Dogs understand what we say AND how we say it: Researchers find canine brains are far more capable than thought
Dogs, like people, use the left hemisphere to process words
Right hemisphere brain region is used to process intonation
Praising activates dog’s reward centre only when both match
A groundbreaking study to investigate how dog brains process speech has revealed canines care about both what we say and how we say it.
It discovered that dogs, like people, use the left hemisphere to process words, and the right hemisphere brain region to process intonation.
It found praise activates dog’s reward centre only when both words and intonation match, according to the new study in Science.
Trained dogs around the fMRI scanner used in the study: Dogs, like people, use the left hemisphere to process words, and the right hemisphere brain region to process intonation, according to the new study in Science.
WHAT THEY FOUND
The brain activation images showed that dogs prefer to use their left hemisphere to process meaningful but not meaningless words.
This left bias was present for weak and strong levels of brain activations as well, and it was independent of intonation.
Dogs activate a right hemisphere brain area to tell apart praising and non-praising intonation.
Researchers also say dogs developed the neural mechanisms to process words much earlier than thought.
‘The human brain not only separately analyzes what we say and how we say it, but also integrates the two types of information, to arrive at a unified meaning.
‘Our findings suggest that dogs can also do all that, and they use very similar brain mechanisms,’ said lead researcher Attila Andics of Department of Ethology and MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.
Andics and colleagues also found that praise activated dogs’ reward centre – the brain region which responds to all sorts of pleasurable stimuli, like food, sex, being petted, or even nice music in humans.
Importantly, the reward centre was active only when dogs heard praise words in praising intonation.
‘It shows that for dogs, a nice praise can very well work as a reward, but it works best if both words and intonation match.
‘So dogs not only tell apart what we say and how we say it, but they can also combine the two, for a correct interpretation of what those words really meant.
HOW THEY DID IT
Dogs were exposed to recordings of their trainers’ voices as the trainers spoke to them using multiple combinations of vocabulary and intonation, in both praising and neutral ways.
For example, trainers spoke praise words with a praising intonation, praise words with a neutral intonation, neutral words with a praising intonation, and neutral words with neutral intonation.
Researcher Anna Gábor is talking to Barack. Dogs were exposed to recordings of their trainers’ voices as the trainers spoke to them using multiple combinations of vocabulary and intonation, in both praising and neutral ways.
Researchers used fMRI to analyze the dogs’ brain activity as the animals listened to each combination.
Their results reveal that, regardless of intonation, dogs process vocabulary, recognizing each word as distinct, and further, that they do so in a way similar to humans, using the left hemisphere of the brain.
Researchers used fMRI to analyze the dogs’ brain activity as the animals listened to each combination.
Also like humans, the researchers found that dogs process intonation separately from vocabulary, in auditory regions in the right hemisphere of the brain.
Lastly, and also like humans, the team found that the dogs relied on both word meaning and intonation when processing the reward value of utterances.
Barack is lying on the fMRI bed, and inside the machine
‘Again, this is very similar to what human brains do,’ Andics said.
The Hungarian research group shows the capability is not unique to the human brain, the researchers say.
It shows that if an environment is rich in speech, as is the case of family dogs, word meaning representations can arise in the brain, even in a non-primate mammal that is not able to speak.
Researchers used fMRI to analyze the dogs’ brain activity as the animals listened to each combination.
‘During speech processing, there is a well-known distribution of labor in the human brain.
‘It is mainly the left hemisphere’s job to process word meaning, and the right hemisphere’s job to process intonation.
‘We trained thirteen dogs to lay completely motionless in an fMRI brain scanner.
The dogs were trained outside the machine to lie still so the readings could be taken
Dogs are listening to their trainer, Márta Gácsi during the training process for the experiment
‘fMRI provides a non-invasive, harmless way of measurement that dogs enjoy to take part of,’ said Márta Gácsi, ethologist, the developer of the training method, author of the study.
‘We measured dogs’ brain activity as they listened to their trainer’s speech,’ explains Anna Gábor, PhD student, author of the study.
‘Dogs heard praise words in praising intonation, praise words in neutral intonation, and also neutral conjunction words, meaningless to them, in praising and neutral intonations.
‘We looked for brain regions that differentiated between meaningful and meaningless words, or between praising and non-praising intonations.’
Dogs, like people, use the left hemisphere to process words, and the right hemisphere brain region to process intonation, according to the new study in Science.
A 100 MILLIION YEAR TALENT
Previous findings by the tem suggest that voice areas evolved at least 100 million years ago, the age of the last common ancestor of humans and dogs, the researchers say.
It also offers new insight into humans’ unique connection with our best friends in the animal kingdom and helps to explain the behavioral and neural mechanisms that made this alliance so effective for tens of thousands of years.
The brain activation images showed that dogs prefer to use their left hemisphere to process meaningful but not meaningless words.
This left bias was present for weak and strong levels of brain activations as well, and it was independent of intonation.
Dogs activate a right hemisphere brain area to tell apart praising and non-praising intonation.
This was the same auditory brain region that this group of researchers previously found in dogs for processing emotional non-speech sounds from both dogs and humans, suggesting that intonation processing mechanisms are not specific to speech.
Dogs are lying motionless and listening to their trainer during the research.
This study is the first step to understanding how dogs interpret human speech, and these results can also help to make communication and cooperation between dogs and humans even more efficient, the researchers say.
These findings also have important conclusions about humans.
‘Our research sheds new light on the emergence of words mduring language evolution. What makes words uniquely human is not a special neural capacity, but our invention of using them,’ Andics explains.
Mercury is stationing to turn retrograde by Wednesday morning…
Things to remember about Mercury retrogrades and what to watch for:
* Mercury retrogrades are common. They happen several times each year. In fact the very meaning of the planet Mercury, as an astrological symbol, cannot be separated from its regular retrogrades. Mercury’s swift speed and back and forth motion were classically what related Mercury to contests and athletics. Some astrologers in fact say that one of Mercury’s core actions is to “contest.” Think for example of your foiled travel plans, think of detours, intellectual debates, technological snafus, argumentation, and skepticism. Think of messages and messengers, think of plans and challenges to plans, think of words and the failure of words to communicate. Think of negotiation and the challenges of arranging or organizing agreed upon terms. Think of money and bargains and deals and merchants in old city markets. In each one of these themes we have Mercury’s swift speed and we have Mercury’s back and forth…contesting, debating, analyzing, scrutinizing, and explaining. So the first thing to remember about Mercury retrogrades is that they are present and implied in almost all “normal” Mercury themes…and in fact retrogradation itself, as an astrological symbol, is in some ways lent to all the other planets by Mercury…the back and forth, speedy merchant and messenger of the Gods!
* In this particular Mercury retrograde Mercury is in his own rulership and exaltation, so Mercury is in an environment that will allow him to accomplish more than if he were the guest in another planet’s home. He runs the show in Virgo! Also during this retrograde Mercury is conjunct with Jupiter, and Mercury will be the planetary host of both a solar and lunar eclipse in the month ahead. This means that much of the astrology of the next month will feature Mercury ruled topics or themes.
