Monthly Archives: July 2012

Jim Self on the Disappearance of the 3rd Dimension

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hat Do You Mean the 3rd Dimension Is Going Away?

What Do You Mean the 3rd Dimension Is Going Away? | in5d.comby Jim Self

As 2012 approaches there is an increasing urgency to this message because we’re all, literally, running out of time to play in the third dimension.

In simple terms, the habit of thinking and feeling and behaving that we know of as the third dimension is going away. Everyone is shifting into a fourth dimensional consciousness and experience, and then into a fifth dimensional consciousness and experience.

However, most people on the planet are not prepared for this Shift. But it is happening nonetheless, and for those who are unaware of what’s going on it will not be an easy or comfortable experience.

Yet this can be a wonderful, enjoyable time as well. With some basic information about what the Shift is, and what “dimensions” are, and with simple tools to help manage our thoughts and feelings, everyone has the ability to evolve their consciousness and move gracefully and joyfully into these higher vibrational realms.

If you don’t know what dimensions are, you are not alone. Most people playing the game of life as we know it in the third dimension are playing without a “rule book” that would explain what the game really is and how one can play it successfully.

This article provides these basic, missing rules. It explains what the third, fourth, and fifth dimensions are, and why they are the most important consideration of your life right now.

If you can understand the structure and play of these dimensions, you can begin to move fluidly through the unprecedented changes of this Shift without fear, without effort, without the tension and anxiety that is, for the most part, the daily habit of our lives.

So, first of all, let me define what dimensions are not.

Dimensions are not places or locations, and they are not a linear progression – 3, 4, 5, 6 – stacked up like pancakes. And the 3rd dimension, or the 4th dimension, is not the chair you’re sitting in, or the walls that surround you, or even the Earth itself. That is form, which exists predominantly in the 3rd and 4th dimensions, and which will still be very much part of the play in the 4th dimension when the 3rd dimension is no longer an option.

In general, dimensions are states of consciousness available to anyone who vibrates in resonance with the specific frequencies and opportunities available within each dimension.

In a way, you could think of each dimension as a different game with a different set of rules as to what is possible and not possible for the beings that choose to play and create there.

So what is the 3rd Dimension?

The third dimension (3D) is a box of rigid beliefs, more or less, with a relatively inflexible set of rules and limitations. Most of us have been playing this game for lifetimes, so we tend to think it is the only game available to us. But nothing could be further from the truth. One of the rigid 3D beliefs that structure our lives – our thinking and feeling and actions – is linear time.

Linear time is an optional belief and structure that let’s us “live” an experience of past and a future… and then we die. Because this belief is the default assumption of mass 3D consciousness, and events seem to validate the belief, most of us think and act as if it’s true.

But now we are all waking up from the illusion of this ubiquitous belief. And as you become more conscious, you realize that time in 3D is actually a time loop. What you experience in “the past” is pretty much what you put your attention on now, and you project that reality into “the future,” and therefore you experience it over and over again.

So the structure of time is quite specific (and limiting) in the 3rd dimension, but your experience of time is quite different (and empowering) as you move into higher dimensions.

Everything in a 3D consciousness is also very conditional. The concept of, for example, ‘unconditional love,’ does not exist in the 3rd dimension. If you experience ‘unconditional love’ or ‘unconditional peace’ you have actually moved into a fourth dimensional (4D) consciousness.

You see, in the earth experience now, we have access to both 3rd and 4th dimensional consciousness, but most of us rarely step out of the well-grooved habits of 3D thinking and feeling.

The 3rd dimension also offers no possibility of choice. We don’t choose our thoughts, feelings, and actions in every moment (that’s a skill of 4D and 5D), instead we react from unconscious beliefs and training to the people and situations that pop up in our space.

Duality provides another rigid structure for 3D experience. Up/down. Left/right. Should/shouldn’t. Since the fall of Atlantis 12,500 years ago, we have become very fearful as a way of life, and in that fear we have learned to narrowly define good and bad, right and wrong, etc. Unconscious judgment permeates 3D thinking.

Moreover, we perceive our 3D experience predominantly with the left hemisphere of the brain, home of the rational mind, and so we use only about 5 to 10 percent of the brain’s capacity to play the 3D game. Most of us suspect the rest of our brain must do something but have no idea what it actually does and how it functions.

In fact, what the rest of the brain enables us to do is function in the higher 4th and 5th dimensions, and beyond.

We already have the potential, all the necessary equipment and wiring, right now, to be fully conscious in all these dimensions. But our habits of thinking and feeling, grooved over many lifetimes, dumbs= us down and limit us to 3D experience. Our left-brain, rational mind only knows what it knows, and doesn’t know what it doesn’t know, and it works tirelessly to keep us within a thin range of objective 3D thinking and possibilities. And we, for the most part, have gone along for the ride. But no longer.

The increasing light energies and frequencies of the Shift are rewiring our brains to allow us access to a much wider range of information and possibility than is available in the 3rd dimension. These light energies are preparing us for 4D and 5D experience, even as they are clearing the rigid 3D “rules” from our consciousness.

