QUANTUM LEAPS IN SCIENCE

At various times this Blog has made reference to the "Institute of Noetic Science," or IONS, the organization founded by Dr. Edgar Mitchell who walked upon the moon with Alan Shepard on January 31, 1971, when the Apollo lifted from Cape Canaveral.

One of the great thinkers of our time Dr. Mitchell has studied the quantum hologram. In his paper, "Nature's Mind, The Quantum Hologram," he explains what happens as one visualizes and realizes we are all connected, as we (in silence) tune in to someone's energy field. Perhaps intuition figures in somewhere as we recall how small children, even babies often know through intuition and recognize the intent of others. Indeed, we are all connected and our instincts tell us a great deal.

Scroll down to my Blog of April 15th, called "Dream Healer." There I mention how helpful libraries are in requesting books from others in the system and let you read them over a period of three weeks. "Dream Healer" by Adam was one they ordered for me. I now find Bookland, one of our book stores here can order them in or one could phone 1-866-322-8209. Through research, each one of us can help build health in light of our present flu epidemic.

SPRING - WHAT HAPPENED TO IT

Now that the month of May is peeking around the corner, it seems to be telling us to leave the printed page, embrace the warmth of spring, and enjoy the wonderful outdoors. Animals have been stirring from their winter's sleep and the stout little bodies of the busy marmots are clipping the lawns outside my window. They seem to be telling us that after dining on dried food all winter there is nothing better than a fresh green salad for breakfast.

The three way light bulb by my desk light just flashed off with a bang - another hint to take care of what is waiting outdoors. Come join me. My postings will be sporadic for awhile.

AVOID THE FLU

"The first wealth is health," said Ralph Waldo Emerson, U.S. lecturer, philosopher and poet who lived from l803-1882, a graduate of Harvard in 1821. His essays are memorable for the many epigrams they contain. His first book "Nature" was published in 1836. Maintaining good health has been the subject on every mind recently, ever since the first person died from the swine flu in Mexico on April 2nd, 2009. This is the same type of flu that took so many lives after World War I.

A call-in show on the CBC radio today gave advice on what doctors are recommending to avoid coming down with this flu - google also shows the areas of the world where most of the outbreaks are located. No vaccine is available yet. Washing the hands often, taking precautions and avoiding trips to Mexico if possible, were the main items mentioned. I tried to call CBC but there were too many calls ahead of mine. My planned question was "Does the type of food we consume relate to helping to avoid this flu?"

It appears that maintaining an alkaline body chemistry helps avoid the flu and colds along with many other diseases including cancer. When the drinking water is not alkaline, adding a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of water is a good starter. A pharmacy or a health store sell the strips available for testing the water, hopefully the pH can be kept above seven. A few drops of honey is okay to add to a lemon drink unless one is diabetic and the doctor forbids all sweets. Honey is the most alkaline of the sweets. Three quarters of the food consumed should be fruits and vegetables (green vegetables as much as possible), according to registered dietitcian. M.S. Cook, and the other twenty five percent is for the meats and other proteins. I have the book, "The Ultimate pH Solution" by M.S. Cook, DNM, DAC, CNC, and it gives many other details as well. If there is a better book, perhaps one authored by another registered dietitian, Simone Gabbay, on this subject. For further information, the toll free number is: l-866-322-8209. The local library is always very helpful. I tried to reach the Brita filter people, the filter that I presently use, to ask if their filter helps keep the water alkaline but their office was closed until the next work day, l-800-387-6940.

GRANDKID'S GAZETTE

The renewal at Easter each year is resurrected in the minds, hearts and dinner celebrations of families everywhere. We've welcomed the crocus and some of the early birds with the promise of bees and butterflies to come for their visits to all the flowers for a delayed spring this year.