* Watch for changes or challenges to the Mercury ruled areas of your birth chart (the houses ruled by Gemini/Virgo).
* Watch for changes related to money, finances, markets, or the organization of businesses, offices, projects, and jobs.
* Watch for changes of direction with regard to learning, reading, writing, or communication styles or approaches to communicating with someone or something.
* Watch for changes of travel plans, technological challenges, important communications along with misunderstandings or misinformation. Read the fine print, think twice before entering into long term agreements that you’re not sure about or that appear suddenly and require and impulsive decision.
* Watch for the sudden desire to reorganize, clean out clutter, or create a more effective or efficient method for doing something.
* Watch for the return to consider, learn, or discuss something from the past.
* Watch for bargains or offers from someone or something that want you to return to something from the past.
The solar eclipse this week opens a powerful new door, and the opening of this door may involve completing something from the past or returning for to someone or something from the past. Or it may involve any of the above Mercury retrograde themes coinciding with a special opportunity or new beginning. More on the eclipse in the days ahead.
Prayer: Teach us the wisdom of a discerning heart.
My success as chief economist at a major international consulting firm was not due to the lessons I learned in business school. It was not due to the competence of my staff of brilliant econometricians and financial wizards.
Those things may have helped at times. But there was something else that made it all happen. That something else was the same something else that elevated George Washington, Henry Ford, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr, Steve Jobs, and other successful people to the heights of their success.
That something else is available to everyone of us.
It is the ability to alter objective reality by changing perceived reality, what we might think of as the Perception Bridge.
As described in my book The NewConfessions of an Economic Hit Man, my job was to convince heads of state of countries with resources our corporations covet, like oil, to accept huge loans from the World Bank and its sister organizations. The stipulation was that these loans would be used to hire our engineering and construction companies, such as Bechtel, Halliburton, and Stone and Webster, to build electric power systems, ports, airports, highways and other infrastructure projects that would bring large profits to those companies and also benefit a few wealthy families in the country, the ones that owned the industries and commercial establishments. Everyone else in the country would suffer because funds were diverted from education, healthcare and other social services to pay interest on the debt. In the end, when the country could not buy down the principal, we would go back and, with the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), “restructure” the loans. This included demands that the country sell its resources cheap to our corporations with minimal environmental and social regulations and that it privatize its utility companies and other public service businesses and offer them to our companies at cut-rate prices.
It was a strategy of using perceived reality to change objective reality. In these cases, Objective Reality 1 was that the countries had resources. The Perceived Reality was that using those resources as collateral on loans to finance the building of infrastructure projects would create economic growth and prosperity for all the citizens. Objective Reality 2, however, was that economic growth occurred only among the very wealthy. Since economic statistics (GDP) in such countries are skewed in favor of the wealthy, the fact was that only our companies and the wealthy families benefited. The rest of the population suffered. In many cases this has led to political unrest, resentment, and the rise of various forms of radicalism and terrorism.
We know from quantum physics and chaos theory that consciousness, observation, and changes in perception have impacts on physical reality that can expand exponentially. Modern psychology teaches that perceived reality governs much of human behavior. Religion, culture, legal and economic systems, corporations – in fact, most human activities – are determined by perceived reality. When enough people accept these perceptions or when they are codified into laws, they have immense impact on objective reality.
Human activities – individual, communal, and global – are driven by this process of altering human perceptions of reality in order to change objective realities. A couple of cases from US corporations illustrate this.
Case #1: Ford Motor Company
In 1914 Henry Ford’s Objective Reality was: A) His company sold Model T cars that were produced through the assembly line process by workers who were paid a standard minimum wage; and B) Because the assembly line was monotonous and workers were under a lot of pressure to reduce the amount of time to build a car from 12.5 hours to less than 100 minutes, there was an extremely high turn-over rate in Ford’s work force.
So Ford perceived a new reality. He raised wages from the standard $2.34 for a nine-hour day to $5 for an eight-hour day – at a time when every other car manufacturer was trying to reduce wages. In addition to keeping workers on his assembly line, Ford was motivated by a second perception. He understood that the company, its workers and the buying public all came from the same population and he reasoned that “unless an industry can so manage itself as to keep wages high and prices low it destroys itself, for otherwise it limits the number of its customers. One’s own employees ought to be one’s own best customers.” Ford perceived that increasing the buying power of his workers would have a multiplier effect; it would also increase the buying power of many others.
Objective Reality 2: Ford sold 308,000 Model Ts in 1914—more than all other carmakers combined. In 1915, sales soared to 501,000. In 1920, Ford sold a million cars.[1] In the process, Ford’s actions helped stimulate unprecedented growth in the US middle class.
Case #2: Nike, Adidas and other Retailers
Objective Reality 1: These companies design high-end footwear and clothing that is manufactured in factories that the companies do not own in China, Vietnam, and other “sweatshop” countries.
Perceived Reality on the part of management at these companies: A) Outsourcing production releases their companies of worker-rights responsibilities and minimizes wages; B) Hiring highly-paid athletes to promote products counterbalances the negative publicity generated by activists who advocate more pay for sweatshop workers; and C) These policies, that are diametrically opposed to those of Henry Ford, will maximize profits.
Objective Reality 2: A) Low “non-living” wages and poor working conditions in overseas factories result in high worker turnover, illnesses, and adverse publicity; B) By negatively impacting consumer economic growth, such policies destroy opportunities for new markets that would result if workers were paid enough to buy the products they make and at the same time stimulate the multiplier effect; and C) Neither corporate profits nor overall economic growth in the countries where the factories are located are in fact maximized.
I had the opportunity to highlight the difference between the two cases above when a Portland Oregon (home of Nike) radio station interviewed me. The host inquired “If you could ask Nike founder Phil Knight one question, what would it be?”
I didn’t have to give it much thought. “Hey Phil, why don’t you follow Henry Ford’s advice?” I went on to say, “Imagine if as part of an international advertising campaign those athletes were to say something like, ‘Instead of $X millions, I and a bunch of my friends – other Nike celebrities – have agreed to have Nike cut our fees by Y%. Nike’s top managers have agreed to similar cuts. That extra money will go toward paying workers who make Nike products around the world higher wages. We believe that by Just Doing It we will help make the world a better, more peaceful place.’” I paused.
“That’s an awesome idea,” the host said.
I couldn’t help adding, “What do you think that might do to Nike sales? How would it impact the rest of the industry?”
“It’s all in the mind.” -George Harrison
The above are two examples of how the Perception Bridge works. There are countless others. These range from the individuals to corporations and all the way to governments. Human activity is determined by the ways perceptions impact physical reality – both consciously and unconsciously. Here’s an example of the global impacts that a perceived reality in the 1950s has had on every subsequent generation throughout most of the world .
