance. I studied a bit about nutrition many years ago. Not much has changed in that arena since 1979. Sugar can make you depressed. Sodas are poison. Nitrates can cause cancer. And here's a good rule to follow: If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.
Yoga is my next big adventure. I'm starting this week. Are you reading this, Margie? If I can walk my dog everyday and do yoga and pilates, I'll need little else. I'm cancelling my membership to Curves.
One doesn't need gurus or temples or pilgrimages because the experience of God or Tao or Self is immediate. From the transpersonal perspective, there is only Self. There is no Other. All separations are artificial. "You are what you seek." as in the Hindu phrase. As one begins to understand this and direct his seeking inward, a tremendous amount of creative energy is released. This powerful expression of inner awareness and energy can cause energy in their lives. The journal becomes an even more important tool for reporting, studying, and capturing this energy. To allow a person to become more familiar with the exploding inner experience of Self, we introduce him to the practice of meditation.
One can never race toward oneself, only away
For the dazzling essence of Self is stillness
And to experience this stillness one must stay and listen.
Rev. Daniel Panger
"Thoughts and Benedictions"
Be still and listen. I love that. That will be my mantra today. So often I hear my voice inside my head go on and on about silliness. I've spent an entire afternoon worrying, needlessly, when I could have said, "Be still and listen." Always, there is the Divine guidance. Always there is Divine Direction.
I am taking a deep breath, or two or three....and remembering that I am Source. I am still.
Here's a newsflash...Radiant health begins with good nutrition and exercise....
Yep, you heard it here, folks. I know, I'm a genius. Where would you have ever heard such honesty? I mean besides every diet book and health program ever created.
Vitamin supplements, essential oils and fatty acids, minerals and herbs go a very long way to keep us on the right track to health. To me, taking supplements is like health insurance. I studied a bit about nutrition many years ago. Not much has changed in that arena since 1979. Sugar can make you depressed. Sodas are poison. Nitrates can cause cancer. And here's a good rule to follow: If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.
Yoga is my next big adventure. I'm starting this week. Are you reading this, Margie? If I can walk my dog everyday and do yoga and pilates, I'll need little else. I'm cancelling my membership to Curves.
Friday, July 20, 2007
"Sicko"
http://costofwar.com/
I saw "Sicko" last week. It made me sick. Literally. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Moore but I had heard from many friends, that whichever side of the political aisle you sit, this movie had much to say to the misinformed masses who are feeling quite content that they have health insurance, "so what's the big deal?"
Hundreds of insured are going bankrupt because claims are denied. They are denied for numerous reasons. Perhaps they didn't call ahead of time for approval for that ambulance ride from a car accident. No matter that they were nearly unconscious and their arm was bleeding. Denied!
A child became ill while on vacation and her fever was 105. She was rushed to a hospital but denied the test she needed because she wasn't at the right hospital. After hours of begging by her mother and phone calls to try to find a way to treat her, she died. True story!
A couple who had health insurance for many years, owned a home, raised their family, became ill. The husband had dementia and the wife, cancer. Their claims were denied because the insurance company found an error on their original application. She neglected to mention a previous illness, twenty years ago, therefore their claim, indeed, their entire policy was cancelled. They had to file bankruptcy and move into a small room in their daughter's home. Another true story.
A man was sawing wood in his garage. The table saw was slicing through the board like a hot knife through butter when it hit a knot and the board jumped. The saw took off the tips of two fingers. He went to the hospital and was told he didn't have insurance, therefore, to reattach his fingers would cost him $12,000 for the middle finger and $9,000 for his ring finger. Being the romantic that he is, he choose his ring finger, for his wife and their wedding vows.
Some people say, "Well, the poor have MediCal and the old have Medicare and the ones in the middle should work harder to get jobs with companies that provide health care." I swear to you this is true. I just got an email from a woman who believes that. She quoted the Bible with "the meek shall inherit the Earth" and something about Adam and Eve....frankly I didn't understand what she was meaning. Basically, she has hers, fuck everyone else. No matter that over 40 million Americans are without insurance. No matter that millions of children are being untreated because of it. People are dying and the corporations that insure Americans, are getting richer and richer and richer.
Medicine that should only cost $20 costs $200.
Moore interviewed employees of insurance companies. They explained that the more they found ways to deny claims the higher up they went in their pay scale. Bonuses and perks were delivered no matter who died or suffered.
I'll tell you a true story. Back, twenty or more years ago, when I was a massage therapist in a health club, a client came in to see me. She carried two small boxes with her. She said, "You have to see this." Inside of the first box was a pair of earrings that nearly blinded me with their brilliance. Solid diamonds in the shape of snowflakes, three for each ear. The cost? $78,000. In the second box was another pair of earrings encrusted with rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Outrageously gorgeous! Cost? $86,000. When I asked her why she had them she told me that she worked for the CEO of an insurance company. He had to leave the office early and asked her to pick them up from his jeweler. They were gifts for his wife. Now, get this.....they were gifts, not because it was her birthday, not because it was their anniversary, not because Christmas was coming, but because she noticed them in a magazine and admired them, so he tracked them down for her, just because.
I don't begrudge people from making profits in their business endeavors. In fact, it is what makes the world go around. But to make a profit, a killing, on the backs of Americans who won't be able to afford the premiums if they should be laid off or be between jobs, or simply because life happens, is a sin. To deny a child the tests and medicine she needs, to let her die so the CEO can have a second or third house or a private jet, is beyond greed. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins and now I know why. That is what is happening all across America.
In Europe and Canada this is not the case. People are healthier, live longer and are better educated than the greatest country in the world. Are we the greatest country because of how we value human life? or because we are spending trillions of dollars on Armies, bombs and wars? We have a war on drugs, a war on teen pregnancy, a war on same sex marriage.
We think our veterans are covered with health care for life but do you really know the truth about what hoops they must jump through to get it? Do you know, first hand, the conditions of the service they are supposed to be receiving? A farm boy grew up to be a Marine. His legs were blown off. His lives with his parents in the middle of America, hundreds of miles from a Veterans Hospital. What do we Americans say to him? "Here's a shiney medal, thanks for your service, now go away."
What really makes us great? What have we done to the America I grew up loving? Weren't we supposed to be the ones in the white hats?
