Rating "the control of artificial limbs by thought alone"

This is incredible. I found myself wanting to know more about this subject. I think it is a great idea and can be utilized by so many individual that have become limited in their movements. The process makes me shiver a bit. The thought of attaching electrodes to the surface of the brain is creepy to say the least, but when it helps your loved one have a better quality of life, creepy is easily dealt with.
It is truly amazing what we are capable of doing. Not only the technology that has been developed to make such things possible, but as well the capabilities our minds have to interact with such developments.

Bionic Person

It is difficult for me to support stuff like this. My question is, Why? Why do we need a bionic person? It seems to me that we keep testing our limits in ways that can come back to bite us incredibly hard. Creating a bionic person in an interesting idea. I can see why someone would want to attempt this feat. However, for what purpose? Is it simply to say that we can, or are we going to give it as much of a mind as possible? Will we have these bionic beings serving us at the local fast food chain one day, or will they become developed and intelligent enough to take on larger duties. It reminds me too much of a Sci-Fi thriller where one of these things is created and then it takes over the world with all of its clones. I know that sounds rediculous but with the capabilities we have these days, I don't see it as impossible.
So thats it. Whether I would support such an experiment depends on what the purpose is.

Make-up work :)

I know I am a living system because...

I breath, bleed, feel, think, move and walk, talk, reason, defecate, urinate, eat, drink, sleep and wake-up, hear and respond. I heal when I am hurt. I can see this action happening when I cut myself and the process begins. I have DNA. I am made up of all the necessary proteins to enable me to be a living creature.


Biophysics and me...

Biophysics is all around us and we are interacting with it on a continual basis. Whether it be in the products we use, the cars we drive, the facilities we work in or the food we eat, it's quality's are there. Biophysics encompasses everything that we experience in one way or another. Simply waking up and walking out our doors into the fresh air is all we need do to experience biophysics.

Human intent as it affects health

This is incredible stuff!! It is why I am here and it is why acupuncture and all healing modalities work. Whether you are healing yourself or others, your intent as well as the persons who is being healed is absolutely necessary for best results.
I am currently a massage therapist. My understanding and belief of intent become stronger with every session. I believe there are times when my intent is all that worked in a massage. I have had some severely injured people on my table, both emotionally and physically. When they get off my table they are different, better. I wonder to myself how that could be considering how tight or blocked they were. But during our entire session my heart and soul were present. When my clients are on my table my love is focused on them. It is as if they were one of my dearest family members and all I want is for them to feel better. I think about what they will be like when they get off my table. I vision their smiles and their looks of ease and comfort. I hear there gratitude for the relaxation within their bodies before they voice it. When I am together in my office with someone I am about to work on, it is all about them and what we can do together to heal them.
Intent is a catalyst. When one learns to use it, I believe there is nothing that person can't do.

Kirlian photography

I am still in awe that something so mysterious can be photographed. I have to say that when I first heard of Kirlian photography I was a total skeptic. I was 18 and my Eastern Religions teacher brought her photographs in. I thought, There's no way. This is a trick!". But the photograph captivated me in some way and I jumped on the computer that night. After reading about it a little more I found it not only to be possible but perhaps necessary in some peoples lives. I read amazing testimonials that involved spotting cancers, pneumonia, emotional and mental blocks, angels and spirit guides. The colors I saw around people were never the same. Even in several pictures of one person there were always differences, some slight and some significant.
Although I am not quite sure how it works yet, I have a great appreciation for it. I am excited for the experience to have my aura photographed. Honestly I am still wondering why it is I haven't had this done yet. I am sure this experience will be the first of many.

Acupuncture as an effective energy medicine

There is no question in my mind that acupuncture is an effective energy medicine. I feel the energy and the effectiveness every time I experience acupuncture. There have been times where acupuncture didn't necessarily help out my situation but at the very least eased my mind and body for the rest of the day. When the needles go in, I can feel them activate and then begin to work with each other. From what my body has experienced in its lifetime this is a clear indication of energy being utilized in its finest fashion.

Where is a time machine when you need one? I wonder what life would be like if we could go back in time and approach Descartes before he made some silly suggestion like "mind and body are separate from each other"? Maybe we could send him down a conveyor belt having him receive a different modality of healing at every stop and at the end he could have a session with Freud or Erikson.

