Being Calm Has Its Advantages

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A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and wrath are as rottenness of the bones.  Proverbs 14:30

It is interesting to note that there are many references in the bible to remaining calm.  As a matter of health, stress and anxiety are very destructive to our physical well being.  But one thing I find interesting here, beyond the idea of the effects of these emotions, is that the scripture makes a differentiation between having a calm and undisturbed mind as well as a calm and undisturbed heart.

If we look at the research that the HeartMath Institute has provided regarding the heart and mind, they found it very clear that the heart and mind are separate in function.  They also have indicated that the heart has a "mini brain".  It contains at least 40,000 neurons.  It also has the capacity to control the brain rather than the brain controlling the heart.  Electromagnetically speaking, the heart is much more powerful than the brain.  This is one of the reasons that we find we can change our mind rather easily, but deep, heartfelt belief systems are much more difficult to change.

As this scripture tells us to make sure that we not only calm our stress levels with regard to our minds and hearts, it also tells us several emotions that have an effect on our bones.  Envy, jealousy and anger have detrimental effects on our physical well being.  Why?  Dr. A.F. Beddoe states in his book "Biologic Ionization As Applied to Human Nutrition" that 80% of all illness begins with holding on to negative emotion.  Negative emotion tends to create a more acidic environment in the body which leads to disease and the breakdown of healthy physical functioning.  In this case, the Word specifies the bones.

We must always remember that we were created by a wise and compassionate Creator.  In His instruction book, he would not leave out instructions pertaining to the health and functioning of the wonderful and complex physical bodies that he provided us with.

Related articles

• Turn feelings of envy, jealousy into a positive experience (usatoday.com)
• Soy Is Not Your Friend (solutions4livingwell.blogspot.com)
• The Cost of Stress in the Workplace (livingwellcc.blogspot.com)

Soy Is Not Your Friend

Image via WikipediaAlthough I once thought soy was a great alternative to meat products which often contribute to high cholesterol and other health problems, I have since decided that soy is not the protein substitute I thought it was.  Having had some health issues that may have been linked to an increased soy intake, I decided to do some additional research on the subject and not take conventional wisdom and the idea that everyone in Asia eats soy and has no problems with it.  What I found is that although people in Japan and China eat soy, they don't eat it in mega doses and they don't tend to eat it in the same form that we do in the West.  The kicker for me was when I read that infant formulations containing soy are akin to giving your infant five birth control pills a day....information put out by the Weston A Price Foundation by the way.  This kind of information tends to make one pause and reconsider the idea that soy may be beneficial in the ways that we are ingesting here.

Soy is in everything these days, from infant formula to coffee creamers to meat substitutes.  We were told it was a safe product, that it is a miracle food and that we can eat it without thought to any side effects.  However, I would caution any woman whose body tends to grow extraneous things like cysts, growths, tumors or the like....do your homework on soy and decide for yourself whether it is something you want to be eating.  WAP indicates that soy inhibits pancreatic function and what happens when our pancreas doesn't work right?  You got it....blood sugar issues.  It also increases our need for Vitamin D which many people don't get a lot of as it is.

Image via WikipediaSo, in defense of my stance to nary let another soy product pass my lips, I will offer you the following information - again put out by the Weston A Price Foundation.  As you read through the following material, pay close attention to the information indicating that soy actually blocks the uptake of certain B vitamins and lowers testosterone levels which is of concern to both men and women:

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Myths & Truths About Soy

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.

Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.

Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.

Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.

Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.

Truth: Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B₁₂ in vegetarian diets.

Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B₁₂ in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soyfoods cause the body to require more B₁₂

Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.

Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.

Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—notsoy foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.

Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.

Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol improves one's risk of having heart disease.

Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.

Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.

Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.

Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in later life.

Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soyisoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.

Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies

Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day.

Male infants undergo a "testosterone surge" during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior.

In animals, soy feeding indicates that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. Soy infant feeding reduces testosterone levels in male marmoset monkeys as much as 70% and cannot be ignored as a possible cause of disrupted development patterns in boys, including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. Male children exposed to DES, a synthetic estrogen, had testes smaller than normal on maturation.