Go see "Sicko". Get the facts. See the truth. We need to insist on the changes this country had failed to make. Both political parties should be ashamed of themselves, lining their pockets with money from lobbyists and letting the corporations continue to make profits over the bodies of children and American citizens who got screwed by the corrupt system.
It's time Americans roll up their sleeves like we did during World War II. Supposedly the Greatest Generation worked hard for something great and that was the protection of our freedom and our rights as Americans. Are we less American than they were?
I am not a democrat. I am not a republican. I am a registered independant and I am an American.
I saw "Sicko" last week. It made me sick. Literally. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Moore but I had heard from many friends, that whichever side of the political aisle you sit, this movie had much to say to the misinformed masses who are feeling quite content that they have health insurance, "so what's the big deal?"
Hundreds of insured are going bankrupt because claims are denied. They are denied for numerous reasons. Perhaps they didn't call ahead of time for approval for that ambulance ride from a car accident. No matter that they were nearly unconscious and their arm was bleeding. Denied!
A child became ill while on vacation and her fever was 105. She was rushed to a hospital but denied the test she needed because she wasn't at the right hospital. After hours of begging by her mother and phone calls to try to find a way to treat her, she died. True story!
A couple who had health insurance for many years, owned a home, raised their family, became ill. The husband had dementia and the wife, cancer. Their claims were denied because the insurance company found an error on their original application. She neglected to mention a previous illness, twenty years ago, therefore their claim, indeed, their entire policy was cancelled. They had to file bankruptcy and move into a small room in their daughter's home. Another true story.
A man was sawing wood in his garage. The table saw was slicing through the board like a hot knife through butter when it hit a knot and the board jumped. The saw took off the tips of two fingers. He went to the hospital and was told he didn't have insurance, therefore, to reattach his fingers would cost him $12,000 for the middle finger and $9,000 for his ring finger. Being the romantic that he is, he choose his ring finger, for his wife and their wedding vows.
Some people say, "Well, the poor have MediCal and the old have Medicare and the ones in the middle should work harder to get jobs with companies that provide health care." I swear to you this is true. I just got an email from a woman who believes that. She quoted the Bible with "the meek shall inherit the Earth" and something about Adam and Eve....frankly I didn't understand what she was meaning. Basically, she has hers, fuck everyone else. No matter that over 40 million Americans are without insurance. No matter that millions of children are being untreated because of it. People are dying and the corporations that insure Americans, are getting richer and richer and richer.
Medicine that should only cost $20 costs $200.
Moore interviewed employees of insurance companies. They explained that the more they found ways to deny claims the higher up they went in their pay scale. Bonuses and perks were delivered no matter who died or suffered.
I'll tell you a true story. Back, twenty or more years ago, when I was a massage therapist in a health club, a client came in to see me. She carried two small boxes with her. She said, "You have to see this." Inside of the first box was a pair of earrings that nearly blinded me with their brilliance. Solid diamonds in the shape of snowflakes, three for each ear. The cost? $78,000. In the second box was another pair of earrings encrusted with rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Outrageously gorgeous! Cost? $86,000. When I asked her why she had them she told me that she worked for the CEO of an insurance company. He had to leave the office early and asked her to pick them up from his jeweler. They were gifts for his wife. Now, get this.....they were gifts, not because it was her birthday, not because it was their anniversary, not because Christmas was coming, but because she noticed them in a magazine and admired them, so he tracked them down for her, just because.
I don't begrudge people from making profits in their business endeavors. In fact, it is what makes the world go around. But to make a profit, a killing, on the backs of Americans who won't be able to afford the premiums if they should be laid off or be between jobs, or simply because life happens, is a sin. To deny a child the tests and medicine she needs, to let her die so the CEO can have a second or third house or a private jet, is beyond greed. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins and now I know why. That is what is happening all across America.
In Europe and Canada this is not the case. People are healthier, live longer and are better educated than the greatest country in the world. Are we the greatest country because of how we value human life? or because we are spending trillions of dollars on Armies, bombs and wars? We have a war on drugs, a war on teen pregnancy, a war on same sex marriage.
We think our veterans are covered with health care for life but do you really know the truth about what hoops they must jump through to get it? Do you know, first hand, the conditions of the service they are supposed to be receiving? A farm boy grew up to be a Marine. His legs were blown off. His lives with his parents in the middle of America, hundreds of miles from a Veterans Hospital. What do we Americans say to him? "Here's a shiney medal, thanks for your service, now go away."
What really makes us great? What have we done to the America I grew up loving? Weren't we supposed to be the ones in the white hats?
Go see "Sicko". Get the facts. See the truth. We need to insist on the changes this country had failed to make. Both political parties should be ashamed of themselves, lining their pockets with money from lobbyists and letting the corporations continue to make profits over the bodies of children and American citizens who got screwed by the corrupt system.
It's time Americans roll up their sleeves like we did during World War II. Supposedly the Greatest Generation worked hard for something great and that was the protection of our freedom and our rights as Americans. Are we less American than they were?
I am not a democrat. I am not a republican. I am a registered independant and I am an American.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Avatar Master
The word Avatar has been tossed around in Internet games and such, and consequently has lost it's original meaning. Harry Palmer, of Star's Edge International, defines Avatar as, An Enlightened Being taking on a physical form or incarnation.
And from Wikipedia:
The word "avatar" derives from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, meaning "incarnation" and usually refers to the deliberate descent of an immortal or divine being into the mortal realm for a special purpose. The term is used primarily in Hindu texts. For example, Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. The Dasavatara are ten particular "great" incarnations of Vishnu.
However, if you take Star's Edge training, you too can become an Avatar. I am an Avatar Master. All that means is I took a couple of weeks out of my life to learn and experience a Divine protocol that allowed me to experience myself as "pure awareness floating in pure awareness." That is what I wrote in 1992 about my experience of the Avatar training. To say it was enlightening is to say the very least.
Twenty years ago, June 10th, I had a life changing trauma when I fell from my balcony into a real life, made-for -TV episode of what I call, "As My World Turns" Yes, I fell over the side of a cinder block wall, in a backwards sumersault. I remember every thought that went through my mind as I felt my fingertips lose their grip. As I write this I can feel the concrete texture slide off of my fingers. I remember every detail, every word spoken, every sensation of that day and the following months of recovery.
