Physician to Meta-Physician

MESSAGE FROM ACROSS THE SEA -- An "Assisted ADC" or AADC

Whether we refer to them as ADCs (after-death communications) or "visits from heaven" they are communicationsfrom souls who have crossed-over. So what do I mean by an "assisted ADC?" ( call it an AADC ?). It is essentially any communication which requires a medium to accomplish the connection.

 By creating this new concept I am de-emphasizing the mode of communication (direct personal vs medium) and focusing in on the existential essence of it. What is demonstrated is the continuation of consciousness after physical death. To me, that is what is ultimately important anyway.

More specifically I am relating the personal story from a long-standing patient I'll call Sally. Sally lost her husband Jim suddenly and unexpectedly. While desperately hoping for a personal connection with him after death, she found none.

She describes placing his favorite fishing boots outside her door in with the fantasy that he would return for them.

Meanwhile a psychic friend from England who had never met Jim began to email her messages from him. She described them as being remarkably accurate and extremely personal, reflecting conversations that only she and Jim could have known about.

Finally Sally decided to give Jim's fishing boots away to one of his friends. That night an email from her British friend stated that Jim said she should give away his fishing boots that were at her door!

The field of paranormal investigations have always differentiated the spontaneous communications versus the medium-assisted ones. I don't believe that the distinction is all that important. It is the message and the reality of the communication from our deceased loved-ones should be most profoundly significantly understood and cherished.

So whether the connection occurs via an ADC or an AADC is less relevant than the healing power of either one.

PSYCHEDELICS, DYING & HEALING -- Tools for the Metaphysical Journey ?

If I really want to drive my wife over the edge I can remind her of my desire to try LSD.

It's true that I passed over opportunities to indulge in its recreational use in my youth. And it is also true that the substance was abused, tainted, diluted and ingested by young people whose heads were already poorly aligned.

 But even before Timothy Leary and his gang exploded on the pop culture scene in the 1960s, there was reason to believe that psychedelic drugs were more than hallucinatory escapes from reality. On the contrary, there was much historical, ethnographic and even scientific evidence to support their role in achieving real insights into the deeper nature of reality. 

The recent NYTimes article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-psychedelic-drugs-can-help-patients-face-death.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print How Psychedelics Can Help Patients Face Death revisits the healing potential of these substances.

It describes how they helped dying individuals make peace with their own passing. It describes contemporary researchers but it takes note of someone I read about over ten years ago, Stanislav Grof.  A Czech psychiatrist and serious researcher in the field of mind and consciousness his breakthrough work with LSD and states of consciousness in the 1960s faced serious political and societal backlash and was suspended because of societal pressures. His efforts pointed to psychedelics as truly opening gates to deeper more profound states of awareness. This perspective had been supported by Aldous Huxley and other intellectuals as well.

It also supports the belief of more "primitive" hunter-gatherer cultures who used mushrooms with psilocybin and other bio-active chemicals. These substances were used to access knowledge of the spiritual domain. Perhaps they were not incorrect.

Hopefully the bias against exploring the mind altering properties of these substances will evaporate. Good scientific investigation needs to be supported and it is time that it be re-visited.

It makes little sense to ignore a potential road map for the metaphysical journey and to promote ultimate awareness and healing.

A Blue Dress With Flowers-- A Child's ADC

I continue to have the privilege of hearing the personal experiences of individuals I know and trust.

Each anecdote requires a testimony to the credibility of the story teller. In this case the individual involved is a 70 year old woman patient of mine I'll call Mary. I have known her for at least 15 years. I have no reason to doubt what she told me.

Her daughter Amanda died from complications of cancer several years ago. She was in her early forties. Amanda's friend Jane would often bring her young daughter Sally to visit Amanda's grave site. Although Amanda died when Sally was only five months old, Sally seemed to spend time dancing around her grave site and speaking to someone.

When Jane asked her what she was doing she replied "I'm speaking to Mandy". Jane continued to probe her daughter by asking what she was wearing. "She's dancing with me. She is barefoot and is wearing a blue dress with flowers."

Jane explained that Mandy was her daughter's nickname. She was well known to have chosen to be barefoot whenever possible. Most incredible was the fact that she was buried is exactly that dress. There was no way Sally could know that either.

Mary smiled as she told me the story. "You can never get over the loss of a child" she stated. "But knowing her soul is free and out of suffering gives me much joy."

DISCONTINUOUS CHANGE -- The Quantum Leap of Reality

Nothing stays the same. 

 For Planck second to Planck second (10 to minus 43rd of a second) the universe stops and starts again.  Planck spoke of the quantum nature of reality.  Everything occurs in discrete units (quanta) of existence.

