Science, Theology, and Medicine

KQED Call-In Yields Insights Into Pain

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post also appears on PaloAltoPatch and BayCitizen.

According to Dr. Sean Mackey, understanding the link between mind and body can make a world of difference, particularly when it comes to dealing with pain. He should know. After all, he’s the head of Stanford University’s Division of Pain Management and spends a lot of time researching and thinking about these kinds of things.

Not too long ago I got so immersed in what this guy was discovering that I ended up writing a post about it for this web site. And then, just the other day, I found myself talking to him on the phone.

Well, not exactly. Truth be told, he was the guest on KQED’s “Forum” program and I just happened to call in with a question. For those who didn’t catch the show, I thought I’d share a transcript of my question and his response.

ME: Hi there. Just a couple of points that were brought up earlier – obviously this idea that pain could very well be in one’s head and also the idea that pain is genetic. And the comments reminded me of something that Dr. Herb Benson, in one of the studies that he did recently, that pointed out that actually that one’s thought – specifically meditation and, related to that, prayer – could actually impact the makeup of one’s genes. And I’d just like to get the guest’s comments on this idea that thought impacts your genes and, by association, pain.

MICHAEL KRASNY (host): Sean Mackey?

DR. SEAN MACKEY: Yeah. Two things. One is, we spend a lot of time educating patients on this concept that fundamentally pain is an experience in the brain. And we have to be careful with that because the last thing I want to do is for people to think that I’m invalidating what they’re experiencing because people are so used to being told, “Oh, it’s all in your head.” And that’s not the message. The message is, that pain is a brain phenomenon; that pain doesn’t actually exist in our finger and in our back. Those are just crazy, mixed-up electrochemical signals. It’s not until it hits the brain that it becomes the experience of pain. And to the second point, yes, there is growing awareness and data that supports that there is a direct connection between mind and body and that our thoughts, our feelings, our emotions can shape gene expression and shape the substances that are produced. And Melanie touched upon that earlier with this idea of us, you know, pro-inflammatory cytokines, these stress substances that change when we have these very dark thoughts. A lot of that is mediated through changes in gene expression.

MICHAEL KRASNY: The fact is, you know, anybody who has experienced even a modicum of depression knows that that kind of pain can be far more difficult to contend with than, in many instances, physical pain, chronic and acute pain.

DR. SEAN MACKEY: And we’re learning that the same brain systems that become abnormal in depression overlap with those that cause us to experience and change pain.

Pretty interesting stuff.

Click here if you’d like to listen to the entire show… and here if you’d like to read how a good friend of mine used prayer to deal with pain following a serious injury.

The Source and Potential of Consciousness

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on Blogcritics. It also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch.

As I was poking around the Internet, I ran across a mind-blowing video featuring physician-turned-mind-body-guru, Deepak Chopra, producer of the recently released meditation video game, Leela. I gotta tell you, this guy has a real knack for taking extraordinarily complex ideas and reducing them to clever little nuggets of wisdom.

“Consciousness cannot be perceived, but without it there is no perception,” he said. “It cannot be cognized, but without it there is no thought.”

Speaking of consciousness, there seems to be an increasing number of folks who feel that consciousness – as imperceptible as it may be – is actually at the root of everything we experience. Not just what we think but what we see, what we feel, even our health. Still, as the narrator of the aforementioned video puts it, “We know neither the source of its existence nor the limitation of its potential, but it could be the most important exploration of our time.”

Over the years, my own exploration of this topic has yielded some pretty interesting observations.

First, I’ve figured out that consciousness has to reside somewhere outside my brain. Think about it: have you ever found yourself saying to someone, “That’s exactly what I was thinking”? How could this be possible if the source of what they were thinking was somehow locked inside their head?

Second, I’ve concluded that consciousness knows no limits. New ideas occur to practically everyone every day. This fact alone would seem to indicate that there are no restrictions to its potential.

So, then, where does consciousness come from? And where is it taking us? Perhaps a clue or two might be found in the impact consciousness has on our health. Just ask medical researcher, Gail Ironson.

Dr. Ironson conducted a study to determine the relationship between consciousness and the progression of AIDS. She looked at two key factors: viral load, which lets you know how much of the virus is in your body, and immune cells, which work to fend off the AIDS virus. Bottom line: Those who were actively cultivating a spiritual outlook had a much lower viral load and maintained immune cells at a noticeably higher rate than those who consciously disavowed such activity.

Although I’ve never had to deal with anything as serious as AIDS, I’ve noticed a similar pattern in my own experience. Simply put, the more I think about my spirituality, the better I feel.

So what does this all mean? While one – or even a hundred – medical studies might not provide us with any definitive answers, there are at least two intriguing possibilities to consider. One is that the source of consciousness, by whatever name you call it, is divine. The other is that its potential impact on our health is huge.

Certainly this is something worth exploring further.

Taking A Stand For Health

2012-01-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

This post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch.

My morning news scan began by reading an article in The Christian Science Monitor about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and “8 peaceful protests that bolstered civil rights.” As someone who was little more than three years old when Dr. King was assassinated, these were not events I remembered personally but nevertheless appreciate being reminded of.

Dr. King’s legacy runs broad and deep. But for me the most important lesson I continue to learn from his example is that even the most aggressive and persistent forms of tyranny can and will be defeated.

Of course, tyranny has many faces – racial prejudice, discrimination, segregation, economic injustice, and so on – all of which require constant vigilance in order to keep them in check. But there’s another kind of tyranny that, although perhaps less obvious than the rest, deserves equal vigilance and against which increasing numbers are taking a stand.

More and more these days we read about people who are discovering that their health is not restricted to the dictates of drug-based medicine. Instead they’re realizing that consciousness plays a key – even essential – role in the process.

One of the most intriguing of these individuals is Dr. Lissa Rankin. This physician cum mind-body expert from the North Bay recently gave a TED talk that began with this provocative question: “What if I told you that caring for your body was the least important part of your health?” Either you’d say she’s nuts… or that maybe she’s onto something.

If you listen to her entire talk, you’ll learn that Dr. Rankin is not suggesting that anyone adopt an unhealthy lifestyle or even one that gives up all use of drugs – only one that acknowledges that there’s a direct correlation between consciousness and health.

Of course, there are many others who have joined in the crusade to find better, more reliable approaches to health care. But perhaps the most important ones are people like you and me – regular folks who are discovering that things like gratitude and compassion, patience and forgiveness can have a significant and lasting impact on our health.

Health Myths and the Future of Medicine

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

This article was originally published on Blogcritics. It also appears on PaloAltoPatch and BayCitzen.

Dr. Mehmet Oz

As it turns out, a lot of the things we believed were true about our health aren’t really true after all. Just ask Dr. Oz.

The renowned surgeon, author, Oprah alum, and talk show host confirms in a recent article that, low and behold, fat weighs the same as muscle (although it does take up more space), eating late at night doesn’t necessarily make you gain weight, and pasta, eggs, and frozen fruits and veggies aren’t all that bad after all.

Phew!

Although it’s unlikely that I’ll be snacking on a frozen asparagus and cheese omelet before heading off to bed tonight, it’s nice to know that if I did, it wouldn’t kill me.

As comprehensive as the Oz list may be, there’s another myth that health experts the world over have been busting lately: the idea that, in terms of health care, whatever works for one works for all.

Of course, there are all sorts of variables you have to consider when figuring out how to treat a particular ailment, and not just the ailment itself. One of the most intriguing is the thought of the patient.

This wasn’t always the case. Back in the latter part of the 19th century, illness and health were considered purely physical in nature, with the body operating essentially like a piece of machinery. Another hundred years would pass before physicians started noticing the role of emotions and feelings in how the body functioned. These days, things are getting even more interesting as consciousness itself is playing an increasing if not exclusive role in how we manage our health.

Perhaps the most well known if still largely unexplained indicator of this fact is the placebo effect. By most accounts, if you’re given a sugar pill in place of a prescription drug, there’s a 30% chance that your health will improve. Studies show, however, that it helps if the person administering the pill is wearing a white coat, implying that it’s not just your faith in the perceived drug but also in the one who is administering the drug.

If being tricked into better health isn’t your thing, there are other thought-based approaches to influencing the body in positive, health-inducing ways such as meditation and prayer. These methods put the patient squarely in the driver seat – a prospect that can be at once intimidating and exhilarating.

My hunch is that as we continue to explore this relationship between the mind and body, we’ll see even more myths about health being busted, and Dr. Oz will likely have to come up with a whole new list.

Spirituality Keeps Women – and Men – Happy, Healthy, Whole

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on Blogcritics, PaloAltoPatch, and BayCitizen

According to the latest Gallup-Healthways research, if you’re a woman between the age of 45 and 55, you’re most likely to be happy if you’re from California, live in a household that brings in at least $120,000 a year, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and exercise six times a week.

It’s also likely that religion and/or spirituality play an important role in your daily life.

Beyond the happiness factor, however, there’s a growing body of evidence that would suggest that religion and spirituality could also have a positive impact on your health.

Research conducted by the folks just down road from me at the Veterans Affairs’ Family Research Center in Palo Alto concluded, “Indirect effects of church attendance on health were clearly observed, with alcohol use/dependence, smoking, and mood being possible mediators of the church attendance-health relationship.” In another study, the majority of doctors surveyed (56%) agreed that, “religion and spirituality...influence patients’ health.”

This kind of news should make anyone engaged in this sort of activity even happier.

Exactly how and why religion and spirituality can keep us healthy is still very much up for discussion. There’s much less debate, however, over the connection between our thought – obviously influenced by our religious and spiritual habits – and our body.

A good friend of mine – a woman who just happens to be between the age of 45 and 55 – had a remarkable experience that bears this out.

A few years ago she was involved in a serious car accident. X-rays confirmed that she had broken her neck in two places and was told by her doctors that she would have to be completely immobilized for an extended period of time. Instead of consenting to their recommended treatment plan, she chose to be transferred to another, nonmedical facility. Over the next couple weeks she received basic physical care as well as treatment from a spiritual practitioner. Together they considered, as she describes it, her “unbreakable connection to God” and “God’s great love for His creation.”

Apparently this had quite an effect. After two weeks, she went home. Within a month she was jogging.

While I have no idea how often this woman jogs, how much money she makes, or if she’s eating her fruits and veggies, I do know that she takes her religion and her spirituality very seriously. She also appears to be quite happy.

Something tells me that if this worked for her, it’s likely to be working for a lot of other women – and men – as well, even if they don’t all live in California.

Christmas and the Advent of a New Era of Health Care

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on PaloAltoPatch, BayCitizen, and in various NorCal newspapers.

When I was a kid growing up in San Diego, our family would usually get a call from our relatives in Indiana right around Christmastime. Inevitably and predictably they’d try and convince us that the snowy-cold Midwest was a lot more “Christmassy” than the toasty clime of southern California.

“Oh really?” would be Mom’s dry retort. “Are you familiar with Bethlehem? The last time I checked, the place was covered with date palms and olive trees, very much like the ones I see growing outside my window. And I don’t remember reading anything about the Wise Men trudging through snow on their way to the manger. If you ask me, San Diego is a lot more Christmassy than South Bend.”

Good one Mom!

These days we’re so inundated with images of icicles, evergreens, and sleigh rides that we’ve pretty much forgotten what the original Christmas must have looked like, not to mention the enduring significance of this event.

(By the way, by most accounts, Jesus was born towards the end of summer, not the beginning of winter.)

Ask almost anyone about the true meaning of Christmas and they’re likely to borrow a phrase from a popular carol: “Ummm… peace on Earth, good will toward men?” As true as this may be, to me Christmas means so much more. One of the most amazing and wonderful things about the Advent, at least in my book, is that it ushered in an entirely new era of health care.

