The Living vegetable

week 12: Energy Medicine and Energy Fields

2006-07-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture as effective energy medicine:

So i was writing to this topic, had finished a long paragraph and then the power went out. So, again i start. oh technology, have to love it.

Of corse I think that acupuncture is effective energy medcine. Otherwise, why would I be studying it for four years??? And I say think on purpose, not believe. I get a little perturbed when i hear people say that they believe in acupuncture. Although their intentions are nothing but positive the fact remains that acupuncture is NOT a belief system. It is not a religion, has nothing to do with God, nor does having, or not having, a "belief" in it make it work or not work. Chinese Medicine is a sound science based on thousands of years of evidence. There have also been countless experiements done with acupuncture and it's ability to heal in the last decade. And the results are almost always conclusive that there is "something" to this mode of medicine. People just aren't ready to embrace and accept the evidence yet. When the time is right, acupuncture will receive its proper recognition and place. Until then those of us who appreciate acupuncture as effective energy medicine will continue to study, teach, and use it as a very reliable method of treating ourselves and loved ones when ill as well as using it to help ourselves stay in balance in an ever increasing chaotic world.

What conclusions can I draw from Kirlian photography:

I have never had my aura photographed but it seems like fun to me. Why not? I know that I and others have an energy field that extends the physical body, so why couldn't i take a picture of it. Conclusions to be taken from Kirlian photography is that auras do exist. There are energy fields that exist outside our physical bodies. Maybe its these fields that feel the stare of someone standing behind you, or feel the imminent presence of danger, or feel the warmth of someone's touch before they actually physically touch you. Energy is a mysterious thing to us now, but some day we will most likely look back and think that we were seeing the world through such foggy lenses. Kirlian photography can help us in the advancement toward the acceptance of auras, energy reaching beyond the physical body, because it provides proof for individual's who feel much more comfortable when they can see something with thier own eyes. I wonder what color my aura would be and if it would change colors depending upon my level of energy, my state of mind: positive or negative, and my state of health.

Human intent as it affects health:

I think that human intent has a very powerful affect on one's health. This should come as no surprise to those who have read my previous blogs. I often intertwined this concept into my blog, regardless of the topic that I am writing to. I see the affect that my intention has on so many things. if i am thinking positively i feel that i am so much more in the flow of life, less challenge and obstacles in my way. On the other hand, if I am negative in my thought i meet with much resistance. The way we focus, or don't focus, our intention affects the world as well. Right now there is incredible inbalance in the world, and part of it, is, in my opinion, related to the focus that most individuals have on issues of the lower chakras, those of power, money, and survival. So many of us are living in the lower chakras. We must heal our intent through the heart chakra of love and compassion so that we can rebalance ourselves and the Earth. I was reading something the other day that i found interesting. An astrology that i follow was suggesting that the heart chakra of the Earth resided in the middle East. If this is indeed true, it only mirrors to us what dire straights we are in.

Week Ten: Biophysics

2006-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

I know I am a "living system" because...

I eat, drink, and sleep. My heart beats, i breath, i swallow, i walk, i feel, i sense. Does all of this make me a "living systme?" Some would argue, why, of corse it does. But this is purely biology, no? Just because my organs are working and I am walking around on two legs, does this mean that I am alive? I know that many times I have not felt very alive when I am still walking around in my body. What makes someone a "living system?" According to a doctor it might be whether or not one's heart is beating. Keeping in line with a Buddhist monk it may be the degree to which you are able to connect with your own inner Buuda nature. My interpretation is that yes, I am a living, breathing, system. Sometimes i feel more alive than others. At times I feel as though i am a walking robot, not very alive, even though my heart still continues to pump blood to all of my organs and tissues. It just depends on how one defines ALIVE.

Biophysics and me:

Biophysics is the study of biological phenomena in relation to physics. I honestly can't even say what this means to me. I know what biological phenomena usually entails, but how that relates to physics I can not say, unfortunately. I suppose i could make a reference to fractals. Things on a small level look like they do on a larger level. When I think of this I think about how the body mirrors many aspects of itself. For example, one can find the entire body imaged on the hand, foot or ear. We treat back pain, liver dysfunction, unterine tumors, and more, all in the ear. The entire body can act as a hallogram. One could treat the lips by needling around the belly button, one can treat the elbow by needling the knee, one can treat TMJ by needling along the side of the knees, and on and on. The body as a fractal, a part of the great whole, biophysics a part of physics and vice versa.