Five years later, almost to the day of that fall, I met Theresa Dale, my Avatar Master. I was lead to her by a friend who was trying to persuade me not to follow my doctors orders, which was surgery, but instead, to seek the help of a Naturopath. A Naturopath is a doctor of natural medicine. If I could heal my gall bladder naturally, without letting someone cut me open, I was all for it.
OOOPS! Client just arrived.....stay tuned. >grins<
Okay, I'm back.
I went to Dr. Dale's office in Westwood, California. She had me fill out a lengthy questionnaire about all kinds of my bodily functions and emotional conditions, including a description of body excretions. Does your poop float or drop to the bottom of the bowl? How often do you experience lose stools? How often do you urinate? Do wake at night to use the bathroom? How often?Rather personal, don't you think?
Her questionnaire gave her an overall idea of my state of wellness. She looked at my eyes, my tongue, my fingernails then proceeded to muscle test me for a precise diagnosis.
"You have a gall bladder disruption. Let's start with that. Take these herbs three times a day then follow these instructions for a gall bladder and liver flush." She handed me a sheet of paper then went on to say that my pituitary and thyroid were compromised and I needed these other herbs. I was to return in a week, after the flush. Since I was willing to do anything to avoid surgery I decided to follow the instruction to the letter.
It was gross. I mean really gross. After a week of taking GB Plus, I had to drink a glass of water with Epsom salts in it and go to bed. The next day I was to drink more and then before bed that day, I was to drink a cup of olive oil, chased with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Nasty, gaggy stuff, olive oil, when it isn't in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and garlic. After drinking the oil I was instructed to lie down on my right side and go to sleep. The next morning, all of my gall stones were floating in the toilet. There were hundreds of them. They looked like little green emeralds. All the pain was gone and I felt fantastic. No surgery, no chemical medications, no fuss. Well, maybe a little fuss.
After that I trusted this woman with all of my illnesses. One thing that had been bugging me was a pain I had in my upper back. After the accident and subsequent surgery, I was no longer paralysed but I did have discomfort, sometimes to the point of having to stay in bed for a day or two. My spine doctor said the rods and hardware they installed were not going to come out so I would just have to learn to live with the pain. So, for five years, I did.
Dr. Dale said, "That's just a belief. Everything you experience you are creating from a belief."
"HUH? No, didn't you hear me? I fell off of a balcony. I was paralysed from the waist down. I have steel rods in my spine. This is not a belief, it really happened." Frankly, she kind of pissed me off. How dare she say I'm creating my pain. Did she think this was all in my head? Can't she see the scar? I'm not a hypochondriac.
Then she told me about the work that Harry Palmer was doing and his amazing work called, "Avatar". I decided to sign up. She was "delivering" (they don't call it teaching) the following month so I made arrangements to be away for ten days and drive to Agoura Hills to a ranch where twenty other people shared several houses and gathered together in the big house for our sessions.
The first couple of days were a struggle. I really didn't want to believe I created all of my life experiences. Not all of them anyway. Why in the world would I do that? I was a reluctant student, resistant to the new experience. Most of the time she read from a manual, the words of Harry Palmer. Then she would send us out to practice the tools. The exercises were designed to increase our extra
sensory perception. By day three I felt different. On day five I felt amazing. I had an experiential understanding, not an intellectual knowing of the materials. I got it completely. I was pure awareness, floating in pure awareness.
I walked outside and was ready to ask the big question. What belief do I have that is creating the experience of pain in my back?
I immediately saw an incident from my past. It was a beautiful, hot summer day in August of 1965. The house was quiet because my mother had told us to turn off the television. It was all about the Watts riots that were only a few miles away. I could see the curtains in my room moving in the breeze. I heard the kitchen phone ring and my mothers high, sweet voice, "Hello?" She was quiet for a moment, then let out a little cry, "Oh no! Oh my God. Please tell him we love him and we'll see him as soon as we can."
I leaped off of my bed and ran to the kitchen. The look on my mother's face as a combination of shock, disbelief, and fear. I asked her what had happend. This is the conversation.
"It's your Uncle Herman. He's hurt his back."
"Is he going to die?"
"No, Honey, but once you hurt your back, you're in pain for the rest of your life and it gets worse as you get older."
Ta-da!
That was it. During a time of fear I heard that message and programmed it into my data base. When I hurt my back, that belief was activated and my body responded with the creation of pain. I was astounded at how simple this experience was. I immediately used the Avatar protocol and the pain went away that second. That was in April of 1992 and the pain has not returned. I dis-created it.
more on this later.....
And from Wikipedia:
The word "avatar" derives from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, meaning "incarnation" and usually refers to the deliberate descent of an immortal or divine being into the mortal realm for a special purpose. The term is used primarily in Hindu texts. For example, Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. The Dasavatara are ten particular "great" incarnations of Vishnu.
However, if you take Star's Edge training, you too can become an Avatar. I am an Avatar Master. All that means is I took a couple of weeks out of my life to learn and experience a Divine protocol that allowed me to experience myself as "pure awareness floating in pure awareness." That is what I wrote in 1992 about my experience of the Avatar training. To say it was enlightening is to say the very least.
Twenty years ago, June 10th, I had a life changing trauma when I fell from my balcony into a real life, made-for -TV episode of what I call, "As My World Turns" Yes, I fell over the side of a cinder block wall, in a backwards sumersault. I remember every thought that went through my mind as I felt my fingertips lose their grip. As I write this I can feel the concrete texture slide off of my fingers. I remember every detail, every word spoken, every sensation of that day and the following months of recovery.
Five years later, almost to the day of that fall, I met Theresa Dale, my Avatar Master. I was lead to her by a friend who was trying to persuade me not to follow my doctors orders, which was surgery, but instead, to seek the help of a Naturopath. A Naturopath is a doctor of natural medicine. If I could heal my gall bladder naturally, without letting someone cut me open, I was all for it.
OOOPS! Client just arrived.....stay tuned. >grins<
Okay, I'm back.
