Mindful Kids, Peaceful Schools

Guest Article

By Jill Suttie UC Berkeley  

With eyes closed and deep breaths, students are learning a new method to reduce anxiety, conflict, and attention disorders.  But don’t call it meditation.  

At Toluca Lake Elementary School in Los Angeles, a cyclone fence encloses the asphalt blacktop, which is teeming with kids.  It’s recess time and the kids, who are mostly Latino, are playing tag, yelling, throwing balls, and jumping rope.  When the bell rings, they reluctantly stop and head back to their classrooms—except for Daniel Murphy’s second grade class.  

Murphy’s students file into the school auditorium, each carrying a round blue pillow deco-rated with white stars.  They enter giggling and chatting, but soon they are seated in a circle on their cushions, eyes closed, quiet and concentrating.  Two teachers give the children instructions on how to pay attention to their breathing, telling them to notice the rise and fall of their bellies and chests, the passage of air in and out of their noses.  Though the room is chilly—the heating system broke down earlier that day—the children appear comfortable, many with Mona Lisa smiles on their faces.  

“What did you notice about your breath this morning?” one teacher asks.  

“Mine was like a dragon,” says Michael, a child to the teacher’s right.  Albert, another child, adds, “Yeah, I could see mine.  It was like smoke.”  

The teachers lead the children through 45 minutes of exercises focused on breathing, listening, movement, and reflection.  At different points, the kids

Meditation For Kids: Parents Turn To Mindfulness for Children's Progressive Development

Guest Article

By Carolyn Gregoire at Huffington Post

As more adults turn to mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation to combat mounting stress in their own lives (91 percent of Americans experienced stress in the month of March, according to a Huffington Post survey), they're also experimenting with alternative practices to teach their kids to relax.  

Unfortunately, little ones aren't immune to the damaging effects of stress -- but they may benefit from stress-relieving practices meant to calm the mind and release physical tension.  

Boston dad Andre Kelly told ABC News that he practices mindfulness meditation with his 10-year-old son Hayden every morning before school.  Teaching kids mindfulness can go a long way in helping them boost awareness and control their moods, according to Kelly, who started a meditation program for children, Boston Buddha, to bring mindfulness programs into elementary schools.  

"The magic moment where they understand mindfulness is when they can catch themselves not paying attention.  That's their chance to control their impulsivity,"Kelly said.  "It helps them stop themselves from doing things like jumping on the couch or whacking their younger brother."  

Mindfulness -- the focused awareness on the present moment, generally cultivated through a meditation practice -- can help to curb kids' impulsivity, and research has also shown school mindfulness programs to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents.  

The Vagus Nerve and the Healing Promise of The Sudarshan Kriya

Guest article

Courtesy of Frank Huguenard,  Waking Times  

At the center of our bodies resides a long, sinewy nerve that extends all the way from our medullas down through our chests to beyond our stomachs.  This nerve, known as the Vagus Nerve, happens to be at a most fascinating intersection, not only between our two physical nervous systems (our central and autonomic nervous systems) but also between our conscious minds and subconscious minds.  As such, it also acts as a bridge between our gross bodies and our subtle bodies.  And it’s a nerve probably 99% of the population have never heard of nor even have a clue where it’s located.  And yet the Vagus Nerve (ironically pronounced the exact same way as sin city itself, Las Vegas) may be the single most relevant organ in our body relative to our peace of mind and happiness.  

For thousands of years humanity has explored and discovered subtle realms of mind and body and practices in further these, especially well developed through tantra yoga, of which allopathy is maturing into acknowledging and accepting as propitious for optimal health.  

A Healthy Vagus Nerve  

Research indicates that a healthy vagus nerve is vital in experiencing empathy and fostering social bonding, and it is crucial to our ability to observe, perceive, and make complex decisions.  Tests have revealed that people with impaired vagal activity have also been diagnosed with depression, panic disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, panic disorders, violent mood swings, fibromyalgia, early Alzheimer’s and obesity.  Given the state of society today and the vast array of dis-eases associated with unhealthy Vagus Nerves, it doesn’t take a medical doctor to conclude that by healing our collective Vagus Nerves, we can heal a lot of societies woes.  Scientists have discovered that artificial Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), through electrical impulses via a surgically implanted pacemaker like device, shows promising results in reducing depression, anxieties and even conditions such as epilepsy and obesity.  VNS has also shown positive effects in promoting weight-loss as the signals to the brain of ‘fullness’ are more easily transmitted.  