Week 9: My E-Prime Day

2006-07-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

My E-Prime Day:

What would it look like if we all started speaking in E-Prime? Instead of making many statements using "is," we would use words like "behaves," "appears," or "seems." We probably would have a lot less arguments with people, a lot less people affended by what others say to them or about them. It's really much less assuming to use English prime as opposed to standard English. It's reasonable to consider using E-Prime when we stop to think about things. I mean really, what do we really know to be true? We are going around making many statements that are propsed as TRUTH. But what is truth? What do we KNOW to be true? We presume to see things because of perception, expereince, and expectation, but presuming or expecting something to be true doesn't make it so. Is it really reasonable though to expect people to begin to speak differently? We can try, but it's not likely that people are going to shift into a new mode of speaking.

Can I synthesize East and West?

It is difficult to synthesize East and West. There are so many differences in our way of looking and perceiving the world around us. But it's important to try to. It would be powerful to take elements of each, combine the beauty of the two. What balance. I hope that we are moving in the direction of integration but i still feel so much resistance. I suppose whenever there is a push for change there are those who resist. What bothers me is how many people tout themselves as being open to integration of East and West methods of treating illness and disease when in actuallity they are quite condescending in their thought of Eastern medicine. For true integration to occur there needs to be an appreication of both philosophies, both approaches to healing. We are in the process of moving toward synthesis. If we, as Eastern health care practitioners, can survive the backlash we surely will come out the other side stronger and more powerful than we knew ourselves to be.

Week 8: Newton's Laws and Me

2006-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

First Law: Inertia. Objects at rest remain at rest, and objects in motion remain in motion in a straight line at constant velocity. A force must be applied to change the state of motion of an object. If I am to apply this law to myself I would have to say that when I am in motion it is hard to slow me down, and vice versa. If I am inert, resting, it's hard to get me going. I embrace each state of being in its totality. I go go go and then rest. Of corse when considering the yin/yang aspect of all life, there is always a small bit of inertia that exists within the motion and a tiny amount of motion that exists within inertia. For example, while one is sleeping, or engaged in what seems like complete inertia, there is motion during sleep, tossing and turning in the sheets as well as vivid dreams that take place. During wake state, while running around during the day, there are always moments that arise in which we can take a moment to just breath and observe. I must apply a force, consciouse awareness, in order to slow down for a brief instant.

Second Law: Action and reaction. The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it, and inversely proportional to its mass. The first law is contained in this second law. "The acceleration of a body is proportional to the force on it. " "The harder we push on a movable body, the quicker its speed changes." While driving my car, the speed at which i am driving is directly related to the amount of pressure that i am placing on the accelerator. I will drive faster if i push further down on the accelerator, just as I will drive slower if i don't push down as much on the accelerator.

Third Law: Acceleration. If two objects interact, say in a collision, the force exerted by object 1 on object 2 is matched by a force of exerted by object 2 on object 1 of the same size, but in the opposite direction. This explains "the nature of forces." "The assumption is that a force is simply a manifestation of the interaction between a pair of bodies." "There can not be a pushee without a pusher." "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Lao-tze used the phrase "reversing is the movement of the Tao" to explain what he thought was a universal law of nature. This law meant that if any one thing swings too much to the right of a pendulum, then it is only natural and can surely be expected to swing to the opposite side with the same momentum. "When a thing reaches one extrme, it reverts from it." And, "if anything develops certain qualites, those qualities invariably revert to become thier opposites."

Our "Energy Efficient" culture:

I don't think i will find much disagreement (at least in the Bay Area) over the statement that we, here in the U.S., are lacking in energy efficient awareness. It is such a huge problem. Just the thought of writing about the subject for a class assignement brings an overwhelming sense of doom. We are in an energy crisis!!!!!!!!

Let's face it, on Earth energy is life. Without the continuance of energy resources our life will cease to exist as we know it, or maybe cease altogether. We have bought and used up many natural resources of energy here in our own country and abroad, many times stealing energy from others, all in the effort to promote our lifestyle, which is not energy efficient!!! The result, we are not very popular abroad, the decline in natural resources, pollution, and waste, waste, and more waste. Impletmenting change in the hearts and minds of individuals is challenging but this is where our focus should be, not on where to get more, but to use what we already have in an efficient manner. There needs to be a shift in focus, a large shift in focus, from selfishness and greed to charity, sharing, conservation, and efficiency. Efficiency needs to be an integral part of business practices and the individual's way of life. We need to determine what our energy needs are and then go about implemeting reward for energy efficient "behavior." We need to make rapid progress. There isn't much time left!