I went to Dr. Dale's office in Westwood, California. She had me fill out a lengthy questionnaire about all kinds of my bodily functions and emotional conditions, including a description of body excretions. Does your poop float or drop to the bottom of the bowl? How often do you experience lose stools? How often do you urinate? Do wake at night to use the bathroom? How often?Rather personal, don't you think?
Her questionnaire gave her an overall idea of my state of wellness. She looked at my eyes, my tongue, my fingernails then proceeded to muscle test me for a precise diagnosis.
"You have a gall bladder disruption. Let's start with that. Take these herbs three times a day then follow these instructions for a gall bladder and liver flush." She handed me a sheet of paper then went on to say that my pituitary and thyroid were compromised and I needed these other herbs. I was to return in a week, after the flush. Since I was willing to do anything to avoid surgery I decided to follow the instruction to the letter.
It was gross. I mean really gross. After a week of taking GB Plus, I had to drink a glass of water with Epsom salts in it and go to bed. The next day I was to drink more and then before bed that day, I was to drink a cup of olive oil, chased with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Nasty, gaggy stuff, olive oil, when it isn't in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and garlic. After drinking the oil I was instructed to lie down on my right side and go to sleep. The next morning, all of my gall stones were floating in the toilet. There were hundreds of them. They looked like little green emeralds. All the pain was gone and I felt fantastic. No surgery, no chemical medications, no fuss. Well, maybe a little fuss.
After that I trusted this woman with all of my illnesses. One thing that had been bugging me was a pain I had in my upper back. After the accident and subsequent surgery, I was no longer paralysed but I did have discomfort, sometimes to the point of having to stay in bed for a day or two. My spine doctor said the rods and hardware they installed were not going to come out so I would just have to learn to live with the pain. So, for five years, I did.
Dr. Dale said, "That's just a belief. Everything you experience you are creating from a belief."
"HUH? No, didn't you hear me? I fell off of a balcony. I was paralysed from the waist down. I have steel rods in my spine. This is not a belief, it really happened." Frankly, she kind of pissed me off. How dare she say I'm creating my pain. Did she think this was all in my head? Can't she see the scar? I'm not a hypochondriac.
Then she told me about the work that Harry Palmer was doing and his amazing work called, "Avatar". I decided to sign up. She was "delivering" (they don't call it teaching) the following month so I made arrangements to be away for ten days and drive to Agoura Hills to a ranch where twenty other people shared several houses and gathered together in the big house for our sessions.
The first couple of days were a struggle. I really didn't want to believe I created all of my life experiences. Not all of them anyway. Why in the world would I do that? I was a reluctant student, resistant to the new experience. Most of the time she read from a manual, the words of Harry Palmer. Then she would send us out to practice the tools. The exercises were designed to increase our extra
sensory perception. By day three I felt different. On day five I felt amazing. I had an experiential understanding, not an intellectual knowing of the materials. I got it completely. I was pure awareness, floating in pure awareness.
I walked outside and was ready to ask the big question. What belief do I have that is creating the experience of pain in my back?
I immediately saw an incident from my past. It was a beautiful, hot summer day in August of 1965. The house was quiet because my mother had told us to turn off the television. It was all about the Watts riots that were only a few miles away. I could see the curtains in my room moving in the breeze. I heard the kitchen phone ring and my mothers high, sweet voice, "Hello?" She was quiet for a moment, then let out a little cry, "Oh no! Oh my God. Please tell him we love him and we'll see him as soon as we can."
I leaped off of my bed and ran to the kitchen. The look on my mother's face as a combination of shock, disbelief, and fear. I asked her what had happend. This is the conversation.
"It's your Uncle Herman. He's hurt his back."
"Is he going to die?"
"No, Honey, but once you hurt your back, you're in pain for the rest of your life and it gets worse as you get older."
Ta-da!
That was it. During a time of fear I heard that message and programmed it into my data base. When I hurt my back, that belief was activated and my body responded with the creation of pain. I was astounded at how simple this experience was. I immediately used the Avatar protocol and the pain went away that second. That was in April of 1992 and the pain has not returned. I dis-created it.
more on this later.....
Courage
Teiwaz Rune from "The Healing Runes" reads:
Courage is faith in action. Drawing this Rune indicates that you are being asked to recognize and honor the courage and strength of your own spirit. As you do, you will grow in the understanding necessary to continue traveling the road you have chosen, and to face with wisdom whatever challenges life brings.
Anyone who has been sorely tested-suffered through the death of a loved one, been critically ill, recovered from an addiction or broken the silence of spousal abuse- knows well the courage it takes to heal. the insight from these transforming experiences gives us hope and teaches us that the reward for courage is wisdom.
If it is the past that troubles you, know that the past is often healed by a courageous heart and mind.
Are you being asked to make a leap of faith into an uncertain future? If so, consider the Circle of the Runes, where Courage lies between Acceptance and Prayer. Thus, the Oracle is saying: If you react to the present situation with panic or denial, there is no place for courage to take hold. If the challenge confronting you feels overwhelming, think upon those who have faced great adversity with grace, and pray for their example to inspire you.
Time and again, the true test of courage is to live rather than to die, to survive the period of crisis ad complete your healing. Take comfort also from this: There is intimacy with the Divine arising from the small brave acts that help us through each day.
For some, receiving this Rune may be a reminder to reach out to ask for help. Taking the risk of reaching out is one of those brave acts of daily courage. For others, the Rune of Courage announces that the cycle of sorrow and pain has finally come to an end. Be at peace with your healing. You have walked the path of true courage; now it is time to go out in the world and live the life you were born to live.
Courage is faith in action. Drawing this Rune indicates that you are being asked to recognize and honor the courage and strength of your own spirit. As you do, you will grow in the understanding necessary to continue traveling the road you have chosen, and to face with wisdom whatever challenges life brings.
Anyone who has been sorely tested-suffered through the death of a loved one, been critically ill, recovered from an addiction or broken the silence of spousal abuse- knows well the courage it takes to heal. the insight from these transforming experiences gives us hope and teaches us that the reward for courage is wisdom.
If it is the past that troubles you, know that the past is often healed by a courageous heart and mind.
Are you being asked to make a leap of faith into an uncertain future? If so, consider the Circle of the Runes, where Courage lies between Acceptance and Prayer. Thus, the Oracle is saying: If you react to the present situation with panic or denial, there is no place for courage to take hold. If the challenge confronting you feels overwhelming, think upon those who have faced great adversity with grace, and pray for their example to inspire you.