Our "Energy Efficient" Culture

Energy efficient? I have a hard time saying that. Sure we know how to utilize energy, steal energy, consume energy, buy energy, cultivate or generate energy, abuse energy, manipulate energy, but using it efficiently is somewhat a joke. Even when it is used in a way that is so called efficient, somewhere down the line there is a complete disregard for the natural resource that has provided it. I feel this qualifies as inefficient. Until we start using energy in a way that avoids harming our planet, it is all inefficient. Can that even happen? Well, I plan to stay optimistic.
The only energy efficiency I experience is when I am receiving bodywork or energy healing. This is a highly efficient use. However, I don't think that is what we are talking about here.

Newton's Three Laws and Me

My daughter loves to play hit the ball. This is where we take turns throwing a ball while the other one hits the ball with some plastic thing that vaguely looks like a tennis racket.

Law 1: The plastic ball we play with, lying still on the bedroom floor.

Law 2: One of picking up the ball and tossing it towards the receiving racket. The velocity of course depending on which of us has thrown the ball.

Law 3: The contact between the ball and racket.

Generally law 3 leads back to law 2 as the velocity of the ball has now changed due to the interaction with the racket. Most often the ball hits me, law 3 again, unless I dodge it (which I usually don't because lets face it, the ball is plastic and she thinks it's hilarious for it to hit me.... and then I fall over). And here we are back at law one as the ball slowly comes to a rest on the floor.

Well it made for a great story... I hope I have the concept right :)

Consciousness out of Chaos

Everything around us was created from some sort of chaos. We encounter chaos on a daily basis, or at least I do. But from the chaos that I encounter comes knowledge, experiences and best of all lessons. If there weren't chaos in our lives I think that we would be living unconsciously. From the moment we get out of bed in the morning chaos occurs. We can hope that things go the exact way we plan, but that just isn't reality. Reality is chaos. It keeps our minds active and ready to receive what comes at us on a very momentary basis.

Fractals as patterns in complex systems

The first thing that I thought of was my daughter. From a distance she looks a certain way, but up close she is much different. There are times when she is sleeping that I stare at her. It is incredible the detail that I can find. The curves in her fingers, the length of her eyelashes, the folds of her ears. Her fingerprints.
Then I thought of the water drops from my carport that land on my windshield. They make these incredible patters that remind me of the puffballs on a dandelion. Which brings me to the puffball. Have you ever inspected one of those up close? They are marvelously put together.

Ordered Chaos

This reminds me of my commute from Chico to the bay. I can plan my entire day around this drive and just when I think it's going well, traffic happens.
My daughters classroom is a fine example. A room full of preschoolers is quite a display of ordered chaos. One moment the are nicely gathered in a quiet circle, and in the next moment they are off and running.
Many thoughts come to mind. The line at the grocery store. The dog park. My refrigerator. My hair on a windy day. The art on my wall that my daughter created. Our brains. Can you imagine the chaos up there?
Ordered chaos can be exciting and fun, hectic and creative. It is all around us, entertaining us and keeping our minds active.

Connections I can make between Energy and Qi

I have a hard time with this one because I view them as the same thing. There are many people who relate energy to most everything they come across, but only relate Qi to the the human body. In that case you could look for connections between the two. I believe they are one in the same and that everything I come across including the human form consists of it entirely.
Everything upon this planet, within this galaxy and of the universe are made up of the very same stuff.
Some call Qi "the vital life force", which it is, however that phrase implies that it only pertains to living things. Although I do agree that Qi IS "the vital life force", and would certainly describe it that way to my fellow people, I make it a point to include the non living objects on this planet as well. I simply describe them as having the "vital force" within their makings. In the end that is what we are all part of, "the vital force" or "Qi" or "Energy". It is all the same just different methods of explaining it.

Resonance in my world

I hadn't ever thought of resonance until this class. Well, that isn't so true. I have thought about. I just didn't know it. The first thought that comes to mind is my daughter slamming a door in my house. She gets such speed I swear it shakes the house. Now, I know it really does shake the house or rather vibrates the house with a measurable resonance.
I also thought of trains. You know that old trick where you can put your ear to the tracks to hear if a train is coming. That is resonance, right?
Coming back to my world though, resonance is everywhere, of course. It is what I feel when I am diving in my car. I notice it when I am lying on my floor a few feet from the speakers when the music is playing loud. When the trash truck goes by it certainly resonates through my house.
There is a resonance happening with this tipity tapping I'm doing on this keyboard right now. It is everywhere, within everything and if I tried to explain even the tiny fraction of it that exists within my world, I would never get my homework done.
So I will finish with a hope that this finds you resonating well ;)

Are all vibrations good?