Descartes has a lot to answer for:

Descartes is responsible, in part, for putting forth ideas that supported reductionism. Westerners accepted this reductionist view and let holistic world views fall by the waste side. There is value in being able to mathmatically solve problems, explain various phenomena, and reduce things to the sum of thier parts. We have made many scientific advancements with our ability to reason. But what has been lost in the process? It's not Descartes' fault for having put forth his ideas. How would he know that his ideas would have such a profound effect on development in West. In Chinese philosophy, it is said that one needs perfect people, place, and timing in order for great change and innovation to take place. One could say that the paradigm shift in thought was "meant to be" so to speak. But now we must rethink our choices, retrace our steps, change again. We must move back to an appreciation of natural phenomena, embrace the concept of "unbroken wholeness," and move toward acceptance of the idea that the whole is contained in the small parts.

Week 7: CHAOS

2006-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

"Ordered Chaos":

Entropy is increasing, disorder abounding, order just a fleeting experience. Oh how I wish we could hang on to those moments in which we feel as though there is some order around us, moving us, guiding us forward. But instead we must participate in this dance between order and chaos. Again, the idea of balance comes to mind. One must truely set a goal to achieve some sort of balance within this increasingly chaotic world we live in. An intention each day to live within the chaos but not become part of the chaos. We must live in the world but not of it. In this way, we are the observer of the surrounding process of chaos, not accepting choas as a state of being. We manage the level of chaos arround us, hopefully, being flexible, always conscious of working toward homeostasis, a balance between chaos and order.

What is the connection between chaos and order in our own lives?
I find that there is an element of both running through my life. I can say that i feel more safe when there is order, but only because it lends itself to a sense that i am in control, doing well. The opposite is true for chaos. In the midst of chaos I feel rather out of control, a lost cause, struggling to re-gain some sense of control and order in my life. But the reality is that i am neither in control nor out of control in the midst of chaos or order. It just feels so in the moment when I am swinging back and forth, the pendulum swaying toward turmoil and disorder and then back the other way toward order. I do find that in the chaos there often times emerges more creativity. it seems that within the disorder or turmoil there is a freedom of movement or thought that is born, because there are no restrictions, laws, or regulations of order, just mad chaos, freedom.

Fractals as patterns of complex systems:

Fractals, the whole seen in the smallest part. An example might be breaking off a tiny piece of cauliflower, only to see that the image of the entire curd of cauliflower is seen in the little piece. "Worlds within worlds" is taken from our article read for class. It is also said that fractals are an example of a positive feedback system. There aren't that many examples of a positive feedback system to be found in the body, other than the release of oxytocin in a woman's body. In this example, the hypothalamus releases oxytocin into the posterior pituitary. The posterior pituitary then releases oxytocin in order to stimulate contractions of the pregnant uterus. Oxytocin also acts for a trigger in milk ejection in woman whose breasts are producing milk in response to prolactin. Both of these are examples of a positive feedback mechanisms, a regulated process that feeds back on itself, so that there is a continual release of oxytocin. How is a fractal part of a positive feedback system? Recognizable patterns!

Conciousness out of chaos?:

What type of consciousness are we going to have if we are constantly living in chaos? One of the truths of metaphysics is that thoughts are things. So if we are continually thinking and or feeling overwhelmed, out of control, and uncentered in our lives due to disorder and chaos, our consciousness will follow suit. The mind gives life, substance, and intelligence to our thoughts and experiences. If we reduce all the waves in the universe to chaotic ones, chaotic thought, we will vibrate accordingly. Our mind, or our thought processes, actually create the world around us. "Knowing that our world is composed of what we have idealized should make us more watchful of the activities of our mind. Are we still harboring thought forms that are impeding our sould's progress?"