So what is the 4th Dimension?

The “rules” of 4th dimensional consciousness provide an enhanced sense of ease, possibility, and capability than the structures of the 3rd dimension.

Time in 4D, for example, is always present time. The focus is only ever this moment, what is happening right now. Our bodies already know only this present time; they can’t know ‘yesterday’ or ‘tomorrow,’ and as conscious beings in our natural alignment in the higher 4th dimension, we function absolutely in this “Now” of present time awareness and attention. When our attention point becomes present time awareness, choice becomes possible again. We can observe any and all events with a sense of detachment, merely as information to consider, and from that still, uncluttered platform we are then, and only then, free to choose our response. In the higher 4th dimension we become response-able.

A concept and possibility known as paradox also becomes available in the present time of 4D consciousness. Paradox simply means that what was true just a moment ago may not be true right now. And what was false a moment ago may no longer be false. Instead of applying rigid, pre-existing definitions to any experience, we choose our preferred version and vibration in every moment.

So as we move into 4D consciousness in present time, with the power of choice and response-ability, and the flexibility of paradox, the ability to alter the game to enhance our happiness and wellbeing becomes available.

Interestingly, 4D consciousness will not be a long-term option after the Shift clears away the rigid structures of 3D consciousness.

The 4th dimension is serving as an essential, but short-lived, stepping stone or vibrational platform from which we will all move into 5th dimensional consciousness. 5D is the target for Earth and all her inhabitants. The archangels have said the entire consciousness of Earth will be a fifth dimensional consciousness by the year 2015.

But although the 5th dimension is the target, the experience of the 4th dimension is essential. We cannot enter 5D directly from 4D. All mental and emotional baggage from the 3rd dimension must be left at the door to the 4th dimension, and we can only enter the 5th dimension after we have become masterful of our thoughts and feelings in the 4th dimension.

Some assembly is required.

So what is the 5th Dimension?

The 5th dimension operates, to a great extent, in a completely differently fashion from the 3rd and 4th dimensions.

Time in 5D is instantaneous time, meaning that everything (all possibilities) occurs in the same place at the same moment. In 5D, you focus your attention and the answer or experience is given to you exactly when and where you focus.

Ask and you shall receive.

In 5D, you don’t have to move or go anywhere for your answers or experiences; everything comes to you easily and effortlessly based upon the attention point and vibration you choose to hold in every moment.

When you are vibrating in 5D consciousness, you don’t create with form as you do in the 3rd and 4th dimensions, you create with light and light patterns and light frequencies. You apply sound and color and geometric shapes. You consciously interact with the Creator and all the Beings of Light.

In this heightened consciousness, the rational mind plays a very minimal role. It returns to a small, specific focus it was intended to have, namely the wellbeing of the physical body.

But before we can move into our vibrational home that is 5D consciousness, we must first become masterful of the vibrations and possibilities of 4D consciousness. This is the focus of the Shift for most people as we head into the ever-accelerating events of 2012.

So how do you become masterful in 4D consciousness?

The Tools of 4D Present Time

As I mentioned, 4D is the ‘right now’ of ‘present time.’ But present time actually has four different levels.

In 2010, we all stepped into the third level. As we move 2012, we will step into the fourth, and final, level. In that level, when you think, ‘I would like an apple,’ the apple is going to appear in your hand. Usually when I say that people get very excited. And it is exciting. However … there is a however.

The vast majority of people on this planet are not prepared to be the masters of their every thought, feeling, and action in every moment. But there’s no option. It’s a required, baseline skill of higher 4D and 5D consciousness.

One of the reasons the 3rd dimension was created was to provide a “playground” in which we each can practice and hone the vibration of our thoughts and feelings. To accomplish this, the 3D playground has a time buffer. Instead of ‘instant manifestation’ there is a time lag between the thought we think and the manifestation or experience of that thought. For the most part, we are very sloppy with this buffer.

Instead of focusing on what we want, and allowing this to unfold over time, we spew anger, frustration, boredom, worry, anxiety, blame, guilt, fear – all kinds of lower, disharmonic thoughts and feelings. We behave as if we can think and feel anything with impunity because we do not see the instantaneous results of our thinking.

But no longer. As 3D linear time is collapsing into a single point of present time, the time buffer is collapsing too. We have less opportunity to practice being aware of our mental and emotional habits before what we think is what we get. This is a very big deal.

Fortunately, some simple energy tools can help you manage your thoughts and emotions in every moment so that you can be prepared for the unprecedented opportunity and challenge of living and creating in present time in the higher dimensions.

These basic energy tools are available for free on our website www.masteringalchemy .com but let me explain a few of them here by way of example.

Allow the Shift to clear your unconscious thoughts & feelings

In simple terms, the Shift is using one wave of light frequencies to clear away who we are not, and another wave to remind us who we are. The Shift knows where we’ve stored unwanted, unconscious habits of thought and reactionary emotion, and the light is clearing all this from our vibration.