But what if there were a less intrusive and more natural way to stimulate and heal the Vagus Nerve?  Automated Habit Formation Human Beings have an Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) that is the body’s automatic regulatory system of nerves and controls that do all the background tasks that keep the body operating.  The ANS is comprised of three separate subsystems, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS).  The Parasympathetic Nervous System is responsible for many of our resting functions such as lowering heart rate, increasing digestive & gland activity and sexual arousal, the Sympathetic Nervous System is mainly associated with modulation of hormones and neurotransmitters relating to “flight or fight” responses.  

Hard Science May Suggest Skeptics and Debunkers Suffer Brain Deficits, "ODD"

All beings, from microbes to more evolved plants and animals are wittingly or unwittingly in pursuit of both infinity and truthfulness.  Perceiving the Universe as static, and, perhaps, as nothing more than entertainment, and commerce fodder for the pleasure of humans constipates both our personal and collective growth as humans, it also serves as conceptual anchor in the architecture of life's degeneration at the hands of ideologically misguided people whose engagement of selfishness and shallowness presents their involvement as a malignant carcinoma on the body of humanity and the planet at large.  

Human evolution has demonstrated a longing for infinity toward which humans particularly have awakened to subtler realms of being in furthering their journey and unification toward that desideratum, along with cooperation and subtleties of mind bringing about greater gestalts delivering all of humanity to greater plateaus from which to launch even further into the potentialities of human and universal excellencies.  

10 Ways to Protect Children From Pesticides

Today’s children are sicker than children were two generations ago.  

From learning disabilities and autism to childhood cancers and more, a startling number of diseases and disorders are on the rise.  And the science leaves little room for doubt: pesticides and other toxic chemicals are contributing to our kids getting sick, and these chemicals can have cascading effects that last for generations.  

The good news is, this is a problem we can do something about.  From kitchen tables to state capitals, from school districts to family farms, people are finding ways to better protect children's health.  It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.  See our Top 10 list below to find out how you can help protect kids from pesticides.  Today.  

Children are in harm's way

Pediatricians have understood for decades that children interact with their environment much differently than adults.  Infants and children have speedier metabolic rates, which means they take in more water, food and air.  Their bodies are also less able to detoxify and expel harmful chemicals.  

In short, a child is absorbing a higher load of pesticides at a time when his or her body is least equipped to protect itself.  

Here are just some of the many pathways of exposure putting our children in harm's way:  

10 Worst Toxins Hidden In Vitamins, Supplements And Health Foods

Guest Article

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) I'm absolutely shocked at how many people don't investigate what's really in the products they swallow.  When something is sold as an herb, vitamin, superfood or supplement, they think it's automatically safe.  And while the natural products industry has a truly remarkable safety record -- especially in contrast to the massive number of deaths caused by pharmaceuticals -- it still suffers from a lot of hidden toxins that are routinely used throughout the industry.  

I know this because I've been an investigative journalist and activist in the natural health industry for over a decade.  Natural News is arguably the most-read natural health news website in the world, reaching millions of readers a month.  I've walked the floors of countless trade shows, conducted hundreds of interviews and spent tens of thousands of dollars on laboratory tests to determine what's in these products.  On top of that, I'm deep into organic product formulations and certified organic food production, serving as the supervisor of a USDA-certified organic food production and packing facility.  

When I look around the natural products industry, I see examples of super honest, high-integrity companies like Nature's Path and Dr. Bronner's.  I also see an alarming number of cheats, crooks and charlatans who are only involved in the industry to profit from the explosion of interest in health supplements.  In truth, some nutritional products are downright dangerous to your health.  My role as a journalist and activist is to help you tell the difference between products that are GOOD for you vs. products that might actually be toxic.  Because ultimately, I want you to be healthy, vibrant, intelligent and active. I want you to enjoy life and improve the quality of your life.  

Be prepared to be shocked in reading what follows.  After reviewing this list, you will probably throw out quite a few products in your refrigerator and pantry.  Very few people are willing to tell you the truth revealed here, so some of this may come as a complete shock (see #1 and #2, below).  

Longevity Practices and Training for Men

Longevity:  Is It In Your Future?

History is full of people who lived near to 100 years old or more, and full of dynamic creative people whose health maintained them only briefly on this Earth.  What did the centurions do or know that all of us today could learn from?  What can a man do to assure not only longevity but also erectile functionality long into old age? 

This and much more are covered at an upcoming Tantra meetup covering the factors that drain our energies and shorten our lives and what Tantrikas do to further their purposes and lives through the ancient practices of Tantra.  We will cover how the ancients did it and how you can do the same today.  Contact me here for details, schedule of events, and to arrange an event or private consultation for you.  