Celebrations at our grandson's home saw his lovely wife and homemaker busy in the kitchen and together with Luke's parents from St. George, Grandma Stewart and GiGi we enjoyed a sumptuous repast. Their children, all under six years of age entertained us with a circular dance after dinner. It began in the kitchen, and gained speed in a crescendo of delight. Then some of us went downstairs to the play room. The three children worked individually arranging blocks to fit together in suitable patterns. The eighteen month old seemed to be the "tour guide," pointing and identifying each object with thought patterns. I think she still has hopes that we older ones will get more familiar with "BTP" language (Baby Talk Patterns). Three months before when they were visiting at my home she heard Daddy say "Time to go everyone," as he outlined some of my computer icons. Mommie and GiGi were standing in the living room finishing a chat and the two older girls were quickly placing all the teddy bears under a blanket for their naps. "Actions speak louder than words," little Miss M must have thought as she raced to the exit door and came back holding high her small pair of boots. We all got the message.

I had earlier watched the older ones playing the game Wii at Grandparents Silver Star place last year. This year they seem more interested in working with their hands, creating patterns with blocks. Mommie watched with interest but let them think out their own works of art as we continued to take note of the "tour guide" informing all with her tiny index finger. Let's hope that the funds many grandparents are placing in Registered Education Saving Plans (resp) for the their grandchildren's future university fees are being safely invested by our lending banks and security institutions. Lately we've been aware of some CEOs (chief executive officers) with extended palm, tiptoeing through a small exit door, clutching huge bonuses as their latest model cars spin away for the nearest freeway to a palm-clad sunny retirement spot while the workers (who had created their fancy wheels) pound at the large entrance door wondering where their jobs or retirement savings went.
Best of all good things for this year and the future years. GiGi

INCOME TAX DEADLINE

We're coming to that exciting time of the year to file our income tax. If mature age is allowed to give advice, here are a couple of hints. When I was born in the 1920s income tax had not yet been invented. But our efficient government representatives came to the rescue. A plan must be found to pay for World War 1, and there seemed to be no other way to "pay the piper" than inventing a new tax. After all our mother country was not the only one in trouble. No one has yet been able to explain just why that war was needed, perhaps someone can enlighten me. By the time I was ready to complete my chosen History-Journalism studies, another war was looming and my tuition funds had run out.

Now, back to my tax file. One T5 slip had two boxes, one indicating Canadian funds and on the same slip another box showed the interest in foreign currency - had the U.S. funds been factored into Canadian currency, I wondered. Time to call the income tax office, and by entering the star key after dialing, the first voice tells me, I may have less wait time. During the wait my cordless telephone gives a blast it's time to get a new battery for it. It's back to my land line and a pleasant mature tax lady who notices my age says "You're very brave."

Now on to the provincial tax form. A few years ago it was so simple when the provincial taxes requested a percentage of whatever the federal tax form showed. Dancing between work sheets that tried to stress me out, I called a friend who said she had put all her tax stuff in a plastic bag and taken it to the tax people who do it every day and are ready for any new challenges. "Put your stuff in a bag and meet me in the parking area in l5 minutes," Miss Mc commanded in that voice of assurance that a retired teacher has used so well to clear any problems during her years of teaching school. (By the way, remember the old days when teachers were treated with such awe and respect - after all they are the ones who turn us all into successful tax payers.) We still admire teachers now but in a more casual way. With tax information in hand, we head downtown and see the sign H&R Block. One of their representatives, a retired government office worker, looks through my file and within 20 minutes he's finished, and I pay $72.00 and leave with a relieved heart. I force Miss Mc to drive us to her favourite restaurant and insist on treating her to dinner - she wants to pay the tip so I agree or she might make me stay after school and write several pages that say "I will not talk in school." (I often spoke aloud in grade school and out of turn before anyone else raised a hand, my brother tells me, likely trying to impress everyone.) Oh yes, my final word of advice: After 65 years of filing tax forms, let the experts do it for you, instead of insisting on doing it yourself for another 20 years. Use this gift of time after retirement to do the creative things you longed to find time for during your 9 to 5 working years. Five more days and I'll go to the bank and pay the several thousand dollars I still owe to this wonderful country we are privileged to live in and enjoy.

PERSONAL CONTROL ENHANCES LONGEVITY

Focusing from external circumstances to internal factors, such as effort and intentions is a basic principle of the Edgar Cayce advice. This idea finds expression in today's concern about transforming "victimhood" to"empowerment," or, in the language of academic research, from "helplessness" to "self-efficacy." A recent study involving senior citizens and their sense of personal control over their lives points to the effect of this factor on longevity.