That’s right. Health care.

Christian or not, most of us are probably familiar with the basics of Jesus’ teachings. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Give thanks. Don’t judge others. Keep your cool. Be generous. Pray regularly. Forgive. Fear not.

This is not just good advice but good health advice. Whether it’s cultivating an attitude of gratitude and forgiveness or arranging for a little quiet time during the day, it’s almost certain that both our minds and bodies will benefit as a result.

For years, cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists, and psychologists alike have been taking note of this connection between mind and body. Just one example is a study reported in a recent issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that found that frequent bouts of fear and anxiety increase your risk of heart attack. Consciously expressing qualities like gratitude and love can have the reverse effect.

Maintaining the right frame of mind is by no means an exclusively Christian thing. Even so, Christmas is as good a time as any to celebrate a man whose life continues to have a positive impact on the world and on our health. Remembering what month he was born or what the weather was like is up to you.

Stanford Researcher Explores the Nature of Pain

2011-12-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on Blogcritics, Palo Alto Patch, and Bay Citizen

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, climbing out of the family’s station wagon. Just as I was pulling my arm past the doorjamb, someone pushed the door closed on my hand.

Three thoughts came immediately to mind. First, that I couldn’t see my hand. Second, that my mom was there to comfort me. Third, that within a matter of moments I didn’t feel any pain.

Fast-forward another 20 years. As I was riding my bike up a steep mountain road, I was sideswiped by a car traveling upwards of 50 miles an hour. Again, three thoughts came to mind. First, that I was grateful to have made it to the side of the road without being hit by another car. Second, that the best thing to do immediately would be to pray. Third, that within a matter of moments I didn’t feel any pain.

Ask anyone how this was possible and they’d be hard-pressed to give you a definitive answer since the nature of pain itself remains largely misunderstood.

Perhaps part of the problem is that we tend to look at pain in mostly physical terms, paying less attention to the mental factors involved. According to Dr. Sean Mackey, chief of Stanford University’s pain management division, “The reality is, all of our pain is in our head.”

While conventional medicine is by far the most popular method of dealing with pain, other approaches are proving to be effective. These include attention distraction (“hey, look over here!”), guided imagery (think “clouds in the sky” not “pain in my knee”), meditation (“ommmm”), and positive thinking or “cognitive behavioral therapy,” to use the scientific term.

There’s also the placebo effect. According to a study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, real acupuncture proved to be just as effective as simulated acupuncture, indicating that the mere anticipation of relief tends to make it happen.

And then there’s good old-fashioned love.

In a study Dr. Mackey conducted on a handful of Stanford undergrads, he found that those looking at a photo of their beloved boyfriend or girlfriend while receiving pain stimuli from a hot probe reported feeling 44% less pain than when they looked at a photo of just another friend.

Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why I didn’t feel any pain so many years ago. Whether it was when my hand got wedged inside a car door or my bike was nearly knocked over a cliff, there was something that I was able to focus on – that I loved – that I knew was loving me right back. When I was a kid that “something” was my mom. As I’ve grown older it’s felt more like the Divine. Perhaps, then, it’s our awareness and acceptance of love that just might hold the key to treating – and even beating – pain.

Whole Foods' Wellness Club: What's The Key Ingredient?

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on Blogcritics. It also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch.

Good news! Whole Foods Market has recently opened a new kind of health club just across the Bay in Oakland – one of only 5 pilot locations in the nation. For a couple hundred bucks plus $45 a month, you get a lifestyle evaluation, access to nutrition and cooking classes, and discounts on food sold in – you guessed it – Whole Foods Market.

That doesn’t sound like such a bad deal for those willing to commit to a healthier way of living. My question is, will these clubs include all the right ingredients?

Ask any fitness expert from Jack LaLanne on and they’ll tell you that the key elements in any fitness program include eating right and getting plenty of exercise. This is a winning combination that works for everyone – young or old, man or woman, committed athlete or weekend warrior.

But these days a lot more attention is being paid not just to what we eat and how far we bike, run, or swim, but what and how we think as well. According to weight loss expert Katherine Brown, healthy living doesn’t come by human will but by a new and inspired view of who and what we are.

“If you’re trying to control your way to an outcome, who are you when you get there,” asks Coach Kath. “If you’re carrying all the same limiting beliefs and fears that you have now and you lose 20 pounds, who are you when you get there?”

Good questions.

Although I could be doing a much better job of maintaining that trim figure I once had, I recall one particular weight loss program that proved to be more effective than anything else I’d ever tried – one that began not with an evaluation of what I was eating or how often I was getting out on my bike, but what I thought about myself.

Having assumed the proverbial couch-potato position one afternoon, the thought occurred to me that over the last few years I had become quite the glutton. Although this wasn’t necessarily a conscious decision, it was nevertheless something that I had, unwittingly or not, consented to. And for some reason, this just didn’t feel like “me.”

To be completely honest, this brief moment on the couch felt like a kind of prayer, a divinely inspired reminder that I was not inherently lazy, nor was I created to inhale every last crumb that crossed my plate.

And then, without really thinking much more about it, I found myself eating less. And riding my bike more. And feeling better about myself. And – wonder of wonders – losing weight.

Katherine Brown’s wellness odyssey began with what she calls a “subtle awareness that there had to be something more than just this physical aspect” of health. I guess you could say my own journey began in a similar fashion – by consciously, actively including in my thought a view of myself that just felt more natural.

Perhaps in another few years the new mantra will be: Eat right, get plenty of exercise, and be open to the kind of thinking that will lead to a happier, healthier you.

Healthy Thanksgiving: Count Blessings, Not Calories

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post also appears on BayCitizen, PaloAltoPatch, Krista Tippett's "On Being" blog, and in various NorCal newspapers

Don’t worry. The article you are about to read has nothing to do with what you should or shouldn’t put on your Thanksgiving dinner plate. There’s nothing worse than having your hopes for the perfect holiday meal dashed by someone telling you that you might want to think twice before choosing this or that side dish.

No, this article is about the undeniable health benefits of thanksgiving – that is, the conscious expression of gratitude – itself.

Gratitude is extolled by every religion on earth as an essential virtue. Cicero, the renowned Roman orator, called it “not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” Only recently, however, have medical researchers begun delving into the impact gratitude has on our mental and physical health.

One of the leaders in this field is U.C. Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology and author of the book “Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier.”

Considered a pioneer in the field of “positive psychology” – a discipline that focuses less on illness and emotional problems and more on health-inducing behavior – Emmons makes a convincing case for the upside of maintaining a thankful attitude.

In one of Emmons’ studies, participants were divided into three groups. At the end of each week one group wrote down five things they were grateful for. Another group kept track of daily hassles. And a control group listed five events that had made some impression on them. In the end Emmons discovered that those in the gratitude group generally felt better about their lives, were more optimistic about the future and – perhaps most importantly – reported fewer health problems than the other participants.

Mmmmm… nothing like a little gratitude to balance that extra helping of mashed potatoes.

Like many others, I can relate to what Dr. Emmons is discovering about the connection between a grateful heart and a healthy heart. But for me it goes even further, deeper than that. Over the years I’ve found that gratitude grounded on my spiritual practice and not mere positive thinking is the real key to consistent health.

Emmons notes this himself in his citation of a 2002 study (McCullough et. al.) that found those who attend religious services or engage regularly in some type of religious activity such as prayer are more likely to be grateful. This is not to say that you have to be religious in order to be grateful, only that our faith tends to enhance our ability to be grateful.

While I have no idea what I’ll be having for dinner this Thanksgiving, one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that keeping track of what and how I think is at least as important as what I eat. Experience has shown that putting first things first will keep everything else – including my health – in order.

On Veterans, Sacrifice, and Health

2011-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

This post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch

My father fought in the Philippines during the latter part of World War II, earning an Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross as a gunner-navigator sitting in the back seat of a Douglas Dauntless SBD dive-bomber. Like so many Americans who served during that conflict, the personal sacrifices he made were great. Even so, judging from the way Dad would describe the time he spent overseas, I felt certain that ultimately he gained far more than he ever gave up.

Yours Truly next to an SBD Dive Bomber

Given that I’m well beyond draft age (if the U.S. even had a draft), it’s doubtful I’ll ever find myself making similar sacrifices. And yet, my father’s experience remains to this day as an example to me of the great good that can come from being willing to give up something you cherish.

Of course, there’s a lot in life to cherish – your family and friends, your home, your lifestyle – all which would be pretty hard to give up. But for me, the most consistently difficult thing to let go of is my opinion of things.

Usually this isn’t that big of a deal. After all, does it really matter that I generally like one political party more than another, one baseball team, one brand of car? Probably not. But what about my opinion of myself? Is there anything to be gained by letting go of some perception that could very well be getting in the way of my leading a happy, healthy life?

You bet.

Over the years I’ve found that a willingness to see myself in a different light provides far more than a temporary boost in self-esteem. On many occasions it’s actually had the effect of getting rid of some pretty troubling physical problems. Headaches, the flu, strained muscles, skin infections – even a bad case of sciatica – were all taken care of, not with some needle, lotion, or pill but by consciously letting go of the idea that I was created as some kind of whipping boy for every ailment that happens to cross my mental path.

Some might see this as “positive thinking.” I’d describe it, instead, as transformed thinking born of an innate desire to see myself from a more enlightened – call it divine – perspective. This desire, this willingness to sacrifice the unhealthy for the healthy, is really just another way to describe what I ordinarily refer to as prayer. Through this process – just like my dad in World War II – I always find that I’ve gained far more than I ever thought I was giving up.

So, in honor of Veterans Day, I’d simply like to say, “Thanks Dad,” for the example you gave and the tremendous help it’s been to me throughout the years.

Understanding Miracles

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on Blogcrtics. It also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch.

In the movie "Oh, God!” the title character, played by George Burns, explains to co-star John Denver that the last miracle he performed was the 1969 Mets – the implication being that God is a kind of celestial superhero whose random interventions result in some amazing things happening here on earth. This is likely how most folks view miracles, and pretty much how they’re defined on Dictionary.com:

“…an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.”

But what if everything we call a “miracle” isn’t so “miraculous” after all? What if it’s simply a misunderstood phenomena waiting for an explanation? What if what we now think of as impossible and supernatural suddenly became possible and completely natural – for everyone?

I’m not just talking baseball seasons here, but the really big stuff like our health and general well being.

The other night my wife and I had dinner with a good friend whose life some might describe as miraculous. When she was 18 she suffered from a debilitating disease that attacked nearly every organ of her body. Doctors recommended that she receive hospice care, as there was little hope for survival. She soon fell into a coma.

After 6 months, she “miraculously” regained consciousness and decided she wanted to be transferred to another, nonmedical facility. For the next few months she received basic physical care as well as prayer-based metaphysical treatment from a spiritual practitioner. No pills. No intravenous tubes. No surgery.

Eventually every vestige of her disease completely vanished. All of her organs began functioning normally. And despite the many months she’d spent in a coma, there was no brain damage. How was this possible? According to my friend, her recovery was due solely to the metaphysical treatment she received as well as her own prayers.

She returned to school where she graduated with a triple-major and a 4.0 GPA, receiving the prestigious Harry S. Truman academic award for that state.

“When you see a miracle, after the initial awe, your impulse usually is to ask, ‘How did that happen?’ says Dr. Dean Radin, senior scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma. “In science, you need a plausible argument – or an argument that is perceived as plausible – to explain it.”

Although my friend’s explanation of her recovery may seem implausible to some, her continued interest in how it happened has led to additional physical healings, both for herself and those that have come to her requesting the same type of treatment. This would seem to indicate, then, that what happened wasn’t so much a “miracle” as it was the natural result of her increased understanding of heretofore unrecognized or, at the very least, underutilized laws of health that should apply to everyone.