However, as these lesser thoughts and feelings are cleared, they will come into our awareness, and magnetize people and circumstances to us that mirror these chaotic energies. How do you handle these often-powerful energies when they appear. You allow them. If you can simply observe them with a sense of detachment as they come up – knowing that they are just coming up to be cleared – they will clear quickly, and you won’t even remember what the fuss was all about.

But if you grab hold and engage these chaotic thoughts and feelings, if you insist on feeling guilty or worrying, if you continue to argue that ‘I am not OK’ or ‘They are not OK,’ these energies will not be cleared from your space – and the Shift, as it accelerates ever faster, will become a very bumpy, very ‘not OK’ road for you.

Remember most often what comes up is not even yours; it does not belong to you. Acknowledge it and know that it’s coming up to be cleared… forever. Take a couple of deep breaths, go for a walk, listen to music — but turn your attention point to something of a higher vibration.

Understanding the Lower and Higher 4th Dimension

To simplify another important aspect of the Shift, let’s imagine that the 4th dimension has just two parts to it – a lower 4th dimension and a higher 4th dimension. (This is not technically true, but it’s a useful distinction.)

As I mentioned, form will remain when 3D disappears. We’ll still experience houses and cars and trees. But fear, judgments, blame and guilt, the rights and the wrongs, will disappear. All this dense emotional energy, which is the only thing that prevents us from playing in the higher dimensions right now, will simply be cleared from our space.

However, depending upon the vibration of the thoughts you are thinking as 3D disappears, you will find yourself in either the lower 4th dimension or the higher 4th dimension.

The lower 4th dimension, which is also called the astral plane or dream space, holds all the thoughts ever thought by anyone in the 3rd dimension.

You see, thoughts don’t just disappear after we think them. They live on in the lower 4th dimension, with specific weight, texture, density and emotional charge. And they bond and cluster with all the other thoughts of similar character.

Some thoughts – such as rape, domination, slavery, war, hatred – feel heavy, dense and dark. Conversely, thoughts such as ‘butterflies,’ ‘children playing in the park,’ and ‘flowers blooming on a warm spring day’ feel light and have a simple, airy vibration. Lighter thoughts like these rarely linger in a 3D consciousness. Because in order to align and feel the vibration of, for example, ‘beauty,’ we must step out of 3D consciousness into present time, a higher 4th dimensional space.

Wait, you say, I know ‘Beauty!’ You do, because we’re now living in both the third and fourth dimensions simultaneously, but how often do you align yourself with, and linger on, the feeling of beauty?

It’s a 4D, present-time skill to take thoughts like ‘light,’ ‘airy’ and ‘beauty’ to heart. These vibrations don’t even exist in the hurry up, past/future of the 3rd dimension where it’s very difficult to pause in present time and smell a flower.

But, on the other hand, have you noticed that heavy, uncomfortable thoughts such as ‘I’m not good enough.’ or ‘They don’t like me.’ or ’I’m never going to succeed.’ tend to linger quite a bit longer in 3D consciousness? This is because thoughts are electric and emotions are magnetic. A set of light, airy vibrations like ‘beauty’ or ‘graciousness’ has a low, soft, electrical charge that is expansive and fluid. Whereas heavier, uglier thoughts come highly charged and wrapped in highly magnetic emotions. These thoughts are not only harder to clear than kind, loving thoughts; they also bond magnetically to all other thoughts like them in the lower 4th dimension.

So much of the magnetic field we walk around in – I’m not OK, You’re not OK – has very little to do with who we really are. It’s just the magnetism of one heavy, unconscious thought attaching itself to the magnetism of similar heavy, unconscious thoughts.

You begin to see why it’s vital to become conscious of the thoughts you think and the emotions you throw into your vibrational mix.

Fortunately, the second wave of the Shift is making this easier and easier. As we let go of the heavier energies of Who We Are Not, the light is rewiring us, stepping us up into a higher 4th dimensional vibration where lesser thoughts and emotions are not such a distraction in our general experience.

We start to live in alignment with the heart, and experience the vibrations and consequences of concepts such as ‘I like me,’ ‘I’m happy,’ ‘I’m pleased with myself.’

The alignment with the heart becomes natural because it already is our natural alignment in the higher fourth, fifth and sixth dimensions.

However, some assembly is required.

Any limitations, judgments, denials, blame, guilt, or resentments that we each still argue for, in one way or the other, become like weights on a hot air balloon. They limit how far we can rise within the fourth dimensional range of vibration.

Each of us is 100 percent in charge of the process. The more weight – lower-vibrational patterns of words, thoughts, and emotions – we remove, the higher we rise into the expansive experience of the higher 4th dimension. Here, it is as if we look past the boundaries and limitations, which were always just a habit of observation in 3D. It’s a wider view, a calmer view, and a quieter view. In the upper 4th dimension, you can choose fear or worry, and drop into the lower 4th dimension… but you won’t.

As you begin to align with the heart, very naturally – ‘I Like Me’ – you’re going to find there’s no reason or compulsion to choose an uncomfortable attention point in the lower 4th dimension. It comes naturally and readily because it is the language and vibration of you’re natural well being – if you let it, and if you focus upon it.