Case #3: US Government Policies in Iran
Objective Reality 1: A) Mohammad Mosaddegh was democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran in 1951; B) He introduced progressive reforms including social security, rent control, and land reform; C) He insisted that foreign oil companies pay a fair share of their income from Iranian oil to the Iranian people and when one – now known as BP – resisted, he set about nationalizing it.
Perceived Reality: The US government labeled Mosaddegh a Communist, Soviet puppet, and threat to democracy.
Objective Reality 2: A) The CIA overthrew Mosaddegh in 1953 and replaced him with the Shah, a brutal pro-Western dictator who “auctioned” Iran to foreign oil and other companies; B) Growing discontent led to the Iranian Revolution of 1979; C) The Shah was overthrown, Ayatollah Khomeini took control, 52 US diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days, US and European countries broke relations with and initiated sanctions against Iran; D) Islamist militarism expanded rapidly during the next decades throughout the Middle East; and E) The entire region has been torn by wars and political instability; this has impacted relationships between countries far from the Middle East, including the US, China, Russia, much of Africa and Europe.
We can only imagine how different the situation might be in Iran, the Middle East, the US, and so much of the world if the perceived reality had been different – something like:
Perceived Reality: The US government supports Mossadegh’s policies and announces that it will only purchase oil from companies that pay a fair share of their income to the people of the countries where they extract oil.
The US overthrow of Mossadegh resulted in a series of tragic events that might be considered as “unintended consequences.” In my experience, such consequences occur because the people making the decisions do not fully understand the power of the Perception Bridge.
I’ve found in my role as advisor to corporations, governments, executives and as a lecturer at MBA and other programs that taking a good, hard look at the impact of perceived reality on objective reality is one of the most efficient processes individuals, businesses, and other institutions can employ in order to achieve their true objectives. I’m struck by how much the perceived realities in business have been altered since I was in school during the late 1960s.
I was taught that a good CEO earns a decent return for his investors and also makes sure that his company is a good citizen, that it serves a public interest. We were instructed to take care of our employees, giving them health insurance and retirement pensions, to treat our suppliers and customers with deep respect, and to honor the idea that good business is a win-win for all stakeholders. In many cases, CEOs made sure that their companies not only paid their fair share of taxes but also contributed money to local schools, recreational facilities and other such services.
All that changed in 1976 when Milton Friedman won the Nobel Prize in Economics and stated, among other things, that the only responsibility of business is to maximize profits, regardless of the social and environmental costs. This was a perceived reality that became the defining goal for businesses. It convinced corporate executives that they had the right – some would say the mandate – to do whatever they thought it would take to maximize profits, including buying public officials through campaign financing, destroying the environment, and devastating the very resources upon which their businesses ultimately depend.
That perceived reality has resulted in a failed global economic system, one that is on the path to consuming itself into extinction – what some economists refer to as Predatory Capitalism.
It is time that we turn this around. How about:
Objective Realty 1: The glaciers are melting, the oceans rising, less than 5% of the world’s population lives in the US and we consume about 30% of the resources while half the world’s population lives in poverty, and the resource base that feeds the economy is in rapid decline.
Perceived Reality: A) When Milton Friedman espoused profit maximization in 1976, financial capital was seen as scarce while nature was considered abundant; the planet’s ability to absorb pollution and provide natural resources was considered practically unlimited; that has since changed; B) We can build an economy that rewards businesses that clean up pollution, regenerate devastated environments, and develop new technologies for energy, transportation, communications, trade, and just about everything else – that recycle instead of ravaging the planet; and C) The responsibility of business is to serve a public interest while earning decent rates of returns for investors who develop an economy as defined in B) above.
Objective Reality 2: An economic system that is headed for disaster is converted into one that is itself a renewable resource.
The success stories of humans – as individuals and as communities – revolve around the relationships of perceived reality to objective reality. At this critical time in history, it is essential that we commit to consciously building Perception Bridges that will take us into a world that future generations will want to inherit. By understanding that simple changes in perception bring about monumental changes in objective reality, we also realize that creating a better world is not just possible; it can be inspiring and fun.
[1] Jeff Nilsson, “Why Did Henry Ford Double His Minimum Wage?” January 3, 2014, The Saturday Evening Post, http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2014/01/03/history/post-perspective/ford-doubles-minimum-wage.html
The shunning of feelings, especially in Westernized culture, has left a deep scar in our psyches. Some of the most profound therapy for the spirit comes from truly experiencing our emotions, so how do we heal when we simply can’t feel?
Ironically, to ‘shun’ our feelings leaves our ‘shen’ wounded. Shen is what the ancient Chinese called the spark of the divine within us. Shen manifests in many ways including the ability to forgive, show compassion, appreciate beauty, and have mercy for others, but we are taught from a very young age that our feelings are ‘bad’ or ‘wrong,’ and then spend a lifetime wondering why we suffer from ailments as varied as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.
E-motion is energy that cannot move. It is trapped. It is this stagnation that is thought to cause disease. When we feel an emotion we are actually feeling the movement of energy through our bodies. Our refusal to feel means that we biochemically and biophysically halt energetic freedom.
Science is still trying to catch up with ancient philosophies which understood how important ‘feelings’ actually are to our overall physical and mental well-being. We just now are starting to draw the correlations between certain pains in the body and their correspondence to unfelt feelings.
A woman who was once suicidal until she learned to truly feel her feelings has these four questions you can ask yourself to help you get unstuck from feelings that are difficult to experience:
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
3. How does it make you feel when you think the thought (…..)?
4. Who would you be without the thought (….)?
Energy in Motion = Emotion
Socrates understood that energy is separate from matter as we have conventionally defined it. The Universe is made up of oscillating, moving, swirling energy, and so are you. This energy was present long before the earth ever formed.
Since your body is nothing more than an amalgamation of energy vibrating at a certain velocity, then you can understand how stagnant emotion or energy would cause the ‘water to dirty’ in the clear pool of
our divine being.
“It’s not something you can say in 25 words or less. It is a whole new paradigm shift that basically leads you to realize you’re not alone. You are connected to everybody else. Your emotions are key. And you are leaving a wake, changing the world around you in a huge way.” ~ Candice Pert
In fact, unconscious emotion – that is the energy we have ‘frozen’ within our bodies, is usually ruling us. Anger, fear, hatred, lust, greed, cowardice, hurt, sadness, etc. are not inherently ‘bad,’ but if they are not felt fully when experienced we usually form unconscious habits surrounding those emotions which then eventually manifest as disease.
Bruce Lipton, and other researchers, including Russian cosmonauts learned that feelings trigger the release of tiny neuropeptides (NPs). These are absolutely critical for metabolic functioning. NPs are responsible for regulating hundreds of different functions, including the release of hormones in the body.
Still other researchers, including Candice Pert, a Chief Scientist of brain biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health, determined that every emotional state carries with it, a specific, identifiable frequency. When we feel ‘positive emotions’ like joy or thankfulness, our neuropeptides tell the body to release endorphins like oxytocin, which make us feel happy – creating a self-fulfilling prophecy-like feedback loop. While feeling negative emotions doesn’t cause an immediate dump of stress hormones, the prolonged presence of these emotions (usually buried in our subconscious) causes all matter of havoc to ensue within the body’s communication systems and hormonal flow.