Almost 15 percent of white girls and 50 percent of African-American girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.

Animal studies indicate that consumption of more than minimal amounts of phytoestrogens during pregnancy may have adverse affects on the developing fetus, the timing of puberty later in life, and thinking and behavior patterns, especially in male offspring.

For a full list of references and further information on the dangers of modern soy products visit our Soy Alert! section or go to www.soyonlineservice.co.nz.

Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B₁₂.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

You can go here to download a brochure containing this information to give to your friends and family:

 http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/927-soy-alert-brochure?qh=YToxOntpOjA7czozOiJzb3kiO30%3D

Related articles

• Soy Sad: The New USDA Guidelines (liberationwellnessblog.com)
• Healthy 4 Life: Dietary Guidelines from the Weston A. Price Foundation (restoringwellness.wordpress.com)
• Soy is widely regarded as a health food in the United States is a perfect example of how a brilliant marketing strategy can fool millions (healthisahabit.wordpress.com)

Stand and Never Yield

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I ask that you indulge me today.  A day that is sad for everyone but a day that I am learning is quickly being forgotten by individuals who are younger than myself.  I have had conversations with these people who ask, why do we have to keep going through this, why do we need to keep looking at these pictures and hearing about this?  I guess I would have to say that if you need to ask, that is reason enough.

The following is a story from a book entitled "Warriors" edited by Loren Christensen.  It is a compilation of stories about heroes and bravery.  Even though today is a day that we hear many heroic encounters of events, I believe this is one of the ones that has touched me and I would like to share it with you.

STAND AND NEVER YIELD

How Rick Rescorla Saved 2,700 Lives on 9-11

by Dan Hill

(as told to Fred McBee)

Rick Rescorla predicted 9-11.  He also predicted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.  It is a matter of record.  Rescorla was the vice president for security for Dean Witter Corporation when he foresaw the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993.  Two years before this first attack, he predicted it would be a truck bomb exploding in the unsecured basement parking area.  He went to the New York/New Jersey Port Authority with his warnings and was told to "be concerned with the security of the 40 floors that Dean Witter leases from us and leave the rest to us".  Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley received about one-quarter billion dollars in settlement fees for the Port Authority's negligence in failing to heed the informed warnings of the coming 1993 attack.  

Still ignorant, arrogant, and flat-out stupid, the Port Authority and Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley refused to heed Rescorla's second warning - a very specific warning - that another attack was coming - this time from the air - in the form of commercial aircraft.  Rescorla was a hair off.  He thought it would be cargo aircraft out of Europe or the Middle East loaded with explosives.

Asked by his superiors what could be done to prevent such an attack, Rescorla replied, "Nothing.  Get out of this building.  It's nothing but a big, soft target.  And they intend to hit us again.  Move across the river to New Jersey.  Build, buy, or rent a group of low-rise buildings.  Spread out into smaller targets.  In this computer age we could do our business from the middle of North Dakota.  We don't need Wall Street anymore."

How does a man come to posses this ability to so accurately predict future events?  He had no crystal ball.  He was not clairvoyant.  He was a professional in the arts of intelligence, security, and counterguerrilla warfare.  He had spent his entire life centered on these things.  Over a lifetime, Rescorla accumulated knowledge and experience that allowed him to know how, when, why, and where his enemy would strike.

Rescorla was born in May 1939 in Hayle, Cornwall, England.  His childhood memories were of commando raids by British forces, OSS (Office of Strategic Services) operations, and the French Resistance.  As a youth he read about these events, studied them, analyzed them, criticized them - like a Monday morning quarterback.  He was virtually nurtured at the tit of war and special operations.

In his teens he joined the British army, became a paratrooper, and then went into intelligence and led a unit fighting guerillas and insurgents in Cyprus.  Then he went to Africa  Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), where he fought more guerrillas and insurgents.  After that, he joined the London police force as a member of the Scotland Yard Flying Squad, where he was much involved in anti-IRA operations.  In 1963, he came to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private.  In April 1965 he was commissioned as a U.S. officer of infantry out of the OCS course at Fort Benning, Georgia.  Five months later he was commanding a platoon of 44 men in Vietnam with the 2/7th Cavalry Battalion of the 1st Air Cavalry Division.  Two months after that he was one of the most distinguised heroes of the battle of Ia Drang Valley (see the Joe Galloway/Lt Gen. Hal Moore book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young).