I think that there are good and bad vibrations. Having said that, I think what may seem to be a bad vibration or "vibe", to me, may have a different effect on the next person. It is all relative.
I have come across several people that give me a bad vibe. One of whom I won't take my daughter near because his vibe, I call it his energy, is so creepy. But, I am sure this man has best friends and family that love and adore him. It is simply that our vibrations don't flow well together.
I can say the same about a few places I have traveled to or even a couple of buildings in my town. Have you ever been to Ellis Island? Now, I wouldn't necessarily say this place is filled with bad vibrations, but they are certainly vibrations I am not used to being involved with on a daily basis, and there are people who would say the felt a bad vibe there.
Here is another silly example, but it does mean something to me. When I am in my car I feel love. Yes, love for the car. I feel protected inside of her, safe from all of the crazy drivers on the roadways. Getting into my best friends car is a different story, even though she is one of the safest drivers I know. Her car gives me such an icky feeling inside, that I just won't get in it anymore. I insist that I do all the driving... in my car.
All of these examples I have given deal with vibrations. They are energies given off from one vessel to the next and sometimes they aren't graciously received.
It is hard for me to say that all vibrations aren't good though, because again, it depends on who you ask. One person might say "earthquakes are very bad, look at all the damage they do". The person right next to them may completely disagree and say "earthquakes are very good, it is our earths way of stretching and not it's fault (haha get it... fault), that people have intruded and built upon its crust".
It is all relative!

Are there connections between sacred geometry and physics?

Physics is a way of relating our worlds functions, habits, qualities, traits and products to us.
Sacred geometry explains or at least represents natural phenomenon's that occur in our world. As well, ancient traditions have been based on and supported by the meanings hidden within sacred geometry. It has been a way of explaining the planets behaviors to eastern cultures. I believe that sacred geometry represents a certain vibration or flow of life or existence of all matter on this planet, and maybe even within this universe. I think that in many ways, if not all ways, physics and sacred geometry are saying the same thing but using different methods of explanation.

What does this "CP violation" really mean?

Well I am not too sure about these misbehaving particles. What is fascinating to me is that they are the only ones we have found. I think it is an incredible display at how well this planet was created. The universe, the galaxy and the earth seem to be a well balanced unit. I hesitate to say more on this subject as I don't fully understand it.

Me and my lovely (a)symmetrical world

I really enjoy my asymmetrical world. It seems that everything being symmetrical would be a bit boring. The chaos and change that occurs in my asymmetrical world is what keeps me on my toes and thriving. Sure, there are things about my life that are symmetrical. Thank goodness for that or I would be hopping about on one foot instead of walking on the two that God so graciously gave me. As well, I have two kidneys, two eyes, two arms, two legs connected to those useful feet, two ears, two nostrils to smell beautiful flowers with and lets not forget the boobs. But, even these things have their asymmetrical qualities about them. Yep that's right! One boob is smaller than the other!!! Now what is up, or down rather, with that? Seriously though, when really examining these parts of my body, I find many differences and so I can only say that they are at a glance, symmetrical.

The four forces

Okay, so I am just going to explain my thinking and how I got myself to somewhat understand these concepts.
The way I began to think of electromagnetic force was equating in to a Queen and her subject. The queen is at the center and her subjects are continuously working around her to keep things in order. I equated strong nuclear force to a bowling ball crashing into the pins causing them to fly apart. For weak nuclear force I think of vinegar being introduce to oil. It breaks the oil up and creates something new. I realize this are totally obscure relations to the subject matter, but it did help me begin to grasp some of this stuff. When I was reading about gravity in relation to the other forces, I found it interesting that it is the one force that is always attractive.

The function of Gravity

The most essential function of gravity is obvious. It binds us to this earth. I just wanted to comment on how perfect this force is. It holds us to this earth just right. Not too strong, not to weak. We are able to walk upright without being pulled onto our face or rear ends, unless we trip and then we really understand the force of gravity. Just the same, we are not let loose to fly out into space. Thinking about gravity reminds me how undeniably perfect this earth and universe are. The way it has been created for us is so precise. It is easy to take for granted what a gift this all is.

E=MC(2)

What the equation E=MC(2) represents affects my life in many ways on a daily basis.
The sun is the first thing that comes to mind. This affects me continuously through the fruits and vegetables that I eat, the water that I drink, the vitamins I absorb from it, the garden I grow and admire, the warmth I receive from it, the fun I have basking in it. This huge ball of continuous combustion is what keeps me alive. I would say thats pretty affective. In all its glory it sadly has negative affects on me as well. Global warming. This beautiful, unexplainable light force can't help but gradually cause wear and tear on our earth.
We are affected in so many more ways. The flick of a match and the spark plugs in our cars. From simple to extraordinary, what this equation represents is all around us.