There are some that say that life is a miracle waiting to happen. Judging from my friend’s experience, could it be that the “miracle” has already happened?

Ex-Pumpkin Reflects on Halloween and Health

2011-10-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

This post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch

When I was a kid – even more than Thanksgiving and Christmas – Halloween was my favorite holiday.

Our home was at the top of a long, steep driveway with huge boulders on either side, providing the perfect setting for our annual fright fest. Mom was in charge of decorating the porch; neighbor kids would help carve Jack-O-Lanterns; and Dad would station himself in a small cornfield along the side of the road, greeting Trick-Or-Treaters from his hidden perch behind a large metal disc painted to look like “The Great Pumpkin.”

After Dad passed on I stepped in as our family’s Halloween chief-of-staff, coordinating the talents of anyone willing to help paint, shovel, hoist, carve, or otherwise pitch in. Of course, I saved the best part – playing the role of “The Great Pumpkin” – for myself. What began as a quaint family tradition soon turned into a multimedia extravaganza complete with fog machines, sound effects, and pyrotechnics – an event that would attract hundreds to our doorstep year after year.

Once Mom passed on and I moved to the Bay Area, even though the house remained in the family, we decided to close up shop. What was once a hallowed holiday became just another day of the week.

Although I have many fond memories from my years as “The Great Pumpkin,” one stands out above them all. It was the opportunity I had to remind all those children who chatted with me before walking up that dark, spooky driveway, that they had absolutely nothing to fear. Don’t get me wrong. My intent was not to burst anyone’s Halloween bubble but simply to let these kids know that they were safe and that no one was going to hurt them. Everything that looked like a ghost, a goblin, or a witch was really just someone pretending to be something that didn’t really exist.

Although this approach didn’t always work (believe me, there were more than a few tears shed!), you could see a change on the faces of those who believed – and trusted – what I was telling them.

This kind of assurance hints at what the occasional reminder to myself to "fear not" has always had, not just on my peace of mind, but also on my health and general well being.

This is not to suggest that when I’m suffering from some physical ailment I simply pretend it’s not there. On the contrary, I prefer to face it head-on. That said, I think it’s important to recognize that – as many medical professionals would agree – fear can cause or, at the very least, aggravate all kinds of disease and distress. And this needn’t be the case.

Deciding on the most effective way to eliminate fear is, of course, up to the individual involved. For me, prayer is what does the trick… and provides the treat (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun). Not only has it worked to relieve and even remove my pain, it provides a much-needed spiritual boost as well. Even better, I usually find that I’m less likely to be frightened if I’m ever faced with a similar challenge.

Now that I think about it, the next time I wish someone a “Happy Halloween,” I just might throw in a “fear not” as well. You never know what impact those two words can have on someone’s health.

A Different Perspective on End of Life Issues

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

This article is slated to appear in The Reporter (Vacaville) later this month

It’s probably safe to say that chatting about end of life issues is not how most people would like to spend their free time. It’s one of those “when I get around to it, if I get around to it” items on our proverbial “to do” list. And yet, sooner or later, it’s a conversation all of us are likely to have.

The good news is, that this conversation needn’t be all doom and gloom. It’s possible – perhaps even preferable – to infuse what is by all accounts a necessary, albeit serious, discussion with at least some measure of hope and assurance.

Of course, the intent of such an approach would not be to gloss over important questions relating to financial planning, long-term care, or whether you should consent to “heroic measures” to save your life. These are highly personal decisions that require careful consideration. Too often, though, when these discussions are brought into the public arena they’re obscured by the legal, political, and theological agendas of others. It’s no wonder we don’t want to talk about this stuff.

So how do we go about leavening the conversation? For me it begins by asking basic questions about life and death: “How do I maintain my current quality of life?” “What happens when I die?”

Obviously there’s nobody around today who can personally testify as to “what happens next?” There are, however, quite a few researchers here in California and around the country who have observed the impact an individual’s thought can have on their life – and their health – right now; something that could very well impact the way we think about our future. Just ask Gail Ironson, a psychology and psychiatry professor at the University of Miami.

Ironson conducted a study a few years back to determine the relationship between spiritual consciousness and the progression of AIDS. She looked at two key factors: Viral load, which lets you know how much of the virus is in someone’s body, and immune cells, which work to fend off the AIDS virus. Bottom line: Those who were actively cultivating a spiritual outlook had a much lower viral load and maintained immune cells at a much higher rate than those who consciously disavowed such activity.

What does this have to do with end of life issues? Although not everyone agrees on this point, let’s assume for the moment that consciousness is something we possess both before and after death. It stands to reason, then, that the consciousness we have now will continue to provide noticeable benefit hereafter, perhaps especially to those of us “actively cultivating a spiritual outlook.” And I find that quite assuring.

Just how an understanding of the relationship between consciousness and health impacts your end of life planning is, of course, up to you. Certainly the argument can be made, though, that maintaining a spiritual outlook could and perhaps should play a key role in the process.

Medicine That’s Truly Complementary

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared on Blogcritics

About a month ago I posted an article on this site about the Bay Area media’s lack of coverage of complementary and alternative medicine – a veiled lament, I suppose, that no one was paying attention to a subject that is very much near and dear to my heart.

My original thought was that this is either because the research isn’t credible or that the public isn’t interested in this sort of stuff. However, given the piles of studies that have been done by well-respected researchers and the billions of dollars being spent by everyday folks on everything from chiropractors to acupuncturists and yoga classes, these assumptions fall flat.

My conclusion, then, was that it’s probably because the media, like so many of us, have been educated to believe that healthcare is largely if not exclusively the domain of drug-based medicine. The extent to which those working in the medical field believe this themselves is another story.

Although I’ve never been one to adopt an “us vs. them” / “alternative vs. conventional” mentality, I’ll admit that sometimes it’s hard not to buy in to the idea that, at the very least, “they” really don’t have much appreciation for “us.” Imagine my delight, then, when I read the following on the web site of a prominent and very popular (121,000 followers on Twitter!) Bay Area medical doctor:

If you’re an complementary or alternative medicine provider or some other sort of counselor, coach, or healer, I’m sorry so many physicians respond to what they don’t understand by dismissing you or making you wrong…. I’m sorry you’ve gone to all this trouble to build a relationship with your client, only to have some doctor tear it apart with one ignorant and closed-minded comment. I apologize for that doctor who told your client that what you do is a bunch of valueless woo woo hooey not deserving of their hard-earned money.

I’m sorry they don’t teach us much about what you do in medical school, and I’m sorry we’re not motivated to learn more so we can better collaborate. I’m sorry we act like we’re “better” than you and lord our medical degrees over you in a misguided attempt to assuage our own insecurities.

What you do heals. Patients transform. You love. You listen…. It’s no wonder people value what you do, even when insurance companies don’t cover it. Ancient traditions bring great gifts to the healing toolbox we all share. By embracing the scientific method in Western medicine, we’ve made the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, but you hold the baby. You nurture the baby. And that baby is time, presence, healing touch, and most of all - LOVE.

I’m so very sorry, dear ones. Thank you for what you do. You round out - and often replace (in a good way) - what we docs do, and we are grateful to anyone who transforms illness, sadness, or trauma into vitality, no matter how it happens. After all, the patient is what matters most, right? Don’t we all share a common goal?

Thank you for your healing gifts, and please - join us at the healing round table, where we can all be equal partners in the quest to facilitate the healing journeys of those we serve.

As someone who has made it his practice to rely on prayer for his health – not just for myself, but also for those who come to me for healing – I was touched beyond measure by what I read.

I welcome the invitation to take a seat at “the healing round table” so that doctors, practitioners, and healers alike can all share what we’ve learned in our efforts to bring health and harmony to a world so desperately in need of it.

Even if this collaboration never makes headlines in the local media, it will undoubtedly make a difference in the lives of those who are healed.

Is Praying For Health a High-Wire Act?

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

According to Amy Wachholtz and Usha Sambamoorthi, medical researchers from the University of Massachusetts and West Virginia University respectively, the trend these days is for more and more people to be praying about their health. No, not because they can’t afford health insurance, but because it’s what they’re accustomed to doing and, presumably, because they’re seeing good results.

Sound crazy? Perhaps. But with nearly 50% of all Americans doing it – a three and a half-fold increase over a ten-year period – maybe not so much.

Certainly there are those that look at prayer as nothing more than a last-ditch appeal to some imagined deity to intervene and fix an apparently insurmountable problem. Others, myself included, see it more as a kind of “tapping into” largely unacknowledged spiritual laws that, when sufficiently understood, can have an immediate and lasting impact on one’s health.

My sense is that an important factor in most individual’s desire and ability to rely on prayer-based treatment – either exclusively or as a complement to more conventional methods – is experience. The more familiar you are with something and the more success you have, the easier – and more reasonable – it becomes.

Take, for instance, Philippe Petit. You may know this guy from the award-winning documentary, “Man on Wire,” a chronicle of his 1974 hire-wire walk between New York’s Twin Towers. Now here’s someone engaged in an activity that most of us would consider pretty risky. And yet, for him, it’s the most natural, joy-inducing thing in the world.

In a way, his story reminds me of a woman from here in the Bay Area who, some years ago, engaged in a kind “high-wire act” of her own, choosing to rely entirely on prayer to recover from a serious car accident that left her with a neck that had been broken in two places. Although doctors had told her that in addition to surgery she would have to be immobilized for an extended period of time, within a month she was jogging.

While some – perhaps even most – would have chosen a different approach, I think this woman was able to prove, at least in some small measure, that the decision to rely on prayer for your health isn’t as risky as one might think but is actually quite reasonable.

And who knows? Maybe in another ten years or so, the other 50% of us will be coming to the same conclusion.

The post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch

P.S. For those thinking of taking up high-wire walking, you might like to check out this movie trailer first…

The Genius of Steve Jobs... Revisited

2011-10-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

In recognition of the remarkable life of Steve Jobs, I'd like to again share a post I published on this web site shortly after he announced his retirement in August...

Steve Jobs & The Source of Genius

I know, I know… you just couldn’t wait to read another article, blog post, or commentary about Steve Jobs’ decision to step down as Apple’s top dog. What does it mean? What does the future hold? What will I do if my iPhone breaks down?

Maybe THIS article will have all the answers.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea what the future holds for Apple or any other hi-tech company for that matter. I’m not particularly adept at reading a crystal ball. And I pray – as I do most every day – that my iPhone never breaks down, especially when I’m watching a movie or playing Angry Birds.

What I do know is that the genius of Steve Jobs will continue.

Think about it. When Babe Ruth retired, did baseball players all of a sudden stop hitting home runs? Of course not. Neither did people stop inventing new gadgets, writing magnificent symphonies, creating beautiful art work, or thinking way out-of-the-box after the days of Edison, Mozart, Van Gogh, and Einstein. Why? Because genius never ends.

Don't get me wrong. Steve Jobs has accomplished – and likely will continue to accomplish – some pretty amazing things, not least of which was taking a down-and-almost-out computer brand and turning it into the second biggest company in the world. He also holds upwards of 300 patents. But he didn’t invent, nor does he hold the patent on, genius.

That had to have come from somewhere else.

To me genius isn’t something one acquires but what they manifest or reflect of the Divine. True, most of us could be doing a better job of showing it, but my sense is that genius is something we all have the capacity to express in whatever measure we choose to do so.

Of course, I realize that a lone blogger’s declaration that genius is a divine quality available to one and all probably won’t have any noticeable impact on the price of Apple’s stock. But it should at least give us hope that everything beautiful and simple and downright cool we associate with Steve Jobs and the incredible products he’s given the world will go on.

