Week Thirteen---Bionics and Our Biophysical Future ....

Would you support the development of a "bionic" person? .....Yes.---but only because I imagine that this "bionic person" would be a mascot for the world of bionic technologies ...not its leader. I do feel that most people would not confuse a technologically sophisticated anthropomorphic robot with a real human being. The article we read in class referencing this idea talks about bionics as "mimicking" original, bodily functions ....mimicking does not make one so. Mimicking implies that a bionic man can parrot certain processes but can not have original reactions and responses to external stimuli. I can see the benefits of developing bionic technologies---especially for those who consider themselves disabled and wish to enhance their ability to overcome their disability.

How would you rate "the control of artificial limbs by thought alone"? ....The way that some neuroscientists in the 1990's took a bold interest in studying the brains of practiced meditators, I would be interested to see how the brain of someone fitted with an artificial limb controlled by 'thought alone' developed over time. What parts of the brain showed enhanced functioning? Would their brain waves resemble those of experienced meditators, given that a recipient would have to practice and master a form of concentration to operate their artificial limb? Also, I would be curious to know what other effects a recipient could describe---a subjective point of view. Besides enhancing their practical abilities, how has using a "mind controlled" limb altered their view of the world?

Week Eleven---Energy Medicine and Energy Fields ....

Acupuncture as effective energy medicine ....The subtle body and the gross body. The energetic body and the physical body. Overlayed and interconnected. Our energy bodies are felt---immaterial and emotional. Energetic disharmonies often manifest in our physical bodies and by treating the physical body, our energetic bodies may be nourished. Physical pain may be due to physical trauma, but it may also be related to a deep energy blockage, like long-repressed anger or grief. We may treat our energetic bodies directly; for example, through spiritual practices or mind soothing activities. We may also access our energetic bodies through our physical aspect---acupuncture is one way of doing this. And just as our energetic bodies may be accessed through our physical bodies, our physical bodies may also be accessed through our energetic bodies. Acupuncture, as "energy medicine" supports both.

What conclusions can you draw from Kirlian photography? ....I am most curious to learn more about Kirlian photography. In the example from our reading---the leave that was photographed after it had a portion cut-off---the fact that there was still a glowing portion in this area in the photograph, to me, is some-kind-of-proof that our energetic bodies that are alive and well, even when the physical ceases to be. The physical is not the container of our energetic selves, we just mistake it for that, for such energies can not truly be contained. We give off energy---it radiates beyond our physical forms, contributing to the 'atmosphere', or the 'feeling that is in the air'. Kirlian photography seems to be one way of capturing this energy, in a snapshot, if but for a moment.

Human intent as it affects health ....In Buddhism, all actions originate in the mind with intention. Intention is the sprouting seed of thought---Being manifest. I believe that there is a strong correlation between intention and one's health. Just as the power of positive thinking should not be dismissed, the power of negative thinking has an equally strong, yet inverse, effect. When I feel the early symptoms of what may be a 'cold' manifesting---I actively, psychologically dis-identify with these feelings. This mindset is subtley different from "ignoring" the onset of potential illness; it more speaks of my intention to maintain an identity with 'health'. It is more that I am acknowledging that illness is only a possibility---and the second that I start talking about "getting sick," sure enough ....I get sick.

Week Ten---Life and Living Systems ....

I know I'm a "living system" because ....As suggested by the assignment 'question', the criteria for discerning a living system from a non-living system is rather personal, on the ground anyway. Our individual ethics are a strong factor. We go beyond the considerations of "living" vs. "nonliving" into the arena of deciding what kinds of life are as valuable or less valuable than our own. (It is a given that human life, especially ones own, is most precious.) For example, vegetarians generally consider animal life as valuable as human life; but what of plant life? ....In theory, my criteria of a "living system" is more than less a system that we, as living beings, can find some sense of identity with as far as "growth." A constant, dynamic state of being and becoming. There is an exchange between a being and their environment, and when this exchange is severed, comes death or its likeness. Attempts to over-generalize the criteria of "living" vs. "non-living systems" will result in blurs---drawing definitive lines is a challenge, if not impossible, but try we will. And this trying is some-kind-of-necessary---how else would we make sense of ourselves and this thing that we feebly attempt to cage into meaning, this thing we call life?