Do the mysteries of and about shamanism, meditation, tantra, yoga, mindfulness, intuition, and consciousness seem, at times, to be more confusing than you can grasp?  

http://bit.ly/MysticalPresentations3

Instructor in tantra psychology, presenting rational articulation of intuitional science with cogent practical exercises bringing greater personal awareness and cultivation of subtler realms, imbuing new and meaningful talents into participants' lives.  Explore further bringing such capabilities into your realm, both personal and at work. 

Yoga Shows Psychological Benefits for High-School Students

For thousands of years humanity has developed and proven the efficacies of yoga and tantric practices, while many in contemporary Western culture still find such practices exotic, peculiar to primitive cultures, or just simply body-centered vanity surfing -- such a stark contrast from true practice of either or their contributions to human evolution.  I've added the article below to demonstrate clinical evidence of the efficacy of yogic practice in fostering healthier mind-frames and dispositions for young people as well as adults.  

I have been practicing tantra yoga more than 40 years, I can assure you that such practices greatly facilitate not only physical health, also psychic wellbeing and optimizing intelligence as well as conscience, with students, of any age, gaining as much as one grade-point average through tantric practices I convey to students, unique to their specific needs. More here.

Yoga classes have positive psychological effects for high-school students, according to a pilot study in the April Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.  

Since mental health disorders commonly develop in the teenage years, "Yoga may serve a preventive role in adolescent mental health," according to the new study, led by Jessica Noggle, PhD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.  

Pilot Study Shows Improvements in Some Psychosocial Outcomes Fifty-one 11th- and 12th-grade students registered for physical education (PE) at a Massachusetts high school were randomly assigned to yoga or regular PE classes.  (Two-thirds were assigned to yoga.) Based on Kripalu yoga, the classes consisted of physical yoga postures together with breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation.  Students in the comparison group received regular PE classes.  

Shamanism and Psychotherapy: Reclaiming Self After Trauma

Shamanism involves practices explored by earliest humans that, through trial and error, and acknowledging and utilizing subtler realms of our being along with characteristics evident in Nature, have evolved and attained lasting presence well into modern times.  Of such shamanic practices, Tantra is the oldest and most developed shamanic practice extant today. 

This article derives from the ideas discussed in Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self. Ingerman discusses the techniques shamans use to retrieve parts of a person which seem to have left them in consequence to a traumatic situation.  These situations can range from anything which some would consider insignificant like the loss of a toy as a child to sexual and physical abuse.

    “For shamans the world over, illness has always been seen as a spiritual predicament.” They say that because of some crisis, the essence or vital part of our life-source separates from our consciousness in order to survive the experience and the full impact of the pain.  We see this clearly happening in cases of abuse.  This does not differ from some of the views therapists take about a particular situation.  John Bradshaw in particular says that “in incest parts of the vital self will split off to lessen the impact because the pain and humiliation are unbearable.  

    Shamans and psychotherapists both deal with the reintegration of these split-off parts.  What makes the shaman different from the therapist is that the shaman does not put the loss in the realm of the unconscious or blocked out memories.  The shaman sees the other parts living or existing in another separate reality.  He is a messenger, a communicator, and retriever between those parts and the main body of consciousness.  When a part of the soul is lost, a vital essence of one’s being is gone.  One may feel depressed, lonely, bored or anxiety-ridden and not know why.  This lost part is what some people tend to look for in relationships, addictions, or even religious organizations.  There is false idea that these things are going to make them feel more alive.  

Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development

Montreal researchers find that music lessons before age seven create stronger connections in the brain.  

NeuroScience News

If you started piano lessons in grade one, or played the recorder in kindergarten, thank your parents and teachers. Those lessons you dreaded, or loved, helped develop your brain. The younger you started music lessons, the stronger the connections in your brain.

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that musical training before the age of seven has a significant effect on the development of the brain, showing that those who began early had stronger connections between motor regions, the parts of the brain that help you plan and carry out movements.

This research was carried out by students in the laboratory of Concordia University psychology professor Virginia Penhune, and in collaboration with Robert J. Zatorre, a researcher at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University.  

Study suggests early musical training has a significant impact on brain development. Image credited to Eldan David.

The study provides strong evidence that the years between ages six and eight are a “sensitive period” when musical training interacts with normal brain development to produce long-lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. “Learning to play an instrument requires coordination between hands and with visual or auditory stimuli,” says Penhune. “Practicing an instrument before age seven likely boosts the normal maturation of connections between motor and sensory regions of the brain, creating a framework upon which ongoing training can build.”  

