That is what we do Natalia. I have a close friend who studied with the Salish people and who helps me with these things. It's not hard for a Traditional Indian to image these things and it's also not hard for a musician who knows that reality is created in the mind and disappears when you finish with it unlike the people tied to the tyranny of touch and see and what they choose to call the "Material" world. For me it is a matter of the English language which is locked in Subjects and Direct Objects and hard nouns and has a problem with describing process or the flow of reality.
This is from the new Thaut book that I told you about: With the advent of modern cognitive neuroscience and its new tools of studying the human brain, "live," music as a highly complex, temporally ordered and rule-based sensory language quickly became a fascinating topic of study, probably driven by the quiet hope that these new tools and paradigms would bring us closer to an understanding of the function and role of music and its mechanisms to attract our minds. In parallel to these aspirations, however, another highly significant development in studying music scientifically occurred, which was possibly less foreseen by many researchers. We now know that by studying the physiology and neurology of brain function in music we can actually obtain a great deal of knowledge about general brain function, in regard to the perception of complex auditory sound stimuli, time and rhythm processing, differential processing of music and language as two aural communication systems, biological substrates of learning versus innate talent in the arts, and pro-cessing of higher cognitive functions related to temporality and emotion. Music has become a very useful model for brain research in perception and cognition. It has become quite clear in recent years that one of the most interesting and provocative suggestions coming out of these efforts in music and brain science is the realization of music as a biologically deeply ingrained function of the human brain. The brain has neural circuitry that is dedicated to music. Music is associated with a specific yet complex brain architecture. Sensitivity to music plays a critical role in the development of all children regardless of the presence or absence of later artistic achievement. Music is ubiquitous in all known historical and present cultures. It is safe to say that music is much more than cultural artifact, an icing on the cake of human evolution after basic biological needs and developments were adaptively satisfied. This will be discussed further in this book in relation ship to a new paradigm of a neuroscience of aesthetics. Rhythm, Music and the Brain: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Applications, Michael H. Thaut. Routledge pg. viii. Best, REH. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Darryl or Natalia Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 8:03 PM To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION Subject: Re: [Futurework] Here's to mental health at 90! That lovely lady's body would be suffering all the more if not for her wise active mind. She's fortunate to have put it to good use to eventually ease the transition to the next life. Do you ever wonder how much easier this transition from active mind to frailty to physical death would be if people could learn to accept altered states as a natural function of their time on Earth? If they had a shaman, spiritual or psychotherapist guide them through these changes, is it possible they could unravel some buried stuff and sojourn into new realms with dignity in tact rather than be branded with senility? As I glance at a list of Salish spirit quest altered states of consciousness symptoms, described by Ludwig in the context of trance and possession, 1968, I start to wonder: 1) alterations in thinking; including predominance of archaic modes of thought, blurring of cause effect distinction, cognitive ambivalence 2) disturbed time sense 3) loss of conscious control and inhibition which may be relinquished in order to gain a greater, culturally defined power 4) change in emotional expression towards affective extremes ranging from ecstasy to profound fear 5) body image changes; feelings of depersonalization, derealization, dissolution of boundaries between self and environment, often associated with dizziness, weakness, blurred vision and analgesia 6) perceptual distortions,; hallucinations, illusions, visual imagery, hyper-acuteness of perceptions, synaesthetic experiences 7) change in meaning; attachment of increased or specific significance to subjective experience or external cues, leading to thrilling feelings of insight, and revelation of "truth" which then carries an unshakable conviction 8) sense of ineffable; the essence of the personal experience is felt not to be directly communicable; and this is often explained by varying degrees of amnesia 9) feelings of rejuvenation; of renewed hope or of rebirth 10) hyper-suggestibility: a propensity to accept, or to respond uncritically to statements of an authority figure via identification, or to cultural and group expectations. Imagine walking someone through the first parts to have them weave through the latter--without the feelings of grief and loss over ego self. Picture them being with someone who knew what to watch for, and who could interpret what was seen or felt, without being overbearing or subjective. Western culture would call these altered states psychogenic, most often observed in hypnosis, religious revelation or hysterical dissociation. Christians call it something else (like demonic possession), and yet differences are about cultural rather than psychological or neurophysiological states. But the term 'trance' designates a state of double consciousness, between limiting state of awareness of personal self and dream-like state of the para-personal self. The "neuropsychological basis of the trance or possession state is the dissociation of the self, which loses its experiential unity and is