Close to 900 retired adults over 55 participated in this study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan explored the seniors' favoured roles in life, such as grandparent, spouse, friend, homemaker, provider, voluntary worker, church or club member. The participants determined which of their various roles were their favorite. They then evaluated that role for the degree of personal control they felt concerning the performance of that one.

The results of the study, reported in Psychology and Aging, showed that there was a definite relationship between the degree of personal control the participant felt in a favoured role and whether that person engaged in healthy or unhealthy behaviours and whether or not that person was alive six years later.

The participants who scored higher on role-specific personal control measures tended to adopt healthier behaviours and lived longer. On the other hand, the participants who scored lower on role-specific personal control measures were more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and suffer from obesity; all risk factors for premature deaths.

DOLPHINS HAVE JOINED THE GROUP

According to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the bottlenose dolphins have become the second of the non-primates to pass the "mirror test". The researcher puts a mark on the dolphin near enough to the face to be seen in a mirror. Many other species of animals who have been marked for the test react by striking at the mirror as if it were an enemy, or else totally ignoring it. The dolphins examined the mirror, turning their body this way and that to get a better look. This behaviour is similar to that of chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and more recently the elephant, the only other animals to pass the test. Human infants are said to pass the test no later than two years of age.

SPIRITUALITY AIDS THE ENVIRONMENT

Religion, especially the Judeo-Christian tradition, has been slow to embrace environmentalism. At a conference held at Yale University, "The Good in Nature and Humanity," that examined the connections between science, religion, and nature, religion was finding an especially important and active role in ecological concerns.

What initiated the involvement in religion, according to an article appearing in "Environmental News Network (www.enn.com) by Gretel H. Schueller, was when a group of eminent scientists circulated an "Open Letter to the American Religious Community" expressing skepticism about humanity's response to the planet's environmental probems, "Scientific data, laws, and economic incentives are not enough," they wrote, 'Environmentalism is essentially a moral issue, "We scientists ... urgently appeal to the world religious community to commit to preserve the environment of the earth."

The National Religious Partnership for the Environment was formed in response and includes the U.S. Catholic Conference, the National Council of Churches of Christ, the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life, and the Evangelical Environmental Network. According to the Partnership's Executive Director, Paul Gorman, "The mission of caring for God's creation is the heart of religious life itself." Their efforts have included lobbying Congress, helping science gain a sacred view of nature.

One example of the results of their efforts, according to Schueller, is that "ecologists are finding and appreciating evidence of the cohesiveness of communities. Soil, plants, microbes, animals, and humans all have to coexist."

YOUR DOG

Whenever your doggie needs his walk,
He'll let you know in doggie talk,
So grab his leash, a scoop and bag,
He'll thank you with a smiling wag.

He'll guard you all along the way,
And keep you safe every day,
Your family, home, car or self,
He knows that walking will build your health,
His love and loyalty never flag,
So walk him often with scoop and bag.

EXERCISE THE MIND TO STRENGTHEN THE BRAIN

Studies of aging and of those who get Alzheimer's disease have shown that mental activity keeps the brain healthy. According to an Associated Press article written by Lauran Neergaard, it helps to read, do crossword puzzles, play chess or Scrabble, to learn a foreign language or a new hobby.

Case Western scientists studied 550 people and found those less mentally and physically active in middle age were three times more likely to get Alzheimer's as they grayed. Past studies have shown that the risk of Alzheimer's is inversely related to the amount of education, formal or otherwise.

Physical exercise is important also, because it improves blood flow to the brain.

AMISH LIFESTYLE SHUNS OBESITY

Now that obesity is a national health epidemic, researchers are examining alternative lifestyles that avoid this problem. A recent study of an Amish commuity in Ontario, Canada has demonstrated how an active, hard-working lifestyle reduces obesity.

Among the 98 people in the Amish community studied, all persons, male and female, spent 40 - 50 hours a week in moderate activity, with the men working an additional l0 hours a week in "vigorous" physical activity. In this Amish population, 4 percent were found to be obese, compared to 15 percent in Canada and more than 34 percent of adults in the United States.