Time and again, the true test of courage is to live rather than to die, to survive the period of crisis ad complete your healing. Take comfort also from this: There is intimacy with the Divine arising from the small brave acts that help us through each day.
For some, receiving this Rune may be a reminder to reach out to ask for help. Taking the risk of reaching out is one of those brave acts of daily courage. For others, the Rune of Courage announces that the cycle of sorrow and pain has finally come to an end. Be at peace with your healing. You have walked the path of true courage; now it is time to go out in the world and live the life you were born to live.
Darkest before the dawn.
1979 was a major turning point year for me.
Prior to that I had been in the restaurant business. It was exciting, fast paced, and like a party every night. I loved being the gracious hostess, manager, and trouble shooter. To this day I still have waitress nightmares where I'm trying to get an order from a table and I look around and suddenly there are 15 tables seated and I'm the only one on the floor. I used to be able to remember the orders of 6 guests at a table but in my nightmare I can't remember diddly squat. It's a job for the young and enthusiastic and mostly single people. The hours are torturous especially if you are a single parent. I worked at The Red Onion in Redondo Beach when it was a hoppin', crazy, pick-up club. From the five o'clock happy hour to the 1:30 a.m. last call, I was on my feet, putting out fires, cashing out waitresses, and keeping an eye on the bartenders. I loved it, except for one thing. I had a three-year-old girl at home who needed a mommy to tuck her in and say her nighttime prayers with. I was so torn. I loved the high energy of the restaurant atmosphere but I loved, so much more, my angel child. So, I quit. One day, I just couldn't do it anymore, so I left it all.
The following six months I struggled with what to do next. I began meditating every day and re-reading the many books I had on spiritual healing and psychic awareness. I read the Seth Books, and everything by Richard Bach. I never thought I would be able to do what these amazing writers were doing but, I was fascinated by all of it. I read, "Joy's Way", "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" and many others, never thinking it would lead to my next career.
My sister worked at a health club in a nearby beach town and suggested that I go to massage school and join her at the club. Back then massage school could be completed in a few months and the job paid about $19 an hour, plus tips. The hours were flexible which allowed me the luxury of creating a schedule around my daughter and not around a corporation. It was the perfect solution. I figured I would work part-time at the club and go back to college to finish my degree in psychology.
But, something happened when I started putting my hands on clients. That something was transforming. I fell in love with the calm, the peace, the love that was created when I worked. From the wild restaurant nights of noise and chaos, to the soft quiet music and candlelit room for healing. From hundreds of people a night, to one-on- one intimate sessions with people eager to connect.
My life was transformed, my career was launched and a new direction led me to the most amazing experiences. I am so grateful for the courage it took to quit my job that day. I was scared, I felt alone, I had no idea which way to turn but, I also trusted that it would be revealed. Everyday, for six months, I meditated, while the landlord waited for rent, the electric company threatened to shut off our power, and the repo guy went looking for my car. I'm sure my family and friends worried when the time passed and still I wasn't even looking for a job. They thought it was clinical depression, and maybe it was. But, I came out the other side of it, without medication. I came out the other side with clear direction.
I am relating this story because it seems to be a current theme of many of my clients. They are confused, scared, knowing it is time for change and movement, yet paralysed to take a step, not knowing which direction to turn. I understand that feeling. I've lived it. From nearly homeless, penniless and frightened to a new adventure in healing.
Many of us are being asked to step up and be the Indigos we are. We are being asked to BE our truth, to DO our primary intentions and yet we hold back out of fear. The antidote to fear is TRUST. Trust you intuition, your inner guidance system, your higher self and you will be led to the Light of your truth.
Here's a Rune for those of you who are struggling with the next move.
Teiwaz
This is the Rune of the Spiritual Warrior. Always the battle of the Spiritual Warrior is with the self. Funding the will through action, yet unattached to outcomes, remaining mindful that all you can really do is stay out of your own way and let the Will of Heaven flow through you-these are among the hallmarks of the Spiritual Warrior.
Embodied in this Rune is the sword of discrimination that enables you to cut away the old, the dead, the extraneous. And yet, with Teiwaz comes certain knowledge that the universe always has the first move. Patience is the virtue of this Rune, and it recalls the words of St. Augustine that "the reward of patience is patience."
Here, you are asked to look within, to delve down to the foundations of your life itself. Only in so doing can you hope to deal with the deepest needs of your nature and to tap into your most profound resources. The molding of character is at issue when Teiwaz appears.
Associated with this Rune are the sun, masculine energy, the active principle. The urge toward conquest is prominent here, especially self-conquest, which is a lifelong pursuit and calls for awareness, single-mindedness and the willingness to undergo your passage with compassion and in total trust.
In issues of relationship, devotion to a cause, an idea or a path of conduct, the Warrior Rune counsels perseverance, although at times the kind of perseverance required is patience.
Teiwas is a Rune of courage and dedication. In ancient times it was this glyph warriors painted on their shields before battle. Now, the same symbol strengthens your resolve in the struggle of the Self with self.
Prior to that I had been in the restaurant business. It was exciting, fast paced, and like a party every night. I loved being the gracious hostess, manager, and trouble shooter. To this day I still have waitress nightmares where I'm trying to get an order from a table and I look around and suddenly there are 15 tables seated and I'm the only one on the floor. I used to be able to remember the orders of 6 guests at a table but in my nightmare I can't remember diddly squat. It's a job for the young and enthusiastic and mostly single people. The hours are torturous especially if you are a single parent. I worked at The Red Onion in Redondo Beach when it was a hoppin', crazy, pick-up club. From the five o'clock happy hour to the 1:30 a.m. last call, I was on my feet, putting out fires, cashing out waitresses, and keeping an eye on the bartenders. I loved it, except for one thing. I had a three-year-old girl at home who needed a mommy to tuck her in and say her nighttime prayers with. I was so torn. I loved the high energy of the restaurant atmosphere but I loved, so much more, my angel child. So, I quit. One day, I just couldn't do it anymore, so I left it all.