converted into a secondary dual system of relational experience." This "capacity to attain altered states of consciousness are a universal property of the human central nervous system, but their prevalence is the function of socio-cultural variables" says Wolfgang G. Jilek, M.D., author of Indian Healing, Shamanic Ceremonialism in the Pacific Northwest Today. There may be a reason, a personal motivation for induction of these states by seniors, and we're dismissing/misdiagnosing their landmark passage as signs of demise. I've long suspected that a lot of what's going on with cognitive impairment has to do with mind taking a trek/break from chiefly psychological pain and restraints. I suspect that at the first signs of it, people ignore the warnings to search for peace within. Seniors generally will become frightened and seek out allopathic remedies, which may or may not be the answer. In my observations, this usually marks the beginning of the end because the drugs are so harmful, and require other drugs to alleviate the adverse effects. Then, it's diarrhea city. Every elderly patient I've observed, be it with Alzheimer's or depression, post-stroke or what have you, has been bombarded with mind numbing anti-depressants or systems depressants that typically lead to hip fractures/falls that wouldn't likely have happened had the patient stayed home, got meals delivered, and were allowed time to work it out themselves or with some nursing or counseling. Sure, you have those who might set the house on fire, but I'll bet they are more in the numbers of those who are iatrogenic victims than not. I've wondered how much rigidity and such things as giving away one's personal power over time have to do with later brain impairment or demise. Usually permanent physical condition arises out of a predisposition for it, yet it's always different with each patient. But if that person had been able to know themselves, others and their world better in a more connected or fulfilling light, would it have been easier for them? There's often a pattern of a major resentment or trauma that should have been addressed. Blockages that can cause very real symptoms that can all too easily easily be assigned a clinical name. And once they hand over their own well being to the care of others and pharmaceuticals, they may never learn that looking at life differently will yield different results. They've never been taught the tools, or the resources in naturopathic remedies, and though spirituality might take them there, their steady diet of religion or resentment thereof fails to direct them. I believe religions should be taught in school. All religions and spiritual beliefs, so that people would know choice. Biggest thing going, along with science and technology, and kids are forced to learn dogma from within limiting parental purlieus, or worse still, from a religious school they may be attending. Atheism should also be taught, not just left fore kids to adopt without knowing the theory. We all have to dream and experience freedom for our mind's well-being. In material life, immediate gratification without consequences would obviously lead to miscreant actions. Aside from all of the physiological documented evidence one could present, I suspect night dreams are the mind's coping strategy for daytime maintenance of high energy, low frequency physicality. If we didn't have the escape from the physical on a (preferably) nocturnal basis, our minds would go nuts from chronic imagined imprisonment--not so much physical but psychical. In aging, our dream recall tends to diminish, resulting in less conscious processing of subconscious experience. People with vivid recall don't seem to experience this lessening, but they may become victims of their own fear-based interpretations as the line between conscious and subconscious crosses or merges. Most psychologists could help these people to some extent, but getting the help they need in time never happens. Just thoughts. Not professional. What do you think? Natalia Ray Harrell wrote: "I have to go visit a 90 year old Jewish lady whose brain is not downsized. It's just her body. What a waste." Hey Natalia, I was sad before I went. She is bright and worked full time up until she was 88. She raised a daughter on her own. The daughter became so self reliant that in her late teens she hiked all over Europe and a lot of Asia, was a member of the Bread and Puppet Theater and worked through college to a PHD in Social Work. She rescued a couple of Indian children from the wars in Central America and raised them as a single mother. Because they are Indian she brought them to our community and participated with them in our ceremonials and rituals. Meanwhile she is known as an angel to the police because she would step right in front of a policeman's gun to protect a child in a drug dealers apartment. She is now retired but has gone back to school and is continuing to do her profession privately. What an amazing little woman with an amazing mother who smiled a huge smile and spoke beautifully with a mind that speaks for someone much younger than her 90+ years. So much knowledge in so frail a body. It was a gift to me today. Thank you Miriam, Wado Edoda. REH From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Gurstein Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 1:50 PM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: [Futurework] FW: [p2p-research] newsweek on The Creativity Crisis -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michel Bauwens Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 4:03 PM To: Peer-To-Peer Research List Cc: [email protected] Subject: [p2p-research] newsweek on The Creativity Crisis http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/p2presearch_listcultures.org Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens Think tank: http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI _____ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _____ --- avast! 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