 Buddha and Heraclitus saw the apparent flow of a river as an illusion.  Discrete (though imperceptible to the human brain) episodes follow from one to the other.

Reality is like a movie.  Individual frames when run together at a discrete speed offer the illusion of continuity.

And so with our own lives.  We believe we are the same people who began to read this particular blog posting.  Yet we are not.  Philosophically, metaphysically, biologically we are different.  Our bodies have changed.  Our thoughts are different.  Our chemical processes have continued unabated.  We have aged.  We are that much closer to our own nonexistence or death.

Buddhists speak of impermanence as a way of providing understanding to all sentient beings.

Their purpose was not to increase our sense of futility or promote existential angst.  On the contrary, Buddha believed that by sweeping aside the veils of illusion and forcing us to confront reality, we would be more tolerant of the inevitability of change and impermanence.  Such an awareness would lead us to reduce our suffering and seek to attain its release.  The result would be liberation from suffering, attaining Buddha-nature, reaching nirvana.

Is that so?  Does knowledge and awareness lead to less suffering or to more?

I suppose it depends on the individual.  If we can come to terms with reality we should be better able to accept it when it comes our way.  But there are many among us who will find this impossible.  Their suffering will not be lessened with increased awareness.  It might even be exacerbated.

But we do have a choice.  We can meditate on the nature of existence.  We can accepte what we cannot change with equanimity and serenity. 

To achieve this level of awareness brings great healing.

I B S & The Art of Medicine

Is medicine a science, an art or both? 

When it comes to treating IBS there is no doubt that it is both.  And to be truly effective in healing patients with IBS,  the physician as artist  must assume a significant role.

Doctors like to believe that they are scientists and unquestionably they are  well versed in the scientific basis of bodily functions.  But when it comes to treating irritable bowel syndrome, scientists often don't do very well.  They continually seek the mathematic formula, the exact combination of diagnostic modalities and therapies which will guarrantee a successful outcome for their patients.  They are often terribly frustrated when such a paradigm does not appear, when their patients continue to suffer, when individuals don't respond to the evidence-based approach to treatment.

Because of the human element, individual variability precludes uncovering a simple treatment plan which works for every patient. When emotional and personality idiocyncracies are added to the mix, most "scientists" run for the  hills.

But physicians who treats IBS must be even more than artists.  They must be  psychologists,  therapists and clergymen. They must express interest, concern, empathy and compassion for their patients. They must acknowledge the real suffering which science still struggles to understand. But they must also offer hope.

They must offer themselves and their role as a healer as central to the process.  We can call this the placebo effect if we choose to do so.  I have no doubt that this plays a central role in the process.  But our primary goal is healing. Even if we don't understand exactly how and why this occurs. 

Although we cannot control what thoughts and feelings flood our neural circuits we can modify how our bodies react to them.  Meditation, exercise, diet, acupuncture, hypnosis, prayer, yoga, probiotics are "non drug" therapies seem to help some of us alleviate the suffering that accompanies such conditions as IBS. 

But I have had compelling success with prescribing certain anti-serotonin acting drugs which have helped to modify the neural responses to stress as well.  Most are known as anti-depressants.  But in many patients who are not overtly depressed these drugs are effective.

The challenge is to understand what each individual patient needs to alleviate their suffering. The open exchange involves understanding how the individual patient chooses to proceed with their therapy.  Are they more comfortable with nontraditional, "holistic" methods.  Do they prefer herbal and complementary therapies?  Do they just want a prescription for a drug and not care to be introspective or nontraditional.

 Each patient, each human being is unique. 

What is called for is the artist's approach to treating IBS.

ON FINDING SERENITY -- CHOOSE YOUR UNIVERSE

Do you know anyone who is not seeking more peace an contentment in their lives?  Unlikely. And in many ways  the term serenity best encompasses this concept.  

Buddha understood that all sentient beings suffer.  It is part and parcel of being in this physical world having attachments to that which will, by necessity,  change and pass away.

Practicing non-attachment is difficult if not impossible for most of us.  What does it actually mean anyway?  Perhaps it refers to the obsessive, even neurotic belief that we can change others, make decisions for them, prevent them (and ourselves) from suffering in the end.

What I have observed is simply this--people who seem content live in a universe of their own in which their suffering seems somewhat limited and controlled.  They understand the rules of the society in which they inhabit.  They are comfortable with their associates and their environment.  They are not seeking radical change, nor are they unhappy or in conflict regarding the conditions of their lives.

