WEEK 3

A "Bionic" Person?

The challenge with limiting science and technology is the potential that those limitations may stifle inspiration and quash the beneficial advancements for the world we live in.  However, a bionic person?  Really?  I absolutely am oppositional to the proposition of creating a bionic person.  We are already falling apart as a people due to our dependence on technology.  I used to be an amazing speller, and now I find myself wondering how the simplest of words are spelled.  I never have the chance to actually finish my own words when texting, and it has dulled my brain.   And, that is just the beginning of it.  If we have bionic people, it won't take long till humans are just sitting in some dulled into stupidity and idleness.  And, besides, it is just too dangerous to have that kind of technology in the hands of those with ill-will on others.

For Military Purposes?

And thus, of course my opinion would not change if the bionic person were only for military purposes.  This seems like a disaster.  The military has immense power already.  A bionic army, which already exists in many post-apocalyptic films, will surely prove to destroy all humanity in time.  It could be a nice idea for robots to be in war with each other, preserving the many human lives that are lost in war, but surely there will be just as terrible consequences anyway.  It is hard to trust such technology when there has already been so much damage done.  That being said, bionic limbs can give people a new chance at life, so there is definitely a place for such technology.

WEEK 2

Acupuncture as Effective Energy Medicine

"The essential concept of Energy Medicine is to use any means to balance the fields and energies of the body"

Energy and fields.  Let's just say that Energy is defined as Qi.  Even defining qi is something masters of Chinese medicine approach vaguely.  How can one prove that the energy or qi is balanced - especially if it isn't even clearly defined?  I think the proof is in the patient's experience.  And, there are age old practices such as Tai Qi, Qi Gong and Yoga which have for years explored the world of energy.  These medicinal arts move energy and clear stagnation, keeping the organic system healthy.  In Nagel's article, she presents an idea of "moving medication."  I love this idea.  This is absolutely an effective energy medicine.  Her experience and belief is that the regular practice of tai qi or "moving medication" was absolutely the reason for her feeling so good and contributed to her great progress dealing with the disease.  If it makes us feel balanced, perhaps it is balancing.

What conclusions can you draw from Kirlian photography?

I'm not sure I can draw clear conclusions without completely understanding the mechanism of the photography.  That being said, I do find it intriguing that mood and thoughts can change the image that shows up (even in inanimate objects). And, the photography of a leaf before and after it has been removed from it's base with both photographing as energetically being whole, is undeniably similar to phantom limb syndrome. I would be interested to see this photography used to take images of those that have this syndrome.  Maybe there are already images out there?

Human intent and it's health effects.

Of course human intent has effects on health.  This is why the placebo effect has been explored for years and years. The question is, are some treatments (whatever they may be ranging from chemo to meditation) still effective regardless of the mind state?  I don't believe the intent is an end all, but I do believe that intent has a HUGE influence on our health and our ability to heal or receive treatments.

WEEK 1

I know I'm a "living system" because . . .

If a living system is autopoietic by definition, then I am in no doubt a living system.  I am not the same person today as I will be in a few hours, days, or years.  My body's cells are constantly dying, and new cells are being created.  If I did not have the ability to maintain my homeostatic balance, I would not live.  It can be as simple as a wound healing or as complicated as a long recovery from a chronic illness.  Regardless, as long as I am 'living', my body will continue to figure out a way to stay alive.  And once I am no longer a living system, this action of continually becoming will cease.

Sondra Barrett

In traditional Chinese medicine, as well as other traditional forms of medicine, herbs and foods are considered to have different qualities.  These qualities can be broken down into temperature, strength, and much more.  In Ayurvedic medicine there are 20 gunas, or qualities, which make up 10 pairs of opposites.  For example, mustard seed is hot, pungent (or acrid), light and dry.  I have always involuntarily visualized herbs and foods as I've learned as looking a certain way as they act in the body.  For instance,  I imagine mustard seed as a somewhat forceful dispersion of bright yellow energy breaking up some congealed substance in the body like phlegm or joint swelling. It sure is fascinating that it turns out that the energetic action of a substance may indeed have a visual cellular image concurrent with said action.  Sondra Barrett's photograph's demonstrate this amazing similarity.  From Miller's article, Barrett says that "things look like what they do."  I would love for Barrett to photograph the many herbs we use in Chinese medicine.  Perhaps it would help us understand their mechanisms of action in a more tangible way.