“As our feelings change, this mixture of peptides travels throughout your body and your brain. They are literally changing the chemistry of every cell in your body.” ~ Candice Pert
Where do Unfelt Feelings Go?
In ancient yogic texts, we learn that unfelt emotions get stored in the body, but where do they go, exactly?
Rejected feelings not only get stored in our physical bodies, they get warehoused in our energetic bodies. When we bump into someone who triggers a feeling of shame, sadness, or hurt, it usually means that they are triggering the memory of an unfelt feeling which has been shunned and placed (temporarily) into our energetic storage locker – the chakra system. Instead of being angry at those people for showing you where your wounds are, you can use their presence as a cue to start feeling some of your old, dusty, discarded feelings.
The more they make you feel ___________ (insert unpleasant feeling) the more the opportunity for healing is present.
The Chakra system is also connected to the physical body, and can be very telling about energy that is stagnant or stored therein.
The lower three chakras, the Root, Sacral and Solar Plexus chakras are ruled by what is called Goddess or Mother Energy and our intuition. They keep us grounded to the earth – our home. The heart chakra in the middle considered the bridge between our base emotions and the higher, spiritual abilities.
The upper three chakras – the throat, third eye, and crown chakras are governed by divine inspiration. All of the chakras are important, and store emotions according to their governance. For instance, if you are a workaholic, and have issues with trust you have stored unfelt emotion in your root or sacral chakras. If you have issues with speaking your truth, or being honest with yourself or others, you likely have stagnant energy in the throat chakra.
Letting the Flood Gates Open
When we meditate, or practice using other spiritual tools, we are really not changing anything about ourselves or our experience. We are already divine beings. What we are doing, is allowing, with love and consciousness, the stored emotion to flow freely again. Once this energy is consciously felt, it no longer has to be rehashed over and over again by the subconscious mind.
From this more conscious place, we can literally change our vibrations, alter our physiology, and be ‘cured’ from every possible ailment imaginable.
To heal, we must feel, and from this profound place of peace, we return to our wholeness.
Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875, Kesswil, – June 6, 1961, Küsnacht) was a Swiss psychiatrist, influential thinker, and founder of analytical psychology. Jung’s unique and broadly influential approach to psychology has emphasized understanding the psyche through exploring the worlds of dreams, art, mythology, world religion and philosophy. Although he was a theoretical psychologist and practicing clinician for most of his life, much of his life’s work was spent exploring other realms including Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, sociology, as well as literature and the arts. His most notable contributions include his concept of the psychological archetype, the collective unconscious, and his theory of synchronicity. Jung emphasized the importance of balance and harmony. He cautioned that modern humans rely too heavily on science and logic and would benefit from integrating spirituality and appreciation of the unconscious realm. Jungian ideas are not typically included in curriculum of most major universities’ psychology departments, but are occasionally explored in humanities departments.
Jung’s work on himself and his patients convinced him that life has a spiritual purpose beyond material goals. Our main task, he believed, is to discover and fulfill our deep innate potential. Based on his study of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Taoism, and other traditions, Jung believed that this journey of transformation, which he called individuation, is at the mystical heart of all religions. It is a journey to meet the self and at the same time to meet the Divine. Unlike Sigmund Freud, Jung thought spiritual experience was essential to our well-being.
The work and writings of Jung from the 1940s onwards focused on alchemy.
In 1944 Jung published Psychology and Alchemy, where he analyzed the alchemical symbols and showed a direct relationship to the psychoanalytical process.[b] He argued that the alchemical process was the transformation of the impure soul (lead) to perfected soul (gold), and a metaphor for the individuation process.
Spirituality Quotes from Carl Jung
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.
The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
It is on the whole probably that we continually dream, but that consciousness makes such a noise that we do not hear it.
We meet ourselves time and time again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.
Do medicines cure? Can medicine cure? Recently I reported that Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary does not contain the words “cure”, “cured”, “cures”, nor “incurable”. I thought it was an exception. I was wrong. It’s not an exception, it’s the rule.
I’ve done some further checking. The words “cure” and “incurable” do not appear in The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary, Ninth Edition, 2015. They do not appear in The Bantam Medical Dictionary, Sixth Edition, 2009. “Cure” does not appear in Barron’s Dictionary of Medical Terms, Sixth Edition, 2013, although “incurable” is defined as “being such that a cure is impossible within the realm of known medical practice”. Medical Terminology for Dummies, Second Edition, does not contain the word “cure”.*
Further, “cure” is not defined and not in the index of most, if not all major medical references, including: Merck’s Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Harrison’s Guide to Internal Medicine, and Lange’s Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. In consistent fashion the DSM 5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not contain the word “cure” in the index. Cured is not defined for mental illness.
Today’s medical practice has serious challenges with the word ‘cure’. There are cures, of course, and reference books like Merck’s Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy occasionally refer to them as cures. But much of the use of the word cure in Merck, and other references, is inconsistent. “Cure” is not well defined in medicine. A large number of the uses of the word ‘cure’ in Merck are actually ‘incurable’ or ‘cannot be cured’. And yet, it is not scientifically possible to prove that a disease cannot be cured. I have traced these references back through many editions of Merck; and even in the 1950s, “cure” hardly appeared in Merck, was not defined, and was not used consistently. I do not have resources dating farther back, except the original version of Merck, where cures were commonly suggested, but as near as I can determine, never correctly. If you do have access to earlier versions of Merck’s editions, I would appreciate your assistance to study this question.
It is interesting to take a simple illness: scurvy, for which the cure appears to be well known. Merck, Harrison’s, and Lange’s each contain entries for scurvy. But all recommend treatments – and do not use the word cure. Only one, Merck, actually provides a cure – Harrison’s and Lange’s recommend a treatment that does not cure. According to the U.S. FDA, you cannot claim a nutritional cure, for scurvy, or beriberi, unless you also “say how widespread such a disease is in the United States”. Cures are not defined by science, instead, they are “not defined” by politics.
One common use of cure, in the current edition of Merck, and in many medical reference texts is the phrase ‘cure-rate’. But, what is cure rate if not ‘cure-wait’? A cure-wait is defined by waiting a specified period of time. If you wait 5 years, and the patient is still alive, and the patient is cannot be diagnosed with cancer, then we have established a ‘five year cure-wait’. Calling it a ‘cure-rate’ is unapologetic nonsense.
Most of the organizations that raise funds to ‘fight’ illness also avoid the word ‘cure’. The American Cancer Society’s mission statement does not contain the word ‘cure’. When cure is used, it is seldom defined, and perhaps most important, cures are not defined and not counted. If you do cure your illness, whether it be a cancer, a depression, or even something as simple as obesity, the cure is not recognized, and cannot be counted. Obesity cannot be cured, because the cure is ‘not something’ and ‘not something’ cannot be a cure in today’s medical science.
