Vibrational Medicine

Vibrational medicine attempts to treat people with various forms of pure energy. The influence of alternative medical systems such as Chinese, Ayervedic or Tibetan medicine have led in part to the development of machines that can 'image energy'. Heat energy imagers are an accepted part of our technology. We readily accept imaging heat, even though we can't see it, because heat is something we can sense through touch. With the 'energy body' it is not so straightforward. Very few of us have experienced this for ourselves and there is apparently no sensory backup to tell us it is there.

Experiments in 'electro-acupuncture' and Kirlian photography have led to an energy map of the body identical to that shown in traditional Chinese medicine. The meridian system is seen as an interface between the physical body and the energy body. Applications of resonant energy to the meridian system promote healing in a number of dis-eases, by altering the energy of the 'root system' concerned in the dis-ease. Much of this work seems to be 'undercover' and information and the manufacture of equipment for treatments of this nature is actually suppressed through legislation.

The etheric body, acupuncture meridians, chakras and nadis and other multi-dimensional aspects of the human are described by ancient schools of healing throughout the world. Western medicine in its reductionist stance, ignores these aspects because they can't be studied under a microscope. Only now, at the beginning of the 21st century are some doctors starting to catch on.

Vibrational medicine interfaces with subtle energy fields that underly the functions of a physical body. It is based on the idea of resonant frequencies, similar to a tuned string on a musical instrument resonating with anything tuned to the same frequency, or an opera singer smashing a glass by singing at a certain pitch. Some sciences and philosophies have recognised vibrational elements as an important part of the universe. It is proving difficult to link these new sciences with the dogma of Western medicine. Even as long ago as 1928 Thomas Sugrue recognised vibrational elements at work in the human body:

"The human body is made up of electronic vibrations, with each atom and elements of the body, each organ and organism, having its electronic unit of vibration necessary for the sustenance of, and equilibrium in that particular organism. Each unit, then, being a cell or a unit of life in itself has the capacity of reproducing itself by the first the law as is known as reproduction-division. When a force in any organ or element of the body becomes deficient in its ability to reproduce that equilibrium necessary for the sustenance of physical existence and its reproduction, that portion becomes deficient in electronic energy. This may come by injury or disease, received by external forces. It may come from internal forces through lack of eliminations produced in the system or by other agencies to meet its requirements in the body." Edgar Cayce (1928) from There is a River by Thomas Sugrue.

Experiments in high-energy particle physics and the new field of quantum physics show us that nearly all matter is energy. In some sense we are made from 'frozen light'. As beings of energy we are influenced by and can be treated by energy and modern medicine is all too slowly realising this.

Medical science, alternative medicine and quantum science are merging in a few specific places. For example M.R.I. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) as mentioned previously, places the patient in a strong magnetic field that passes waves through the body. The computer creates an image by analysing changes in the magnetic alignment of the hydrogen protons in our cells. This is essentially an 'energy imager' but is used only for physical diagnosis.

A key principle behind M.R.I. is that the atoms under study (hydrogen) are being stimulated by the transfer of energy of a specific frequency. The energy is only absorbed by the atom if it is of a particular resonant frequency. Systems which produce frequencies that resonate with the biological phenomena being studied have the greatest chance of successfully imaging indicators of disease. M.R.I. promises much new diagnostic information about the body, showing even more detailed cellular pictures of structure and function. It is still looking at only physical molecular imaging - a sophisticated application of a Newtonian philosophy.

Cancer is already treated by radiation therapy, the application of gamma rays which can be focused at certain depths within a patient. This is used in a 'Newtonian science' way - primarily to destroy the lump. Any notions of vibrational levels that resonate with the patient are unresearched, because this aspect of us doesn't exist to Western scientific medicine.

What is needed now are imaging systems that allows healers to look to the level of energetic causes of illness and not just the biochemical abnormalities accompanying established disease. Truly preventative medicine awaits the development of an imaging system that will prove to doctors that there is more to human beings than mere flesh and blood.