MAGNIFY THE VIRTUES, MINIMIZE FAULTS

Gladys Taylor McGarey, is a homeopathic physician, coauthor of "The Physician Within You," and lead physician at the Scottsdale Holistic Medical Group in Scottsdale, Arizona. I look forward to reading her bi-monthly column in "Venture Inward," magazine published in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

" A 76-year-old patient came to my office for a physical exam. Her cholesterol was slightly elevated and she felt that on her own she would take care of this problem." She said there were two things which she dearly loved, peanut butter and bacon and if she stopped eating those two things she could bring her cholesterol down. She was going to create a ritual which allowed her with love and caring to let go of something for which she no longer had any use.

She, her husband and daughter went to a fancy restaurant, took a candle along and while her husband and daughter ordered their meal she ordered four strips of crisp bacon, While her family ate their meal, she spoke to the bacon and said something like, "Bacon, I've always loved you; you've been good to me, we've had a long relationship and good memories but now is the time for us to part. I am now going to leave you with love and happy memories. I will eat two pieces and leave two pieces on my plate, so I know you are always here for me if I need you." After a little more talk, she blew out the candle, paid the bill and left.

When I next saw her, she told me she had never wanted bacon since that time. "What did you do about the peanut butter"? I asked. She said she had purchased some and said to it; "You've been so good to me with many happy memories and now it's time for us to part." Then she took the jar of peanut butter to the little girl across the street and gave it to her. The next time she came to my office I asked her about the bacon and peanut butter and she said,'Oh, yeah, I haven't eaten any.' The great thing about this was that this wise lady, instead of saying, 'Oh my, I have to stop eating this and don't know how because it is so much a part of my life' - in which case, this big negative thought form could exacerbate the problem. Later she was able to help her husband, who had been a high-ranking government official until was placed over him. She sang a marching song that created much laughter they were able to laugh about it together.

"Old habits and attachments can be difficult and challenging to let go, physical, mental and spiritual. 'Just say no' may not work, attachments may be too deep and long standing. By creating a personal ritual, to let go of that which needs to be released we can look forward to the path of grace and allow the addiction to move from our life with God's help and create a new pattern leading to a fuller life. This can be done with little pain and perhaps even some fun." Dr. McGarey concluded. Perhaps the Biblical ritual of baptism as well as sharing of bread and wine as a rembrance of the Last Supper is similarly beneficial.

ACUPUNCTURE - THE FIVE ELEMENT SYSTEM

After treating his patients working only with his regular medical degree, Alan Abromovitz, M.D. studied for an additional seven years at the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture in London, England. This traditional system - The Five Element system - purports that all physical illnesses are a manifestation of an imbalance of energy within the body, mind or spirit, or perhaps in all three. The key seems to be to treat patients at a place they are willing to accept a different system and finding a way to relate to where they are so they can accept a new approach to their illness. If the patient thinks that pills or surgery is the only way to treat illness, then a different direction is taken for treatment. The key is for each patient to trust the system, and take action on his own and inspiration to guide where they want to go.

Each organ of the body has its own areas of responsibility. Of the l2, the heart is considered to be king and rules over the other 11. Each one has its own area of expertise. The small intestine, for example, controls the ability to separate pure from impure, whether physical or mental and thought patterns may need to be reviewed. The liver has the responsibility of future planning and vision. The mental and emotional disorders are the keys to determining the causative factor. Acupuncture is used to find that causative factor and this is used to restore the imbalance, then the body-mind-spirit will heal itself. The needles revitalize and redirect the energies of a particular meridian pathway. Each point has a physical effect - put the needle here and a needle there and a runny nose goes away.

Some doctors in Vernon do practice acupuncture and each person must determine through his own intuition which system he is comfortable with. The knowledge is available in the alternative medical system as well and can transform health in this country and the world - if health care providers will open their minds and develop their skills - according to Dr. Abromovitz.

EDISON SAID -

Thomas Edison was born in 1847 and during his 84 years on Earth brought us the light bulb, and many other inventions especially in communications. Betweeh l869 and 19l0 he averaged filing a patent every two weeks. His parents fled from Canada to United States after taking part in the Canadian rebellion of 1837, first to Ohio and then to Michigan where his school teacher considered him incapable of learning. His mother had been a teacher so took him out of school and taught him herself.