US Marines Studying Mindfulness-Based Training

Associated Press

U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Carlos Lazano talks about a special training he underwent in which Marines were taught methods to "quiet the mind" and to reach an inner calm as a means to battle stress Tuesday Jan. 15, 2013 at Camp Pendlton, Calif. Marine Corps officials say they will build a curriculum that would integrate mindfulness-based techniques into their training if they see positive results from a pilot project. Mindfulness is a Buddhist-inspired concept that emphasizes active attention on the moment to keep the mind in the present. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — The U. S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.

Marine Corps officials say they will build a curriculum that would integrate mindfulness-based techniques into their training if they see positive results from a pilot project.  Mindfulness is a Buddhist-inspired concept that emphasizes active attention on the moment to keep the mind in the present.  

Facing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress, the military has been searching for ways to reduce strains on service members burdened with more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

Marine Corps officials are testing a series of brain calming exercises called "Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training" that they believe could enhance the performance of troops, who are under mounting pressures from long deployments and looming budget cuts expected to slim down forces.  

"Some people might say these are Eastern-based religious practices but this goes way beyond that," said Jeffery Bearor, the executive deputy of the Marine Corps training and education command at its headquarters in Quantico, Va..  "This is not tied to any religious practice.  This is about mental preparation to better handle stress."  

Pop-Up Yoga

January 30, 2013, from Yoga Buzz

The trend of pop-up retail stores and restaurants is successful in part because of the exclusivity associated with relying on a customers who are in-the-know to find the pop-up locations before they disappear again.  It might seem like a stretch, then, that the trend is finding its way into the yoga community—a population that has grown quickly because it is all-inclusive. 

But pop-up yoga classes are using the idea to make yoga more accessible, not less. 

“We try to offer some unique yoga experiences for people who might be intimidated by the traditional yoga studio,” said Pop Up Yoga NYC founder Angelica Olstad, who has held events in art studios and coffee shops among other non-traditional places.  Pop Up Yoga NYC, which was founded last year, is turning its efforts toward contributing to nonprofit organizations in 2013.   

Pop Up Yoga NYC class at Dekalb Market in Brooklyn

New York isn’t the only city with pop-up yoga offerings.  Olstad said she’s been communicating with someone in Miami who is hoping to start a pop-up yoga scene there.  And Detroit recently got in on the trend with roving a pop-up yoga studio offering regular weekly classes.   

Yoga teachers Beth James and Corinne Rice founded Pop Up Yoga in Detroit  in an effort to bring the practice to people at a lower cost.  Since they don’t have the overhead of paying for a studio space, they can keep the class price down.  They suggest that students pay a donation of $10 a class.  Classes are offered throughout the city, in an art gallery, chiropractic office, church community room, and a restaurant and tea house, among other locations.  

Evidence Supports Health Benefits of 'Mindfulness-Based Practices'

Specific types of "mindfulness practices" including Zen meditation have demonstrated benefits for patients with certain physical and mental health problems, according to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice.  

"An extensive review of therapies that include meditation as a key component -- referred to as mindfulness-based practices -- shows convincing evidence that such interventions are effective in the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and pain, when used in combination with more conventional therapies," according to Dr William R.  Marchand of the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  

Mindfulness Techniques Show Health Benefits 

Dr Marchand reviewed published studies evaluating the health benefits of mindfulness-based practices.  Mindfulness has been described as "the practice of learning to focus attention on moment-by-moment experience with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance."   Put another way, "Practicing mindfulness is simply experiencing the present moment, without trying to change anything."  

The review focused on three techniques:  

Mindfulness Meditation Training Changes Brain Structure in Eight Weeks

Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.  In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter.  

"Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day," says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study's senior author.  "This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing."  

Previous studies from Lazar's group and others found structural differences between the brains of experienced mediation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration.  But those investigations could not document that those differences were actually produced by meditation.  

Quantum Mind Learning Skills

The sublimity of creativity, eurekas of inventiveness, preparedness for discoveries, and the receptivity for learning:  all are predicated upon and dependent of subtleties of mind in the wakeful sublimity toward new vistas of perception and action of a progressive nature.  Such continuities are innate to humanity, to personal and social progress and deserving for each of us to cultivate and manifest, to make our own and ubiquitous for all of society in a progressively expressive manner. 

Subtleties of mind, alluded to by Carl Jung, Gurdjieff, Steiner and others, all too often are dismissed in modern times, discouraged for the general masses, some times for nefarious purposes.  As a consequence magnificent talents are driven underground, deanimated, denied, forfeited.  Such momenta debilitate our creativity and learning skills, making both personal life and society at large less than what they should and deserve to be. 