Wild Medicine and Tansy Cakes

It started with the Tansy cakes. I had to ask myself 'Why would anyone eat anything so utterly disgusting in taste'? Chrysanthemum Vulgare is a common perennial in the British Isles and the name Tansy is said to be derived from the Greek 'athansia', meaning 'immortal'. Reasons suggested for this include the fact that the dried flower lasts forever or that it has a medicinal quality contributing to long life. Looking back to Greek literature, Tansy was given by the Gods to Ganymede to make him immortal. In the language of flowers the gift of Tansy means 'Rejected address' - " I am not interested in you". Its strange taste, not unlike the smell of 'mothballs' might have something to do with this.

Tansy certainly had a reputation as a vermicide and vermifuge (killing and dispelling intestinal worms) in the middle ages. John Gerard wrote in his 17th century Herball:

"In the Spring time are made with the leaves here of newly sprung up, and with eggs, cakes of Tansies, which be pleasant to taste, and good for the stomacke. For if any bad humours cleave there unto, it doth perfectly concoct them and scoure them downewards".

Tansy was a common kitchen garden herb for medicinal and culinary use, in place of expensive foreign spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. It was used to flavour custard, cakes, milk puddings, omlettes and freshwater fish. In Ireland it was included in sausages called 'Drisheens'. Its use as a springtime 'cleanser' became ritualised into a part of the Christian religious Easter traditions;

"On Easter Sunday be the pudding seen, To which the Tansy lends her sober green."

The consensus on this much written about herb is that it was used at Easter to purify the blood after lent. This consensus shows a problem though, in that in England the plant does not show leaves until the end of May - well after Easter. This is evidence of the assimilation of natural 'self-medicating' herbalism into a controlling religious patriarchy.

Observation of wild and domesticated animals shows that they regularly self-medicate with wild plants. Sick chimpanzees chew bitter leaves from a bush not normally part of their diet, and then recover. Research by Michael Hoffman shows that a particular nematode worm is common in the monkey's gut during the rainy season and that their chewing of the leaves coincided with the prevalence of this parasite, which it destroyed. This was the same bush that local tribes use to get rid of stomach parasites.

Dogs and cats self medicate by eating couch grass or cleavers. Parrots, chickens, camels, snow geese, starlings - all have been observed consuming substances normally alien to their diet to remedial effect. Bears particularly are venerated by North American Indian culture because they symbolise the powers of 'regeneration'. North American Indians discovered the use of a root called Osha from bears. It is so effective as an all round painkiller, antiviral, antipeptic that it is now on the endangered species list.

The Woolly Bear caterpillar has also been observed to change its diet according to whether it is infected by a particular parasite. Normally a Lupin eater, the caterpillar increases its chance of surviving a particular fly parasite by changing to a diet of Poison Hemlock. Self-medication is not therefore a 'rational choice' in other species, but a carefully integrated part of a survival mechanism against an invisible predator - disease. Humans seem to have lost this sense of their own health and are not usually informed as to the uses of plants growing around them.

Humans often self-medicate though - alcohol indulgence to deal with stress being an obvious example of this or the ready availability of pharmaceutical or street drugs. We often consume substances such as caffeine or sugar drinks for easy energy. The natural trait towards self-medicating may well be at the basis of many of our unconscious 'eating choices'. Potatoes contain a form of opiate and all foods to some extent can act as 'alteratives' to a unique physiology. We talk about comfort foods and rewarding ourselves with treats to eat. Often we might have a favourite food that can help if we feel too ill to eat, like scrambled egg. This is a unique food because it contains all of the amino acids we need to digest it. Chocolate is to many the ultimate comfort food treat.

An extreme example of what we do is shown in 'Pica' where a person gets uncontrollable desires to eat certain edible (and inedible) substances. This condition is occurs in pregnant women and is thought to express the need for particular minerals. Because our food sources are often limited to processed food, and because of the destruction of herbal folk-lore and access to wild medicine, many of us have lost touch with our 'health sense' or ability to use food or wild plants as preventative or curative self-medication.