With a keen interest in health and healing he declared, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Perhaps it was his mother who first coined the phrase "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Naturopathic doctors are pulling up to the forefront of health and healing, believing there is no need to wait for disease to progress before instituting appropriate preventive measures. Natural medicine and techno medicine have alternately diverged and converged, shaping each other often in reaction. In earlier centuries Hippocratic practitioners assumed that everything in nature had a rational basis, therefore, the physician's role was to understand and follow the laws of the intelligible universe. They used the term "vis medicatrix naturae," the healing power of nature, to denote the body's ability to heal itself.

Both fields of medicine now agree on working together to build health and healing through consuming nourishing foods, exercising regularly, having a good attitude and loving and caring for each other. Seems that Golden Rule would fit in nicely here, "Doing unto others as you would have them do to you." All religions have this axiom in their scriptures, and all mankind has to do is practice it. In that way each of us can contribute to our own health and healing.

ARTISTIC ACTIVITY IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

"When was the last time you made music? When did you last dance? What was the last story you told? When was the last time you engaged in the 'work' of art?"

So asks Tom Crockett, in his book, "The Artist Inside: A Spiritual Guide to Cultivating Your Creative Self (Bantam Doubleday Dell Trade Paperbacks).

"So Why is this important? Most of us don't consider ourselves artists," Crockett explains. "Even if we secretly enjoy expressing ourselves creatively, we may still be frightened of claiming to be artists ... The point is that being an artist, expressing oneself artistically, is a birthright, not a career path."

In his book, Crockett shows how being creative, or expressing artistically comes from four basic human activities: Finding, Arranging, Altering, and Making open up artistic options for everyone, even for those of us who cannot yet imagine that we have the ability to create art.

DREAM HEALER

A CBC news bulletin on Tuesday reported the libraries are very busy right now, possibly, it might be the depression with so many job losses was providing extra time for reading and updating job skills. Libraries are happy to locate any books not presently available in our here but will bring them in if they are somewhere in our B.C. Library System. At our family dinner on Easter weekend I mentioned a book called "DREAM HEALER, A True Story of Miracle Healings,." My son wondered if it was just another way to sell books. The author is kown only as ADAM, and his books are international best sellers.

I called our library the next day and asked if this book was available. The library said they can bring it in. Another book called "Dream Images and Symbols (A Dictionary), by Kevin J. Todeschi is also available.

Two wonderful people I know very well have been diagnosed with cancer and are now in the process of following the regular medical protocol that includes a series of chemo therapy.

Last summer my son offered to pick me up on a Sunday to attend our grandson's church. During his inspirational sermon I jotted down the words of Pastor Larry, "We need to pay more attention to our dreams." My husband of 54 years often dreamed something that would happen the very next day. For example one morning I told him I was riding to the store on my "pre-owned" bike. He replied, "Check those brakes, I dreamed last night they had failed." I arrived home safely and mentioned I had met a friend who asked if he would come over and take a look at an ancient clock that couldn't be fixed by anyone there. He loved to bring old clocks back to life as a hobby and rode my bike over and fixed the clock. On his way home he came to a stop sign and started braking. The brakes failed. He had forgotten about his dream but managed to stop in time by dragging his feet. As a child I first heard of dreams coming true in Mrs. Weeks Sunday school class. Since the nearest church was 65 miles away we went to church and Sunday School at our local one room country school. The United Church sent a student to our district for their practicum during the summer months. I think its time to review the story of the Biblical story of Joseph who dreamed of the seven year famine in Egypt. When crops began fail the pharoah appointed Joseph as his foreign grain buyer and saved the country from a famine.

ACCEPT INVITATIONS TO YOUR INTUITION

Can you "just say yes!" to intuition? Trusting it can make it more active in your life. In her book, "You Already Know What to Do: Ten Invitations to the Intuitive Life" (Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam), Sharon Franquemont proposes that intuition is already active within each person. What is required for a more constructive relationship with our intuition is that we accept "invitations" from our soul to experience intuitive realities. Among the ten invitations:

Cultivate silence, so that you can hear and listen to your intuition.

Nurture joy so that you can experience the intuitions that come with laughter.

Set time free, so that you can discover the intuitive reality of flow.