And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll all be watching movies and playing Angry Birds on the moon, thanks to the inspiration – and the genius – of the next Steve Jobs.

This post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch

What Do Baseball and Healthcare Have in Common?

2011-10-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Although the Giants didn't make it to the playoffs, there's no reason we can relive the amazing post-season odyssey that began last year right about this time which, for me, included this little revelation – and subsequent blog post – about my choice of health care…

The Giants Clinch, Lesson Learned.

Someday I’ll be able to tell my kids and grandkids I was there.

I was there the day the Giants clinched the National League West, squeezing out a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres on the very last day of the season. I was there when Jonathan Sanchez drilled a Matt Latos fastball deep into the alley for a standup triple. I was there when Buster Posey punched the first pitch of the 8th inning into the left field bleachers. I was there when Brian Wilson blew a 95 mph heater past Will Venable to clinch the deal. I was there when the Giants won.

Problem is, I’m a Padres fan.

It’s not that I’m not happy for all those 42,000+ Giants fans I was sitting with. I'm not upset about all the yelling and screaming and fist-pumping. It’s just not the outcome I was hoping for. I understand where they’re coming from and would expect the same of them if they were in my place.

Now, this may sound like a stretch, but in a sort of funny way what I saw on Sunday made me think about my choice of health care.

You see, for the last umpteen years I’ve relied solely upon prayer and my growing understanding of God for my health and general well being. Although that may not be what most other people would choose, that’s no reason for them to be upset. I would expect them to respect where I’m coming from, just as I respect where they’re coming from and what they choose to rely on for their health.

Giants and Padres fans alike were hoping for the same thing on Sunday; a win for their team and the promise of even greater glory in the post-season. In this same vein, those who turn to prayer for healing and those who rely on medical and other means of treatment have the same goal in mind; health, happiness, wholeness.

I doubt I’ll ever become a Giants fan. And its okay if none of those folks I sat with on Sunday start rooting for the Padres. But at least we can all enjoy a good game and maybe even learn a few things from each other. To me that’s all that really matters.

Play ball!

This post also appears on BayCitizen and PaloAltoPatch

Santa Clara Religion Prof Makes Social Media Relevant

2011-09-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

This post originally appeared on Bay Citizen and Palo Alto Patch

Thanks to Santa Clara University professor, Elizabeth Drescher’s, Tweet If You Heart Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation, I’ve finally found a social media guru that I can actually relate to.

I don’t know about you, but I’m just not the kind of guy who responds well to the scare tactics we hear from those who would have everyone believing that unless their business, team, club, school, or church is using social media, they might as well call it quits.

I understand that being engaged with social media is important, even essential, if I want to stay in touch with an increasingly digital world. But if my engagement is motivated purely by the promise of “getting my message out” to the billions of people “out there” on the Internet, I’m not so sure I want to join in.

For me, social media is not so much about telling someone what I think – or what I think they should think – as it is connecting with my community and nurturing relationships.

I didn’t just make that up. It’s the conclusion I reached (as a religious guy, I’ll call it a “revelation”) after reading Dr. Drescher’s book.

I admit that in my work as a spokesperson for my religious faith here in Northern California, working predominantly with traditional media outlets, it can sometimes feel like my “message” is not being heard and that there’s not much I can do about it. The effect is that I’m tempted to speak louder, longer, and more impertinently, even if there’s apparently no one listening. And then I think, “I know! I’ll start using ‘social media’ and then I can be assured that everyone will hear what I have to say!”

Not so fast.

Common sense would indicate that I’m more likely to be heard if the person(s) to whom I’m speaking already has some idea of who I am and that I care about them. This is where social media comes in.

Although I’m very new at this, I’m finding that social media standbys like Twitter and Facebook are great places to get to know folks – old friends, new friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends. And something interesting I’ve noticed when I’m Tweeting and Facebooking and blogging is that the less I preach and the more I engage with folks about subjects that matter not just to me but to them, the more people tend to listen.

And then something cool happens.

As I get to know others by sincerely listening, connecting, and engaging with them, I find my message is more likely to be heard.

I have no doubt that reading Dr. Drescher’s book is going to improve my ability to use social media. But more than that, it’s almost certain to make me a better person, one who sees this evolving digital universe as good a place as any to practice what he preaches, to do unto others as I would have them do unto me*.

*See Matthew 7:12. Any translation will do.

Other Voices: "A Dolphin's Tale" About Prayer

2011-09-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

This Friday "A Dolphin's Tale" opens in movie theaters around the country. Soon millions of people will know the story of this remarkable dolphin and her incredible recovery from a life threatening injury.

One aspect of this story that may not have made headlines, however, is the prayer that played such an integral part in this recovery. For more on this, I'd like to share the thoughts of my good friend and colleague, Bob Clark, from Florida.

A Clearwater Hero

By Bob Clark

Winter, our already famous Clearwater dolphin, is about to become more famous.

Her movie, "A Dolphin's Tale", opens September 23 and will put the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on the world map and propel Winter from talk show phenomenon to Hollywood star.

Hers really is a world class story.

Bob and Winter

I was one of the volunteers who nursed her when she first arrived at CMA. I remember the vet told us we had to give her a reason to keep trying, a reason to live. Even the best medical care couldn't do that. So we did our best to love her the way her missing mother would have.

We fed her from a bottle. We held her. We played with her. We carefully counted and timed her respirations. We loved her 24/7.

My shift was often in the wee hours of the cold Clearwater winter mornings. I know I'm not the only one who shivered in my wetsuit and prayed out loud with her during those long hours in the rescue pool. And yes, she really did learn to like country music best.

But here's the best part of the story and I hope Warner Bros. gets this right. Whatever rehabilitation she received at CMA, she gave back tenfold. The love she felt from us, she has shared and increased almost without measure. The renewal and redemption she experienced in Clearwater will reach out way beyond our little city and continue to bless those who need a reason to keep trying, a reason to live. She's a local hero and she's about to go global.

The Growing Influence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Is the Media Paying Attention?

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared on Blogcritics

Perhaps it’s not surprising that the San Francisco Bay Area, long considered a bastion for progressive thinkers, has become quite the hotbed of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research and education. What is surprising, however, is how little attention this is getting in the media.

Granted, my assessment is anything but scientific. But as someone who lives in the Bay Area and makes it his regular practice to watch what the major media outlets are reporting about healthcare in general and medicine in particular, there is a noticeable lack of coverage. These days the focus seems to be more on what conventional medical researchers are saying or what health insurers are charging than what medicine’s avant-garde is discovering about other effective means of healthcare.

This, then, leads us to one of two specious conclusions: Either the research is not credible or the public is not interested.

Although credibility is often in the eye of the beholder, the discoveries being made, particularly within the area of mind-body medicine, are worth noting. Take, for instance, the so-called “Love Study” conducted by researchers at the Petaluma-based Institute of Noetic Sciences.

In this experiment, subjects were placed in an electromagnetically shielded chamber. Meanwhile, their romantic partner was placed in another similarly shielded chamber with a closed-circuit television that would go on and off at random intervals. Whenever an image of their partner would appear, they were asked to think of them in a loving and compassionate manner.

Researchers found that when one person focused his thoughts on his partner, the blood flow and perspiration of that individual began to change within two seconds. The odds of this happening by chance are 1 in 11,000. Dozens of double blind, randomized studies conducted by institutions like the University of Washington and the University of Edinburgh reported similar results.

Now, as for the public not being interested, the latest figures hardly bear this out. According the National Institutes of Health, 40% of us are spending upwards of $34 billion on complementary or alternative medicine. To me, this shows not only interest but a considerable financial commitment as well.

So why is it that this kind of news rarely makes headlines, especially here in the Bay Area? Perhaps it’s because the media, like so many of us, have been educated to believe that healthcare is largely if not exclusively the domain of drug-based medicine. I find this ironic, especially when you consider that 3 out of every 4 healthcare workers themselves use some form of complementary or alternative medicine to help stay healthy.

Fortunately, personal healthcare decisions are not always based on what one reads – or doesn't read – in the local paper, or what they see or hear on TV and radio. Many, including myself, tend to gravitate instead towards what works best for them. Even if the media aren’t paying as close attention to this fact as perhaps they should, my hope is that this trend will eventually lead to a greater degree of health and wholeness for us all.

Another Take on Bay Area Hospital Safety Reports

2011-09-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

This post also appears on Bay Citizen and Palo Alto Patch

Recent stories about patient safety in Bay Area hospitals could give one the impression that a hospital is the very last place you’d want to be if you were sick or injured. What often goes unreported, however, is the fact that the majority of those cared for in these facilities are receiving excellent treatment by an exceptionally qualified staff.

Tom Cwenar – Blattner/Brunner

Although I’ve only been a hospital patient once when I was a teenager some 30 years ago, I can still recall the compassion and support I felt from everyone who looked after me. This was especially meaningful since I’m someone who’s generally accustomed to relying on prayer in lieu of conventional medicine for my health care and wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived following a serious accident. How gratified I was to be received by so many who were so willing to accommodate my (to them) unique approach to healing.

For instance, following surgery for abdominal trauma, my doctor prescribed pain medication and asked that I take it at regular intervals. At first this seemed like a good idea since I was definitely experiencing acute pain. But within a day or so I was able to drop the medication and rely entirely on prayer – and my doctor was okay with this. Not only that, but within a very short time the pain completely stopped.

On another occasion I recall one of the surgeons scheduling immediate surgery for another condition that wasn’t progressing as expected. My parents and I asked if he wouldn’t mind postponing the operation for just one day to give us time to pray about the situation. The next morning new x-rays were taken which showed dramatic improvement. Instead of carting me off to the operating room, plans were made for me to complete my recovery at home.

Looking back, I think what impressed me most about this experience was the fact that my doctors, surgeons, and nurses were willing to acknowledge, at least to some extent, that there’s more than one approach to healing. Tempting, as it might have been to say, “We know what’s best,” they were humble enough to say, instead, “We trust you know what you’re doing.”

As for me, I learned that hospitals can be a supportive – and safe – place to heal. Although they may not have a perfect record, I have no doubt that staff members at all levels are striving to do their best to improve the health and welfare of those living in the Bay Area and throughout California.

East Palo Alto Man's Multiple Labor Days of Love

2011-09-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I still recall the conversation we had while munching cookies on the front patio after church.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked. An odd sounding question to be sure, if taken out of context, but I could tell where he was coming from since I was asking about his recent whereabouts and activities.

Kirstina Sangsahachart / Daily News

Although I certainly knew his name and had some idea of his various community activities, I have to admit I wasn’t fully aware of the extent of his involvement. Not even close.

The man I was talking to was none other than William Webster. No, not the former head of the FBI and CIA (although that would have been cool), but William Webster of East Palo Alto, community activist extraordinaire.

You may have read about this guy in the San Jose Mercury News earlier this year. Some of the remarkable things he’s done include…

Being a founding member of the East Palo Alto Community Alliance and Neighborhood Development Organization (EPA CAN DO).

Serving on the boards of Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) and the East Palo Alto Council of Tenants (EPACT) Education Fund.

Serving on the East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Board for the past 19 years.

Attending at least 95% of East Palo Alto's regular city council meetings over the past 23 years (and he’s not even a member!).

Oh, and did I mention that since 1992 he’s worked as an administrative associate in Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics? Sure, he gets paid for that. But something tells me that those folks at Stanford are getting a lot of bang for their buck.

According to the article in the Mercury News, William credits his activism and energy to his upbringing as a Christian Scientist, the church he’s still involved with today. This is where I first met him some 6 or 7 years ago, a quiet man (that is, until you get him revved up about some issue he’s passionate about) who served as the piano player in Sunday school.