But finally the wheel is turning and people want access to this more holistic and gentle sense of health that is prevalent in other medical philosophies such as Chinese or Tibetan. If you like the taste of mothballs you could even try Tansy cakes.

Article with thanks to Roger Phillips and Michael Hoffman

Natural Remedies For Treating a Cold

Sometimes it can be hard to escape that shivery feeling that happens when you get too cold. A good immediate remedy for this is to wrap yourself up in a douvet and stick a hairdryer up it, (making sure the air flow is not restricted) until you feel warmed up.

Colds are the body's escape mechanism. When the whole system is overloaded it crashes. The body stresses out and the immune system drops its threshold. The nose releases toxic wastes in the form of mucous and the body often aches and feels exhausted. Pay attention to what your body is saying because an unchecked cold can become far more serious if you keep it buried.

If you are one of those people who can tell when you have a cold coming on, then it can be stopped, or at least minimised, in several ways. Firstly, rest is essential. There is no way your body will self-heal in a stressful situation. If you have to work, take it easy or delegate a bit more. Lemon juice, rose hips, parsley (not if you're pregnant) and fresh orange all contain vitamin C, so take them.

Some colds can actually be completely stopped dead by gently sniffing a mixture of lemon juice and warm water up your nose, if you are brave enough. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds contain zinc which is important in cold prevention so take some of those. Otherwise its time to sweat those built up toxins right out through the skin. Start with a peppermint tea and take some garlic or garlic capsules. Then boil a large onion in milk for an hour, eat it, and drink the milk. Follow on with a steaming cup of lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and grated ginger which will stimulate circulation and sweating. Enjoy it in a mustard footbath which will also warm up the blood - use multiple and layered remedies and take them as an opportunity to treat yourself.

For a mustard footbath, take 1 tsp. yellow powder mustard and one of household soda (if you have hard water) and put them in a deep basin with some water as hot as you can stand. Keep your feet and lower legs in for about ten minutes, topping the bath up with fresh hot (not boling) water. Dry off, put on thick socks and climb into a freshly warmed bed, the earlier the better.

The Simplest Asthma Solution

During the Democratic convention the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted a shocking statistic: One third of the children in Harlem suffer from asthma. This shouldn't be completely surprising since asthma cases have been consistently increasing over the years, especially in the cities, escalating recently during the rollback of some key environmental laws, but it is a trend we must turn back.

While parents have only limited control over the environment where they raise their children, there is a personal environmental decision they can make that may dramatically reduce the symptoms their children experience. It all comes down to detergent, and not just any detergent. It is the detergent that they use to wash their children's clothes and sheets. The biggest selling detergents in the United States contain large amounts of irritating phosphates, which are not only a major irritant to the skin and respiratory system, but a source of serious pollution, and a component in global warming.

If you are wondering if your laundry detergent contains phosphates just read the label, it is listed there. In most industrialized countries phosphate detergents are outlawed for good reason, but in the United States the chemical industry has a strong lobby and cheap phosphates help manufacturers keep their costs low, so their use continues. The next time you walk though the laundry detergent section of your supermarket, take a deep breath and notice how much the smell irritates your nose and lungs.

What kinds of detergent contain low, or no phosphates? Baby detergent! No mother would dream of washing their newborn's clothes and sheets in the family's powdered detergent! That would give their baby's delicate skin rashes, not to mention an increase in crying and crankiness. There are many readily available natural detergents that are phosphate-free and it's worth the time to find them.

We have noticed tremendous improvements for both children and adults when their clothes and sheets are consistently washed in a phosphate-free detergent. By itself this change may not alleviate all of the symptoms of asthma and those related skin rashes, but it clearly removes an insidious irritant from the equation.