It’s a choice.

As the shift accelerates and time collapses and everything is in the present moment, you could still choose your thoughts and feelings unconsciously, out of 3rd dimensional habit, and you would have the opportunity to live that discomfort immediately and fully in your experience.

Or you can choose your thought and emotion in every moment, with focus and awareness, and live the fullness of that experience.

In other words, it’s to your benefit to practice and integrate the ability to choose the contents of your consciousness right now, before it really counts – and that moment is not very far away.

It’s all up to you.

Until now, the center of your head, the place from where you can choose your thoughts and attention point, has been pre-occupied by the thoughts of others. Your Mom-Dad-Teacher-Minister loved you and had an opinion about the best way for you to live your life, and as their thoughts moved in to your head, “You” moved out.

Now it is time to take back ownership of the center of your head. As you recognize and let go of the unnatural thoughts that say, ‘Oh, I can’t do this’ and ‘I can’t do that’ and ‘I must do this,’ you’re going to find that soon all those thoughts, with their sticky interlocking connections in the lower 4th dimension, disappear.

Just putting your attention in present time on ‘beauty’ and ‘well-being‘, or just being ‘happy’ in a state of ‘ease‘, eliminates the lesser vibrations stored within the lower astral fields of the 4th dimension.

Start by playing with the vibration of what I call Living Words. The Archangels very deliberately and precisely selected these words – words such as Certain, Capable, Commanding, Present, Senior, Graciousness and Happy – so that you can most easily clear all the unconscious vibrations from your space.

Choose one word each day and live with it all day, think it and feel it often.

If you practice thinking and feeling these vibrations now, when it doesn’t absolutely count, they will become your habit when it does count.

You begin to gracefully realign with the fullness of “You,” and your natural state of wellbeing lifts you into the higher 4th dimension.

Easy? Kind of.

Simple? Yes.

Does it require awareness and a choice from a present time space? Absolutely.

Can you sit on the sidelines and hope it all turns out? No.

Increased levels of electromagnetic light from the higher dimensions are now flowing within all of us. Many people in the 3rd dimension cannot handle this surge, and they are choosing to step out of their
bodies.

And many, many more will follow as the Shift accelerates

You see, everyone is going home to the 4th and then 5th dimensions, but not everyone is going home on the same timeline, and with the same ease and grace.

How do you choose?

Blessings,

Jim Self
www.MasteringAlchemy.com

Copyright: You may share this article with your friends as long it is kept whole and our website is included.

from:    http://www.in5d.com/what-do-you-mean-the-3rd-dimension-is-going-away.html

On Butterfly Symbolism

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The Esoteric Meaning of the Butterfly

The Esoteric Meaning of the Butterflyby Linda-Ann Stewart

When we talk about transformation, the image that comes to mind for most of us is the butterfly. A beautiful, filmy creature that glides about the sky, bringing joy to our hearts. But we tend to forget what the butterfly has gone through, how it has struggled to reach its place on the breeze.

Our path of transformation can be likened to that of the butterfly”s. Generally, when we embrace transformation, we only want to think of the end result. We don”t want to think about the work that goes into it, or the sacrifices we”ll have to make to be able to soar. I know that when I went through a transformation some years ago, I thought “Wonderful. Things will be better.” They were, but in the process there were attitudes and behaviors I had to surrender that were central to my life.

Transformation begins with the Universe pressing us forward into desiring something better for ourselves. We may not know what it is that we want, just that we have this impulsion for something more. Originally, the butterfly was once a caterpillar, inching across the grass to climb up the marigold to reach its daily meal. Its main drive was to eat, to fill its stomach.

The same could be said of us. Before we begin to transform, we have a compulsion to meander around; reading books, listening to tapes, attending lectures, digesting information. We”re still in the old form, fattening our minds up to get ready to build a cocoon, where we”ll use all that we”ve digested to transform our lives into a greater reflection of the Universal good.

Once our appetite has been appeased, we”ll feel compelled to allow what we”ve learned to gestate. Letting it process is like the caterpillar inside its cocoon. This is the time to incubate. It may last for a few days or a few months. While it is happening, we”re changing. We may not see the change, but there are parts of us that are being released, transformed and altered. At this point, our lives will sometimes become very uncomfortable for us. During my transformation, I had an intimate relationship that got progressively difficult.

When its transformation is complete, the butterfly begins its emergence from its cocoon. It must fight its way out of the old form, through the silky shell it created, letting it go, into a new world. Just as we must struggle to move through our barriers and outmoded attitudes. Behaviors that served us when we were caterpillars are no longer helpful. We can”t live the way we used to. We”re transcending the old patterns. But since they were familiar, and successful in our old form, we resist discarding them.

I eventually had to release beliefs that were no longer in my best interest. No longer could I play a role that I had outgrown. The relationship came to an end. It was very painful to let go, and very scary to change the role. My whole life had changed.