The following six months I struggled with what to do next. I began meditating every day and re-reading the many books I had on spiritual healing and psychic awareness. I read the Seth Books, and everything by Richard Bach. I never thought I would be able to do what these amazing writers were doing but, I was fascinated by all of it. I read, "Joy's Way", "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" and many others, never thinking it would lead to my next career.
My sister worked at a health club in a nearby beach town and suggested that I go to massage school and join her at the club. Back then massage school could be completed in a few months and the job paid about $19 an hour, plus tips. The hours were flexible which allowed me the luxury of creating a schedule around my daughter and not around a corporation. It was the perfect solution. I figured I would work part-time at the club and go back to college to finish my degree in psychology.
But, something happened when I started putting my hands on clients. That something was transforming. I fell in love with the calm, the peace, the love that was created when I worked. From the wild restaurant nights of noise and chaos, to the soft quiet music and candlelit room for healing. From hundreds of people a night, to one-on- one intimate sessions with people eager to connect.
My life was transformed, my career was launched and a new direction led me to the most amazing experiences. I am so grateful for the courage it took to quit my job that day. I was scared, I felt alone, I had no idea which way to turn but, I also trusted that it would be revealed. Everyday, for six months, I meditated, while the landlord waited for rent, the electric company threatened to shut off our power, and the repo guy went looking for my car. I'm sure my family and friends worried when the time passed and still I wasn't even looking for a job. They thought it was clinical depression, and maybe it was. But, I came out the other side of it, without medication. I came out the other side with clear direction.
I am relating this story because it seems to be a current theme of many of my clients. They are confused, scared, knowing it is time for change and movement, yet paralysed to take a step, not knowing which direction to turn. I understand that feeling. I've lived it. From nearly homeless, penniless and frightened to a new adventure in healing.
Many of us are being asked to step up and be the Indigos we are. We are being asked to BE our truth, to DO our primary intentions and yet we hold back out of fear. The antidote to fear is TRUST. Trust you intuition, your inner guidance system, your higher self and you will be led to the Light of your truth.
Here's a Rune for those of you who are struggling with the next move.
Teiwaz
This is the Rune of the Spiritual Warrior. Always the battle of the Spiritual Warrior is with the self. Funding the will through action, yet unattached to outcomes, remaining mindful that all you can really do is stay out of your own way and let the Will of Heaven flow through you-these are among the hallmarks of the Spiritual Warrior.
Embodied in this Rune is the sword of discrimination that enables you to cut away the old, the dead, the extraneous. And yet, with Teiwaz comes certain knowledge that the universe always has the first move. Patience is the virtue of this Rune, and it recalls the words of St. Augustine that "the reward of patience is patience."
Here, you are asked to look within, to delve down to the foundations of your life itself. Only in so doing can you hope to deal with the deepest needs of your nature and to tap into your most profound resources. The molding of character is at issue when Teiwaz appears.
Associated with this Rune are the sun, masculine energy, the active principle. The urge toward conquest is prominent here, especially self-conquest, which is a lifelong pursuit and calls for awareness, single-mindedness and the willingness to undergo your passage with compassion and in total trust.
In issues of relationship, devotion to a cause, an idea or a path of conduct, the Warrior Rune counsels perseverance, although at times the kind of perseverance required is patience.
Teiwas is a Rune of courage and dedication. In ancient times it was this glyph warriors painted on their shields before battle. Now, the same symbol strengthens your resolve in the struggle of the Self with self.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Do you know an Indigo?
In the metaphysical and holistic fields, the term “Indigo” is like an awakening. Many of us have been waiting, patiently, and not so patiently, for the arrival of this new generation of Light Beings who are here to usher in a new world consciousness.
If you are new to the term Indigo, let me explain.
The Indigos are a special group of gifted enlightened old souls who have been born unto this planet to help transform the consciousness of this world, and to guide us all towards a higher level of evolution.
They are the “System Busters”, the “Spiritual Warriors”, here to break down all of the old traditional paradigm systems within our educational, political, religious, medical, nutritional, technological, family and all fear-based belief systems. They are the “Trail Blazers”, bringing with them Universal wisdom, Divine knowledge and a clear vision of perfection. Their mission: to help create a whole new paradigm, where we live in a world of integrity, compassion and unity.
What is an Indigo?The term “Indigo” describes their life aura, which is a beautiful deep blue or “indigo” color. Every person has a life aura color. It can tell you a lot about who you are, what your mission is, what you are here to learn, as well as describe some of your traits, behaviors and the type of personality you have. The Indigos carry with them distinct traits, personalities and a global mission that is very different from any other life color that has come before.
The majority of Indigos were born from the mid 70’s into the late 90’s. But, I need to note that some of the earlier Indigos, “The Scouts or Indigo Pioneers”, as they are called, began coming to earth just after WWII. They came in smaller numbers, but carry with them the same or similar energy and traits of the Indigo generation of today. They are the Adult Indigos.
These imaginative and precocious youngsters are immensely likable and endearing. They are self-reliant, independent and strong willed. They are highly intelligent, deeply intuitive, gifted and have lots of energy. They have a high self-esteem, and an almost regal sense of entitlement. They are emotionally and environmentally sensitive. They are compassionate, and sympathetic to other living things, especially animals. They react to unfairness and have little patience for rules, discipline, authority, (especially, authority without explanation or choice), or “old” structures.
They also “know” when someone is not in integrity with them. They can read you like a book, and can spot hidden agendas or attempts to manipulate them. They are fearless, because they know who they are. They are technologically advanced, incredibly creative and are right-brained thinkers.
If you are new to the term Indigo, let me explain.
The Indigos are a special group of gifted enlightened old souls who have been born unto this planet to help transform the consciousness of this world, and to guide us all towards a higher level of evolution.
They are the “System Busters”, the “Spiritual Warriors”, here to break down all of the old traditional paradigm systems within our educational, political, religious, medical, nutritional, technological, family and all fear-based belief systems. They are the “Trail Blazers”, bringing with them Universal wisdom, Divine knowledge and a clear vision of perfection. Their mission: to help create a whole new paradigm, where we live in a world of integrity, compassion and unity.