Cures cannot be counted, because there are no tests for cured, because cured is not defined. Therefore: cures do not exist. There are remissions, and spontaneous remissions, but there are few cures.
One problem presented by modern medicine is this: cure is generally defined as a substance that cures. That’s why there is “no cure for the common cold”, even though every healthy person cures their own, and healthier people cure it faster. Cures accomplished by health, not medicine, are not recognized by the field of medicine. As a result, there are many invisible cures.
Can any illnesses be cured with medicine? Of course. Illnesses caused by parasites, infections, pneumonia, etc. are cured by antibiotics. Illnesses caused by fungal infections are cured by anti-fungal medications. There are well defined tests to ensure that the cure is complete. So, why does cure not appear in most medical dictionaries.
There are many illnesses that can be cured, but not by medicines. Any illness caused by a lack of healthiness – from arthritis, to depression, to heart disease and hypertension, and even obesity – cannot be cured by medicines. They are not caused by a parasite that can be killed. They can only be cured with health. All illnesses caused by deficiencies, whether it be scurvy, caused by a nutritional deficiency, or bedsores, caused by a deficiency of movement, a deficiency of physical stress – can only be cured by addressing the cause. No medicine can cure these conditions. Any illness caused by toxicity, by toxic chemicals, or even toxic social environments, cannot be cured by medicines. These can only be cured by addressing the cause.
Cure and cause are linked. But not, apparently, in modern medicine. Medicines treat symptoms, and ignore cause. As a result, cure is disappearing from our medical systems, our medical texts, our medical dictionaries, and the science and technology of medicine.
Every cause of an illness can also be viewed as a lack of healthiness, even parasitic illnesses. We don’t get an infection ‘because’ of the infecting bacteria, we get an infection because of a cut, or sometimes because of a weakness in our immune system – that would normally defend us. All illnesses are best viewed as caused by a lack of healthiness. The best medicines are those that work by improving healthiness.
But today’s medicines do not produce healthiness. Many of them actually harm healthiness, in hope that the illness will be harmed more. Today’s medicines cannot improve healthiness. So these medicines cannot cure illnesses. So cure is not in the medical dictionaries. How can we cure, if cure is not in the medical dictionary?
We need to define cure, from a scientific perspective, not from a medical perspective. We need a definition, or definitions, such that cures and be tested and found true. We need to define cure for every illness and work to improve our general and specific definitions of cure, and cured. This is the way of science. Until we do this, medicine will always be a practice of superstition, depressing symptoms, and patients and even their families, while never actually curing any illness, never claiming to cure any illness. There is a myth that medicines are intended to cure. But it is only a myth.
Can we define ‘cure’? Can we define ‘cured’? Yes.
(Note: To cure an illness is to successfully address a cause. Only a specific case, only an illness, can be cured. No disease, no general class of illness, can be cured. Every cure is an anecdote.)
An illness is cured when the cause is successfully addressed. We need to cure illnesses, one at a time. A patient might have many illnesses, and many of them might be invisible until we aim to cure, until the most visible illness is cured. When we begin to study cures, we will see these patterns, and be able to predict them and treat them more effectively.
Today’s medicine is stuck on ‘symptoms’, working to treat symptoms. When we work to treat symptoms, we have a problem. A symptom, even in a single patient, whether it be a cough, or depression, or a cancer, can have many individual causes.
It is possible to be infected with TWO colds and a flu. If one is cured, it has been cured, but the patient is not yet completely cured. It is a valid, important cure – even though it doesn’t look like a cure, and many doctors, and many patients might not consider it a cure. But when we develop a science of cures, we will learn that we must cure one illness at a time.
It is also possible, and commonplace for a patient to be suffering from two or three illnesses of depressio, to be two depressed, not too depressed. There might be a depression illness caused by a nutritional deficiency. There might be a different depression illness caused by consuming toxic substances. And there might be a third depression illness caused by lack of sleep due to a stressful job, relationship, etc. Modern medicine makes no attempt to cure depression – although if you go back 50 years, most cases of depression were cured.
An illness consists of the cause and the symptoms. Every illness, every single illness, is a link between CAUSE and SYMPTOMS. Every unique link between cause and symptoms is a unique illness – even if the symptoms are very similar or even identical. Therefore, the illness is an invisible concept that cannot be addressed by treating symptoms alone.
A disease is commonly diagnosed by symptoms, not by cause. As a result, any diagnosis of a disease might actually be several cases of illness. This makes the ‘disease’ very difficult, seemingly impossible to cure. Every illness can be cured. No disease can be cured. But today, when a disease is cured, it’s considered a miracle, not a medicine.
Once we come to this basic understanding, we can begin to cure. We can build a science of cures. We have the technology, but it is not a technology of medicine, it can only begin with a technology of language. We can put ‘cure’, cures, and cured, back into the dictionary – and work to remove ‘incurable’.
*Author’s note: The new, 2016 edition of Webster’s Medical Dictionary, does contain the word “cure”. However, the definitions provided are simplistic pap, food for babies, not for scientists. It offers “to make or become sound, healthy, or normal again” and “a course or period of treatment, esp: one designed to interrupt an addiction or compulsive habit or to improve general health”. “Incurable” also appears in this new edition, but unfortunately it is defined as “impossible to cure”, which sits in contradiction with Barron’s definition, and in contradiction with science and common sense. It is simply not possible to prove that any illness cannot be cured without trying every possible treatment – which is not possible.
But we can hardly fault Webster’s, or Merck’s, or Harrison’s, or Lange’s, or Barron’s or Bantam for not publishing the word cure, or not providing a scientific definition. The fault lies in the science, or the non-science, of today’s medical practices.
After years of giveaways to megabanks, marketed to the taxpayers as ‘quantitative easing,’ the crutches shoved under the banker-controlled global stock trade are about to snap. Bankers now say they are preparing for the collapse.
In June of 2015, former Congressman Ron Paul predicted that these crutches would fail, and the financial bubbles created by them would send the stock market into a free-fall.
The consequences will not be minor. Surprises will be many, since we are in uncertain waters and the world has never faced the gross misallocation of capital that exists today. The process is self-limiting. It will come to an end, and it’s not going to be far into the future.
Now, as chaos in the EU and weak corporate earnings create a tornado of uncertainty, banks are preparing for the worst.
According to CNBC quoting a major lender, banks are “preparing for an economic nuclear winter situation.”
The chaos in the market has major bank officials running for the hills. According to CNBC, European banks, in particular, have had a very tough six months as the shock and volatility around Brexit sent banking stocks south. Major European banks like Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse saw their shares in free-fall after the referendum’s results were announced. In the U.K., RBS was the worst-hit, with its shares plunging by more than 30 percent since June 24.
On Sunday, a source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, due to the fact that revealing this information can get bankers killed, a source from a major investment bank told CNBC “that financial services firms have put together a strategy in place that takes into account the worst-case scenario that could happen by the end of this year.”