Conclusions of experiement:

Sorry, I couldn't even pull it up, tryed all weekend and then again today, Monday. I will try from school, a different computer later to see if that makes a difference. Did anyone else have this problem?

ok, so i went back, once i could get logged in to this website, and i did the experiments. i did the ones that involved the sppon, fork, and knife. i do have to say that i feel like a kid again. So, i looked at the reflection of myself in the spoon, the concave and convex side. The convex side shows me right side up, like looking in a cloudy mirror. (cloudiness probably due to old silverware that is not very clean) The concave side shows a reflection of myself upside down. I had never even noticed such a thing. With the fork, I did hear some resonance as i plucked the tip and held it to the wooden desk. It was very slight but i could still hear it a little bit. The lack of resonance must be due to my fork not being true silver and my desk not being true wood. Interesting expereiments. Good things to remember for babysitting kids.

Week 6: Vibrations/Resonance/Qi

2006-06-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

Are all vibrations "good."

I would have to say No to this question. How many times have I entered a situation where the vibration or energy feels distraught, void, or threatening? How many people have I met in which I felt a "bad" vibration emanating from them? The answer is many a time, unfortunately. It seems to me that there are vibrations to almost anything and everything. There are "good" or bad" vibrations to different organs when they are healthy, ill, or tired. There is a vibration to one's spirit, if one could call it that, when I tap into their Qi. Machines, computers, waves, particles, all have a vibration.

The mere existence of "good" vibrations means that there will be "bad" vibrations, just as there is Yin and yang because yin and yang are rooted in each other. They are interdependent. The concept of "good" exists because there is the notion of "bad" and vice versa. They depend on one another for definition. In Chinese medicine an imbalance of yin will naturally cause a disparity of yang and vice versa. For example, high blood pressure due to excess yang can be caused by an underlying deficiency of yin. The yin keeps the yang rooted. It is similar with the paradigm of "good" and "bad" anything, vibrations or otherwise.

In motion it separates
In stillness they fuse.
It is not excessive or deficient
Accordingly when it bends
It then strengthens.

Resonance in my world?

"Resonance is always a large vibration." "Resonance occurs when two interconnected objects share the same vibrational frequency." "When one object is vibrating, it forces the second object into vibrational motion." This makes me think about dancing, even though I realize that the two aren't linearly connected. Whenever an individual plays an instrument they are essentially putting energy into it just by mere contact. The instrument is then forced into motion. As a dancer, I always have felt that the energy of the music infuses into my body causing movement. In this way I feel as though I am resonating with the music, the vibration, the energy of the music. I have been set into motion. I am vibrating at the same frequency as the music and so is every fiber in my body.

Connections I can make between Energy and Oi?

Oi can be difined as air, breath, temperament, disposition, spirit, or vital principal. It is thought to interact with the environment, having a significant effect on people's behavior. In my opinion, defining Qi is challengin. Qi is such a profound and important concept that to conceptualize it is to limit its true meaning. Qi is fundamental to Chinese thinking, yet no Enlgish word or phrase can adequately capture its meaning. One could say Qi is energy. One could also say that everything in the universe, organic, and inorganic, is composed of and defined by its Qi. Perhaps one could think of Qi as matter on the verge of becoming energy or energy at the point of materializing into matter. None of these definitions encompasses Qi in its entirety. Rather than try and apply Western thought to a Chinese "concept," boxing up the idea of Qi I feel its easier to perceive Qi finctionally by what is does. In this way, Qi can be defined in terms of whether or not its deficient or excess, blocked and stagnent, overflowing and abundant, or weak and thin.

Week 5 Assignements: My symmetrical world

2006-06-03T13:05:00.002-07:00

My (a)symmetrical world:

Is asymmetry inherent to the way our world works? I would say yes. Asymmetry is purely the lack of symmetry. There are countless examples of asymmetry in nature. If one looks at the human brain, it may appear that the two hemispheres are symmetrical, but in actuality they are not. One can see that the Earth's shape is symmetrical while the continents and the Earth's rotation are asymmetrical. Human bodies look symmetrical at first glance but are not. The same goes for animals and molecular asymmetry. If one takes, for example, a leaf that looks symmetrical but then folds the leaf in half, the observer will find that the leaf is asymmetrical. So, things in our world that seem symmetrical are not always such. All of physics' equations are symmetrical. It seems that we may need newer equations to interpret our asymmetrical world.

Just what does this CP parity really mean?