Connectivity

We are all one. We are one with the earth, the universe, and with each other. It is through this connectivity that we manifest all that is around us. I am connected with all of you because we are on similar paths as healers. In the same sense my father is connected to people by photography and gardening. I am connected to my friends because we have similar interests and mutual care for one another. I am typing on this computer because there were many people who had similar interest in us being able to communicate in various fashions. I have a car to drive because brilliant minds came together and devised a box on wheels that can get us from point A to point B. Skyscrapers, boats, airplanes, t.v., refrigerators, bridges, drinking fountains, are all here because of people who had mutual interests in a particular creation.
Everything that we experience is through connectivity. Connectivity is how we get synchronicity. The fact that we are so connected to one another is why we are able to have those very exciting experiences. Do you ever notice that the more interested you are in a subject, the more you seem to encounter people interested in that very same subject. You attract them into your experience because of the connectivity you share in that certain area. Your energies/vibrations match and you come together.

Syncrhonicity

All of the evidence that I could give you on this subject is personal experience. I will give a few examples here but there are so many experiences I have had with synchronicity that I could probably write a book. I have to say that these experiences are what got me interested in quantum physics in the first place. I wanted to know more about these "coincidences" that were occurring in my life, and if they truly were just coincidences.
My mother and I are very close. We speak nearly every day. It is very common for us to finish each others sentences, or to know already what the other is thinking. There have been many instances where a verbal conversation wasn't even necessary. This is our energies being in sync.
There are times when I am out and about in my home town and I will see the same person four or five times. I used to think that was so weird, and now it is so normal.
You all are familiar with the saying, " I was in the right place at the right time". That's synchronicity. I used to think I was so lucky that the Chiropractor I worked for was hiring at the same time I was looking for a massage position. I seemed to fit so well into the office and the people there soon became a part of my family. Now I realize that our desires were matched. I was looking for them, and they were looking for me. So what else could possibly have happened other than me walking through that door on that beautiful July morning.

Is this Universe weird?

No. I think that we are what is weird. This universe has a natural flow about it that is incredible. It's our perception of it that makes it weird. The universe is fascinating and mind boggling. I can't wrap my head around most of what it is about. But that's okay, I'll try my best.

Causality

     Causality seems matter of fact. If you cause something to happen, there is an effect. An effect has to have a cause. What I like about this is that one cause can have many effects, as well, one effect can have many causes. We see this in the Chinese Medicine we are currently learning.
Causality is a major issue. Too many people do not understand the implications of their actions. Simply ones energy they put out can have an effect on others around them. Causality is something that I am interested in getting more in touch with. This planet would be in much better shape if society, as a whole, understood causality.

Reflections on Uncertainty

     My thought at the moment is that there is uncertainty about most everything. Although there are things that we are quite certain about, like the sun rising and setting, even that has its uncertainty. We are only quite certain that the sun will rise again tomorrow. No one can say for sure that there won't be some cosmic blast that comes out of nowhere before the sun has its chance to rise. As well, whose to say I won't die in my sleep tonight, and therefore the sun certainly won't rise for me in the morning. Around every facet there is some form of uncertainty, even if  by only a minute fraction. 

     When thinking about this question, what also came to mind is that there are mathematical equations, chemical equations and many other "equations", that are certain. However, even some of these equations, when applied to the natural world, leave room for some amount of uncertainty.

      Uncertainty is okay with me. It leaves room for all possibilities. I like that!

1st assignment

Well, you all heard my answers to the quiz in class, so I thought I would tell you a little more about myself instead. 

I am a single mom. I have a four year old daughter named Elisa. I live in a town called Chico, which is about three hours from Berkeley. For the days that I am in school I rent a room in San Rafael. I love both places, but my heart is in Chico. When I am done with school I look forward to opening a center in Chico where people will have a wide range of alternative healing modalities available to them in one place. In addition to my center I would like to be involved with professional sports teams. Preferably football, and preferably with the San Diego Chargers. Yes I know, high hopes, but that is who I am. 

I am currently a deep tissue massage therapist. I have been doing this for seven years. I love it, but it is a bit hard on my body. I am looking forward the transition into acupuncture. 

There is a great deal more to know about me. I am excited to get to know all of you better. 

*My reflections on our first class-

     I personally enjoyed the class. I liked the discussion aspect and hope that the rest of the classes are similar. I enjoyed everyones answers to the question regarding time slowing down. When Larry mentioned our dreams, I  giggled inside because dreams hadn't crossed my mind. Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to my dreams, but since the class I have been paying attention to the time lapsed within them.