These people may live under circumstances that others might even find intolerable--trailer parks, low income, small towns without the cultural, culinary, intellectual sophistication of large cities.  And yet they may be more content that a more affluent city dweller  or suburban dweller who is never satisfied with the state of their existence.

Very often serenity is associated with our personal connections with others. Loneliness sucks.  On a primal level, we all need personal interactions with human beings  we feel comfortable being with.

There is the stereotypical example of the  overtly wealthy couple with enormous material possessions who remain miserable because they cannot "keep up" with their even wealthier friends.  To outsiders this seems completely absurd.  Yet serenitiy is an inner subjective perception. If individuals inhabit a universe which doesn't quite fit---they suffer.

I believe that it is possible to "feel" your way into the universe that suits you best.  Be truthful to your own values.  Be honest and introspective.  What do you need to make you happy or serene.  It will be unique to you.  Don't "borrow" someone else's universe.  You won't fit in. 

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE CUPS OF ELIJAH & of MIRIAM AT THE PASSOVER SEDER

The familiar Cup of Elijah is an essential ritual object of every Passover Seder.

Nominally we are told that Elijah, the prophet who will announce the coming of the Messiah, will visit each home and drink some of the wine provided.

Of interest is the recent adoption of a parallel cup, that of Miriam, the sister of Moses, whose presence represents continuity, redemption and the feminine aspect of Divinity. 

I believe there may be more to this tradition than meets the eye.  No I'm not referring to a wine drinking Jewish Santa Claus either.

It struck me that this cup represents the departed loved-ones who are present when their families congregate for any meaningful reason.

Passover provides such an occasion when family and friends presence around the Seder table trumps even the religious aspects of the ceremony.

Perhaps in times past their was an acknowledgement that our beloved departed participate invisibly during the Seder and the Cup of Elijah was symbolic of that as well.

So I propose that the cups of Elijah and Miriam be recognized as the ritual symbol of the souls of our departed loved-ones who continue to be present in our lives.

PASSOVER & THE PARADOX OF CHANGE

Passover. It is the oldest continually practiced ritual in Western civlization. It was an ancient tradition when Jesus was a young boy and more than a thousand years old before Mohammed emerged from the Arabian desert.

It is the holiday that every Jew, no matter how committed or disaffected still feels drawn to celebrate. It is about gathering together in a communal experience which takes place not in the synagogue but in the home. It is about family and friends. It is about re-connecting with tradition and history in a time when individuals who seek their own truth is rampant.

In an age in which what is new changes in a milisecond, it is comforting to find something which appeals to our deep desire for connection to our collective past.

And yet everything does change. The ancient philosophical traditions of the world recognized that truth. From Heraclitus to Buddha to Solomon, from our grandparents to our selves, we who experience life over decades know nothing stays the same.

Yet transformation is important, even vital. We are moving forward and our traditions must be re-interpreted in light of what we are seeking in order for them to retain value in our lives.

Those who remain fundamentalist in their thinking threaten the future of their own tradition. Those who seek God through control, coersion and forced conversion to their own beliefs re-visit the story of Passover. It is story which proclaims the ultimate failure and self-destruction of those who enslave others.

There is n New American Haggadah edited by Jonathan Safran Foer and translated by Nathan Englander, two young prominent Jewish writers.

In their introduction they write "The need for new Haggadahs does not imply the failure of existing ones, but the struggle to engage everyone at the table in a time that is unlike any that has come before." ..... "Like all Haggadahs before it, this one hopes to be replaced."

So the paradox is namely the truth of change. It must emerge from the tradition which gives it emotional and historical context, yet give meaning and understanding to the contemporary individual who seeks to make sense of life itself.

In an age of chaos when we feel the need to ground ourselves in some form of tradition, we must allow for it to evolve as well. Only when we recognize that truth will it continue to provide meaning for us in the present moment.

INTUITION VS REASON

Do you regard yourself as the type who can put emotion aside in the search for the best way to live your life?

Do you step back from personal situations, political controversy and dispassionately weigh the pros and cons of every situation before rendering a decision? If you believe this to be true, then you are, for the most part, delusional!

At least that is the conclusion reached by Jonathan Haidt in his recent book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/books/review/the-righteous-mind-by-jonathan-haidt.html?_r=1&ref=books

In truth we frequently feel first, then rationalize our feelings later. We like or dislike someone rather quickly upon encountering them, then try to enumerate the qualities that we find appealing or not.

It seems as if we lead first with our emotions, our logical mind comes in a distant second.

Think about the people you like, the political parties that appeal to you, the religion or belief system that you champion. Your attraction is felt viscerally or based on your upbringing or the opinion of those you admire, or a reaction to some deeply emotional interaction you have experienced.