It seems that this CP violation was actually found out by accident. What CP violation is is a violation of the standard model of CP symmetry, put forth in 1956. C= charge conjugation, which transforms a particle into its antiparticle. P= parity, which creates a mirror image of a physical system. Apprently weak interaction violates P. There needs to be three generations of quarks present in order for CP violation to occur, but it does occur. It is postulated that within the first few seconds of the "big bang" there was a CP violation. If this CP violation had not occured there would have been an equal amount of matter and anti-matter produced. The Earth, as we know it, would not have come into existence. So it is to CP violation that we should give credit for the development of the universe, as we know it.

I find this so interesting. Granted, I don't feel like I understand all that I read on the subject, nor do I boast to understand the science behind it all, but the underlying concept sits well with me. There are things in this universe that we consider laws. but it seems that there is always an exception. "In all reactions that we know of where a quark is produced, an antiquark is also produced." It is these exceptions, i would argue, that make life so interesting. It is a positive, humbling experience to observe the exceptions to the rules.

In reading the information provided about CP violation and weak interations it made me think of some personal experiences I have had myself. When I have been in an incredibly weakend state, quite sick, tired, or extremely low energy, I seem to have more experiences in which I see apparitions of people that appear and then disappear. It helps to have some sort of protection around me, to bolster the presence of energy. Certain people, paintings with strong Qi, and jade have all been useful in helping to strengthen my physical, emotional, spiritual self during these paricular times. Maybe my self in such a weakend state doesn't actually observe the same laws or rules when I am truely helathy and strong. Maybe my self has participated in what could be a violation of natural laws.

Are there connections between Sacred Geometry and Physics?

Absolutely, there are connections between sacred geometry and physics. Sacred geometry is based on the fact that there are "patterns, designs, and structures," from small to large, "that follow geometrical archetypes." This is evidence, some would say, that there exists a greater connection or an "interconnectedness or inseparability" among all aspects of life. We read earlier in class about Bell's Theorem that states "that the apparently separate parts of the universe could be intimately connected at a deep and fundamental level." And "that the most fundamental level is un unbroken wholeness." The Golden Ratio, an example of sacred goemetry exists everywhere, from the way sunflowers are arranged to the shape of seashells, from the way leaves are arranged to the number of joints that exist in the body and facial physiogomy.

Week 4: Energy, Matter, and the Four Forces

2006-05-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

How has e=mc squared affected me?

In Einstein's equation, mass is energy. I know that I am made up of mass, a body weight, I, therefore, according to Einstein, am energy. Of corse I comply with the notion that I am energy and accept that I am mass as well. Matter and energy are interchangable, always changing. I, therefore am always converting, transforming, evolving hopefully. In order to travel at the speed of light you need to have no mass. I, therefore, in my physical body can not travel the speed of light, not today anyway. But who's to say whether I travel the speed of light in my dreams. Maybe my subconscious takes me away, light years away, in every slumber. I sometimes wake feeling as though I have travelled far distances, meeting new people, experiencing other life. Maybe my energy is travelling the speed of light on its own, or with others. How can one explain how much mass is in energy? I don't know, but then again if i did I would probably receive some notoriety. What a miracle energy is, a mystery.

How would you compare the four "forces?"

I will start with defining them.
Strong nuclear force: What binds atoms together to make molecules. What ionic or covalent bonds are.
Electromagnetic force: electricity and magnetism together. positive and negative attraction or repulsion is an examlpe of this. Electromagnetic force = light.
Weak nuclear force: the attraction of subatomic particles or what could be referred to as quantum particles
Gravity: the pull on all body's in the earth's sphere toward the earth's center. It is the weakest force we know.

Maybe there are more forces, or maybe, as suggested in the article, they all are "maifestations of a single, more fundamental, interaction." Again, there is reference to something larger, the whole, "an unbroken wholeness." I already believe that there exists something that connects all of us to everything, and everyone, linking,then, of corse, all the forces in the universe. No separation, just connection.

What is the function of gravity?

The function of gravity is to keep us rooted here on earth so that we don't just float away. Maybe it it a force that exists purely to help ground us. We have these physical bodies in order to experience life here on earth. Our lighter body, or spirit, is free to roam in dream state or during moments of higher consciousness, or, like we discussed in class, maybe in the course of great stress. There are examples of great yogis who have projected their physical body elsewhere while resting in one place. They are subject to the same forces that I know and understand, just not always affected in the same way. Gravity seems to be adaptable for them. I have seen pictures of people literally flying in the air during deep meditation. So these "forces" that affect us regularly maybe don't have as much power as we think they do.