What is an Indigo?The term “Indigo” describes their life aura, which is a beautiful deep blue or “indigo” color. Every person has a life aura color. It can tell you a lot about who you are, what your mission is, what you are here to learn, as well as describe some of your traits, behaviors and the type of personality you have. The Indigos carry with them distinct traits, personalities and a global mission that is very different from any other life color that has come before.
The majority of Indigos were born from the mid 70’s into the late 90’s. But, I need to note that some of the earlier Indigos, “The Scouts or Indigo Pioneers”, as they are called, began coming to earth just after WWII. They came in smaller numbers, but carry with them the same or similar energy and traits of the Indigo generation of today. They are the Adult Indigos.
These imaginative and precocious youngsters are immensely likable and endearing. They are self-reliant, independent and strong willed. They are highly intelligent, deeply intuitive, gifted and have lots of energy. They have a high self-esteem, and an almost regal sense of entitlement. They are emotionally and environmentally sensitive. They are compassionate, and sympathetic to other living things, especially animals. They react to unfairness and have little patience for rules, discipline, authority, (especially, authority without explanation or choice), or “old” structures.
They also “know” when someone is not in integrity with them. They can read you like a book, and can spot hidden agendas or attempts to manipulate them. They are fearless, because they know who they are. They are technologically advanced, incredibly creative and are right-brained thinkers.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
From Dr. Bruce Lipton
The Wisdom of Your Cells is a new biology that will profoundly change civilization and the world we live in. This new biology takes us from the belief that we are victims of our genes, that we are biochemical machines, that life is out of our control, into another reality, a reality where our thoughts, beliefs and mind control our genes, our behavior and the life we experience. This biology is based on current, modern science with some new perceptions added.
The new science takes us from victim to creator; we are very powerful in creating and unfolding the lives that we lead. This is actually knowledge of self and if we understand the old axiom, "Knowledge is power," then what we are really beginning to understand is the knowledge of self-power. This is what I think we will get from understanding the new biology.
My first introduction to biology was in second grade. The teacher brought in a microscope to show us cells and I remember how exciting it was. At the university I graduated from conventional microscopes into electron microscopy and had a further opportunity to look into the lives of cells. The lessons I learned profoundly changed my life and gave me insights about the world we live in that I would like to share with you.Using electron microscopy, not only did I see the cells from the outside but I was able to go through the cell's anatomy and understand the nature of its organization, its structures and its functions. As much as people talk about flying into outer space, I was flying into inner space and seeing new vistas, starting to have greater appreciation of the nature of life, the nature of cells and our involvement with our own cells.
At this time I also started training in cell culturing. In about 1968 I started cloning stem cells, doing my first cloning experiments under the guidance of Dr. Irv Konigsberg, a brilliant scientist who created the first stem cell cultures. The stem cells I was working with were called myoblasts. Myo means muscle; blast means progenitor. When I put my cells in the culture dishes with the conditions that support muscle growth, the muscle cells evolved and I would end up with giant contractile muscles. However, if I changed the environmental situation, the fate of the cells would be altered. I would start off with my same muscle precursors but in an altered environment they would actually start to form bone cells. If I further altered the conditions, those cells became adipose or fat cells. The results of these experiments were very exciting because while every one of the cells was genetically identical, the fate of the cells was controlled by the environment in which I placed them.
While I was doing these experiments I also started teaching students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine the conventional understanding that genes controlled the fate of cells. Yet in my experiments it was clearly revealed that the fate of cells was more or less controlled by the environment. My colleagues, of course, were upset with my work. Everyone was then on the bandwagon for the human genome project and in support of the "genes-control-life" story. When my work revealed how the environment would alter the cells, they talked about it as an exception to the rule.
You Are a Community of 50 Trillion Living Cells
Now I have a completely new understanding of life and that has led to a new way to teach people about cells. When you look at yourself you see an individual person. But if you understand the nature of who you are, you realize that you are actually a community of about 50 trillion living cells. Each cell is a living individual, a sentient being that has its own life and functions but interacts with other cells in the nature of a community. If I could reduce you to the size of a cell and drop you inside your own body, you would see a very busy metropolis of trillions of individuals living within one skin. This becomes relevant when we understand that health is when there is harmony in the community and dis-ease is when there is a disharmony that tends to fracture the community relationships. So, number one, we are a community.
Fact number two: There is not one function in the human body that is not already present in every single cell. For example, you have various systems: digestive, respiratory, excretory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, reproductive, a nervous system and an immune system but every one of those functions exists in every one of your cells. In fact we are made in the image oI was teaching what is called the medical model, the perception that human biology represents a biological machine comprised of biochemicals and controlled by genes. Therefore when a patient comes in to see a doctor, the belief system is that the patient has something wrong with their biochemistry or genes, which can be adjusted and can lead them to health. At some point I realized that I had to leave the university because I found great conflict in teaching the students about what controls the cell and yet getting a completely different understanding from the cells in my cultures.
A New Understanding of Science
When I was outside the university I had a chance to read into physics. Again I found information that did not conform to the science I had been teaching. In the world of new physics, quantum physics, the mechanisms that are described completely collide with the mechanisms we were teaching, which were based on the old Newtonian physics. The new physics currently is still not introduced in medical schools. Before conventional science, science was the province of the church. It was called natural theology and was infused with the spiritual domain, teaching that God's hand was directly involved in the unfoldment and maintenance of the world, that God's image was expressed through the nature we live in. Natural theology had a mission statement: to understand the nature of the environment so we could learn to live in harmony with it. Basically this meant learning how to live in harmony with God, considering that nature and God were so well connected.
However, through the abuses of the church, their insistence on absolute knowledge and their efforts of suppressing new knowledge, there was what is called the Reformation. The Reformation, precipitated by Martin Luther, was a challenge to the church's authority. After the Reformation, when there was an opportunity to question beliefs about the universe, science became what was called modern science. Isaac Newton, the physicist whose primary studies were on the nature of gravity and the movement of the planets, provided the foundation for modern science. He invented a new mathematics called differential calculus in order to create an equation to predict the movements of the solar system. Science identified truths as things that were predictable. Newtonian physics perceives the universe as a machine made out of matter; it says that if you can understand the nature of the matter that comprises the machine, then you will understand nature itself. Therefore the mission of science was to control and dominate nature, which was completely different than the former mission of science under natural theology, which was to live in harmony with nature.