That’s right. On top of everything else, William still finds time to contribute when and where he can to his local church, a true labor of love.

Although today is a day to honor laborers of many stripes, I wanted to applaud just this one; a man who for years has put service ahead of self and who continues to make a huge difference in the lives of so many people.

This post also appears on BayCitizen.org and PaloAltoPatch.com

Steve Jobs & The Source of Genius

2011-08-29T05:00:00.001-07:00

This post also appears on BayCitizen.org and PaloAltoPatch.com

I know, I know… you just couldn’t wait to read another article, blog post, or commentary about Steve Jobs’ decision to step down as Apple’s top dog. What does it mean? What does the future hold? What will I do if my iPhone breaks down?

Maybe THIS article will have all the answers.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea what the future holds for Apple or any other hi-tech company for that matter. I’m not particularly adept at reading a crystal ball. And I pray – as I do most every day – that my iPhone never breaks down, especially when I’m watching a movie or playing Angry Birds.

What I do know is that the genius of Steve Jobs will continue.

Think about it. When Babe Ruth retired, did baseball players all of a sudden stop hitting home runs? Of course not. Neither did people stop inventing new gadgets, writing magnificent symphonies, creating beautiful art work, or thinking way out-of-the-box after the days of Edison, Mozart, Van Gogh, and Einstein. Why? Because genius never ends.

That had to have come from somewhere else.

And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll all be watching movies and playing Angry Birds on the moon, thanks to the inspiration – and the genius – of the next Steve Jobs.

Other Voices: Institute of Noetic Sciences Confirms "Consciousness Matters"

2011-08-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

According to this video I just found on the web site of the Petaluma-based Institute of Noetic Sciences, the study of consciousness could be the most important exploration of our time.

I couldn't agree more.

For me, consciousness – what I would define as a deep understanding rather than a mere awareness of something – is the key to figuring out my relationship to everyone and everything around me; the key to my understanding of God, the world, the universe. And when the going gets a little rough – actually, even when everything is sailing along just great – I've found that an inspired, enlightened, uplifted, spiritualized consciousness is essential to maintaining my health and general well being.

These days I think you'd be hard pressed to find many folks who didn't agree that one's thought has at least something to do with their experience. Chances are, if you're reading this post, you're probably one of them!

So, have a look at this video… and then feel free to share your thoughts on this subject of "consciousness" – especially as it relates to your health – in the "comments" section below.

Consciousness Matters:Exploring the Mysteries of Inner Space from Institute of Noetic Sciences on Vimeo.

What Kind of Treatment Would You Recommend?

2011-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

This article first published on Blogcritics

Even when I was a kid I wondered about that one out of every five dentists who didn’t “recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.” I know. I’m dating myself. But if you’re between the ages of, say, 45 and 105, you know what I’m talking about. (Need a reminder? Check out the video below).

Although I doubt very much that this guy was recommending gum with sugar, he still struck me as kind of the odd man out.

These days folks recommend all kinds of things – what movies to watch, which restaurant to eat at, the best dog walker – even what you should do about that nagging backache. And, chances are, the reason they’re making that recommendation is because they can personally vouch for the quality of that product, service, or treatment.

Which reminds me…

Not too long ago I had a whopper of a backache that left me unable to get around comfortably from the time I woke up till the time I went to bed. Although I’m fairly well aware of the various treatments available – everything from painkillers to surgery to a visit to the local chiropractor – I ended up going with something I’d used many times before. Prayer.

This where the “4 out of 5 dentists” analogy comes in…

Ask yourself: When was the last time you recommended prayer as a means of treating a physical ailment? Don’t feel bad. I use it all the time – and with good success – and yet I’m often reluctant to recommend it to others, maybe because of some unnatural fear of being seen as that “fifth dentist.”

But despite this reluctance, this doesn’t mean we’re not relying on prayer ourselves. According to a study released by the American Psychological Association, nearly one half of all Americans turn to prayer as a means of addressing their various health problems. And of those surveyed, more than twice as many reported “better” as opposed to “worse” health as a result of these prayers.

Which, of course, begs the question: What exactly is prayer?

For those who conduct medical research, this is a bit of a sticky wicket since prayer is such an individual thing. How does one go about measuring the effectiveness of something they can’t even define? And just because someone says they got better, does this mean that prayer had anything to do with it?

Just ask Mayo Clinic hematologist, Morrie Gertz, who said, “It’s not my job to tell [my patients] they shouldn’t feel better…. We may not have great evidence that alternative medicine works, but that’s very different from saying it doesn’t work.”

By the way, shortly after I decided to pray about that situation with my back, I began to feel a lot better. That was at least 2 or 3 years ago and I haven’t had that problem since. Maybe now when someone asks me what I would suggest to relieve an aching back, I just might recommend prayer. And, chances are, at least 1 out of 2 of those reading this post just might do the same.

Other Voices: Medicate First, Ask Questions Later?

2011-08-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

Today's "Other Voices" post comes to us courtesy of The Saybrook Forum, the newsletter and blog of San Francisco's Saybrook University.

I think the title says it all… but the rest of the post is pretty compelling as well. Although my own approach to health care differs from the non-medical methods discussed in this article, I appreciate the author's effort to "[expand] the notion of what is possible in medicine…."

Once you're through reading the article, feel free to share your own thoughts with other blog readers in the "comments" section below.

Why Do We Medicate First and Ask Questions Later

From The Saybrook Forum

It's a common assumption among medical professionals that biochemical conditions must involve biochemical treatments -- you need to pop a pill for your depression and take medication for your blood pressure.

But that doesn't necesarilly follow. High blood pressure is often best treated by diet and exercise, and depression -- even assuming it is a biochemical condition -- is frequently better addressed by talking with a therapist and changing your life.

Writing at The New Existentialists, Sarah Kass notes that a recent study has shown that practicing yoga "helps to calm the schizophrenic mind."

And why wouldn't it? While the benefits of yoga have only been acknowledged by western medicine relatively recently, it has thousands of years of history behind it as an aid to meditation and a way to help unify mind and body. The notion that this is inferior to a pill because ... because ... wait, why exactly? Oh right, because it isn't "medicine." Well, that's a notion that doesn't make any sense.

Healthy approaches that take the whole person into account should be medicine of first resort, not last - especially since practicing them is still a good idea when you're already healthy. Unlike medication, the "side effects" of yoga are all positive if you do it right. It can even serve as preventative medicine - the best kind.

Along those lines, a recent case study suggested that schizophrenics who hear voices can benefit from addressing them as manifestations of the psyche, rather than trying to ignore and drown them out. This doesn't mean doing what they tell you -- especially in violent cases -- but it does mean that taking them seriously and trying to understand how they relate to the person as a whole can be a tremendous advance.

This is still a relatively new approach that will need further examination - but it expands the notion of what is possible in medicine if we take the whole person approach seriously, rather than medicating first and asking questions later.

The Airbus A380 & The Future of Healthcare

2011-08-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Photo by Mark P. Walker

The other day a good friend of mine posted this picture of an Airbus A380 taking off from SFO on his Facebook page. Call me odd, but in a way this image reminded me of the future of health care in America and, for that matter, around the world.

I’ll get to health care in a minute. First, a word about the A380.

For those of you unfamiliar with this remarkable feet of engineering, the A380 is the world’s largest passenger plane. With nearly 50% more floor space than its next largest competitor – the Boeing 747 – it can carry between 525 and 853 passengers up to 9,400 miles at a cruising speed of 560 miles per hour. A hundred, 50, even 25 years ago few, if any, would have thought this possible.

The same holds true for advances in health care. What was once thought impossible – perhaps even crazy – is slowly but surely becoming the norm.

Esteemed mind-body physician, Dr. Larry Dossey, describes this evolution in terms of three distinct “Eras” of medicine. Era 1 medicine began in the mid-1800’s, when patients were treated like so many mindless machines. Era 2, which began in the mid-1900’s, ushered in the now widely accepted view that the human mind has at least some bearing on one’s health. Era 3 is the future of medicine, a time when consciousness will be seen as central to the understanding of the universe and the metal nature of health.

Those living here in the Bay Area don’t have to look very far to find quite a number of people who would readily agree with Dr. Dossey’s prediction.

Take, for instance, the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma. Since 1973 these folks have been engaged in cutting-edge research that explores the potentials and powers of consciousness, including its impact on health.

There’s also U.C. San Francisco's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Although their work encompasses more than just consciousness-based medicine, their focus is on patients seeking “a healing-oriented approach to healthcare.” This includes various psychotherapy and Ayurvedic or “mind-body-spirit” services.

And then there’s Saybrook University, the only school in the country offering advanced degrees in mind-body medicine.

To me this commitment to Era 3 medicine is exciting. More than that, it’s beginning to have a very real impact on the world of health care at a time when increasing numbers of people are looking for an alternative to conventional medicine.

Whether their current approach to health care is less than satisfying or they’re interested in exploring an alternative to predominantly drug-based treatments, there’s a growing public demand for health care that’s above and beyond what many – at least at one time – thought possible.

Kind of like the A380.

Just how soon – or if – Era 3 medicine will take center-stage, no one knows for sure. What is certain is that at least some individuals looking for a safe, effective, and reliable approach to health care – myself included – are finding that Era 3 is where it’s at.

Now, if I could just find a way to post a picture of this on Facebook…

Spiritual Cleansing

2011-08-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

A recent article by Palo Alto Patch reporters Rachel Stern and Alejandro Lopez de Haro provided an interesting backgrounder on Ramadan, a month-long Muslim holiday most of us have probably heard of but likely don’t know too much about (yours truly included!).

According to Athar Siddiqee, president of the South Bay Islamic Association, Ramadan is a time of both physical and spiritual cleansing; something all of us could use every now and then, I suppose, regardless of our religious affiliation.

For me this kind of spiritual cleansing or “baptism” – to use the closest Christian equivalent I can think of – is something I’d like to think I do pretty much every day.

It begins in a somewhat formal manner by reading selections from the Bible – both from the Old and New Testament – as well as related passages from a favorite textbook that helps me understand the Bible’s stories and teachings. As I read I’m reminded of the basics of my faith such as the goodness of God – His/Her presence, power, and all-loving nature – and the innate spirituality of His/Her creation. I say “His/Her” because my religion teaches that God acts as both Father and Mother of us all.

The rest of the day’s “cleansing” is decidedly less formal.

It generally consists of doing my best to put into practice what I’m learning in the Bible. Sometimes this is easier said than done. For instance, the Bible tells me that I should “love my enemies.” Right. How am I supposed to do that? And why?

The answers I get – through prayer – change from day to day, but basically it comes down to this: Trust that each and every individual you encounter throughout the day is just as capable as you are of being and expressing what God created. In other words (and to borrow an axiom adopted by Muslims and Christians alike), “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Why should I take the time and effort to do this? Because doing so means that not only my life but also the life of everyone around me is more harmonious. To me, that’s well worth the effort.

I have no doubt there are many folks around Silicon Valley and around the world who are engaged in their own brand of “spiritual cleansing.” Whether it’s something that’s done formally – such as Ramadan, baptism, or some other holiday or ritual – or not, it’s having an impact that’s worth noting and celebrating every day.

Other Voices: Prayer is Key to Real Health Reform

2011-08-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

This week's "Other Voices" post comes to you courtesy of my friend and colleague, Russ Gerber, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher from Boston.

What I like best about Russ' post is that he reminds us that health care reform isn't just about lower costs and better access but improved and consistent results as well. As you'll see, many are finding that prayer is the key.