Harbingers of human evolution over many thousands of years have awakened to subtler realms of mind and body and developed insightful practices to positively affect our own, your own personal evolutionary excellence, including in ways contributing to greater learning skills and creative talents. 

For your class, for your study group, for you personally I can present historical, physiological and mental/psychic exercises that positively affect your learning skills and creative talents in a progressive manner that can last a lifetime.  We cover realms of mind, practices in developing them, and how to utilize them, both for personal excellence and achievement, greater satisfaction in life, and to bring about more and greater positive outcomes for personal fulfillment and a healthier society. 

These skills are innate to human evolution, while these practices have been proven over several thousands of years and will last you a lifetime.  With school reengaging opportunities about to present these learning skills for upcoming students. 

To explore further your personal or shared experience in greater subtleties of mind contact me here:  QuantumPsychologyWorkshops@gmail.com
We can arrange a program geared toward your specific needs, for your group or for you personally. 

Intuitional Training for Professionals and Community Leaders

Do the mysteries of and about shamanism, meditation, tantra, yoga, mindfulness, intuition, and consciousness seem, at times, to be more confusing than you can grasp?  

http://bit.ly/MysticalPresentations3

Instructor in tantra psychology, presenting rational articulation of intuitional science with cogent practical exercises bringing greater personal awareness and cultivation of subtler realms, imbuing new and meaningful talents into participants' lives.  Explore further bringing such capabilities into your realm, both personal and at work. 

Making a difference for the psychic, moral and physical development of youth, make a difference through and for our Youth Intuitional Development Program

http://gotoplus.me/TantraPsychology   Longevity:  Is It In Your Future?

Allopaths Getting Around To Acknowledging: Evidence Builds That Meditation Strengthens the Brain

ScienceDaily (Mar. 14, 2012) — Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain's neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.

The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue. Among other functions, it plays a key role in memory, attention, thought and consciousness. Gyrification or cortical folding is the process by which the surface of the brain undergoes changes to create narrow furrows and folds called sulci and gyri. Their formation may promote and enhance neural processing. Presumably then, the more folding that occurs, the better the brain is at processing information, making decisions, forming memories and so forth.

"Rather than just comparing meditators and non-meditators, we wanted to see if there is a link between the amount of meditation practice and the extent of brain alteration," said Luders. "That is, correlating the number of years of meditation with the degree of folding."

Left Brain / Right Brain: Are Demarcated Functionalities a Myth?

Left Brain versus Right Brain (myth)

Rick Nauert, PhD (Senior Editor, PsychCentral.com), reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

Visual creativity uses both right, left brain

The common belief that the right hemisphere of the brain is the source of creativity while the left brain is responsible for logic and math may well be less true than once thought.

In a quest to determine the exact source of creativity in the brain, researchers have found that the left hemisphere of your brain is critical for creative thinking. The finding adds an asterisk to the belief that if you paint or sculpt, you are right-brained.

Researchers discovered that while the right half of the brain performs the bulk of the creative process, the left half makes important contributions.

The study, posted online in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, focuses on how the brain... More

Understanding the Myth and Reality of Left Brain and Right Brain Dominance

Kendra Cherry (About.com Guide)

Have you ever heard people say that they tend to be more of a right-brain or left-brain thinker?

From books to TV programs, you've probably heard the phrase mentioned numerous times or perhaps you've even taken an online test to determine which type best describes you.

What is Left Brain-Right Brain Theory?

According to the theory of left-brain versus right-brain dominance, each side of the brain controls different types of thinking. Additionally, people are said to prefer one type of thinking over the other. For example, a person who is "left-brained" is often said to be more logical, analytical, and objective, while a person who is "right-brained" is said to be more intuitive, [creative] thoughtful, and subjective. More

Harvard Study Demonstrates Debilitating Regression of Eating Meat -- From American Buddhist Journal

Harvard study: Oops, Meat Eating is Bad!

A burger a day means health will decay, study says

"Are those worms?" "They would be microscopic if they were." "Oh yeah." Investigators in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate examine a sample of lab meat Nov. 30, 2005 in Koblenz, Germany. After several recent cases of illegal meat processing and selling of rotten meat [ammonia-treated "pink slime"] in different German states the health authorities are enforcing their food surveillance rules (Ralph Orlowski/Getty Image).

We know that red meat is high in saturated fats and is tied to many kinds of disease in humans. But a new Harvard study gets even more precise on the types and amounts of meat that cause harm.

