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?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, March 2, 2009
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.
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.
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