May/June 2000
Articles on the theme "Food For Thought"
Think of These Things
compiled by Bob Gonzalez
Some thoughts on thought. A compilation
of quotations.
Feed the Mind -- Enthusiastically!
by Charles Larsen
Opening the mind to new ideas and experiences
-- an important factor in our growth.
Thought Pollution!
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
Thoughts as 'things'. How to control
our own thoughts and the thoughts of others.
Why Kids Kill
by Nancy L. Buchanan
The theta brain and how it makes children
more vulnerable to impressions of violence.
Water For Your Thoughts
by Ernesto J. Fernandez
Your brain may be suffering from dehydration
without you knowing it. The signs and what to do about it.
Improving Brain Function
by Chuck Homuth
Some of the healthy foods and supplements
that can help improve brain function.
Thinking About Thought
by David Findlay
Of consciousness, thought and telepathy.
The Right To Die?
by Constance Snow
Should we feed the body when there
is no consciousness? A discussion about the right to die.
Brain Food
by Marty Kliesh
Nutrients that improve the functioning
of the brain.
Spiritual Tools of Thought
by Rev. Pat Cross
Of self-induced spiritual indigestion
and true spiritual food for thought.
A Diet For Mental Health?
by Patrick Plaskett
What we put in our minds is just as
important as the food we eat. What a healthy mental diet consists of.
Other Feature Articles
Natural Health Q & A
by Lisa Raphael
Of holistic healing. The meaning of
psychosomatic. Cellular memory. The difference between 'transformational'
and 'transformative'.
2000 & Beyond!
by David Findlay (editor), Carol Withrow (contributing writer)
What is... GE (Genetically Engineered) Food?
by Laurie Powers
What GE, GM or GMO means. The risks
and what can be done to limit them.
Minerals from Mother Earth
by Judy Power
Features stones for May and June: anyolite
and fluorite.
The Right to Die?
Constance Snow
"Mind is the Builder; Mind is the Way . . . as the Christ Consciousness. As it is directed then through the influences of the bodily functions it becomes aware of its oneness, and thus is the guardian force made to be at-one with the whole of the purposes and desires, and the will of the individual." - Edgar Cayce
While semi-watching an Andrew Weil interview on TV, I heard him use the term 'Western materialistic paradigm'. Although he was referring to the use of physical procedures and drugs rather than energy and natural medicine for treatment of disease, the words brought up an image of another form of 'materialistic paradigm' that is both blatantly and subtly present in our society. Greed for money and power is the most common and obvious 'materialistic' sin. What does not appear to be so prominent but much more insidious is our attachment to the ultimate of tangible connections, our physical bodies. We hold on so tight, we even keep the unconscious body alive.
Consciousness is a function of being human; however, without a functioning mind and body we lack consciousness as we know it. Human consciousness is the mechanism by which we know our creator, recognize spirit and embody and express that which is holy. Consciousness has its source in the divine but its action and expression on this plane are manifested through the mind and body.
So why bother to think about this subject? Because it has real, actual, personal consequences to each of us as we reach the ends of our lives. And, the end of life may be closer than we think.
Twelve years ago a young man was looking forward to starting a family with his wife of three years. He was twenty seven then. We'll call him Richard, not his real name. Richard had an almost fatal accident. His heart stopped long enough to deny oxygen to his brain causing severe brain damage. Both the right and left hemispheres of brain tissue were destroyed leaving only scar tissue and a few unintegrated gray matter cells. The brain filled up with spinal fluid creating a malady known as hydrocephaly.
The long and short of this tragic scenario is that this young man, now 39 years old, remains in a 'persistent vegetative state'* despite all attempts to regenerate his brain. He remains unconscious and unable to function in mind or body. A gastric tube and its contents are keeping Richard alive. 'Alive' in this context is a stiff, contracted body incontinent of bowel and bladder and an unconscious mind that cannot think and is not aware of itself or the environment. Yet, he is still living. He is living as a vegetable. He is taken care of completely and there is no probability that he will regain consciousness. The human potential for growing in awareness is no longer a possibility for him and never will be in this lifetime.
Human beings were never meant to be vegetables any more than vegetables were meant to be human beings. So why are Richard and others like him kept alive artificially? How does something like this happen? It happens because the 'Western materialistic paradigm' does not allow us to release our bodies when they are finished intelligently performing their function. We equate the loss of the body with non-existence. Greedily holding onto the body is the reason surgically inserted tubes deliver chemical nutrients, water and medicines into the stomachs of unconscious patients keeping their non-conscious bodies alive.
Is the tube-delivered food - a chemical classified as a drug by the FDA - that is being dripped into Richard's body, 'food for thought'? He can never think again. How is this alleged sustenance ever going to create a human consciousness again in this young man? It isn't.
What can we do about this? On a practical basis we can write out our end of life wishes**. But, what we must realize is that all the activity in the world will not bring us face to face with the underlying fear which pervades our society: The Fear of Death. If we truly believe that death of the body is merely a transition from one form to another, that our souls are eternal and that we exist in the image and as the expression of the creator, we would not fear death. We would rejoice in and celebrate our lives and intentionally address our transition with dignity, power and love. Living and dying in dignity, power and love are possible. Live the dream! s
* 'Persistent vegetative state' is a legal term defined
in 765.101(12) Florida statutes as: "A permanent and irreversible condition
of unconsciousness in which there is:-
(a) the absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of any kind.
(b) an inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment.
** Advance Directives are legal documents commonly known as 'Living Wills' which set forth an individual's instructions as to end of life care issues such as imposition and withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration.
Constance Snow is writing a book How To Bring A Lawsuit
With Love. She is a LMT, reiki master, spiritual counselor, certified Louise
Hay teacher and lawyer. Dunedin, FL (727) 433-1813. waverysnow@cs.com.
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