Biophysics and Oriental Medicine ....I get the sense that Biophysics is hard to define, even for those who are engaged in its study. But (I think) it can be said that Biophysics is an interdisciplinary study of biological sciences and physical sciences that looks deeply at the processes of living systems in quantifiable terms (hence the "physical" aspect). Molecules and macromolecules. Strings of DNA and fatty acid chains. In the bit of reading that I have done on Biophysics, one aspect in particular stands out to me---the concept of 'bio-electricity'---how individual molecules work together to initiate and carry out specific biological functions. The concept of bio-electricity in Western science seems akin to the concept of qi in Oriental Medicine---Life-force. Perhaps a key difference between bio-electricity and qi is that Western Biophysics requires physical, concrete evidence of it existence; but in Oriental Medicine, it is enough to feel qi, possess qi, know that qi exists because if it did not, there would be no life. At the end of the day, we are all experiencing the same phenomena but because of our respective cultural influences, we have our own names, definitions and paths that we use to map Wholeness.

Week Nine---Towards a New Synthesis ...

My E-Prime Day .....Today, as I opted to ride my bicycle home from school despite the rather inclement weather, I got, what some might call---very wet. The rain seemed to pour in sheets and with every block I covered, the rain felt like it grew stronger and stronger. By the time I arrived home (ten blocks away), my clothing appeared so wet that it felt like I chose to shower in them! Getting warm and now wearing some dry clothing, I set about making a big pot of soup ....cranberry beans, black beans, butternut squash, garlic, onion, tomatoes and lots of cumin---chippity-chop, stir stir stir, boil, simmer, stir. I felt tempted to bake a fresh loaf of bread, but alas, I also needed to make some time to study for my quiz in class this evening. I reviewed some flashcards for what felt like a long time and decided I needed a study break. I tinkered on the internet for a few minutes (okay, maybe an hour) and then it seemed like a good idea to start in on this here post for my Physics course. =)

Can I synthesize East and West? .....In Western medicine, physical ailments are generally believed to have physical causes. Illness is less personal---each individual body is supposed to function in a similar way. When our bodies show signs of sickness, lists of symptoms are matched with a 'one-size-fits-all' treatment. But what of our emotional bodies? What role do they play in physical illness and recovery? In Western medicine, the emotional body is of lesser importance. Emotions are not viewed as 'real' causes of disease. If someone is found to suffer the symptoms of a physical ailment and lab tests can find no biological evidence, this person is referred (written-off) to a psychiatrist and diagnosed as "crazy." It is all in their minds. And perhaps it is. In Eastern healing modalities, mind and body are tightly interwoven; they are not meant to be unraveled. Emotions can be the cause of physical disease and physical disease can have an effect on emotional well-being. As social beings, we tend to respond to the expectations of our society. How we "get sick" and how we "heal" is largely influenced by culture. It can be argued that 'East and West' have long been viewed as a cultural dichotomy; the West is "best" and the East is "other." In the latter half of the twentieth-century, the blending of Eastern and Western ideals concerning health and healing have surely helped dismantle this dichotomy. These days, Westerners practice yoga, qi gong, meditation, etc... all in the name of health---the health of mind, body and spirit. And while many of us have turned to Eastern healing modalities because the Western medical establishment has failed us in ways both big and small, Western medicine---physical medicine---is still quite valuable (for example, in cases of trauma). It is one model of health and healing, but it is not the only model. We are individuals. We have personal stories. We have been shaped by our individual experiences. We store these experiences in our bodies. We call it memory. Some experiences and their memories need to be healed. They may arise in our physical bodies as illnesses. Given that the origin of disease, in this case, is not physical, physical medicine may only be able to do so much. Other models of healing---such as acupuncture or meditation---by their very nature, address the emotional causes of disease and may be more appropriate. I feel that Western and Eastern healing modalities can be synthesized, and should be synthesized, to meet the needs of each of us, as individuals.