The issue of control in regard to biology becomes a very important point. What is it that controls the traits that we express? According to Newtonian physics life forms represent machines made out of matter and if you want to understand those machines you take them apart, a process called reductionism. You study the individual pieces and see how they work and when you put all the pieces together again, you have an understanding of the whole. Charles Darwin said that the traits an individual expresses are connected to the parents. The sperm and egg that come together and result in the formation of a new individual must be carrying something that controls the traits in the offspring. Studies of dividing cells began in the early 1900s and they saw string-like structures that were present in cells that were beginning to divide. These string-like structures were called chromosomes.
Interestingly enough, while chromosomes were identified around 1900, it was only in 1944 that we actually identified which of their components carried the genetic traits. The world got very excited. They said, oh, my goodness, after all these years we finally have gotten down to identifying the genetically controlling material; it appears to be the DNA. In 1953 the work of James Watson and Francis Crick revealed that each strand of DNA contained a sequence of genes. The genes are the blueprints for each of the over 100,000 different kinds of proteins that are the building blocks for making a human body. A headline announcing Watson and Crick's discovery appeared in a New York paper: "Secret of Life Discovered" and from that point on biology has been wrapped up in the genes. Scientists saw that by understanding the genetic code we could change the characters of organisms and therefore there was a big, headlong rush into the human genome project to try to understand the nature of the genes.At first they thought these genes only controlled the physical form, but the more they started to manipulate genes, they saw that there were also influences on behavior and emotion. Suddenly, the genes took on more profound meaning because all the characters and traits of a human were apparently controlled by these genes.
Are We Victims of Heredity?
Yet there was one last question: what is it that controls the DNA? That would be going up the last rung of the ladder to find out what is ultimately in control. They did an experiment and it revealed that DNA was responsible for copying itself! DNA controls the protein and the protein represents our bodies. Basically it says that life is controlled by DNA. That is the Central Dogma. It supports a concept called "the primacy of DNA" that says who and what we are and the fate of the lives we lead are already preprogrammed in the DNA that we received at conception. What is the consequence of this? That the character and fate of your life reflects the heredity you were born into; you are actually a victim of heredity.
For example, scientists looked at a group of people, scored them on the basis of happiness and tried to find out whether there was a gene that was associated with happy people that was not active in unhappy people. Sure enough, they found a particular gene that seems to be more active in happy people. Then they immediately put out a big media blip on "gene for happiness discovered." You could say, "Well, wait a minute. If I got a sucky happy gene, then my whole life is going to be predetermined. I'm a victim of my heredity." This is exactly what we teach in school and this is what I had also been teaching-that people are powerless over their own lives because they can't change their genes. But when people recognize the nature of being powerless, they also start to become irresponsible. "Well, look, Boss, you're calling me lazy but I just want you to know my father was lazy. What can you expect from me? I mean, my genes made me lazy. I can't do anything about it." Recently in Newsweek they wrote about how fat cells are waging war on our health. It's interesting because in an epidemic of obesity science stands back and says: it's your fat cells that are waging war in your life.
The Human Genome Project
To come and save us, the human genome project entered our world. The idea of the project was to identify all the genes that make up a human. It would offer the future opportunity of genetic engineering to correct the ills and problems that face humans in this world. I thought the project was a humanitarian effort but it was interesting later to find out from Paul Silverman, one of the principal architects of the human genome project, what it was actually about. It was simply this: It was estimated that there were going to be over 100,000 genes in the human genome because there are over 100,000 different proteins in our bodies; plus there were also genes that didn't make proteins but controlled the other genes. The project was actually designed by venture capitalists; they figured that since there were over 100,000 genes, by identifying these genes and then patenting the gene sequences, they could sell the gene patents to the drug industry and the drug industry would use the genes in creating health products. In fact, the program was not actually for advancing the human state as much as it was for making a lot of money.
Biologists because we can do research on cells and then apply that information to understanding the nature of the human body.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
July 2007
I spent the weekend at Steven's house in Idyllwild. He had his annual soiree Saturday night and per his usual outstanding ability to plan and execute a perfect evening with great food, a fully stocked bar, and my favorite two entertainers he succeeded to make it look effortless. He is a very gracious host, my friend.
The same two guys who played excellent blues last year, were there again this year. Both of them have wonderfully sexy voices. Every song I've ever loved was on their list. And to top off the night we all got to watch the moon peek over the mountain ridge in it's full glow. The stars were brilliant and the air was warm and clear. Man-o -man. I sure do love that place. Every time I visit Steven or go to Idyllwild to work, I leave there dreaming of buying a cabin on the mountain, just below Lilly Rock. The Idyllwild valley has such a beautiful vibration.
Phoenix is on the agenda for tomorrow. I'll be there working, playing, and babysitting for a week. Shanon and Danny are going to Vegas for a friend's wedding and extending their stay to four days. I keep telling myself that I can handle a four-year old and an infant without help. I'm tough. I'm strong. I'm a TFM. But, to tell the truth, and I must, I'm having my reservations.
Anyway, have a wonderful Fourth of July Celebration everybody.
Happy Birthday America!
P.S. Now that I have clients in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Tennessee, California, Nevada and Illinois, does that make me an interstate? Speed limit 55.
The same two guys who played excellent blues last year, were there again this year. Both of them have wonderfully sexy voices. Every song I've ever loved was on their list. And to top off the night we all got to watch the moon peek over the mountain ridge in it's full glow. The stars were brilliant and the air was warm and clear. Man-o -man. I sure do love that place. Every time I visit Steven or go to Idyllwild to work, I leave there dreaming of buying a cabin on the mountain, just below Lilly Rock. The Idyllwild valley has such a beautiful vibration.
Phoenix is on the agenda for tomorrow. I'll be there working, playing, and babysitting for a week. Shanon and Danny are going to Vegas for a friend's wedding and extending their stay to four days. I keep telling myself that I can handle a four-year old and an infant without help. I'm tough. I'm strong. I'm a TFM. But, to tell the truth, and I must, I'm having my reservations.
Anyway, have a wonderful Fourth of July Celebration everybody.
Happy Birthday America!
P.S. Now that I have clients in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Tennessee, California, Nevada and Illinois, does that make me an interstate? Speed limit 55.
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