Harvard researchers say that adding a small, three-ounce serving of processed red meat -- such as one sausage patty -- to our daily diet increases the risk of premature death by 20 percent.

Eating the same amount of unprocessed meat increases that risk by 13 percent. Scientists analyzed two dietary studies that surveyed 110,000 Americans over 28 years.

They have concluded that almost 10 percent of premature deaths could have been prevented by consuming less than half a serving of red meat per day [more prevention with even less consumption].

• Buddhism and meat eating
• Meat eating wastes massive amounts of water
• Cloned meat in the food supply
• Sexism, racism, and "carnism"

"We should move to a more plant-based diet," study co-author Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health told CBS News.

When red meat is replaced with [raw, soaked, rinsed] nuts, legumes, whole [unprocessed] foods or even other slaughtered animals like fish and birds or dairy, the risks decrease.

There are some criticisms of the study [by a desperate meat industry and paid spokespersons with dietician certifications on the line], centering on the difficulty of tracking individual diets accurately. Anyway, it could all be a 110,000 "coincidences" because correlation does not prove causation.

• Meat-loving, secretly Republican, albeit effeminate macho man Larry Mantle (SCPR.org/AirTalk) sits down with Harvard scientist An Pan, co-author of the study, who is a Research Fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Using a crutch (like bad diet that keeps us tired, cancerous, munching on feelgood junkfoods, diabetic, obese, with "diabesity," dependent on chemical pharmaceuticals and blaming life) is no way to live. Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing more frightening than to be divested of a crutch (Ashish Tamhane).

• Animal Legal Defense Fund?

Brains of Buddhist monks scanned in meditation study

Guest Article

By Matt Danzico BBC News, New York

Study peers into brains of monks

In a laboratory tucked away off a noisy New York City street, a soft-spoken neuroscientist has been placing Tibetan Buddhist monks into a car-sized brain scanner to better understand the ancient practice of meditation.

But could this unusual research not only unravel the secrets of leading a harmonious life but also shed light on some of the world's more mysterious diseases?

Zoran Josipovic, a research scientist and adjunct professor at New York University, says he has been peering into the brains of monks while they meditate in an attempt to understand how their brains reorganise themselves during the exercise.

Since 2008, the researcher has been placing the minds and bodies of prominent Buddhist figures into a five-tonne (5,000kg) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine. 
The scanner tracks blood flow within the monks' heads as they meditate inside its clunky walls, which echoes a musical rhythm when the machine is operating.

Dr Josipovic, who also moonlights as a Buddhist monk, says he is hoping to find how some meditators achieve a state of "nonduality" or "oneness" with the world, a unifying consciousness between a person and their environment. 

The study specifically looks at the default network in the brain, which controls self-reflective thoughts

"One thing that meditation does for those who practise it a lot is that it cultivates attentional skills," Dr Josipovic says, adding that those harnessed skills can help lead to a more tranquil and happier way of being.

Meditation Can 'Turn Off' Regions of the Brain

Brain imaging shows experienced meditators can prevent their minds from wandering

By Robert Preidt

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that people skilled at meditation seem able to turn off areas of the brain associated with daydreaming and psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.

Learning more about how meditation works could help advance research into a number of diseases, according to lead author Dr. Judson Brewer, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University.

He and his colleagues used functional MRI to assess brain activity in experienced and novice meditators as they performed three different meditation techniques. 
Regardless of the type of meditation, skilled meditators had decreased activity in the brain's default mode network, which has been linked to attention lapses and disorders such as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the buildup of beta amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers also found that when the default mode network (which consists of the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex) was active, brain regions associated with self-monitoring and cognitive control were also activated in experienced meditators, but not novices.

This suggests that skilled meditators constantly monitor and suppress the emergence of "me" thoughts and mind wandering.  If they become too strong, these two states of mind are associated with diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.

Can meditation change your brain? Contemplative neuroscientists believe it can

From CNN's Dan Gilgoff:

Can people strengthen the brain circuits associated with happiness and positive behavior,  just as we’re able to strengthen muscles with exercise? 


Richard Davidson, who for decades has practiced Buddhist-style meditation – a form of mental exercise, he says – insists that we can.


And Davidson, who has been meditating since visiting India as a Harvard grad student in the 1970s, has credibility on the subject beyond his own experience.


A trained psychologist based at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he has become the leader of a relatively new field called contemplative neuroscience - the brain science of meditation.


Over the last decade, Davidson and his colleagues have produced scientific evidence for the theory that meditation - the ancient eastern practice of sitting, usually accompanied by focusing on certain objects - permanently changes the brain for the better.