After the war, Rescorla left active army service (although he stayed in the National Guard until he retired as a colonel).  In 1967 he became an American citizen.  He had paid his dues.  He went to college at the University of Oklahoma, where he studied literature and writing.  Then he went to law school and became a lawyer.  He taught criminal justice at the University of South Carolina in Columbia for a while, but the academic life was too tame for him.  He went into the banking/financial security business and quickly advanced to the top ranks of his profession.

Over the course of his life, Rescorla developed a corps of men he could rely upon: thinkers, soldiers, politicians, writers, law enforcement officials - second class, politically incorrect, belligerent men who saw things as they actually were and not what they seem to be.  From these he developed his own brain trust - his own intelligence unity, his own staff and group of counselors.  He kept in contact with them by telephone.  He posed questions - hypothetical situations concerning international developments and problems.  He collected, consolidated, and analyzed the input from this net of agents and thus came to logical conclusions.  Some he hired for short periods as consultants.  One, a natural insurgent/guerrilla/warrior, he brought to New York to make an estimate of the situation and the likely plan of attack upon the World Trade Center.  In 1990-91, all this produced the prediction of the 1993 bombing. In 1995-96, it predicted the 2001 air attack.

See?  No horoscope, no crystal ball, no tarot cards, just plain and simple intelligence and professional expertise and logical projection, i.e., "If you want to know what a terrorist is likely to do, just ask a terrorist - or one whose mind works like that of a terrorist."

Now, why was Rick Rescorla a hero on 9-11?  Because after being told by Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley that they could not relocate - that their lease ran to 2005 and maybe after that the move would be possible - Rescorla planned and drilled the Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley staff and employees in the evacuation of the World Trade Center offices that they occupied.  

Despite criticism and intimidation, despite ridicule and denigration, Rescorla forced his people to drill.  Without warning, he'd sound an alarm and then lead the entire company through a mandatory, rapid, efficient, and safe evacuation practice.  They grumbled and they griped, but they did it.

Rescorla installed generators and stair lighting in case of power failure (which came to be).  He assigned office and floor wardens to ensure control and accountability of personnel in evacuating.  Rescorla insisted on buddy teams - people were to go two-y-two down the stairs in an orderly and rapid manner.  Rescorla made sure that elderly and handicapped persons had three or four others to assist them.  And he drilled them - over and over, again and again - until it became a conditioned response, like that of "a soldier going into an antiambush drill." as Rescorla put it.

On the day of the crisis, when the first tower was hit, the Port Authority ordered everyone in the second tower to stay at their desks.  Rescorla made a command decision to countermand that order.  "Bugger that!" he said.  And then he initiated his conditioned response plan.  Evacuation began immediately.

Trained, conditioned, the Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley employees responded.  They implemented Rescorla's plan; 2,700 people followed his drill.  Rescorla was everywhere - the halls, the stairwells - from the 10th to the 70th floor.  His voice could be heard about the near mayhem, keeping everyone calm, responsive, moving in a controlled and orderly manner.  At times he sang to them over his megaphone.  He sang "God Bless America" in that booming deep baritone of his.  And he sag the defiant "Men of Harlech," just as he'd done when the 7th Cavalry was surrounded in the Ia Drang Valley, just as the British army had done when surrounded by the Zulus at Rourke's Drift.

                             Men of Cornwall stop your dreaming;

                             Can't you see their spearpoints gleaming?

                            See their warriors'  pennants streaming

                            To this battlefield.

                            Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;

                            It cannot be ever said ye

                            for the battle were not ready;

                            Stand and never yield!

All but six of Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley's employees survived.  They got out - alive.  They live today.  They live because Rescorla was watching out for them.

Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley was not comprised of its equipment, computers, files, fixtures, furnishings, or potted plants.  It was comprised of its people - those 2,700 individuals, their minds and talents and experience.  When Rescorla saved their lives through his foresight and actions, he also saved the largest financial institution in the nation, in the world, on this earth.

But Rescorla did not survive.  After shepherding the 2,700 out of the building, Rescorla knew there were still a few above - the confused, the disoriented, the inured.  And as everyone who knew Rescorla knows, he would leave no man behind.

An so he went up into that tower of death in an attempt to save them.  He knew it was a forlorn hope.  He knew that he would probably die in his attempt.  But Rescorla was a man who could never live with himself in the future if he did not try to save those few who were left.  So he went up.  And the tower came down.  And Rescorla is no more.

I know this is true.  I was Rescorla's best friend, confidant, and comrade-in-arms throughout our entire adult lives.  I fought with him in Africa, went through OCS at the same time he did, fought in Vietnam with him.  I am the guerrilla/insurgent/terrorist-at-heart he hired as a consultant.  My children called him "Uncle Rick."  My wife thought of him as the brother and sibling she'd never really had.  I was best man at both of his weddings.  From 1970 until his death, we spoke on the telephone three or four times a week.  His children called me "Uncle Dan."  Not by blood or birth but by choice we were brothers.  (For a full account of Rescorla and Hill's legendary exploits and amazing friendship, read Heart of a Soldier by James B. Stewart.)

On 9-11, as he went through that trial, we spoke over the cell phone as things progressed from the initial aircraft hit until he went up looking for the few survivors who may have been left behind.  After he started up, he called his wife, Susan.  His last words to her were, "You made my life."  Susan and I were both watching our TV when Rick's tower went down, taking him and his life with it.

I have wept only one time over the loss of my one true friend, brother, and companion - and that, unfortunately, was on national television while being interviewed by Jane Pauley.  She asked me then if that was the first time I had cried over Rick.  I replied, "Yeah.  I've been too busy being proud of him.  I've been too busy cheering."

I have vowed to never again cry over Rick Rescorla and his death.  It was not an event to weep over.  It was a noble ending for a noble man.  I choose to rejoice in that.  I will continue to cheer.

Such magnificent men are rare.  They appear every few eons or so, and they are a gift to mankind.  Rescorla died the death for which he was destined - standing for the principles of honor, integrity, and valor.  He was a man who considered every man to be as important as himself.  From bush natives in Africa to the barons of Wall Street, he considered every life as valuable as his own.  In the end, he died as he lived - in service to his fellow man.  Like the Good Book says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"  (John 15:13).

There was no better man in history.  There probably never will be better.  I give you 2,700 survivors of the 9-11 World Trade Center disaster as witnesses.

Related articles

• 'Heart Of A Soldier': An Opera At The Heart Of Sept. 11 (npr.org)
• A Man for All Seasons (nebraskaenergyobserver.wordpress.com)
• 'Heart of a Soldier,' Opera About Rick Rescorla, 9/11 Hero (nytimes.com)
• 9/11 ten years on: Family's pride in British-born Twin Towers hero (mirror.co.uk)

Emotions, DNA and Physical Well Being

It has taken me some time to post another blog article as I've been studying some things about how the mind heals, the mechanics of how our beliefs effect us and trying to put it all together into some kind of coherent thought.  This blog, as opposed to some of the others I've written, is not as easy as just regurgitating information so you can have another thing come to your inbox saying, Here's New Information for you!  For me to pass on this kind of information, it needs to be something that I can put my stamp of approval on and say with some confidence that it is true and worth looking at.

In a book called "The Healing Mind" written by Dr. Irving Oyle, he makes a startling statement:

We can create the conditions which will allow the healing process to occur, but his autonomous healing factor is under the complete control of the psyche which, by varying its rate of vibration, can cause disease or initiate healing.  The therapeutic efficacy of any healing system is directly proportional to the patient's inner faith in that system.  The stronger the faith, the faster and surer the healing.