Discover your soul's purpose and experience the intuition of its intentions.

Connect the dots to discover a big-picture view of life on earth.

STROKE VICTIMS ARE GOOD LIE DETECTORS

Persons who have suffered strokes and have trouble understanding the spoken word nevertheless excel at detecting deceit in others. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital verified this phenomenal ability.

In the study, patients whose stroke affected the left side of the brain, the part responsible for speech recognition, viewed videos of women who were describing a beautiful sunset. Some of these videotaped women were lying, as they were actually looking at a traumatic scene, but pretending they were viewing the beautiful scene. Normal persons can detect the lying women with only 50 percent, or chance, accuracy. The brain-damaged patients showed an accuracy rate of 73 percent. When these patients recovered from their strokes, their accuracy rate dropped to chance levels.

Previous research has suggested that clues to a person's lying exist in subtle facial movements. The Current study shows that when the left side of the brain is incapacitated, the right side of the brain, responsible for processing visual cues, gains dominance and shows its superior ability at detecting the pertinent clues.

E PLURIBUS UNUM LIVES IN AMERICA

Although there is a wide gap or void in America created by the official separation of church and state, most Americans are united unofficially by their belief in, and pursuit of, some form of spiritual reality. Thus concludes Roger Housden in his book, Sacred America: The Emerging Spirit of the People (Simon & Schuster).

A spiritual tour guide and journalist, Housden traveled America exploring the citizenry and its spiritual dimension. Beyond the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, we have no nationally accepted sacred text, yet he found evidence everywhere, in a variety of forms, that America is a place of spiritual innovation. Although shifting from dogmatic theologies, Americans are continually re-inventing spirituality, turning it to commercial advantage for the marketplace, making it work in today's world. This ties us together in the very diversity of the expression of the spirit, something he believes we are now on the verge of discovering.

LONG LIFE IS A MATTER OF CHOICES

Research at Harvard University has shown that longevity is a matter of choices a person makes during the lifetime. The study, conducted from 1940 through 2000, followed the lives of several hundred Harvard sophomores and a comparable number of disadvantaged youths. All men received checkups every two years.

According to a report published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, the 60-year-long study identified seven factors that appeared to predict successful aging: moderate alcohol use, no smoking, a stable marriage, exercise, appropriate weight, positive coping mechanisms, and no depressive illness. Depression was the only factor that affected the quality of aging which was beyond individual control.

NO PASSPORT OR BORDER STOP REQUESTED

They were seen crossing the border and whizzed right through with no passport or border stop needed. It's been a tiring trip and our visitors are ready for food and friends in familiar territory. Here in the Okanagan Valley we love visitors and look forward to having them with us once again. They are hungry and we are ready for them with their favorite food served from fancy serving bowls that we keep on hand especially for them. We've had several sunny spring days and will be able to sit out on the deck and dine with them. It's easy to fix their meal, and here is the recipe. Four parts of water with one part of sugar, colourful and energizing as it tunes up tired bodies until nature brings on the spring flowers for real nourishing food, the organic nectar to build every body cell, keep their little hearts beating, and those wings hovering for the nectar drinks, the energy needed to redo their "half-walnut-sized" nest and lay those tiny eggs to raise their summer family. It's a busy time and night hours go to work as well. They are getting all tuned up polishing songs during sleep for their daytime wedding. We've been aware that dogs often dream but there is research now to prove that finches and other birds do as well.

The debate on whether animals dream seems to be shifting in favour of the romantics, thanks to this research strategy that involves precise monitoring of activity of specific brain cells and patterns of brain cell activity. Patterns of brain activity are recorded while an animal learns to perform certain tasks and then researchers look for that same pattern of activity during REM (dream) sleep. When this correlation occurs, and more studies are finding it so, the researchers conclude that the animal is dreaming "about" that activity.

In one study, for example, at the University of Chicago, researchers monitored the brains of young zebra finches while they were learning to imitate the song of the adult bird. The researchers observed the same pattern of brain activity during the young birds' REM sleep.

The researchers concluded that the young birds were rehearsing their song while they dreamed. This interpretation is similar to that given to the function of dreaming as observed in humans. One purpose served by dream sleep is to consolidate learning that occurred during the day. The researchers admit that although these studies show that animals have a brain event during sleep that functions similarly to that in humans, it doesn't prove that the animals experience this brain event in the same way as humans do.