Week Eight---Classical Physics ....

Newton's Three Laws of Motion and Me ....Most everything that I have learned about life, I have learned from riding my bicycle. A route that may be harder on the way to my destination, I can rest assured, will be a breezy downhill on my way back home---it all balances out. Newton's First Law: Objects at rest, remain at rest; objects in motion remain in motion, in a straight line at constant velocity, if, and only if, a force is not applied to change its state of motion. I am most happy for my bike's brakes---I am not a fixie riding hipster. When the light turns red, more often than not, I hit my brakes---thus applying force to my spinning wheels---and bringing myself to a halt before I am taken out by oncoming traffic. Newton's Second Law: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force acting on it, and inversely proportional to its mass. Every now and again, not so often these days, I go riding up in the hills. And while I do enjoy a mighty uphill crawl, I get ambivalent about the drops waiting on the other side. I am sorry to say that this is the only time I wear a bike helmet. Bombing the roads down from Grizzly Peak, I have reached velocities of 45mph (using a digital speed-o-meter)---gravity feels like a thirsty beast, and again, happy for those brakes. Newton's Third Law: If two objects interact, as in a collision, the force of the first object exerted on the second object is matched by the force of the second object exerted on the first object of the same size, but in opposite directions ...Lucky for me, I have never been in a real bike accident. But today, as I was riding my bike I came upon a car accident and thought of Newton's Third Law. The two vehicles were smashed into each other, and from the damage, I assume that they were going pretty fast, thus colliding with much force. (It seemed like everybody involved was okay.)

Our "energy efficient" culture---I used to go to the gym. Working out on my elliptical trainer I would take in the scene around me---a sea of other warm bodies perched upon workout machines, sweating with intent. Bicycles, treadmills, and ski machines ....all plugged in. We use energy to expend energy. How inefficient is that? (And how "inefficient" is an overfed culture that relies on 'gyms', rather than true hard, physical labor, to use up the calories, or energy, that it consumes ....we may spend more time laboring intellectually, but in the process, we are oft times merely inventing more things to feed our varied and voracious appetites.)

Descartes has a lot to answer for! ....Yes, he does. How quaint it all was---the world was tame and contained, predictable. The Mystery was solved. Until the early twentieth century when someone (namely, Maxwell, Bohr, Einstein and Heisenberg) decided to take a closer look. The blanket of everyday reality looks very different when you inspect the threads. Quantum physics shredded the blueprints for the mechanized universe and Wonder was reborn. And to this day, we still do not fully understand how the Great Machine works. Cartesian reductionism may have been the doctrine of its day, but its tenets no longer apply. Thought is a product of brain activity---no doubt that the brain is involved in thought, but it is one of our many physical organs involved in the process of thinking, but the brain does not think on its own. The brain itself has no sensory nerve endings---how could it possibly be solely responsible for telling me what I feel? Most of the Universe is dead---life is a process of being and becoming. Always dynamic never static. Never as predictable as we wish it was. How could most of the Universe be dead? Show me proof great scientist. Scientific descriptions are independent of the observer and the process of knowing---pure objectivity is some-kind-of-impossible. We are always trying to achieve an end by some means. Quantum physics has proven that probability is all that we can ever know. The act of observation---intention---is what brings phenomena into being. There is no such thing as independence in the great tangled web of the Universe. We are separate from nature---how can we be separate from nature when it is Nature thyself that nourishes us? Try as we may, Nature can not be reduced to charts and graphs. Chemistry is full of exception after exception ....Nature apparently does not even follow its "own Laws'.

Week Seven---Chaos Theory ....

"Ordered chaos"---does this sound familiar? ....It is interesting to think about what 'equilibrium' really means---a balanced system---but in my mind, I make the assumption that 'equilibrium' also means order. In a dynamic system, 'order' also means 'static', and for a dynamic system, this is a true imbalance. To understand life itself as the result of two seemingly oppositional processes---autopoiesis and entropy---is to grasp deeply the fundamental tenet that All is relative ....order and disorder are not at all at odds with each other, but rather, making life possible. The struggle for balance is life; balance is and must always remain an Ideal. Life is chaotic.