As we emerge from our cocoon, we take time to adjust to our new circumstances. Things are different, and we have to learn how to handle our new selves. We act in new ways. The things we say are surprising to others, because it”s not what they”re familiar with. People respond to us in a manner in which we”re not used to. Because of my new attitudes, I lost some friends who couldn”t adjust to the shift. And I made new friends who were walking the same path I was.

Eventually, the butterfly climbs free and rests, spreading its wings. For the first time, energy flows through them and they expand, finally ready to carry the butterfly on the breeze. Just as we soon feel confident with our new self, and we fly free, a beautiful butterfly gracefully fluttering from flower to flower. A living jewel fluttering about in the sky.

There is a theory that states… If you step on a butterfly in this timeline, you alter all potential future timelines. In the 21st Century human consciousness is experiencing a metamorphosis of the slow moving caterpillar into the butterfly.

The butterfly flies free in the mandala (wheel) of time.

The butterfly flies free in the mandala (wheel) of time.

The Butterfly Effects signals the emergence of consciousness in the alchemy of time.

The following is from Animal Symbolism, Totems and Dream Analysis from A to Z

The butterfly is great admired among American Indians and is a bringer of joy and peace. Cultures all over earth revere its delicate and colorful beauty. Most butterflies live very short lives, only a week or two, except for the Angle Wing and Monarch live about six months. They experience stages of development from egg in the cocoon to caterpillar to adult butterfly.

The short life span and beauty of the butterfly is symbolic of early spiritual growth. Lessons of life will be shown during sometimes difficult formative years and come to light as the butterfly spirit begins to fly. They hold the gift of transformation and soul evolution.

The butterfly is reminiscent of freedom and creativity.

Butterflies have a pair of large compound oval eyes made up of thousands of individual lenses. They can see a single image clearly and are able to perceive ultraviolet wavelengths of light. This suggests clairvoyant abilities for those that hold this totem.

The antennae of the butterfly have small knobs on each end which is said to play a role in orientation. When one antenna is missing the butterfly will fly in circles unable to find its way. Those with this medicine need to stay consciously connected to spirit at all times in order to arrive at their desired destination.

Butterflies are not very organized, often return to the same flower many times before they realize it, and cannot remember relatives. This trait shows us to be better prepared for life’s challenges and relationships.

The butterfly represents the process of transformation and shape shifting. When butterfly shows up, make note of the most important issues confronting you at the moment. What state of change are you at in regard to them?

Butterflies remind us not to take life so seriously. They feed on flowers that they help pollinate, thereby further spreading beauty. They represent the element of air, quickly changing and ever moving, so gracefully. Butterflies are messengers of the moment. They come in a variety of colors. To understand the message that the butterfly holds for you a study of its colors can be helpful.

Whenever an eco-system is damaged, butterfly is usually the first to leave. They are especially sensitive to the harmony of earth. If butterfly comes to you in a hurt, trapped or ill way, you are being asked to stop disturbing the natural design of life and to flow with events in a more gentle, natural way.

in5d addendum:

The butterfly is a very powerful symbol of transformation as our planet is currently undergoing a transformation of consciousness.

In dream analogy, the butterfly is often describes as the following: “Social success, romantic success and/or domestic happiness is forecast by a dream of these brightly colored creatures.”

As consciousness is evolving, the current definitions for dream analysis need to be amended.  For example, a ladder in a dream may represent a raise or promotion if you are climbing the ladder. Now, the ladder may represent a DNA strand, which may imply an eminent DNA upgrade of an increase in metaphysical abilities.

Similar with seeing a ladder in your dreams, a butterfly might suggest a spiritual progression or metamorphosis of consciousness.

from:    http://www.in5d.com/esoteric-meaning-butterfly.html

Ayatollah Khamenei on Coming War

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Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Bodes War, Judgment Day

Iran’s supreme religilous and political leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued an unprecedented statement calling people across the world to prepare for the wars signalling the coming of Judgment Day.

“We must prepare for the coming. Since we consider ourselves the warriors of the 12th Imam, we must fight,” said Khamenei in a position published simulaneously by a number of Iranian state media, reports Lenta.ru.

“Under the leadership of God, and with his invisible Power, we will restore the glory of Islamic Civilization,” stated the Iranian supreme leader.

Lenta.ru furhter writes that some months ago, a book entitled “The Last Six Months” was distributed among Iran’s army.

According to the book, there is little time remaining for this world, as many prophecies of its end have come true, and accordingly soldiers and officers must be in a permanent war alert.

According to Shia Islam, the 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi is a Messiah who at the end of days will come to the world to instore peace, prosperity and happines.

This however will be preceded by a period of wars, famine, godlessness and rampant sin.

In the past weeks, international tensions around developments in Iran’s ally Syria have intensified, as the bloodshed in Syria is violently escalating.

At the same time, Iran itself faces new hurdles in its nuclear program and a raised militant rhetoric coming from Israel.

from:     http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/138256/iran-39-s-ayatollah-khamenei-bodes-war-judgment-day.html

The Dangers of Pet Treats from China

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If You Feed Sweet Potato Treats to Your Pet, Please Read This!