It might be helpful to explain why this simple change is so effective. Testing in Europe shows that, while sleeping, people are between two thousand and ten thousand times more sensitive to chemical and electromagnetic pollution than while they are awake. When a child's pajamas are washed with a chemical irritant and they sleep on bedclothes containing those same toxins, their immune system is challenged nightly, during a time when they are most vulnerable. Their body's nutritional reserves are consumed in that battle and they are less able to defend themselves from the pollutants they encounter during their day. Asthma and allergies are not produced by a single irritant, but by an accumulation of minor irritants that eventually overwhelm the body's ability to adapt. It is not a huge leap to imagine that removing a respiratory irritant from the sleeping environment, where a person spends one third of their time, is going to produce an improvement in a child's ability to breathe.

By Drs. Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis

Top 3 Reasons Why You Suffer From Pain In The Back Of The Knee

Pain behind the knee is something many of us have or might experience if we play sports that involve bending at the knees, running, tennis, or any activity that puts strain on the area.

Here are some things you need to keep in mind if you ever experience such pain behind the knee:

1. Possible Arthritis

This is one of the most common causes of pain in the knee. In fact, if you are over the age of 65 one in two of you have arthritis with the knee been one of the most common joints involved.

The pain of arthritis is usually a dull tooth ache pain that is occasionally sharp with sudden movements. The pain is usually located over your joint line (where the tibia meets the femur) and in the front of the knee. Mild and sometimes severe swelling is associated with this pain. The pain is worse when you exit a chair or car. It is also worse with any prolonged walking or standing. The pain is usually better with rest, heat (sometimes ice), wrapping the knee and pain medication.

Occasionally the knee may catch on the rough uneven surfaces of your cartilage. Patients often complain of grinding in the knee, and occassional popping.

2. Minor Tear of the Cartilage Surface

Rather then a cyst or fluid build-up, the causes of the pain behind the knee might simply be slight micro tears in the cartilage. This can be treated with the same solutions at the end of this article. Tears, if minor, require no surgery and will heal on their own depending on the time allowed for healing and if the activity that aggravates it is avoided.

3. Baker's Cyst The cyst usually occurs due to some other problem in your knee such as arthritis or even a tear of your meniscus. The swelling from this problem causes fluid to build up in your knee. This fluid pushes out the weakest point of your joint capsule surrounding your knee. This is usually to the back portion of your knee capsule, and a cyst forms. The cyst has a valve made out of your joint capsule tissue. This valve can sometimes become clogged and the fluid becomes trapped in the cyst. Thus, even when the injury has resolved, you still have the swelling in the back of your knee. This is associated with pain usually described as dull and aching. The pain is worse with prolonged walking or standing. It is sometimes improved with rest, elevation and taking pain medication.

Many people agree that when it comes to pain behind the knee, the best plan of action is Control, Avoid, and Rehabilitate.

Control:

Cryotheraphy which involves putting ice on the area for 5 minutes at a time. This will help reduce the pain. Do not continue to apply ice if a burning sensation is felt.

Heat from a heating pad for 10-20 minutes on a lower setting may help reduce pain. Alternative methods include creams that create a heating sensation like Icy-Hot or AST BioFreeze gel.

Bracing from a comfortable knee brace can provide some needed relief and stability to the area, reducing the pressure on the area and thus; reducing the pain. There are many knee braces available that can be worn during activity or at any time where the area becomes bothersome.

Avoid:

There's nothing special about this old saying. Simply avoid the activities that aggravate the pain and participate in ones that seem to help it. Making a list of things NOT to do and a list of things TO DO will be helpful in determining what makes the pain worse. Avoid activities that continue to make the pain worse or no better. This is typical advice. Pain is a warning signal.

Rehabilitate:

Talk to a Doctor and make a plan of action to rehabilitate the knee thru controlled motions. Rehabilitation includes motivation to do the prescribed exercises. The correct exercises as prescribed and the proper equipment to keep the motions in controlled.

Pain behind the knee is very common in some many sports that you can suffer from this by doing almost anything from snowboarding to racquetball. By taking precautions in your sports and understanding what might cause this, will allow not only enjoyable sports activities, but a lifetime of activity.

By Marc David