“This could mean triggering Article 50, referendum in other European nations leading to a break-up of the euro or sterling hitting below $1.20 or lower. The banks are ready for anything now,” the source said.
This grim warning comes after the Royal Bank of Scotland has warned its investors of a “cataclysmic year.” In an eerily ominous note to its clients early this year, the megabank predicted another worse case scenario.
Sell everything except high quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small.
In the note, RBS’s credit chief Andrew Roberts told investors how Quantitative Easing has failed and was expected to fail.
We have been told for 7 years now since the credit crunch, under QE, to borrow money and invest it in one of 3 things: 1) EM 2) credit 3) global equities. This is a big picture, multi-year bet that has been taken, which has worked fine, and stopped working 10 months ago, (this is NOT NEW).
As the Guardian’s Larry Elliott points out:
Markets have been supported for some time by low-interest rates, stimulus measures from central banks including quantitative easing, and hopes of economic recovery. But with the Federal Reserve raising rates and the Bank of England expected to follow suit, that prop is being removed.
Those who pay attention to the effects of central bankers looting their respective countries have long pointed out the mathematical certainty that is an economic collapse.
The collapse of global markets is inevitable as it is a natural correction to the wholesale fleecing of the citizens through the unscrupulous actions of central banks.
Ron Paul sums up the situation perfectly:
The credit and new money, when created by a central bank, is delivered to the market in a political fashion for which the one percent receive special benefits. It allows the pyramiding of debt to fractional reserve banking, which compounds the long-term problems.
It may be fun while it lasts, but it always ends with a crash.
Do you have foreign investments? Neglect to tell Uncle Sam about them, and the penalties will be brutal. Forget to file just one form? You could face a $10,000 penalty per account per year.
There’s no requirement that you know any of these crimes exist for you to be found guilty of violating them. After all, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Given this, you might think Uncle Sam would make it easy to understand exactly what’s legal and what’s not. Think again.
In 1790, the first set of federal criminal laws contained a grand total of 20 crimes. Since then, the number of federal crimes listed has bloated beyond recognition. No one knows how many federal crimes exist, although a 1998 study from the American Bar Association concluded the total was likely “much higher” than 3,000.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Federal agencies have the power to “make” laws called “Administrative Laws” out of thin air. Violate one of these, you will end up in a cell. Indeed, the number of federal regulations carrying criminal penalties may be as high as 300,000.
And don’t forget about state and local laws. In Arizona, you face 25 years imprisonment for cutting down a cactus. In Mississippi, it is illegal for a male to be sexually aroused in a public place. In Pennsylvania, a woman was arrested for swearing at a clogged toilet.
It’s no wonder the US has the world’s largest prison population. More people rot in local, county, state, and federal prisons in the US than in all other developed countries combined. Over 2.2 million Americans currently live in some type of jail.Given these facts, you could be forgiven for thinking that Congress might put the brakes on penning new federal criminal law. Unfortunately, that’s not happening. Indeed, the pace of federal “criminalization” is accelerating. A 2008 study concluded that since the start of 2000, Congress created at least 452 new crimes. That’s more than one a week.
Since then, there has been no indication this trend will slow down, in fact the opposite is the case. For instance, last year, I learned US persons with certain international investments are now required to report them to the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Until 2014, you needed to file this form only if the BEA “invited” you to do so. But in November 2014, the BEA issued final regulations making it mandatory to file this form – and imposing civil and criminal penalties if you don’t.
When was the last time you received an official notification from the BEA inviting you to file this form? I’ve never received one – I only learned about this requirement when my accountant warned me about it.
Anyone can inadvertently run afoul of America’s far-reaching network of criminal laws. Depositing or withdrawing lawfully-earned funds from your own bank account is hardly what most people would consider a criminal offense. Neither is walking a dog with a six-and-a-half-foot leash.
Fortunately, America is nearly unique in criminalizing so many offenses. The world prison population rate, based on United Nations estimates, is 144 per 100,000. By comparison, it’s 698 per 100,000 in the US – nearly five times as high. A statistic like this must make us all ask, why? And beyond that, why do we stick around? A second passport, or even expatriation will provide some relief from the American cancer of criminalization.
If you have any interest in setting up a second home overseas, don’t wait until some inadvertent slipup results in an arrest and possible felony conviction. Once you have a criminal record, you’ll find it much more difficult to acquire legal residence anywhere else.
There couldn’t be a better time than now to begin, while the coast is clear.
As we are heading into the Age of Aquarius, new energies are encompassing our bodies and are reflected in various physiological symptoms. Within this transition of the ages, many people will begin to feel many of these energy shift symptoms on a regular basis as our bodies are adjusting and upgrading to the higher frequencies.
HEADACHES: When the crown chakra opens or expands it can be an intense and painful experience. It might feel like a spike or rod is being inserted. Headaches are common and they can range from migraines, to cluster headaches. Women seem to experience them more than men. They can be caused by too much energy flowing through the crown chakra, and by hormonal changes which occurs when the chakras are stimulated. Sometimes the pain can be eased by asking Spirit and your Higher Self to make an adjustment in the energy flow. When you ask for aid to ease the pain and it is part of the process that is opening and expanding your pineal or pituitary gland, the pain will only lessen. As your vibrational rate increases, the pineal and the pituitary glands expand to accommodate the higher energy frequencies. Other glands change also, but these two are the major ones that contribute to headaches. This can last a few months, or a few years depending on what level of spiritual development that you are at and your rate of growth.
FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS: This is quite common and part of the process. Just ride it out and don’t take antibiotics which will only prolong the process. These symptoms are caused by the physical body reaction to the toxins that are released when the chakras begin to expand. What ever was constricting or congesting the chakras is flushed through the blood. Also new beliefs and paradigms are enacted the imprinted consciousness in the blood becomes toxic to the physical system because it does not support the new thoughts and contributes to confusion. It is helpful to supplement the body with blood fortifying enzymes, herbs and essential oils to ease the symptoms. Hot lemon drinks will also help cleanse the body. Don’t work too much during this time, because you are going through a major shift in vibration. Try and take it easy, and it will pass.
NAUSEA, LOOSE BOWEL MOVEMENTS, DIARRHEA: This is a common reaction when the solar plexus chakra opens and releases the stored fear, anger and resentment held in the area. Karmic and family issues will produce gas and farting. The Bach Flower Rescue Remedy can ease these symptoms. Don’t be afraid to take it every 30 minutes if necessary.
MUSCLE ACHES AND JOINT PAIN: Increasing your vibration forces the energy through the body. When there are blockages impeding the energy flow this raised and forced energy slams into them causing these symptoms and ails. Often this is alleviated by asking for assistance from the Higher Self to adjust the flow to ease the pain. The body can quickly adjust to the higher vibration in a few moments, hours, or days.
DEPRESSION: A very common symptom caused by an increased rate of vibration. This higher frequency forces any illnesses, viruses, or infections hiding in the body to surface. To discover the root-cause contributing to this state examine your beliefs and decisions that are creating your reality. It is also important to monitor your internal dialogue to learn what you are creating for yourself. Observing and realizing the state you are experiencing is not cause by the present allows it to quickly pass. The herb “St. Johns Wart” eases depression and is anti-viral too.