This might explain how two equally intelligent, articulate and logical individuals can come to such opposing opinions on a whole host of different topics.

As poet Theodore Roethke said, "we think by feelings, what is there to know?"

THE SIMPLEST MEDITATION -- On The Gift Of Life

The world of meditation can be confusing.  We may feel it is important to meditate.  We understand it is a way of accessing our deeper spiritual self.

But which approach should we adopt? Should we seek a mantra?  Should we return to the breath and observe our thoughts and feelings as in mindfulness meditation?  Should we take on the suffering of the world in Buddhist tradition?  Should we fill ourselves with white light and form a protective shell around ourselves? Should we combine sounds with finger touch?
 

Perhaps  the simplest meditation grounds us to the ultimate truth, the awareness that we are alive and that life is a precious gift.

I had first heard of this while taking lessons in Kabbalah from a Rabbi more than twenty years ago in a private home. 

Simply breath in and out slowly through the nose with the following awareness:  we are breathing beings.  As opposed to plants who exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen through pores and "breathe" continuously  we literally survive from inspiration to the next inspiration.  Although breathing does not require conscious effort, fail to take the next breath.... and we die.

We can visualize God, the Universe, Supreme Intelligence, Brahman etc. as willfully choosing to keep us alive from breath to breath.  We allow God to assist us as we fill our lungs on the inspiration and accept our breath on the expiration.  

We are immediately struck by the  truth that life is both fragile and precious.  We are humbled by the awareness our own mortality.

We recognize that what bothers us in life, what worries us, stresses us, confounds us and causes us suffering pales in comparison with the simple gift of being alive. 

Instead of tying ourselves up in the profusion of details, multitasking, schedules, aggravations, time constraints,  everything we believe we must be and must have, just feel the simplicity and power of a single breath.

We can begin to understand that despite our strenuous efforts to control our destiny and the destinies of those we love, we are ultimately merely breathing beings whose own hold on life is temporary and fragile.

We can let go of our frenetic efforts to make sense of the chaos of life.  We can accept what life brings us with a sense of new priorities. 

We find serenity in the beauty and simplicity of just being and surrender to what is beyond our ability to control.

 Each  breath reminds us of the possibility of transformation and change. Each breath represents the opportunity to begin our lives anew.  Each breath is a simple but profound gift for which we can only offer our humble gratitude.

The simple awareness of the breath grounds us to the truth of existence.

It is a meditation on humility, acceptance and of gratitude as we surrender to the grand mystery of life itself.

 

 

A MEDIUM'S READING PREDICTS N D E-- My Patient's Experience

The following personal experience from one of my patients I'll call Jeanette exhibits two separate but related paranormal experiences. The first was an inadvertent reading by a medium who predicted a subsequent NDE.

In order to give it some meaningful context it I need to relate it as I heard it from her.

Jeanette described driving alone on a wet highway on a moonless night.  Going around a curve she lost control of the car.  It seemed to spin slowly and then she experienced heading down a dark tunnel towards a woman of light.

The woman was not elderly and looked familiar to her, like her aunt, but she knew she did not really know who she was.  She had a white dress and white hat on and was beaming love towards her.  Although she knew she had two young children at home, Jeanette could not help but be attracted to this woman . As Jeanette approached closer, she turned away from her.  She knew she could come no closer. Jeanette felt herself retreating from the woman and awoke in pain in the ICU.

She had suffered multiple bone fractures but was alive.  Her father hovered over her.  Although in pain she felt compelled to describe her experience to him.  Jeanette was young and had never heard of a near-death experience.  She described the woman precisely as she saw her.

Her father was breathless.  With trembling fingers he reached deep within his valet and pulled out an old black and white photo.  "Yes, that's the woman I saw", Jeanette exclaimed.

Her father shook his head.  "I can't believe what you're saying.  This is a picture of your real grandmother who died before you where born. She was buried in a white dress and wore a white hat.  The woman you call Grandma is a step grandmother.  We never thought to tell you."

After she recovered Jeanette was suddenly shaken by a memory of an event which had occurred two or three years before.  Her girlfriend had asked her to drive her to have a psychic//medium reading.  Jeanette had no interest in having her own reading but the medium looked her in the eyes, grabbed her hands and said, "You have a grandmother in spirit who will save you from a car accident."  Jeanette laughed and told her that both her grandmothers were still alive.  The medium said, "honey, someone isn't tell you the truth".

Jeanette walked away from the experience with more skepticism than ever.  "Boy, did she blow that one", Jeanette stated.

Only after her own NDE did she recall that quick but powerful reading from the woman who accurately predicted what would occur