July 20 2012

By Dr. Becker

Story at-a-glance

  • In addition to chicken jerky treats made in China, there is also now concern about sweet potato treats and possibly pork treats and cat treats imported from China as well.
  • Anecdotal reports from veterinarians indicate concerns about sweet potato pet treats made in China. According to the Veterinary Information Network, “Although no evidence is available that these sweet potato treats cause kidney issues similar to those related to chicken jerky treats, pet owners should be aware of the possibility.”
  • To protect your own dog or cat, avoid feeding any pet food or treat made in China. Homemade treats are easy to make and can give you complete peace of mind that you’re not feeding your pet something potentially toxic.

It seems there’s another dog snack from China to worry about: sweet potato treats.

According to the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) 1, vets are now reporting health problems linked to sweet potato treats similar to those related to chicken jerky treats also made in China.

Test results on sick dogs show kidney problems similar to the symptoms of Fanconi syndrome. Most dogs recover, but there have been some deaths related to the chicken jerky treat problem.

Symptoms may show up within hours or days after a treat is eaten and include decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and increased thirst and urination.

If you’ve fed your dog either chicken jerky treats or sweet potato treats made in China and your pet has fallen ill, I recommend you contact your veterinarian – especially if the symptoms persist for more than 24 hours or are severe.

Pet Treats You May Want to Avoid

The brands allegedly implicated in the sweet potato treat problem are:

  • Beefeaters Sweet Potato Snacks for Dogs (16 varieties of yam-related treats)
  • Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Yam Good Dog Treats (Nestlé Purina)
  • Dogswell Veggie Life Vitality (4 varieties)

Keep in mind that although the problem treats are often identified as “jerky” treats, they also go by a host of other names, including tenders, strips, chips, wraps, twists, and several others.

Per Poisoned Pets 2, in 2010 the FDA found that a sweet potato dog treat made by a certain company in China was contaminated with phorate, a highly toxic pesticide.

There is speculation there could be problems with pork treats and cat treats imported from China as well.

For more information on why you need to be vigilant about reading pet food labels, making phone calls to manufacturers, and really doing your homework on what you’re feeding your dog or cat, read my article Pet Food and China – More Cause for Concern?

If You Feed Your Pet Commercially Prepared Treats …

PLEASE know that if you choose to buy any treat made in China, your pet may be at risk. Chicken jerky treats, chicken tenders, chicken strips, chicken treats or sweet potato treats, they can all pose a potential threat. Play it safe. Buy only food and treats made in the U.S. Buying pet food made in this country won’t remove all risk of winding up with a tainted product, but it will certainly improve your chances of keeping your pet safe.

Consider making your own sweet potato treats at home. Try to buy produce locally and make sure to wash the sweet potatoes or yams thoroughly. Then slice them nice and thin, arrange on a baking sheet, and cook in a 300º oven for about 45 minutes. Let the slices cool and store them in plastic bags.

For homemade chicken jerky treats, buy some boneless chicken breasts, clean them, and slice into long, thin strips – the thinner the better. Place the strips on a greased or non-stick cookie sheet and bake them for at least three hours at 180 degrees. The low temp dries the chicken out slowly and the strips wind up nice and chewy. Let the strips cool, and then store them in plastic bags or another airtight container. You can also freeze them.

from:    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/07/20/sweet-potato-dog-treats.aspx?e_cid=20120729_SNL_TPA_1

 

More on the Risks of Soy, Especially for Babies

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The Potential Effects of Soy, and How it Might Decimate the Health of Your Unborn Baby and the Fertility of Future Generations

July 29 2012

By Dr. Mercola

Story at-a-glance

  • Plant estrogens, such as that found in soy, can have profound detrimental effects on a developing fetus. Exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman’s fertility as an adult, and has previously been linked to an increased chance of breast cancer.
  • Earlier research has found that the soy compound genistein impairs sperm motility. Even tiny doses of the compound in the female tract could destroy sperm and impair your ability to conceive
  • Avoid feeding your baby soy infant formula as it can equate to giving her an estimated four to five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day
  • Soy infant formula can contain potentially dangerous levels of aluminum and manganese—both of which are linked to reduced IQ

 

If you’re pregnant or thinking of having a baby, you might want to take a look at some new research on the effects of plant estrogens, such as that found in soy, on a developing fetus.

According to Medical News Today1, a paper published in Biology of Reproduction2 suggests that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman’s fertility as an adult.

This coincides with earlier research on neonatal effects of exposure to plant or environmental estrogens.  In studies with mice, researchers found that causes of infertility included:

  • Failure to ovulate
  • Reduced ability of the oviduct to support embryo development before ovulation, and
  • Failure of the uterus to support effective implantation of blastocyst-stage embryos

According to Medical News Today:

“The team now reports that neonatal exposure to genistein changes the level of immune response in the mouse oviduct, known as mucosal immune response. Some of the immune response genes were altered beginning from the time of genistein treatment, while others were altered much later, when the mouse was in early pregnancy.