Image via WikipediaTo some extent, we can see this played out in something that every medical researcher has come to understand as a part of experimentation....the placebo effect.  It is a very recognized and accepted affect when dealing with the healing arts.  Often times, when a new medication is being developed or a new medical protocol is being tested, researchers have a test group which is given a placebo rather than the new item being researched.  Many times, in this control group, there are individuals who get better.  They have not been given any medication, any different treatment - they have simply been told that they have been.  The conclusion then must be drawn that what helped them was not the placebo, but the belief in the placebo to help them.

Quantum physics is starting to identify the mechanics of why our thoughts effect our physical bodies as well as the world around us.  One of the experiments I found very interesting was done by the Institute of HeartMath: 

"In 1991 the Institute of HeartMath ( http://www.heartmath.org/ ) was formed for exploring the power that human feelings have over the body and the role those feelings play in our world. One of the most significant findings reported by HeartMath is the documentation of the doughnut shaped field of energy that surrounds the heart and extends beyond the body. 

Knowing this field exists they went on to conduct further experiments between 1992 and '95 and began by isolating human DNA in a beaker and then exposing it to a powerful form of feeling known as coherant emotion.

They performed a series of tests involving up to 5 people trained in applying coherant emotion. 
Using special techniques they analysed the DNA both chemically and visually, the results were undeniable and the implications unmistakable.....Human Emotion changed the shape of the DNA without physially touching it or doing anything other than creating precise feelings in their bodies!"


Image via WikipediaThey also found that positive emotions such as love, gratitude, joy and happiness decompress or relax the DNA, which they linked to increases in the physical immune system.  Conversely, living in a state of stress, anger, rage or hate, the DNA constricts and our immune systems decrease.  Personal experience might validate these findings in that when individuals find themselves under stress for long periods of time, they are often more susceptible to colds or flu.


Dr. Scott Walker, DC has developed a healing technique called "Neuro Emotional Technique" where he has found that underlying emotional components have significant effects on whether a chiropractic patient is able to resolve chronic back pain or not.  When the chiropractor can locate where in the body the emotional issue is and resolve the emotional charge on the memory, the spine can be adjusted with lasting results.  He has gone so far as to make a chart listing the organs of the body, where on the spine they are connected and the underlying emotions that affect those organs and the spinal connections.  His technique is very effective in dealing with these underlying emotions.  


In recent years, science has come to understand the truth of scripture in several ways having to do with joy and its effects as opposed to bitterness and its relation to diseases like cancer.  Scripture tells us that a "merry heart doeth good like a medicine"; Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life; A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and wrath are as rottenness of the bones.  

After 9-11, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson of the University of Michigan found that many survivors of the Twin Towers disaster developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Understanding the traumatic volume of that day, it would be understandable to think that all of the survivors would have PTSD.  However that was not true.  All of the survivors did not show signs of PTSD.  Why not?

What she found was this:

-- People high in happiness before the attack simply bounced back.

-- But those whose pre-attack happiness levels were lower didn’t do as well. Highly unhappy people developed PTSD much more frequently.

Dr. Lynn Johnson has a powerpoint presentation that can be downloaded, called Advanced Topics in Happiness, which outlines some of the science behind the field of Positive Psychology.  It's fascinating stuff and it really works.  For example...think about 4 or 5 people in your life who have been kind to you.  Let yourself feel the emotions you feel about them - is it thankfulness, gratitude or perhaps thinking about these people makes you happy.  Whatever the feeling happens to be - one a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most positive, did your state of emotion become more positive?  Do you feel better?  There is proof that if you can maintain a state of happiness the majority of the time in your life, you will be healthier, more successful and live longer.  Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, and George Burns can't be wrong!

Thoughts are not to be our masters, but they are to serve us. If they do not serve us well, we don't need to pay attention to them.  One of the things to understand is that just because a thought enters our head, we don't need to pay attention to it.  There are many thoughts that we disregard every day.  But many of the thoughts we pay attention to are given attention due to the emotions that are linked with them.  Negative emotion is often linked to negative thought processes.  If that negative thought process is producing negative fruit in your life, then what good is it?  Perhaps you have had a very traumatic experience in your life - wouldn't you prefer to be like the 9-11 survivors who did not develop PTSD?  