Week 3: Synchronicity/Connectivity

2006-05-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

What evidence can you find for synchronicity?

In my own life there are countless examples of the evidence of synchronicity, each and every day. I wake in the middle of the night, feeling my friend awake, in pain, distressed. This happens for several nights. He is going through radiation and suffering. I have agreed to sit with him in his suffering and do so at night when neeeded. I wake to his anguish and start the remote healing practice that i am learning. In the morning I wake feeling the anxiousness of a friend, later to find out that he was indeed frantically preparing for a presentation. I proceed to meditate and find myself engulfed with visions, visions that may or may not come about. Only to be revealed in the future. I go to the grocery store and am called to look in the window of the shoe store next-door and there are some boots that i had asked the universe for, sitting there, only one size, my size, on sale. I didn't buy them. Free will. I return home to start studying. Decide to blogg. Read articles about synchronicity. Some of the questions that have been floating around in my head are addressed in these very articles. And so this takes me to three in the afternoon. That's just part of one day. I suppose I could tell lavish stories of visions, "ghosts," spirit guides, premonitions, ESP, conversations and guidance from ones passed, all to try and convince others of my experience of synchronicity. But like we talked about in class on Thursday, people many times have to have the experience themselves in order to have some sort of perception or understanding of it. So I leave the "prooving" of synchronicity to others, courageous people ready to take it on.

Based on what you know, how would you explain connectivity?

Based on what I know to be true, at the age of 32, I would explain connectivity according to a vision that I have. I see a very long umbilical chord connecting me to the Earth. This umbilical chord not only connects me to the Earth, but people, places, things, animals, all of life essentially. I am floating around in an open space, darkness all around, but am connected through this long chord, and stay that way regardless of trauma, movement, stillness, excitement, depsair. The chord is ever-present, tying me, whether I like it or not, to all around. I am connected. I am.

Week 2 Assignment: Quantum Mechanics

2006-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

My Reflections on Uncertainty:

The Universe is very uncertain, in my opinion. Uncertainty is all around us. People place certainty on things that aren't certain, and seem to be very uncomfortable when there is an element of doubt. Perhaps one of the most daunting examples of uncertainty lies in the question, when are we going to die? There is the certainty that we will die but we don't know when, nor do we know what it will be like when we die. Will we cease to exist entirely or will we continue on? This makes most people very uncomfortable to think about. How many people do you know, really, who sit around and discuss thier own death? What is it that people feel so uncomfortable about? I think it's the idea of uncertainty. Uncertainty seems to create a lot of fear. So in an attempt to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty we try to control things around us. We can take control of certain things, for example, setting a positive intention for the day, or taking care of ourselves in the way that we eat and handle stress. But outside of few things, I would argue that, we don't really have all that much control. I think people like to believe that they have much more control than they actually do. They assume that once a decision is made or a goal set, it will happen because they will it to, or because they work very hard. There is little room for the assumption that sometimes life has a different plan for us than the one we are trying to control into being. What would happen if many of us just took a step back and allowed for uncertainty in our day, in our life? Would there be more opportunity available to us? Would we be more in the "free flow" of the universe if we relinquished some of our fear around the idea of uncertainty? What would our world look like if we all operated under the belief that everything is uncertain. Would mad chaos result or blissful exsitence? In keeping in line with the ideas of balance i think we need to honor both the approach of setting long term goals as well as being open to universal influence along the way.

Causality:

Relating to cause and effect, from a linear viewpoint, first one has the cause and then the effect, first the past, then the present, then the future. But this doesn't explain everything. For example, the quantum particle appears just by observing it. This is difficult to understand. Our socail constructs don't leave room for effects to happen before the cause. That's just something one might see on an episode of The Twilight Zone. I did happen to read the article in the New York Times, Leaving the Wild, and Rather Liking the Change. Apparently the Nukak-Maku from Columbia do not have an understanding of the concept of future. When asked whether or not they were concerned about the future the response was, "What's the future?" It must be entirely different to live life without the social construct of "future." How things would change for us, living only in the present, which is all we really have anyway, each moment, one moment at a time. Maybe cause and effect happen simultaneously, and not just how we think of it, cause and then effect. If we allow for other perceptions to exist in our reality we will naturally become more aware, more confused maybe, but our consciousness will expand.