Fractals are patterns of complex systems ....One of the properties of a 'fractal' is self-similarity---essentially, a part of a given item resembles the item as a whole. A good example of this is broccoli. Take a look at a stalk of broccoli: you will find that it is made up of a collection of 'mini-broccoli', or broccoli florets. Each floret, a part of the whole stalk, resembles the broccoli stalk as a whole. This self-similarity is a kind of patterning ("x+1"). It may be inferred that broccoli has an amazing self-organization capability. It is a super-food. (I love broccoli.) Fractal patterning can also be found in the human body---one of the best examples are our lungs. The architecture of our lungs sub-divides and sub-divides into 'branches'. Their very structure makes the act of breathing possible.

Consciousness out of chaos ....I would argue that individual consciousness is something that trickles down from a greater cloud of collective consciousness. Like raindrops. And these raindrops evaporate and condense into a greater stream of consciousness. I think of energy. We are all plugged into the same machine. The individual nature of consciousness is what breeds chaos in our world---we are a disordered race of beings, the masses, all inter-connected but trying to break free. I think of war zones. Everything is chaos. Survival in a war zone (I imagine) requires a higher state of consciousness---you are on edge, your senses are painfully heightened, your awareness is all too aware.

"Cool Experiments" ....Having a cat that is always up for fun, interactive games, I was particularly drawn towards Cat Static. In a dark room, I rubbed kitty along the carpet---and while the air felt somewhat 'electric', I can not say that I saw any sparks (the experiment instructions says this will happen). I was a bit disappointed ....Perhaps the room was not dark enough? Or perhaps I should have been a bit more malicious as I rubbed kitty along the carpet? ....well, she was already giving me that 'insulted look'. Though I did not achieve the exact results hypothesized, I think it is more my error.

Week Six----Vibrations ....

Are all vibrations 'good'?....No, vibration can be undesirable in many cases. For example, an electrical appliance with a motor, like a blender, because it vibrates, it produces noise. Vibration can also be an indication of a malfunction---something mechanical is not operating properly and energy is being wasted, parts are being worn down. In discussing vibrations, an amazing experience that I had comes to mind. I was working at a bar that showcased live music. There was a front room with seating, and a main room with more seating and space for a band. One evening, we had a party reservation for the front room, about thirty people. It was a social gathering sponsored by a local deaf activist organization; most of the guests were deaf, all of them communicated through sign language. Again, this party was held in our front room which is sectioned off from the main room. When I would go to this area to check in with them, I felt overcome by the atmosphere. My own senses were a bit boggled---I would step into this room full of people buzzing with activity....yet there was almost no sound. Everyone was speaking in sign language. It was like the air around me was vibrating. I remember feeling a sense of surreal calm in the middle of it all. When the band started playing, some of the people got up to dance ....it was such a beautiful thing to witness. They could feel the vibrations of the music through the floor.

Resonance in my world ....the phrase "that resonates with me" comes to mind. Something that I surely think/say every now and again. What am I feeling when I do ....it is like a chord is struck within me. An internal spark. Maybe of understanding? Definitely a feeling in the truest sense of the word, especially in the context of other people. To tune into another emotionally; feelings are mutual. Being on the other side of someone while being on the same side as someone. Some hint that perhaps we see the world a-lot-a-bit in the same way in that moment. There is resonance.

Connections I make between Energy and Qi ....From a Western perspective, matter is energy. It is condensed energy. Energy can be transformed; never created nor destroyed. It simply is. Qi also is. Qi is also energy, and like the Western concept of energy, it can be transformed---it is dynamic, always pulsing ....aggregating and dispersing. From an Eastern perspective, the aggregation of qi is akin to life, and the dispersal of qi is akin to death. But in a way, qi, like the energy concept of the West, is never truly created nor destroyed ....qi is what creates life and its transformation---dispersal---from a more material state to a more immaterial state is what we would call death, but this energy is never truly destroyed.