“We all know that if you engage in certain kinds of exercise on a regular basis you can strengthen certain muscle groups in predictable ways,” Davidson says in his office at the University of Wisconsin, where his research team has hosted scores of Buddhist monks and other meditators for brain scans.


“Strengthening neural systems is not fundamentally different,” he says.  “It’s basically replacing certain habits of mind with other habits.”

Are Ghosts Hallucinations?

Are ghosts always hallucinations?  What is an hallucination?  In the case of hallucinations, there is no defect in optics, the defect is in ocularity -- that is, the ocular vision is influenced by different thought-waves.  These hallucinations may be of two types, positive and negative.  In a positive hallucination, there is no physical defect in the ocular vision.  Rather, one's vision is affected by the thought-waves which want to see something different.   

And what is a negative hallucination?  Here also there is no defect in the ocular vision, but due to excessive pressure of the thought-waves -- we say "auto-suggestion" -- the ocular vision becomes negative; that is, the thought-waves do not want to see something which is actually present in the ocular vision.   

Many scholars are of the opinion that so-called ghosts are positive hallucinations, and sometimes people are also misguided by negative hallucinations.  They say that in this case the ocular vision -- the optic nerves -- is deceiving them, but actually the main role here is played by the thought-waves, not by any physical organ, or psychic cells, or psycho-physical cells (ectoplasm).   

It is said, Abhibha'van'a't citta'n'usrs't'apretadarshanam ["The sight of ghosts is created by the citta'n'u (mind-stuff) in concentrated thought"].  Abhibha'van'a means "cellular suggestion" -- that which affects not only the mind but also the nerve cells, so that due to the defective functioning of the nerve cells one sees something which is not present, or does not see something which is actually physically present.  Cellular suggestion is of two types: auto-suggestion and outer-suggestion.  Auto-suggestion takes place within the jurisdiction of one's own mind, in the individual mind, whereas outer-suggestion is the transmission of suggestion from another's mind, from another, stronger, mind.  When a weaker mind is greatly influenced by a stronger mind, as a result something is not seen or nothing is seen.   

You know, philosophically, whatever we see in this universe is, we may say, a positive hallucination created by the Supreme Consciousness (Parama Purus'a*).  Whatever He thinks is seen by the nerve cells of the individual mind.  The difference between this practical world and ghosts is that in the case of ghosts the suggestion comes from the individual mind; one's own thought is projected outside.   

But when people see so-called ghosts and apparitions, are they always positive hallucinations?  No, they are not.  Whatever we observe in this physical world is made of the five fundamental factors (solid, liquid, luminous, aerial and ethereal), created in such a way that it automatically functions.  Its inherent capacity for action is derived from this physical world under the inspiration of the Supreme Consciousness.   

There may be some entities that do not require food and drink.  Any entity composed of solid and liquid factors will certainly require food and drink, because food is mainly composed of the solid factor, and drink is mainly composed of the liquid factor.  But if any entity is composed only of the other three factors -- luminous, aerial, and ethereal -- without any solid or liquid, then that entity is called a "luminous body".   

By means of nerve cells, the mind operates the physical body: by creating vibrations such as smell, form, touch, taste, etc., the nerve cells either receive tanma'tras (inferential essences) or projects them externally.  But luminous bodies have no nerves, because nerve cells and nerve fibres are all physical; thus they cannot function properly.  Only, as in auto-suggestion, they may create a vibration within, and experience some type of feeling.   

These luminous bodies are not ghosts or apparitions; they have nothing to do with them.  Neither are they related to auto-suggestion or outer-suggestion.  Under some circumstances, if someone happens to see this kind of luminous body, one may think one is seeing a ghost.  But actually there is no ghost at all -- it is only a luminous body.  It is not possible to see luminous bodies in broad daylight; it may be possible during the darkness of night, but then not everywhere.   

It is said that there are seven kinds of luminous bodies: yaks'a, siddha, gandharva, kinnara, vidya'dhara, prakrtiliina and videhaliina.  They are categorized according to their respective psychologies.   

Suppose there is a very elevated person who often ideates on the Supreme Consciousness, but who has some greed for wealth.  He or she does not, however, express it openly to the Supreme, nor does he or she even think of it directly.  He or she thinks indirectly, "Oh, since I am a devotee of the Supreme Consciousness, He will certainly give me enormous wealth and make me immensely rich." Those who harbour this sort of covert desire are reborn as yaks'as.  Thus sometimes we refer to "the wealth of the yaks'as".   

I will explain something about siddhas a bit later.   