It may require future scientists to use a new intuitive methodology to ascertain the experience of the animals. Perhaps these scientists will now discover this methodology in their dreams.

BELIEF IN MIRACLES

More than 80 percent of Americans believe in miracles, and almost 50 percent believe they have been the beneficiary of a miracle or have direct knowledge of one. According to a poll conducted by Newsweek magazine, 79 percent of those polled believe that the miracles described in the Bible actually did happen. When religious affiliation is taken into account, these percentages are even higher. Among Christians, 90 percent believe in miracles, and among evangelical Protestants, 98 percent are believers in miracles.

The healing power of prayer is an article of faith among many Americans, according to a CBS News poll of 825 adults. Their survey found that 80 percent believe in the power of prayer to speed recovery from illness, and 82 percent say they pray for others' health, according to a report of the poll appearing in USA Today. Other results:

Sixty four percent pray for their own health and 60 percent pray daily.

Sixty three percent believe that it is correct for doctors to pray with their patients.

Twenty two percent have personally experienced a healing from prayer or other spiritual practice.

RESEARCH CONFIRMS POWER OF PRAYER FOR LONGER LIFE

Prayer and other forms of distant healing stand up to the scrutiny of science, concludes a University of Maryland School of Medicine researcher, who has viewed dozens of studies on this topic. Patients who receive distant healing show a positive effect, says John A. Astin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Medicine's Complementary Medicine Program, writing in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. He based his conclusions upon an analysis of 23 clinical studies which included placebos and met standard scientific standards.

He found that 57 percent of the studies showed a positive impact, such as less pain or a faster-than-expected recovery time. This percentage of success far exceeds chance expectations.

Of the various methods studied, non-contact therapeutic touch had the highest number of positive results.

A second study conducted by Duke University suggests that people who pray daily may live longer. The research, conducted by Harold Koenig, a family physician at the University's medical center, and published in the Journal of Gerontology, followed 4,000 senior citizens for six years.

At the end of that time, those who indicated that they never prayed had a 50 percent greater chance of dying than those who prayed or meditated at least once a month. This risk factor held constant even when taking into account other risk factors such as smoking and social isolation. In a report on the research reported in USA Today, Dr. Koenig attributed the power of prayer and meditation to the physical destressing effects of deep relaxation.

CHANGE DREAMS TO BEAT NIGHTMARES

If you have a bad dream, try changing the ending. Perhaps you remember doing this as a child. Now it has been proven as a treatment for nightmares, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Researchers worked with patients suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and all the associated ills - depression, flashbacks and nightmares, loss of motivation, avoidance of places and people associated with the trauma, increased irritability etc. They were divided into two groups, and one received dream therapy along with the standard drug and talk therapy.

The dream therapy had the patients write down their nightmares, then write a revised description of the dream, changing it so the outcome was the way they wished it to be. They then rehearsed their revised dream descriptions for 20 minutes a day, and met in small groups to discuss them. After three and six months, 65 percent of the dream therapy group reported significantly fewer and less severe nightmares and other symptoms. In the nondream therapy group 69 percent reported no change, or a worsening of symptoms.

THINKING REDUCES BRAIN SUGAR

The sugar levels in the brains of rats were studied by researchers at the University of Illinois. Rats were induced to find their way through a challenging maze to obtain a reward. According to their report published in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, the researchers found that in the brain area related to spatial orientation, sugar levels were reduced following the task, but in other brain areas, sugar levels were unaffected. Researchers found that brains of older rats suffered a greater reduction in sugar levels than did younger rats after resolving the maze. Sugar level in the younger rats returned to normal at a faster rate than it did in the brains of the older rats. Giving an injection of sugar helped the older rats perform better.

The researchers speculated that an implication of their findings was that a good breakfast might be important for children to do well in school and that perhaps snacks during the day would be helpful as well.