Together, those changes led to harmfully altered immune responses and to compromised oviduct support for preimplantation embryo development, both of which would likely contribute to infertility.”

Since human development of the reproductive tract continues through puberty, researchers believe that estrogenic chemical exposure to human females as a fetus, infant, child, and adolescent could have impacts on fertility. The authors suggested that minimizing the use of soy-based baby formula would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.

Earlier research has also found that the compound genistein impairs sperm as they swim toward the egg. Even tiny doses of the compound in the female tract could destroy sperm, which would impair your ability to conceive in the first place.

Do You Still Believe Soy is a Health Food?

Soybeans contain compounds called phytoestrogens or isoflavones, which have been found to produce a variety of mild hormonal actions within the human body by mimicking the sex hormone estrogen. An increased risk of breast cancer is another potential hazard, especially if you’re exposed to high amounts of estrogen-mimicking compounds from birth.

Making matters worse, unless you’re buying USDA 100% Organic soy products, chances are you’re consuming genetically engineered (GE) soy, or feeding it to your baby, and GE crops—soy in particular—has also been linked to serious fertility problems. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has similarly been implicated in causing miscarriages, and both conventional- and genetically engineered soy is typically treated with heavy doses of this herbicide.

All in all, the health hazards of unfermented soy products—particularly genetically engineered varieties—are so serious and numerous, I strongly suggest avoiding them altogether, whether you’re planning a pregnancy or not. But clearly, it’s of particular concern for pregnant women.

For an excellent summary of the many dangers of consuming unfermented soy, please see this previous article by The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Unfortunately, many Americans who are committed to healthy lifestyles have been hoodwinked and manipulated into believing that unfermented and processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, soy burgers and soy ice cream are good for them. This is a tragic case of shrewd marketing and outright lies, with the end result of producing large profits for the soy industry and impaired health for most who have been deceived into using unfermented soy long-term.

Why You Should Avoid Feeding Your Baby Soy Infant Formula

to read more, go to:    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/29/soy-effects-on-women.aspx?e_cid=20120729_SNL_Art_1

(Note:    I sometimes feel that Dr. Mercola can be a bit of an alarmist.  I have read much about potential dangers linked to unfermented soy consumption.  DO your homework.)

Saving Bats

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How to Save Bats in Your Own Backyard

Bats are mammals, shy creatures of the night, and fascinating to watch. They’re also endangered by loss of habitat, disease, and pesticide poisoning. You can help by providing protection.
posted Jul 17, 2012

Upside Down Bat

1. Build a Home

Bats like warm, dry, tight spaces. A bat house provides them with an alternative to your attic, and reduces the chance of human/bat contact. Advice on what to look for in a ready-made bat house, along with plans for building one yourself, are available from Bat Conservation International at batcon.org.

That’s where you’ll also find a state-by-state guide to the needs of different bat species. For example, the hollows of dead trees provide a roosting site for bats in many areas, but the Western Yellow Bat roosts in living palm trees. So bat lovers in Southern California leave palms untrimmed, particularly during nesting season, when bat babies may be clinging to the fronds.

2. Watch Your Water

Bats need drinking water and are attracted by ponds and birdbaths. They may miscalculate a swooping approach and become stranded in steep-sided swimming pools. Provide an escape route by making or buying a small floating ramp like the “Frog Log”: froglog.us

Bat Feeder

3. Plant a Night Garden

Bats are the primary predator of agricultural pests—one bat eats 2,000 to 6,000 insects each night. Plant afternoon-blooming or night-scented flowers to attract moths, and the voracious bats that follow will help control your local mosquito population. Evening primrose, phlox, night-flowering catchfly, fleabane, goldenrod, four o’clock,  salvia, nicotiana, and moonflower are all good choices.

4. Adopt a Bat

This is the year of the bat, according to a United Nations declaration that recognizes their importance to the world’s ecosystems. You can support research, conservation, and protective legislation by adopting a bat through Bat Conservation International. Someone you know might love the (symbolic) gift of a bat.

 

Heidi Bruce and Shannan Stoll wrote this article for Making it Home, the Summer 2012 issue of YES! Magazine. Heidi and Shannan are interns at YES!

from:    http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/making-it-home/how-to-save-backyard-bats

Sunspot AR1532 Erupts

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SOLAR ACTIVITY PICKS UP: Sunspot AR1532 is crackling with M-class solar flares. The latest, an M6-class eruption on July 28th (2056 UT), produced a bright flash of extreme ultraviolet radiation, shown here in a snapshot from the Solar Dynamics Observatory:

Update: Contrary to earlier reports, this explosion did produce a CME and the cloud is heading for Earth. According to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME will reach our planet on July 31st at 1500 UT (+/- 7 hours). Weak to moderate geomagnetic storms are possible when the cloud arrives.

from: spaceweather.com

Geomagnetic Storm 7/29-30

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GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: NOAA forecasters estimate a 45% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on July 29-30 in response to a high-speed solar wind stream buffeting Earth’s magnetic field. Even stronger storming could occur on July 31st when a CME associated with yesterday’s M6-flare arrives. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras for the next three nights.