The Positive Effects of Prayer

Russ Gerber (originally posted on Huffington Post)

Did you catch the brief but remarkable story about researchers who have concluded (once again) that more and more Americans are praying about their health? As striking as that is, it's not the big surprise in the latest study.

Here's what is: as of 2007 the percent of adults who are praying about their health is now at 49 percent -- no kidding, about half of the adult population -- up from 43 percent in 2002 and 14 percent in 1999. That's a lot of prayers.

But what about the results? With all that lofty thinking going on are people actually satisfied with the outcome? Apparently so. The researchers commented in their report that a huge majority reported positive experiences.

Harold Koenig, M.D. isn't surprised. In the introduction to his now-classic Handbook of Religion and Health, a definitive analysis of the effect of religion and spirituality on health, Koenig noted: "As those of us who have labored in this field for many years have long suspected, the relationship between religion and health, on average and at the population level, is overwhelmingly positive."

Does this decade-long trend signal that people aren't putting as much faith in drug-based therapies as they once did? Not necessarily. Many who said they pray about health also told survey-takers they're using prayer as a supplement to their medical treatment, apparently hoping for the best of both worlds.

Still, for some whose treatment for bodily pain and ailments is solely mental and spiritual, the results are impressive. Mind-healing, which doesn't need to be helped along by drugs, has been the health care method of choice for some people for years. Critical to understanding how that could be is an understanding of just how much the human mind alone affects the action and condition of the body, and of the potential for spirituality to improve the human mind. An improved mental state, in other words, can promote health.

The research suggests that the average man and woman, through their everyday experiences with prayer and health, get this. They get it in spite of the more "rational" materialistic arguments made by critics of non-traditional methods of treatment who say that all this spiritual stuff is without convincing evidence.

Yet what the critics aren't embracing, the people are: the potential of a more spiritual consciousness to improve and restore health, and the confirmation from their own experience that indeed it does.

Which then raises a larger question about the future of health care. It isn't so much about where we're headed, really -- the public is showing a strong interest in finding alternative methods of care -- but who will take the lead?

Open-minded men and women, it appears, are the "experts" to watch. In the trenches of health care decision-making everyday, they're challenging long-held assumptions, looking at all the health care options before them, including prayer, and as surveys show they are utilizing prayer to a growing degree. For those who thought health care reform was just about cost control and access, think again.

Reflections on a Talk by Deepak Chopra

2011-08-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the great privilege of hearing Deepak Chopra present the closing address at the Institute of Noetic Science’s annual conference in San Francisco – from the front row, no less! Anyone familiar with Dr. Chopra’s work can imagine just what a thought-provoking experience this was. Here are just a few of the ideas he shared…

“Consciousness not only affects biology, it creates biology.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘observer independent’ reality. Given that a bee, a lizard, a snake, and a human being see the world from very different perspectives, there’s no such thing as ‘the color or the world,’ or ‘the sound of the world,’ or ‘the smell of the world.’”

“How does a nervous system inside a skull that only knows what happens inside the body conceive of or create an external experience? This is what science calls ‘the hard problem.’”

“Does the brain cause the experience or does the experience cause activity in the brain? Or does something else entirely – perhaps ‘intention’ – cause both? No one knows. And, if it’s ‘intention,’ where does this come from? We don’t know. And we don’t even have a model for studying this.”

And my favorite…

“What we call ‘mind’ and ‘body’ are not things but processes. The entanglement of these processes takes place in a single consciousness that I call God. Call it what you will – the almighty, energy, whatever – I call it God. Ultimately we’ll discover that there’s nothing other than God. Zero. There is only God.”

Of course, I couldn’t help comparing what Dr. Chopra was saying with my own evolving ideas about God, about man, and about this thing we call “creation.” Do I agree with everything he said? No, not everything, but that’s not the point. What excited me most about what I was hearing was that there are people like Dr. Chopra who are willing to think differently – creatively, courageously, thoughtfully, persistently – about the deepest questions confronting humanity. And, that there are so many others who are willing to consider what these people are saying and to at least begin thinking differently themselves. I’d like to think I’m one of them.

“The time for thinkers has come,” writes Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science in her book, Science and Health. “Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity. Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away. Ignorance of God is no longer the steppingstone to faith. The only guarantee of obedience is a right apprehension of Him whom to know aright is Life eternal.”

Obviously Dr. Chopra is not willing to accept an ignorance of God. Perhaps because he senses – as do I – that a better understanding God, divine consciousness, is essential to a more complete understanding of ourselves.

In The News: SoCal Christian Science Nursing Facility Aids Japan

2011-07-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit, this week’s “In the News” post is an unabashedly personal plug for my sister, Pam.

You see, Pam runs a Christian Science nursing facility in San Diego that’s been doing some pretty amazing things lately, not the least of which is raising $138,000 for relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. You can read more about this in the article below.

What else have they been up to? Well, like all Christian Science nursing facilities around the world (there are about 20 of them here in the United States), they provide basic, non-medical physical care to those relying on prayer as taught in Christian Science for their recovery from various physical ailments. In fact, a very good friend of mine was quickly and completely healed of a medically diagnosed broken neck while being cared for at a nursing facility here in the Bay Area (click here to read more).

No doubt, there are lots of other wonderful things going on at these facilities. Here are a few details about what’s been happening in San Diego…

Small Nonprofit Has a Big Heart for Japan Quake Survivors

Brandi Perez, North County Times

A small Christian Science group that runs a tiny nursing home in Encinitas started a relief fund earlier this year to help survivors of Japan's devastating earthquake and has now raised more than $138,000, say the somewhat surprised organizers of the effort.

"It's rather overwhelming," said Pam Ludwig, executive director of the nonprofit organization called Sunland Home Foundation "When we first decided to go forward with this we thought 'if we could just raise $2,500 wouldn't that be great.' "

My Sister Pam (Photo: James Ludwig)

"But when we got started the floodgates opened," she said. "We almost had to hire another staff person to keep up with the letters and phone calls."

Sunland serves a maximum of 20 patients at its lone nursing home in Encinitas.

The group ----- struck by the devastation in Japan after the the March 9 earthquake and tsunami ---- established its own Japanese relief support, dubbed the Cherry Blossom Fund, immediately following the disaster.

The foundation mailed an appeal letter to its 3,000-person mailing list, which consists of the organization's members, previous patients, churches and other individuals, said Ludwig.

In the first month, about $100,000 flooded in.

Ludwig said Sunland sends every penny that is donated to the highly respected Association for Aid and Relief, Japan. The non-governmental organization provides emergency assistance, aid to people with disabilities, and land mine action, among other operations.

"What's special is that 100 percent of donations go to relief efforts, we're just a pass through," Ludwig said. "We know the money is directly going to those in need."

She said the $138,000 raised so far has been used to purchase supplies such as kerosene, sweet-bean cakes, sleeping bags, tooth brushes and other necessities.

Donations have come from as far away as Canada, Australia, Germany, England, Mexico and Hong Kong.

Ludwig said she didn't solicit the foreign contributors. She said they heard about the Cherry Blossom Fund and contacted Sunland.

"It's interesting how many people were waiting for the right venue," she said. "I think they heard through networking, churches, through other individuals. There was a lecture on an Internet site that made reference to the Cherry Blossom Fund. So much of the contributions were indirectly, they were really random."

Ludwig said she is extremely grateful to those who have contributed and hopes others will offer their support. The need is still great and much of Japan is still grief-stricken over the tragedy, she said.

"This really was a spiritual idea to reach out to our fellow man," she said. "It was an expression of love."

Those interested in contributing can send donations to Cherry Blossom Fund, Sunland Home Foundation, 691 Sparta Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024. Any contribution is tax deductible.

To learn more about the Cherry Blossom Fund and Sunland Home Foundation, visit www.sunland.org.

I’ll admit, this week’s “In the News” post is an unabashedly personal plug for my sister, Pam.

No doubt, there are lots of other wonderful things going on at these facilities. Here are a few details about what’s been happening in San Diego…

Small Nonprofit Has a Big Heart for Japan Quake Survivors

Brandi Perez, North County Times

"But when we got started the floodgates opened," she said. "We almost had to hire another staff person to keep up with the letters and phone calls."

Sunland serves a maximum of 20 patients at its lone nursing home in Encinitas.

The foundation mailed an appeal letter to its 3,000-person mailing list, which consists of the organization's members, previous patients, churches and other individuals, said Ludwig.

In the first month, about $100,000 flooded in.

"What's special is that 100 percent of donations go to relief efforts, we're just a pass through," Ludwig said. "We know the money is directly going to those in need."

She said the $138,000 raised so far has been used to purchase supplies such as kerosene, sweet-bean cakes, sleeping bags, tooth brushes and other necessities.

Donations have come from as far away as Canada, Australia, Germany, England, Mexico and Hong Kong.

Ludwig said she didn't solicit the foreign contributors. She said they heard about the Cherry Blossom Fund and contacted Sunland.

"This really was a spiritual idea to reach out to our fellow man," she said. "It was an expression of love."

Those interested in contributing can send donations to Cherry Blossom Fund, Sunland Home Foundation, 691 Sparta Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024. Any contribution is tax deductible.

To learn more about the Cherry Blossom Fund and Sunland Home Foundation, visit www.sunland.org.

Click here to read the original article...

Other Voices: Noetic's Director of Research on Universal Consciousness

2011-07-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Just last week I had the great pleasure of attending the Institute of Noetic Science's (IONS) annual conference, Noetic 2.0: Tools and Technologies for a World Transforming.

One of the workshops I attended was moderated by Dr. Cassandra Vieten. She's the Director of Research at IONS as well as a licensed clinical psychologist, author and… the author of this week's "Other Voices" post.

"Cassi" and I spoke briefly about the role of spirituality in healthcare environments, specifically the impact one's ever-evolving understanding of their relationship to God can have on their emotional and physical health.

I look forward to continuing the conversation in the months to come. In the meantime, I thought you'd enjoy reading her answer to the question…

Is There Evidence For Universal Consciousness?

Cassandra Vieten, Institute of Noetic Sciences

In Dan Brown’s new book The Lost Symbol, the fictional character Katherine Solomon mentions “universal consciousness,” which is an ongoing topic of interest at the real-life Institute of Noetic Sciences.

For millennia, diverse spiritual traditions have described in many different ways aspects of what could be called a universal, or collective, consciousness—a “shared ground of being” that encompasses everyone and everything. Like the Zen master who goes up to the hot-dog vendor and says, “Make me one with everything,” mystics throughout the ages have reported experiences of feeling merged with God or with all of existence (at some level feeling no separation between them and all that is). The psychologist Carl Jung postulated the existence of a “collective unconscious,” a concept that attempted to explain these and other subjective experiences, such as presentiment and synchronicity (for example, suddenly thinking of a long-lost friend and then the phone rings, with the friend on the other end of the line) or the existence of remarkably similar symbolism in ancient, isolated, or primitive cultures that had no prior contact with one another or the rest of the world.

Our survey and interview research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences has shown that these “unity” experiences have the potential to stimulate long-term changes in the way that people view themselves and the world around them. Some people who have had experiences like these seem to take things less personally, or they see all people as similar to themselves—as members of their ”in-group” no matter how different they appear on the surface. They may feel more compassionate toward the suffering of others, behave more altruistically, or forgive more easily. And they often report more meaning, richness, and joy in their lives.

At the Institute of Noetic Sciences, we are exploring this phenomenon in several ways. For example, we design and conduct studies to empirically test hypotheses consistent with the theory of a universal consciousness. If in fact there is a universal, shared aspect to consciousness, then does the intention or attention of one person affect the physiology of another person, even at a distance? And can this type of connection be demonstrated under rigorously controlled laboratory conditions? We also conduct studies using social science approaches to systematically examine people’s experiences of oneness or universal consciousness and how it impacts their lives. What are the conditions under which these experiences take place? How do they feel, and how long do they last? What insights arise from them, and do those insights have lasting effects on coping, stress, or health and well-being? We are also exploring what happens in the electrical activity of the brain when people are actually experiencing these states of consciousness.