The third is vidya'dhara.  Those who have vanity of knowledge, although they do not expressly beseech this from the Supreme, but rather think inwardly that the Supreme should bestow an enormous wealth of knowledge upon them -- this type of person is reborn as vidya'dhara.  Vidya'dhara is also a luminous body.   

The next is gandharva.  Those who have a great talent for higher music (people should cultivate music to the maximum to give pleasure to the Supreme Consciousness) and mentally think, "Oh, Parama Purus'a, I want knowledge of the science of music, not You" -- they are reborn as gandharvas.  (In Sanskrit the science of music is called ga'ndharva vidya'.) They are also luminous bodies; they are not ghosts at all.  They are also not visible in daylight, just as other luminous bodies are invisible.   

The next is kinnara.  Those who are vain about their physical beauty, or those who pray to the Supreme to give them more and more physical charm, are reborn as kinnaras.  They are also luminous bodies.   

Then siddha.  Those human beings who are doing sa'dhana'**, who have great love for Parama Purus'a, but in their heart of hearts are proud of their occult powers or pray to Parama Purus'a to grant them still more occult powers -- these people after death are reborn as siddhas.  Of all the categories of luminous bodies, the siddhas are the most elevated.  They often help sa'dhakas in their sa'dhana'.   

All these luminous bodies are collectively called devayoni.  Besides the above, there are videhaliina and prakrtiliina.  Those who wrongly worship Parama Purus'a in the form of clay, iron or other material substances, are ultimately transformed into prakrtiliina.   

The next is videhaliina: those who run after occult powers and think, "I will attain such great occult power that with it, I will move from place to place." These are all luminous bodies; they are not ghosts, nor are they positive or negative hallucinations.   

Thus ghosts are not positive hallucinations, or negative hallucinations, or siddhas or devayonis.  Then is there any such things as ghosts?  Not exactly ghosts, but there is something like that.   

After death, when the mind dissociates from the body, the accumulation of unfulfilled sam'ska'ras*** or reactive momenta remains, although the body with the five fundamental factors no longer exists.  Thus, the mind cannot function, but it remains in potential form.  Now, in some circumstances, if the ectoplasm of a living person is associated with that disembodied potential mind, then that disembodied mind gets a mental body temporarily, for a very short time.  Then that mental body can start functioning with the help of the nerve cells and nerve fibres of that living person, but only for a few minutes.   

What is this called?  It is neither a positive hallucination or a negative hallucination, nor is it a luminous body (devayoni).  Then what is it?  A living person's ectoplasmic cells become the mental body of a dead person for a few minutes until -- after a few minutes -- that mental body again dies.  This mental body I will call pres'itama'nas -- "re-created mind."  
Some people may do good works or get good works done with the help of these pres'itama'nas, but only those who have perfect control over their minds and over the nerve cells and nerve fibres of their bodies can do this. 

Those who are bad people can do evil deeds with the help of these pres'itama'nas.  They can hurl stones into others' houses, throw bones, or overturn tables and cots -- all these things can be done for only a few minutes.   

So we see that what we call a "ghost" is not always a positive or a negative hallucination, nor is it always a siddha or a pres'itama'nas.  In fact, we cannot prove the existence of a pres'itama'nas or siddha, and insofar as positive hallucination is concerned, it does not have any actual existence at all.  If you see a positive hallucination, it is a mental disease.   

If anything of this sort (pres'itama'nas or luminous body) comes before you, there is only one remedy to remove it: that is, do kiirtana or devotional chanting.  Do kiirtana for one minute or repeat your guru mantra, and that "ghost" will instantly vanish into thin air.  So under no circumstances should you be afraid.   

Footnotes

Parama Purus'a*  Universal Mind, Supreme Consciousness, the psyche and substance within which all things exist, with an emphasis towards subtlest realms of being, a threshold attainable by humans through sa'dhana'   

sa'dhana'**   Intuitional science carrying the practitioner progressively into subtler realms through appropriately designed processes positively affecting every realm of life and mind, and leading toward merger [yoga] back into Universal Consciousness. 

sam'ska'ra***   The reactive momentum resulting from one's thoughts, words or deeds -- too often misnamed "karma", which is the proactive engagement in the manifest universe with ideation upon the whole of the universe and the centricity from which it generates, operates and into which each and every being returns from its individuation.  The term "karma" is all too often misappropriatedly used when sam'ska'ra is the proper term.  "Karma", properly used, means action performed with the ideation of the Supreme Consciousness at all times throughout an action.  "Kriya", properly used, means performing action without cosmic ideation, and consequently racks up sam'ska'ras.