CRYING FOR NO REASON, FEELING EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE: When blockages from this lifetime, and other lifetimes began to release the emotional body will react in this manner. The Photon Belt energy stimulates and contributes to the spontaneous release of these burdens. Trying to control or resists these urges further represses and blocks the energy making things more difficult. Crying, moaning, sobbing or toning becomes a cleansing release. Use a Bach flower remedy, or an essential oil to help with the emotional body.
FLUTTERING, PAIN IN THE HEART AREA, OR BREATHING PROBLEMS: This is a symptom experienced when the heart chakra begins to open or enlarge to receive more energy. Pain sensations in the heart and not being able to breath can be very frightening because you may think you are having a heart attack. The above symptoms are caused by the expansion of energy running through your solar plexus and heart chakra (heart and stomach area). The best solution is to relax which will adjust the energy flow. Anxiety and fear only constricts the energy thus, causing a more severe reaction. This is a normal experience when undergoing a frequency increase.
HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT AND DAY SWEATS: These are commonly experienced by both men and women. This is due to energy flowing too quickly through the body, hormonal changes, which men have too, and the body learning to adjust to the higher vibratory rate. Some men might experience fat being stored in this area which might feel like they are growing breasts. If you are a man don’t be concerned about this, because this puffiness in the chest area will only last for a short while.
EXTREME TIREDNESS: Waking in the morning and struggle to get out of bed after a full night of sleep, or falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon is common. This is caused when the energy is shifting throughout the whole spiritual body. This will pass in time, each person has a different time frame for some it can be weeks, for others months, for others years. If you can create a pyramid structure to sit under this will give you wonderful boosts of energy when you are lacking it. Drink lots of pure water to hydrate the cells, add crystals to energize the water. Eat light meals with organic veggies. Doing light physical exercise will stimulate the energy flow through the body. Bach remedies, flower essences and essential oils will also help the transition.
EXCESSIVE ENERGY: You go early to bed, exhausted, but in a couple of hours you are wide. This is caused by the Photon Belt energy accumulating around you, because the body’s inability to store the energy because it is blocked and congested. It is important not to get up and be active because the energy is for healing all the subtle bodies spiritual, mental, emotional and physical, the best way to assimilate the energy is to quietly sit and read, watch TV, or listen to meditation tapes to help you go back to sleep. This might seem to occur nightly for some time.
WEIGHT GAIN: This is a very common complaint. The body feels like it is being invaded so it adds a layer of protection. If you are a Lightworker than additional water is needed to create energy. If you don’t have enough water the body will store water, which ultimately leads to stagnation. Another major factor is that with the activation of new DNA fat is needed to hold the vibration. Body fat holds a higher vibration which is necessary to generate healing and channeling energy. Many of you also have agreed to anchor grids of light in the areas surrounding where you live. Anchoring these grids require body fat to help hold the energy. Body fat serves a very loving purpose as it allows embodiments to assist mother earth in holding her vibration. In becoming crystalline, the body fat is evenly distributed around every cell within the embodiment. This allows the entire body to act as a tuning fork to hold a new vibration.
LOSING YOUR MEMORY OR FEELING SPACEY: This can be a frightening experience because you cannot remember what you had for dinner, and dinner was only an hour away. YOU ARE NOT LOSING YOUR MEMORY. You are changing over from left brain function to more of a right brain function. Areas of the brain are being activated to cope with the higher energy coming in. Sometimes it is hard to speak, words come out jumbled or garbled, this situation will pass, there is no time limit on this.
EXTREME SENSITIVITY: As you open up to the higher vibration, you will find yourself becoming extremely sensitive to people, noises, light, smells, tastes, all sorts of things. This can affect the central nervous system and can be quite a difficult thing to cope with. You do need to take B vitamins and a multi vitamin if this is happening to you. If you are allergic to these vitamins then look for a homeopathic remedy or a Bach flower remedy for extreme sensitivity.
BLOWING LIGHT BULBS AND ELECTRONICS: If this is happening to you, then you are really reaching a very high vibratory rate and will probably be a profound healer or channel for spirit. It is due to extremely high energy coming into the physical form. It could be described as 50,000 volts of electricity coming in at once, not only can the body not cope, but it goes through the body and out again and as it does so it affects all electronic equipment.
ANIMAL REACTIONS: You will find that dogs and cats and other animals will become aware of your energy and be frightened of it or want to be around it all the time. Many animals can’t get enough of the energy. Others are somewhat frightened because they do not understand it.
FOOD CHANGES: As you vibrate higher, you will find that you no longer want the things that you used to. Coffee, tea and meat are just three of the dietary changes that people make as they begin to vibrate faster. Meat is especially dense and can really affect the body’s energy, especially if it has hormones in it. You may develop cravings for certain foods, or go off your favorite foods. This is normal and a part of the change to the higher vibration. If you find this happening, then let it happen and explore the new possibilities.
Also, the changes to our physiological make-up are currently speeding up and there are many temporary physical symptoms that are occurring in our bodies as a consequence of this. Some of these are:
Flu-like symptoms.
High temperatures, sweating, aching bones and joints etc, but which do not respond to antibiotics.
Migraine headaches with severe pain that is not relieved with pain killers.
Occasional diarrhea.
Occasional runny nose and sneezing which lasts 24 hours and is not a cold or hayfever.
Dizziness.
Ringing in the ears.
Heart palpitations.
Feeling the whole body vibrate, especially at night when one is in a relaxed state.
Intense muscular spasms and pain in one or more areas of the body.
Tingling in arms, hands, legs or feet.
Temporary loss of muscular power in the body caused by changes to the circulatory system.
Occasional breathing difficulties, and/or noticing stronger or louder breathing when in a relaxed state.
Immune system changes.
Tenderness in the breasts and/or genitals.
Lymphatic system changes.
Changes to skin tone and colour.
Feeling tired or exhausted from minor exertion.
Wanting to sleep longer and more often than usual.
Toe nails and hair growing quicker than usual.
Bouts of depression for no real reason.
Finding that one is delving into the past, looking at relationships and gaining clarity on personal issues.
Feeling one is doing a huge purge.
Tension, anxiety and high stress levels because one feels that something is going on but one doesn’t know what it is.
Some of these symptoms are being felt by a great many people. Many are rushing off in panic to their doctor, chiropractor, herbalist and so on and usually told that there is nothing really wrong with them. And this is the truth. For all these symptoms are just temporary and simply indicate that the above mentioned physiological changes are occurring. Some of the recommended relief remedies for the above are: Go with the flow, don’t fight it. If you feel tired and exhausted, rest and get plenty of sleep. Drink plenty of water for youare detoxifying and dehydrating quicker than usual. To relieve emotional tension and stress levels take Valerian. Fenugreek relieves stress on the lymphatic system and helps the detoxification. To relieve muscle spasm take Valerian and try mud baths or a long hot soak in a bath into which you add a cup of Epsom salts. Do this daily. Recognize that even if you are having heart palpitations or breathing difficulties that it is the heart chakra or the throat chakra that is unblocking and that the symptoms are temporary. You aren’t dying, just changing!