As human beings, we have the ability to inoculate ourselves against trauma with happiness and joy.  Learn to see the positive in whatever situation you find yourself.  Like Paul who wrote in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."  Our circumstances do not dictate our emotional state.  That may be news to some, but it is true.  When Paul wrote those words, he was in a Roman prison.  What is true is that some circumstances are more difficult than others, but if we can find something positive to hold on to through the circumstances, we will be inoculated against the more severe negative impacts.  Hope is a powerful thing and it is one thing that more positive, happier individuals have in greater abundance.  


This information might be seen to some as controversial so I am just bringing it to you and you can do your own research and make your own decisions.  However, if you consider these things to be good evidence that your emotional life truly does effect your physical body and the world around you, you might consider making the changes that are needed to become a happier and more joyful person....not for anyone else, but for yourself. 

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Delta Brain Waves and Their Importance in Sleep

Last week I attended a seminar where the speaker was, in part, discussing our different brain wave patterns and the importance of each.  I thought I would share with you some of the highlights of what he said with regard to each.  In listening to all the information, I saw to a higher degree why problems with sleep can be debilitating to us and over time cause both emotional and physical problems.

Our brains create five different types of brain waves; Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma.  These brain waves have different functions and accomplish very different tasks in our bodies.

• Delta waves are the slowest and are present in the very deepest of sleep.  They operate at a rate of  .5 and 4 Hz (cycles per second) and are found in late stage sleep.  When we are in                                           Image via Wikipedia                                         this stage of sleep our brains produce the neurotransmitters that we  need, such as seratonin,  Melatonin, Dopamine, BTNF for memory function and HGH to name a few.  As we know, healthy neurotransmitter levels have everything to do with our feelings of well being, how depressed we feel and how well our memory works.  
• Theta waves operate at a rate of between 4-8 Hz.  The rate around 7.8 Hz is a very  meditative state which is healing and restorative to the body.  When the brain stays                                            Image via Wikipedia                                           on this level of operation, we get relaxed but can't focus very well, we feel slow and sluggish.  If we are daydreaming or feel relaxed and our minds are wandering, we are in a Theta state.  
• Alpha waves operate between 8-12 Hz.  When a person is lacking in Alpha brainwave activity, they are usually having trouble with racing thoughts, rapid thinking or over thinking.                                                  Image via Wikipedia                                   They may also suffer from anxiety, nervousness, insomnia or other stress related problems.  Experiencing a healthy dose of Alpha waves melts away stress, improves learning ability, memory as well as help in our social interaction.  
• Beta waves have the effect of keeping us focused.  Beta waves operate between 12-38 Hz and are typically produced in the left                                                  Image via Wikipediahemisphere of the brain.  Individuals who are primarily logical or analytical may have a predominance of beta wave activity.  If we tend to stay in a beta state, we can become overly anxious and stressed.  This is a brain wave state where people feel very motivated, focused and have a lot of energy and often we like to stay there because we feel very productive in a beta state. 
• Gamma waves operate from 40-70 Hz and has been thought to be the brain wave which is able to link and process information from all parts of the brain.                                                      Image via Wikipedia                                                        Gamma waves are linked with high intelligence levels, compassion, having high amounts of self control as well as natural feelings of happiness. 

 According to Brain Waves Blog, "If you are currently having difficulty remembering information like:  names, dates, events, plans, etc. – you would likely benefit from increasing your Gamma Brainwave range."  


When thinking about what scripture says when we think of joyful or positive things, or when we pray, we are actually changing our brain wave modulation.  In a very simple way, if we do some research on how we react when we are in the different brain wave states, we can often tell what parts of the sleep process are limited or which of the different brain waves we might need to develop.  


Giving the credit to Brain Waves Blog, here is some information on Delta waves.  Again, this is the deepest part of our sleep cycle and may be one that is being shortened if our sleep is disturbed by stress, anxiety or racing thoughts.   If this subject is one that catches your interest, you may want to talk to your doctor about having a sleep study done.  During a sleep study, a sleep technologist records multiple biological functions during sleep, such as brain wave activity, eye movement, muscle tone, heart rhythm and breathing via electrodes and monitors placed on the head, chest and legs.  