ADDING FLAVOUR TO SOUPS

Time to try something a little different since this soup is just for myself. A good opportunity to open that bottle of tomato puree with only basil added. It is imported from Italy where they grow wonderful tomatoes that are made into healthy "slow foods". The lid turned with a "thunk" so that means it has been safely sealed. The top layer in the jar looks a little darker than the rest but that is often seen at the top layer of many other canned fruits. I popped a heaping tablespoon into the already cooked mixed vegetables and I will have a new adventure I told myself because I haven't used basil flavouring before.

A little powerful and I'm not too impressed but not wanting to be wasteful I consume it for supper. Then I reach for my "Herb Book" by John Lust to see what he says about it. Sure enough, there is even a picture of the plant. He says it is helpful to relieve spasms or cramps; is an appetizer - excites appetite; a carminative - for expelling gas; a galactagogue - increases milk supply; a stomatic - stimulates digestion - and is taken for stomach cramps. It is used for constipation, and enteritis - inflammation of the small intestine. It is said to help relieve headaches and used when suffering from whooping cough.

I didn't have any of these problems that needed curing, particularly the word "constipation" tells the story of a busy evening that almost required running shoes. I should have read the information from the herb book before eating anything with basil in it. With hindsight I realize there was likely a good reason why the top layer looked a little darker. I think the Basil flakes had settled to the top. The cells within my digestion system must have gone into a tailspin, perhaps blaming the brain messengers, for not thinking of the excessive amount of basil coming down for them to handle. They all forgave me and let me get to sleep by midnight. I took note of another lesson to imprint in my brain box. My neighbour makes wonderful European foods and was happy to be gifted with the rest of the bottle (680 grams) contents.

ODE TO BRITISH COLUMBIA

In British Columbia, we have the best, Travel the world and give it a test. I zipped through the planets with a wise friend, Constellation Orion,
we were sure to attend.
Then back to B.C., and we both gave a cheer,
Best of all in the Universe, we still have right here.

Your place has such beauty, One star dweller said,
Once we visited Earth but, Back home we all fled.
Because of pollution, We ran out of air,
We could fix it for you, We'll show that we care.

We can translate thought patterns, With our nifty machine,
All languages too, Share with you, our routine.
Trade our knowledge for seeds, From your wonderful trees,
It will help many planets, And we all will be pleased.

TIPS FOR OVERCOMING ADVERSITIES

Crises and adversities are a common experience. It is a universal part of the human condition to encounter loss in several of its many, many faces. Also universal are the spiritual opportunities for growth hiding in these adversities. There is a developing trend in "life research" to identify principles for turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

A case in point is the book "How Long Till My Soul Gets It Right?: 100 Doorways on the Journey to Happiness" (ReganBooks) by the husband-and-wife counselor team Robert M. Alter and Jane Alter. They present brief case stories to illustrate the principles.

* The past must be faced, neither exaggerated nor covered up: to face the truth of childhood experience is a path to healing.

* It is important to be aware of our feelings without becoming them - we need to discover the silent peace in the center of the hurricane.

* Sometimes holding, or being held, is really important to healing.

*Learning to listen to another person is essential, and helps us, too, as we learn to heal ourselves.

(The Johns Hopkins University Press), by the project's initiators W. Daniel Hale, Ph.D. and Richard C. Bennett, M.D., the purpose of the project was to facilitate the healing power of religion by finding workable ways for the two institutions to work together.

The volunteers served as health educators, patient advocates, as well as bridge builders. Many of the volunteers were health care providers themselves and worked with great enthusiasm. Hospital personnel found the project successful and gave them added satisfaction and effectiveness to their work.

VOLUNTEERS CREATE HEALING MI NISTRIES

As part of an experimental program in Florida, church members were recruited to serve as volunteers to help bridge hospitals and religious institutions. These volunteers named the experiment Project REACH (Reaching out through Education to Advance Community Health). According to the book "Building Healthy Communities Through Medical-Religious Partnerships (The Johns Hopkins University Press), by the project's initiators W. Daniel Hale, Ph.D. and Richard C. Bennett, M.D., the purpose of the project was to facilitate the healing power of religion by finding workable ways for the two institutions to work together.

The volunteers served as health educators, patient advocates, as well as bridge builders. The volunteers worked with great enthusiasm. Hospital personnel found the project successful and gave them added satisfaction and effectiveness to their work.

CHINESE PROVERBS

If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.

If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.