However, don’t just take my word for it. Seek medical guidance if you are unsure. If you don’t know where to get Valerian or Fenugreek try a health food store or better still, simply say the name in your head when you need relief. All healing energies are transmitted via the sound of the name and are just as effective said in the mind as aloud or as in physically taking them. Try it and see. Ask your angel guides or higher self to help relieve any pain. Most symptoms seem to last a couple of weeks, then clear up. Some symptoms may reoccur from time to time. These changes are not necessarily being experienced by everyone concurrently, for instance, a very small percentage of adults have already embodied a further 2 strands of DNA (as at 2001) and are now beginning to move into fourth dimensional awareness. This physical change in our state of being is completely dependent upon our current level of consciousness, therefore, as we lift our perceptions to embrace ever increasing levels of truth and higher thought, so we embody further strands of DNA. This entire process is managed by our I AM presence or higher self, so we are in extremely capable and loving hands, and must therefore, learn to surrender to it.
Recently I met a woman called Sena, whose brother was killed 13 years ago. Tony, her brother, was working as a chef in the British army, when he was shot by one of the soldiers in his own unit. The soldier claimed it was an accident, that the gun had just gone off as he put it over his knees. He was eventually sentenced to two years in prison for manslaughter. The death was made even more tragic by the fact that Tony’s wife was pregnant with their first child.
Sena’s life was thrown into disarray. She had a psychological breakdown, couldn’t work or sleep, and was put on strong psychiatric drugs. She became timid, felt that she couldn’t face the outside world, and didn’t leave her house for months. It was made worse by the media attention which the incident caused. The investigation and trial lasted for more than two years, and as Sena told me. “We lived in a small town where nothing ever happened, so it was big news, and always featured in the local newspaper and on local television.”
Sena’s difficulties continued until six years ago, when she began to go through a process of healing, the main feature of which was forgiving the man who killed her brother. As she describes it:
“I realised that it wasn’t serving any purpose for me to be so full of hatred and bitterness. All it was doing was causing intense pain inside me. It definitely wasn’t serving my purpose. So I decided to let go. I realised that he [the man who killed her brother] was no different to me. He said it was an accident, and I was sure he felt remorse about it. I knew that it was the right thing to do, to forgive him. And it had an immediate effect. I felt lighter and freer, as if I’d suddenly let go of about 40 years of ageing. It felt like my life could begin again.”
Since then Sena’s life has turned around. She feels that the experience has deepened and expanded her, and enabled to live a richer and more meaningful life.
Letting Go
It’s certainly not easy to forgive. If someone has wronged you – inflicted pain, humiliated you, abused or exploited you – it’s entirely natural to feel bitterness and resentment. That’s surely what they deserve. Surely what they don’t deserve is our empathy and understanding, and certainly not our charity. Surely to forgive them just “lets them off the hook” and gives them licence to mistreat others.
But there are good reasons why forgiveness is worthwhile. A prolonged, constant sense of resentment doesn’t punish the person who wronged you, but only yourself. Carrying resentment – or a grudge against someone – drains of us our energy and well-being. It creates tension inside us, makes us rigid, and creates a general sense of negativity which seeps through the whole of our lives. In a sense therefore, by carrying resentment, we allow the person to continue hurting us. An act of forgiveness, therefore, means releasing this resentment, freeing ourselves from the tension and rigidity which comes with carrying a grudge.
Research has shown how beneficial forgiveness can be. In a study at Stanford University, 259 people were assigned to either a nine hour “forgiveness workshop” or to a control group. At the end of the workshop, the workshop participants reported significantly lower levels of stress and anger, and more optimism and better health. (1)
You might assume that, if you had the opportunity to take revenge on someone who has wronged you, this would give you a tremendous sense of well-being, a sense of catharsis which would purge you of your resentment and make you feel liberated. But research has shown that this is generally not the case. Whereas people who don’t seek revenge tend to “move on,” people who take revenge continue to ruminate about the situation, which prolongs the negativity. Situations which may have been seen as trivial are inflated and inflamed. The “catharsis” of revenge only leads to more bitterness and resentment. (2)
And in any case, acts of revenge are counterproductive in the long run. They only set up a cycle of violence which leads to more hatred, hurt and destruction on both sides.
Empathy and Understanding
I’m aware that this is very idealistic, of course. The idea of offering complete forgiveness to someone who has wronged you may be a step which you’re unwilling to take. It may depend on the severity of the incident, and how strongly it has affected you.
However, there are some intermediate points between vengefulness and complete forgiveness. It may help simply to try to understand the person’s perspective, and look at the reasons for their actions. Did they really intend to hurt you? And even if they did, were they really responsible for their actions? If they really are “evil” in some way, perhaps this is due to factors beyond their own control – for example, psychological or personality problems, or environmental factors. Perhaps they suffer from low self-esteem, insecurity, or a psychiatric disorder. Perhaps they had a terrible upbringing which has scarred or traumatized them. It’s also worth remembering that people who hurt and humiliate others are usually full of psychological discord themselves, and most likely extremely unhappy.
It doesn’t really matter conclusions you come to – the simple act of empathising with the person may release some of your resentment.
And once you’ve reached that point you may feel that you can further, to the point of forgiveness. In Sena’s experience, forgiveness was sudden and immediate, but according to the psychologists Enright, Freedman and Rique, the process normally has four stages. First, there is the “Uncovering Phase,” where you become aware of the negative effect your resentment is having on your life. Second, there is the “Decision Phase,” when you decide to let go of your resentment. Next is the “Work Phase,” where you cultivate your forgiveness, by accepting what has happened and trying to empathize with the offender. Finally, there is the “deepening phase,” in which your forgiveness leads to a deeper understanding of yourself and of life in general; you might, for example,develop a sense of empathy and compassion for others who have suffered in a similar way. (3)
We shouldn’t, therefore, think that forgiveness means letting the wrongdoer “off the hook.” We should forgive for ourselves, not for them. If anything, forgiveness means letting ourselves “off the hook” – that is, freeing ourselves from unnecessary anger and bitterness, which – as Sena put it – serves no purpose and blights ourselves our lives with negativity. As the saying goes, “The best revenge is living well.”
Perhaps we also have a collective responsibility to forgive, as a way of avoiding (or at least mitigating) the conflicts and wars which still rage throughout the world – all of which began and are continually inflamed by resentment, and which will keep raging until empathy and understanding overcome resentment. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written, “Forgiveness is an absolute necessity for continued human existence.”
Enright, R.D. (1998). Comprehensive bibliography on interpersonal forgiveness. In R.D. Enright & J. North (Eds.), Exploring forgiveness (pp. 165-186). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press