So, is there evidence for a universal consciousness that can be reliably measured and demonstrated in physical reality? From a purely empirical perspective, I’m not sure we have the answer yet, but we see hints in the affirmative.

Click here to see the original post...

Using Harry Potter to Explain Christian Science

2011-07-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

In addition to providing me with a least a decade’s worth of entertainment, J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter has also given me a fresh and (hopefully) meaningful way to explain my not-always-easy-to explain religion to others. And given that practically half the world has either read or seen the last installment of this epic series, I feel comfortable doing so without fear of spoiling the ending.

But first a little background…

As a Christian Scientist, I’m often confronted – by others and within myself – with some pretty tough questions about my faith; questions like, “If you believe that God is all good, all-powerful, and ever-present, how do you explain natural disasters, famine, war, and violent rampages? What about sickness, disease, and death? Why do bad things happen to good people?”

In short, “How do you deal with the question of evil?”

Although I’m very far from having anything even approaching a complete answer, I can tell you that one thing I don’t do is close my eyes and pretend it’s not there. Simply avoiding evil or wishing / hoping / praying that it just goes away is not the answer.

On the other hand, something I’d like to think I am getting better at over the years is choosing between what I consider to be effective and not-so-effective ways to defeat evil.

And this is where Harry Potter comes in.

As every Potterphile knows, there comes a time in Book Seven when Harry has to choose between two courses of action in his quest to deal with the evil Lord Voldemort, aka “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

One path involves the acquisition of three “Deathly Hallows.” These include the “Elder Wand,” an immensely powerful weapon considered undefeatable; the “Resurrection Stone,” a substance that can bring the dead back to life; and the “Cloak of Invisibility,” which, as the name implies, enables the user to become completely invisible.

The other path – and the course Harry ultimately chooses – is to track down and destroy seven hidden “Horcruxes.” These are objects in which Voldemort has placed a part of his soul as a means of achieving immortality.

Now, I realize that any analogy between Harry’s quest to defeat “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” and the practice of Christian Science may seem a little loose at this point. But hear me out on this.

Metaphorically speaking, the acquisition of the three “Deathly Hallows” can be seen as a way of merely coping with evil by trying to beat it, cheat it, or hide from it altogether. In a way this approach reminds me of the mostly matter-based ways we’ve devised to deal with the evils called sickness and disease. As effective as these methods may be for some, I think it’s safe to say that most of us would prefer a more “Horcrux-like” strategy in order to get rid of these evils once and for all.

And this is where Christian Science comes in.

You see, Christian Science is all about getting at the root of the problem. No, not by tracking down bits and pieces of an evil wizard’s soul (if this were even possible) but by addressing – not with magic, but through inspired prayer – the mental nature of all evil, sickness and disease included. By challenging long-held assumptions about God, about man, and even the apparent invincibility and inevitability of evil itself, those who rely on Christian Science for their health and general well-being have found that they’re able to defeat evil in much the same way that Jesus did.

Although modest by comparison, the healings they’ve been able to effect include a wide variety of ailments – everything from everyday aches and pains to more serious, medically diagnosed conditions. The result of this healing process – this battle, if you will – is the destruction of at least some small element of evil that would suggest that man has separated himself, by choice or by design, from God’s care.

Getting back to Harry, perhaps the biggest lesson for him – and for us – is what these evil-defeating experiences can teach us about the presence and power of love; a word that Episcopal priest and Yale lecturer Danielle Tumminio, in her superb analysis of the Potter series, equates with God.

But still we’re left with at least one unanswered question: If what Christian Science teaches is true, how come we still have all this evil to deal with?

To be honest, this is a question I continue to contend with. But while I may not have entirely grasped the “why” of evil, I’m grateful to have caught at least a glimpse of the “how” of evil’s destruction.

“I have never supposed the world would immediately witness the full fruitage of Christian Science,” writes Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science in her book, Science and Health, “or that sin, disease, and death would not be believed for an indefinite time; but this I do aver, that, as a result of teaching Christian Science, ethics and temperance have received an impulse, health has been restored, and longevity increased. If such are the present fruits, what will the harvest be, when this Science is more generally understood?”

Indeed, imagine what the world will be like as we discover, as did Harry, that evil in whatever form it presents itself can and will be defeated once and for all.

In The News: Spotlight on Muslims in New Reality TV Show

2011-07-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

This week’s “In The News” post comes to us courtesy of the LA Times. It’s a story about an upcoming TLC reality show called “All-American Muslim.” According to TLC General Manager, Amy Winter, the intent of the program is “to show there was diversity even within the Muslim community.”

Perhaps a similar program could be done using Christian Scientists. Well, maybe not. Even so, as a spokesperson for the faith, I’m always looking for new and effective (if less entertaining) ways to explain to others that, despite some pretty persistent misconceptions floating around, Christian Scientists (well, at least the ones I know) are pretty much like everyone else.

Let me know if you have any ideas. In the meantime, enjoy this article…

TLC's latest reality show will look at Muslim families in America

Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times

Call it “Muslim Modern Family.”

Cable channel TLC is hoping to do for Muslims what it did for polygamists and Sarah Palin -– put a new spin on controversial subjects that people often make judgments about without knowing the whole story.

The reality show “All-American Muslim” will follow the lives of five Muslim American families, some of whom are related, who reside in Dearborn, Mich., a suburb of Detroit that has a large Muslim population. The show will debut in late November.

The people participating in "All-American Muslim" seem to run the gamut from very religious to more casual, and all struggle to find a balance between their American home and their Muslim background. One cast member is a football coach and another is in law enforcement. There are even splits in the level of devotion in some of the individual families. One family features two sisters –- one of whom wears a traditional head scarf and another who has tattoos and piercings and married an Irish Catholic.

"I don’t have a camel parked in my backyard," said one cast member, Suehaila, in an early episode. Another cast member, Nawal, quipped, "I buy Burberry, I buy Louis Vuitton, I buy Fendi."

"We wanted to show there was diversity even within the Muslim community," said TLC General Manager Amy Winter. "These are families that might have beliefs that are different than yours, but we are all living similar daily lives and hopefully we will bring that to light."

“All-American Muslim” is the latest TLC show that is certain to generate strong reactions. Its show “Sister Wives” about a man who has made a family with four women became a hit for the cable channel as did its series on Sarah Palin and her family called "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

Asked if TLC expects a backlash from viewers and advertisers, Winter said, "We usually find with TLC that the backlash occurs as soon as we start marketing something and once viewers experience the show, we get a far different response."

Click here to see the original article...

Other Voices: Effects of Prayer on Health Must be Studied

2011-07-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

This week's "Other Voices" column features an editorial that appeared last month in The Christian Science Monitor. As the article points out, despite a big leap in the use of prayer for health among Americans, the government has decided not to study it as a complement or alternative to medicine.

Does Prayer Exist, in Washington's Eyes?

Christian Science Monitor Editorial Board

Here’s a great paradox of our time: Half of the adults in America now call on prayer for healing – or three times the number from the 1990s. Yet the federal government recently decided not to study prayer as an aid to healing – as it had done for years.

Why this sudden disconnect between Washington and half the adult population? Must a spiritual exercise so useful and so common be labeled, as one researcher put it, “parochial” and “unconventional”?

Prayer is certainly central to everyday life in the United States. A large majority of people believe in God, according to polls. And again this year, the US president proclaimed a “national day of prayer” in May.

“We’re seeing a wide variety of prayer use among people with good income and access to medical care,” says Dr. Amy Wachholtz, a psychiatrist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

She and a fellow researcher released a study last month that is the first to look at trends in the use of prayer for health concerns. They saw a substantial increase from 13.7 percent of adults in 1999 to 49 percent only eight years later.

That’s quite a leap, one that can’t be easily ignored. The data for that study, oddly enough, relied on extensive surveys conducted by the National Institutes of Health. Yet while NIH’s 2002 survey data on prayer use was issued in a report on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the NIH decided not to issue the data on prayer that was collected in 2007.

As a reason for this shift in policy, the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine points to studies that claim prayer is outside the “mainstream” of unconventional healing practices and is based on “belief” and not “scientific laws.”

But among its dozens of categories defined as CAM, the center does recognize “spiritual healing,” such as native American “medicine men,” the use of supernatural forces by Curandero folk healers among Latinos, and the use of amulets by Espiritista healers.

Spiritual healing is easier to define for the government, as the meaning is considered to involve a professional practitioner and often is a “mind-body interaction.” Prayer, on the other hand, is regarded as a “private, devotional communication,” commonly seen as a petition for health, blessing, forgiveness, and grace, or as a prayer for others.

Many CAM researchers welcome the use of spirituality in the healing process. But, states a 2009 article “Is Prayer CAM?” in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: “To include the generic terms ‘prayer’ and ‘intercessory prayer’ (any prayer for the benefit of others) in CAM ... confuses the role of medicine with that of religion.”

Thus, even though the government has found prayer to be the most common type of complementary and alternative medicine, it has decided to define it out of existence as a category for study.

At least for now.

As many CAM researchers admit, defining the categories for their research is a “moving target.” The minimal standard is that such practices are not usually taught in medical schools or generally available in hospitals.

Prayer, of course, is available to anyone, even in a hospital. It includes, after all, the bringing of the laws of God to bear on human thinking, a process which can be as scientific as the laws of material medicine.

To Washington, prayer may be too ambiguous to study. But for those relying on prayer, it is anything but.

In The News: Fresno Bee Puts Spotlight on Good Samaritans

2011-07-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like I’ve been reading a lot lately about the “downside” or even “darkside” of religion. No doubt we can trace all sorts of problems to those professing to act “in the name of religion,” but at its heart I think religion is a very good thing that continues to do a lot of good for a lot of people.

Case in point: Hundreds of young folks representing World Changers recently gathered in the Clovis to restore the homes – and, in a way, the lives – of a couple dozen families in need. As I read the article, I was reminded that it’s not just about doing good for others but seeing one another’s innate goodness that is the key to healing the ills of the world.

This week’s “In the News” column provides the full story.

Youths From Across U.S. Gather to Fix Up Clovis Homes

Ron Orozco, Fresno Bee

Several hundred youths from throughout the nation -- representing World Changers mission organization -- have been busy this week helping to renovate homes in low-income Clovis neighborhoods.

They also have been making new friends, experiencing life in a different state and learning repair skills.

Many of the youths have multiple World Changers experiences, returning each year to do more work. They say their favorite part of the week is when their finished work is unveiled to the homeowner.

"It's seeing the look on the homeowner's face," says Stephanie Secrest, 15, of Kingston, Wash. "It's, 'I can't believe you did this for me -- and it's free.' "

World Changers, a ministry of the North American Mission Board, sent nearly 300 youths to Clovis this week. They started Tuesday, seeking to renovate 21 homes and a food pantry by Friday. This is the mission group's eighth summer in Clovis.

The Clovis Community Redevelopment Agency is providing the materials for the local work, and the Mid-Valley Southern Baptist Association is organizing local churches to provide daily meals for the workers. The youths' home base is the Clovis North Educational Center, where they are sleeping in 30 classrooms.

World Changers' goal is to provide a weeklong mission experience for youths and adults where they can meet the physical and spiritual needs of others through projects such as roofing, painting, landscaping and fencing. World Changers spokesman Scott Stephens says about 75% of volunteers are repeaters.