fr/spaceweather.com

Mexico-Guatemala Coast Earthquake

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Strong earthquake along the Mexico / Guatemala coast

Last update: July 29, 2012 at 12:52 pm by By

Strong earthquake along the Mexican coast
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of M6.0  has occurred in the Pacific Ocean
Epicenter in the Pacific ocean in the Guatemala / Mexico (Chiapas) ocean area
29 km (18 miles) SSW (210°) from Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico
64 km (40 miles) S (187°) from Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Hypocenter is reported by USGS at 35 km
We do not expect damage from this earthquake and based on the visiting numbers in our site, the shaking will be mostly weak to very weak. Theoretical analysis from USGS reports a max. light shaking (MMI IV) for 3.6 million people. People in this part of the world are very much acquainted to earthquakes and are used to today’s kind of shaking.
Update : EMSC reports for the same earthquake a Magnitude of M5.5 at a depth of 80 km.

(Major) Earthquakes list July 29, 2012 – Moderate Earthquake close to Lima, Peru

July 29-August 4

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Sunday, July 29:    Sap Green

The juices may be flowing today, but it is a good idea to be aware of what they mean, where they are going, and how they are feeling.  There are always those who are not wishing the best for you.  They just might come forward, say things, do things, etc. to challenge your work, your opinions, your vision.  It is time to be centered and strong in WHO you are.  The illusions are always there, and in this energy they pile up in all areas.  Take time to set an intention for the day and allow that to keep you going through all of the ups and downs.  They are there.  You might just be surprised at the people who are there for you and the ones who are not.

Monday, July 30:    Royal Blue

Today starts on a kind of down note.  It is hard to get moving, and then everything seems to be just too much.  Even the simplest activity is enough to push you to the edge.  Hang on, though, for things get better as the day goes on.  Noontime will bring some interesting revelations, things you have been aware of but not really looked in the face.  This will give you the strength to move forward and take some positive action in regard to an issue that has been bothering you for a while.  Having done that, things will look better and better.  You will find that some of the stuff you had dreaded, some things you thought were going to turn out badly actually have resolved themselves easily.  There is an opportunity that is coming you way, and you will get wind of it this evening.

Tuesday, July 31:    Lavender

It is time to get rid of some of the old stuff.  What it is and how you go about it are your choices.  But then again, you can choose to do nothing at all.  Today is all about perspective, and this perspective is all about the choices you want to make in terms of what catches your eye and what is merely background noise.  You have had time in the past few weeks to get some thing in order, to analyze, reminisce, and pick things out.  Today is all about what you have accomplished in these activities.  There is a mirror there.  You can look into it or not.  It will be there for a time, and then it is gone, and the illusion returns.  No right.  No wrong.  When you are ready, then there it is for you.  Take it or not.  It is up to you.

Wednesday, August 1:    Slate Blue

You will be called upon today to show your strength.  It will be at a time when you are feeling vulnerable, perhaps because of something that was just said, something that happened, but you will need to pull yourself together and stand firm.  Start the day with a grounding and centering exercise.  Know that you are powerful and repeat, ‘In all I do, in all I encounter, I stand firm in my power and knowing.’  This will assist you in times of doubt.  There are signs in the air today, and you will be very aware of them.  There is always a helping hand.  If you will reach a out and allow its grace, you can find yourself in comfort wherever you are.

Thursday, August 2:    Red Diffusion

First Full Moon of August 2012:    Tempers can rage today for no reason and in every direction, so set your intentions and ground, center, and go within before going out to deal with all the stuff that is out there.  You have the strength, the resources, the humor to take on whatever comes you way today if you are accepting of all that you can do.  So not only will there be testing on the outside, there will also be the trials of recognizing, facing and accepting the fact that you everything you need to deal with anything and everything that comes your way.  This is a time for accepting and walking into your power.  The choice is yours.  You know what is right.  Go for it.

Friday, August 3:    Dark Violet

There is a bit of whimsy and fun in the air.  The Trickster is about and ready to stick its finger into things.  Keep a sense of humor about you, and remember that the Trickster is not always kind in the tricks that it plays.  Be alert in all situations.  Listen for the hidden agendas, and watch for the body language clues that will let you know truly what is going on.  Things are uncertain, and people are feeling vulnerable and on the defensive.  Do not play into their realities.  Unless, of course, you choose to.  This is a good time to be the observer.  Things are falling into place, and patterns are emerging.  You can have some of those ah-ha moments today if you step back and absorb what is going on.

Saturday, August 4:    Hazy White

You may be looking for clarity today, but it is not there.  Things are muddled and you can become befuddled.  It is part of the crazy energy shift that is coming into motion today and lasting throughout the coming week.  Criticism will not get you anywhere.  It is a time for compassion.  You can find that you are somewhat weepy as things are affecting you in odd and unexpected ways.  There is the possibility of a large event coming before the day is over.  Be ready for anything.  Everything old is new again and vice versa, so you might just find yourself surprised by stuff that you that you thought was soooooo predictable.