Is the Universe weird?

No, I wouldn't say the universe is weird, perplexing yes, but not weird. Weird is defined as bizarre, queer, mysterious, or suggestive of ghosts. Interesting array of words used to describe weird. I would have to say that I do feel as though the universe is rather mysterious at times, but I don't feel comfortable using the word weird, bizarre, or queer for that matter. There are things that happen in our daily lives that we don't understand on a conscious level. I find that I am constantly redefining what the universe means to me. Saying that it's weird feels as though I would be shutting out the possibility of understanding more. It feels closed, shut down, not open and accepting. Many things happen to me that I don't understand or can't explain, but does that make those experiences less-real, undesirable, or weird. I don't think so. I allow for things to be undefined or unexlpainable in life. It makes things much more interesting that way.

Week One Quiz

2006-05-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

What attracts me to Chinese Medicine?

There are many things that attract me to Chinese medicine. I could ask, what is unattractive to me about Chinese Medicine, and the answer would be nothing, nothing so far anyway. I spoke to the idea of balance as being a key factor in my attraction to C.M. I think an excerpt from the Nei Jing sums it up well for me. The Nei Jing states: "If one follows yin and yang, then life results; if one opposes them, then death results. If one follows them, then order results; if one opposes them, then disorder results." I take this to mean that if one makes living in balance a priority in life then beauty results. Disease, pain, and suffering is all movement away from balance. Now, easier said than done, of corse, but Chinese Medicine is a usefull tool to remind us, to guide the body back into a state of balance. From this place we are more usefull, flexible, at peace.

What do I honestly think of physics, really?

I don't have much of an opinion of physics, outside of the movie "What the Bleep do we Know," and Gary Zukav and Chopra's reference to Quantum physics in thier books. I have never taken a physics course so it would be unfair of me to pass judgement. I was in a physics course for two weeks at PCOM in San Diego. I didn't think the course was particularly hard nor incredibly interesting, but thought provoking. The teacher really was a disappointment. Nice guy but not a very good instructor. I am interested in exploring a physics course that doesn't involve mathmatics, hallelujah! Math was never my forte.

Now that I think about it, have I ever experienced time "slowing down"?

As I said in class I felt time slowing dow at moments of extreme stress and extreme awareness. My attention was more as the observer, almost a peering down at myself. The time of stress that seemed to bring on the feeling of time slowing down was when my own mother went into anaphylactic shock. As she lay unconscious, eyes rolling back in her head, not breathing, it seemd like an eternity, when in actuality it was probably only seconds, minutes at the most. i was dialing 911, watching her boyfriend shake her and yell "don't die on me." Rather dramatic, the scene was. But the entire time i felt as though i was functioning in my body but outside of it observing at the same time. Everything seemed very slow, there was a pulsing that I could hear in my own head, and yet i still continued to perform tasks asked of me. Time seemed to return to its "normal" pace once the paramedics were standing around mom's bed peering down at her, speaking with her. Mom had returned from who knows where, and was out of danger at that point.

The Meaning of Time:

Time is a social construct; therefore any meaning I attach to it is socially contstructed as well since I am socialized and have no way of separating that out from "myself" completely. My ideas or thoughts aren't entirely my own then because any thought that I have on the subject has already been tainted by what society has determined it to be. So, my influenced thoughts about the meaning of time are, well, for starters, time is used as a measurement. It can be used as a measurement of how much someone likes you by how much time they devote to spending with you. It is a measurement, possibly, of how responsible someone is. Was the person responsible enough to arrive to work on time, for instance. We use time to measure how well, or not, we are keeping up with others. At certain ages, or by a given time, we are "suppose" to have accomplished certain things. The measuring of time is all around us, from the watches we wear on our wrists, to birthday celebrations. We place alot of "superficial" meaning on the concept of time but do we ever really stop to consider its deeper meaning? or does it even have one? I know that my TIME is limited here on Earth. That is significant to me. I am handed a set number of years to essentially "live my life" in a meaningful way. Beyond my existence in this physical form what will time look like? Will there be any construct of time or will it cease to exist altogether? These are questions I can't answer definitively but can only ponder, alone in my room on nights in which I am plagued by insomnia, or openly in a blog for a physics class.