Click here to read the rest of the story…

Other Voices: Stanford Scope on the Health Benefits of Prayer

2011-07-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

According to Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, religious studies professor at Indiana University Bloomington, “It is a primary privilege and responsibility of medical science to pursue a better understanding of therapeutic inventions [e.g. prayer] that may advance global health, especially in contexts where conventional medical treatments are inadequate or unavailable.”

This is actually the “punch line” to this week’s “Other Voices” column, brought to you courtesy of Stanford Scope, the blog of Stanford School of Medicine.

I was intrigued by the idea that prayer could be particularly helpful in situations “where conventional medical treatments are inadequate or unavailable.” When you think about it, this could apply to just about anyone, anytime, anywhere.

For instance, a good friend of mine was cured of medically diagnosed cancer solely through prayer after medical treatment proved to be inadequate. And I can think of more than a few times when I found myself in situations where medical treatment was definitely unavailable and I was able to rely on prayer, not just for comfort, but for quick and complete physical healing as well.

When you’re through reading this post, feel free to share instances of how you’ve used prayer for healing in the “comments” section below.

Might “Healing Prayer” Actually Heal?

Julia James, Stanford Scope

Prayer can be unimaginably beautiful – or just really, really awkward, a la Ben Stiller’s dinner grace in the film Meet the Parents:

“We thank you, oh… sweet, sweet, Lord…of hosts. For the…ah…smorgasbord you have so aptly laid at our table this day. And each day. By day. Day by day, by day.”

But can prayer be healing?

A new study, which looked at the efficacy of proximal prayer in relieving auditory and visual impairments, suggests the answer might be a (very) qualified “yes.”

Researchers led by Candy Gunther Brown, PhD, from the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University Bloomington observed the activities of two Christian groups, Iris Ministries and Global Awakening, in Mozambique and Brazil. They used an audiometer and vision charts to evaluate 25 rural subjects before and after they received proximal intercessory prayer, or PIP. Per the study release:

“Subjects exhibited improved hearing and vision that was statistically significant after PIP was administered. Two subjects with impaired hearing reduced the threshold at which they could detect sound by 50 decibels. Three subjects had their tested vision improve from 20/400 or worse to 20/80 or better. These improvements are much larger than those typically found in suggestion and hypnosis studies.”

The study did not seek to explain the mechanisms by which PIP might work.

Whether scientific research should address prayer has been vehemently contested in recent years. Brown argues it should:

“If empirical research continues to indicate that PIP may be therapeutically beneficial, then — whether or not the mechanisms are adequately understood — there are ethical and nonpartisan public policy reasons to encourage further related research… It is a primary privilege and responsibility of medical science to pursue a better understanding of therapeutic inventions that may advance global health, especially in contexts where conventional medical treatments are inadequate or unavailable.”

What's Missing From Health Care Reform?

2011-07-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

The following article was published this past Wednesday in my hometown newspaper, the Los Altos Town Crier.

Christian Science Benefit Missing From Healthcare Bill

By Eric Nelson

Thanks to the passage last year of the federal government’s landmark health-care reform bill, Californians already enjoy a number of new benefits, including tax credits for employers, free preventive services for people on Medicare and a provision that allows anyone up to the age of 26 to remain on his or her parents’ health plan.

But something very important is still missing.

The law includes no provision for religious nonmedical care, including those services provided by self-employed Christian Science practitioners and nurses, both of which are available to the general public and are in no way subsidized by the Christian Science Church. Their role is not to proselytize, but to provide metaphysical treatment of physical and other ailments to those who call on them for assistance, regardless of religious background or interest.

For years, these services have been accommodated in other government-run programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and California’s own Public Employees’ Retirement System. So how is it that something already provided to the elderly, the impoverished and the government-employed is not now being afforded to everyone else in the middle?

That just doesn’t seem right.

To be fair, Congress has built in a little wiggle room in terms of the implementation of this new law, which says that “a State may require that a qualified health plan offered in such State offer benefits in addition to the essential health benefits specified (by the federal government).” The only caveat here is that the state would have to cover any added costs.

Apparently this isn’t an insurmountable hurdle. California’s legislature has already introduced at least 15 bills that would impose coverage requirements that would likely go beyond any federal mandates. This would include coverage for things like acupuncture, mammographies, maternity care, tobacco cessation drugs, medically necessary autism treatment and expanded mental-disorder diagnoses.

Religious nonmedical care deserves the same consideration.

For generations, those who relied on Christian Science for their health care have been cured of everything from minor ailments to more serious, life-threatening diseases, many of them medically diagnosed. Failure to accommodate this proven system of healing would not only disregard a significant historic precedent, but also would effectively disenfranchise those who have found prayer-based treatment to be a safe and reliable means of treating adverse physical conditions.

Understandably, the private health insurance industry has some concern about benefit mandates. However, private insurers have accommodated Christian Science care and treatment for more than 90 years. Clearly these companies recognize the importance of offering their customers more than purely medical options for treatment.

Regardless of how one cares for his or her health, he or she can appreciate the value of having options. Honoring individuals’ ability to discern and determine what’s best for them – to choose and, if necessary, be covered for whatever responsible form of health care they have found to be most effective – makes sense for everyone. Not only does it benefit the individual in need, but also our health-care system as a whole.

In The News: SacBee Religion Reporter on Faith-Based Health Ministries

2011-07-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Good news! Sacramento Bee religion reporter, Jennifer Garza, is back in business. After being gone for a few months on personal leave, she is again writing great stories.

Today’s “In The News” post features a piece she wrote on faith-based healthcare sharing ministries, one of a very few programs that are exempt from the federal government’s requirement that every adult American have health insurance by 2014.

Reader’s of this blog are no doubt familiar with the Christian Science church’s own efforts in this arena. Up until very recently, however, these efforts have focused less on exclusion or exemption and more on bringing the new health care law into conformity with other government insurance programs (e.g. Medicare, TRICARE, and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program) that already provide for what legal-types refer to as “religious nonmedical care,” including the type of care provided by Christian Science practitioners and nurses.

I’m sure you’ll find Jennifer’s article interesting. As always, when you’re through, feel free to leave your comments below.

Faith-Based Ministries Offer Alternative to Traditional Health Insurance

Jennifer Garza, Sacramento Bee

Rebecca Gertner believes her faith will help pay the medical bills. That's why every phone call with her health care representative ends the same.

"We pray to remember that God is in control and not to worry about the bills," Gertner said.

Gertner signed up with Medi-Share, part of Christian Care Ministry in Florida, and one of several faith-based health care sharing ministries across the country. Bill sharing, they believe, is rooted in scripture such as Galatians 6:2. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the laws of Christ."

Gertner lives in Sacramento with her husband, Luke, a pastor at Hillsdale Boulevard Baptist Church, and she home schools their three children. Their small evangelical congregation does not offer employees health insurance.

So she asked friends and family about their coverage. Her mother-in-law told her about a plan where members share medical costs and religious beliefs.

An estimated 100,000 people across the country belong to these ministries, according to industry experts. While small, it's a growing alternative to traditional health care insurance.

Promoted at churches and on TV, health care sharing programs have been around for decades and are more common in the South.

Interest has increased since passage of the federal health care reform bill last year. That's because members of health care sharing programs are exempt from the law's requirement – which goes into effect in 2014 – that every adult American have health insurance.

"People want an alternative," said Tony Meggs, president of Christian Care Ministry. "We are up 150 percent."

Gertner said she pays about $200 a month for health care. For the past five years, her medical needs have been covered, including expenses related to two pregnancies. "It has been a major blessing for us," she said.

Click here to read the rest of the article…

Other Voices: San Francisco Blogger Explores Religious Myths

2011-07-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Is it possible for the religious and non-religious to carry on a productive dialogue? According to today’s “Other Voices” blogger, Be Scofield, Yes!

Be is a San Francisco-based activist who works to combine spirituality with anti-racism and social justice He's also a regular contributor to Tikkun Daily. In his post, “5 Myths Atheists Believe About Religion,” he says that, “Genuine dialogue between the religious and non-religious is possible…. We certainly won’t agree on everything, but in the end all parties should leave more knowledgeable and better prepared to deal with the way religion impacts our everyday lives and the global sphere.”

In my own work as a spokesperson for Christian Science – a religious healing practice that is often misunderstood – I’ve found that maintaining such a dialogue is absolutely essential. Not only do these sorts of conversations benefit the individuals involved but society as a whole.

Here’s what Be has to say…

5 Myths Atheists Believe About Religion

Be Scofield, Tikkun Daily

Despite their emphasis on reason, evidence and a desire to see through false truth claims, many atheists hold surprisingly ill-informed beliefs about religion. Many of these myths go unquestioned simply because they serve the purpose of discrediting religion at large. They allow for the construction of a straw man i.e. a distorted and simplistic representation of religion which can be easily attacked, summarily dismissed and ridiculed. Others who genuinely believe these false claims merely have a limited understanding of the ideas involved and have never thoroughly examined them. But, myths are myths and they should be acknowledged for what they are.

I’m not saying that atheists aren’t knowledgeable when it comes to religion. To the contrary, atheists in general know more about the particularities of religion than most religious people do. A recent study confirmed it. I have no doubt that they can rattle off all of the myths, falsities, fanciful claims, dangerous ideas and barbarous actions committed by the religious. It makes sense as a targeted group will generally know more about the dominant group than the other way around. But of course simply knowing more than other religious people about their traditions doesn’t preclude holding to false beliefs of their own.

There are certainly more than five myths about religion that are perpetuated by some atheists (and in some cases the religious). However, I’ve chosen what I feel to be the most significant false claims made by atheists to help provide a more accurate understanding of religion and to pave the groundwork for dialogue between these seemingly two opposing groups.

Now, let’s examine these myths.

Click here to read the rest of Be’s post…

The 4th of July: A Reminder of our Freedoms and Responsibilities

2011-07-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

By Eric Nelson

A few years back a good friend of mine explained the difference between “absolute freedoms” and “Constitutional freedoms.”

“Absolute freedoms,” he explained, are things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No one can take these away. They are God-given.

On the other hand, “Constitutional freedoms” are things like freedom of speech or freedom of the press. These rights are not absolute in the sense that they must be exercised with due consideration for others. The classic example, of course, is that you have the right of free speech but you do not have the right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater if there’s no fire present. Doing so could potentially harm others unnecessarily as they scramble for the nearest door.

I’ve found that it’s particularly important to keep this distinction in mind when exercising one’s Constitutional freedom of religion. Certainly, as a U.S. citizen, I have the freedom to practice my religion in whatever way I see fit. But this must be done with the utmost respect for others and in obedience to the laws of the land.

Case in point: As a Christian Scientist, I have the privilege – some might say the right – to rely solely on spiritual means for my health care in lieu of conventional medicine. Most folks don’t have a problem with this since any risk involved is entirely my own. If, however, I were caring for a young child and they became ill, there are those who would insist that medical treatment be provided in order to be assured that “the best possible care” was being given to someone who otherwise has little or no say in the matter.

But who’s to decide what’s best? The parent? The child? The courts?

Obviously each case is different. And I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would say, unequivocally, that in every conceivable situation the parent, or the child, or the courts will always know what’s best.

Growing up I can recall at least two or three occasions when my parents – both Christian Scientists – asked if I would prefer going to a doctor or relying instead on prayer for my recovery from various physical problems. More than the choice they gave me, I think what I appreciated most was the example they set in their own reliance on prayer for healing. This gave me the confidence to rely myself – successfully and consistently – on prayer for my health and general well being. Looking back, I think it’s fair to say that my parents knew that I would know what’s best for me.

Although I continue to rely on spiritual means for my health, I also recognize the importance of doing so responsibly, especially if I’m caring for a child. Thank goodness I live in a country with a Constitution that acknowledges my ability to do both.