Outside of sleep studies, there are different forms of sleep aids that can help us become more relaxed.  Chamomile tea is a relaxing herbal solution that can help enhance the sleep experience.  Homeopathic aids such as Calms Forte can reduce some of the emotional background noise.  Innate Response puts out a whole food supplement that I find useful :  
Sleep Response  - this supplement does not leave you groggy in the morning and is able to be used for elderly patients who struggle with disorientation using other types of prescription sleep aids.  

What Are Delta Brain Waves?

Delta Brain Waves are the brain’s slowest frequency range cycling at a rate of 1-4 times per second (e.g. 1 Hz – 4 Hz). Delta Brain Waves become active in your brain when you are in the deeper stages of sleep (e.g. stage 3 and stage 4). They are associated with being completely unconscious (i.e. you usually won’t know or remember anything while Delta Waves are dominant). Delta Brain Waves have been known to oscillate throughout all parts of the brain and are not usually synchronized. Of all brainwave ranges, the Delta Waves have the greatest amplitude and are responsible for the slowest form of mental processing.

Having access to the Delta Brainwave state not only implies that we are in a deep stage of sleep though. In some cases, people can learn to increase their delta activity. People with high amounts of Delta Waves have been found to have increased empathy (or understanding of others’ emotions). Other interesting effects have been documented as a side-effect of having Delta Brainwaves.

Delta Brain Waves Benefits

Delta Brain Waves have been proven to have a number of beneficial side-effects.  When Delta Brain Waves increase, so does your natural ability to:  Release Anti-Aging hormones, tap an increased amount of empathy (understanding how others feel), heal the mind and repair your muscles, and access the deepest possible states of relaxation.  Other side-effects as a result of Delta Brain Waves include:  the release of natural growth hormone, the release of melatonin, connecting with your intuition and accessing deep states of spirituality.

Another great thing about Delta Brain Waves is that they have been known to reduce levels of cortisol in your body.  Cortisol is a hormone released when you are under stress that basically kills off brain cells and can cause damage to parts of your body.  Cortisol has been linked to quicker aging, while having less cortisol has been known to be associated with anti-aging.  For some individuals with high amounts of stress, Delta Brain Waves may also work great at reducing adrenaline levels.

The great thing about Delta brainwaves is that they are able to connect you with deeper parts of your unconscious mind.  Even though you must travel down throughAlpha Brain Waves and Theta Brain Waves before you can reach Delta, many people are able to greatly appreciate a Delta Brainwaves experience.  If you spend too much time caught up in the higher ranges of brain waves, then chances are you may be able to benefit from Delta Waves, especially if you increase them right before you go to bed.  Since Delta Brainwaves are associated with sleep, listening to a brainwave entrainment session in the Delta frequency range of 1 Hz to 4 Hz will do a nice job at helping you fall asleep.

Advanced monk meditators have also been known to access the Delta Brain Waves range when they practice meditation.  The average, less experienced meditator usually is only able to acess the Alpha or Theta Brainwaves range.  However, if you practice long enough and get proper training, you too will be able to tap into your Delta awareness.  Having a brainwave pattern that is dominated by Delta Brainwaves is impossible if the person is awake.  Many people have also reported having spiritual experiences and sometimes O.O.B.E. (Out-Of-Body-Experiences) while having Delta Brainwave activity.  These paranormal experiences are more common if a person has access to slower levels of their Brain Waves.

People With Delta Brain Waves

Typically, Delta Brain Waves are most commonly documented in E.E.G. brain activity while a person is asleep.  However, other individuals like:  babies, very young children, monks/advanced meditators, people who have had Near-Death-Experiences, people suffering from brain damage, and people with brain damage have also been known to have higher than average amounts of Delta Brain Waves.

If you saw a boxer get K.O.’d (Knocked-Out), he would have been experiencing Delta Brain Waves.  If you have ever been put to sleep with anesthesia, you were knocked into your Delta Brain Waves state.  Other individuals who lack focus and suffer from attention-deficit can also have high amounts of Delta Brain Waves – even though having Theta Waves is more common.


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