Category Archives: Immortality Medicine

With the lauded re-recording and re-release of her album Red, Taylor Swift reminds us that she reigns supreme when it comes to spinning pain into solid gold.

What do the stars say about the artist and the many men who have loved/inspired/emotionally tortured her?

Read on.

Taylors Sun is in Sagittarius. Ruled by the planet Jupiter, the fun-loving drunk uncle of the zodiac, Sagittatius energy is expensive, optimistic and adventurous. Sagittareans are seekers, always looking for new horizons, higher learning, spiritual transcendence and in the case of T. Swift fresh bros.

Swifts resilience in the wake of relationship endings is emblematic of her Sagittarius Sun. These folks cant help but believe that good things are on their way and life is bound to get better. Swift herself acknowledges that arch in the song Begin Again, reportedly inspired by her relationship with Conor Kennedy. It is precisely that kind of blithe optimism that keeps her a perennial player in the game of love. Cue Steve Earles Fearless Heart.

Sagittarians seduce with their bon vivant approach to life, promising that a relationship with them will be akin to a storied road trip, complete with quirky pit stops, caramel nonfat lattes, a varied soundtrack and a highly enviable vintage car.

Pack your bags, burn your hesitations right?

That freewheeling, easy-breezy high-road-taking is a bait-and-switch, folks. Beneath the surface and way back in the shadows lies Taylors crustacean Cancer Moon. In astrology, the Moon represents our emotional needs and how we go about getting them met; it relates to the kind of nurturing we did or didnt receive as children. Its the soft underbelly, marshmallow center of the human condition and, in the sign of Cancer, it is at its most sensitive. These people want intense emotional connection and a sworn blood oath that youll never leave. So real is this fear of abandonment that those with Moon in Cancer are prone to adapting themselves to match the needs and preferences of their partners.

Because the Moon rules Cancer, it is very much at home in this placement. Its wearing a Snuggie and ready to passively-aggressively manipulate you into staying in for the night for the rest of your life.

At its highest expression, Cancer energy is creative, caretaking and deeply romantic. At their most indulgent, Cancer Moon natives tend toward masochistic nostalgia, endlessly idealizing or overanalyzing past love affairs. Though their relationship lasted just three months and ended over 10 years ago, Taylor apparently is still writing new verses about Jake Gyllenhal. Further evidence of Swifts pangs for the past can be found in the song Style, where she rhapsodizes the aesthetic of her failed relationship with Harry Styles.

The modality of Cancer is to return and return again. Yet Swift has capitalized on this somewhat pained placement by channeling it into music that serves not only as a balm for her, but sonic medicine for the masses.

Mars is the planet of war, and within the birthchart it governs our approach to sex, ambition and conflict. Tay Tays Mars is in the formidable, vengeance as an art form sign of Scorpio.

Mars in Scorpio views people as either enemies or allies, with exes falling firmly in the latter category. These natives take nothing lightly and put a lot of effort into ensuring others feel the weight of the pain they have been made to suffer. Beyond revenge, Scorpio energy seeks transformation, often spurred by trauma and/or loss. The alternative totem for the sign of Scorpio is the phoenix, and no one lives to light it up, watch it burn, write it down and rise above like our girl.

Taylor has a long and illustrious history of transmuting the raw material of her relationships into song. She called out John Mayer by name and a list of personal failings in her 2010 song Dear John. Further in keeping with her Scorpionic tendencies, Swift plays the long game. Her fervent fan base is still trolling that dude a decade later, greeting his entry to TikTok with slings and arrows.

Perhaps the worst punishment in the playbook of Mars in Scorpio is erasure. Fittingly, Swift has a stable of exes including Tom Hiddleston, Calvin Harris and Eddie Redmayne who have been weighed, measured and found unworthy of immortality through music.

In her latest, closely guarded relationship with actor, collaborator and sweet Pisces baby angel Joe Alwyn, it seems Swift has met a man whose hunger for depth, search for song and commitment to companionship match her own.

Whether they are made to last or built to break, we wait with high hopes, red lips and eager ears.

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a girls guide to strip clubs and the weirdest foods available abroad.

See more here:
What Taylor Swift's birth chart reveals about her art and her exes - New York Post

As we wind down this series, a paradox remains in our pursuit of happiness: Joy comes to those who have known pain. In order to overcome strugglebreakups, illness, even deathwe must first accept and acknowledge its inevitability. Exploring the darkness of our suffering may seem counterintuitive, but often its the only way to see the light.

In this weeks episode, Arthur C. Brooks sits down with BJ Miller, a palliative-care physician, to uncover how we can face our deepest fears, why we should accept our natural limitations as human beings, and how to make peace with the ebb and flow of joy and suffering in human lifean experience we all share.

This episode was produced by Rebecca Rashid and is hosted by Arthur C. Brooks. Editing by A.C. Valdez. Fact-check by Ena Alvarado. Sound design by Michael Raphael.

Be part of How to Build a Happy Life. Write to us at howtopodcast@theatlantic.com or leave us a voicemail at 925.967.2091.

Music by Trevor Kowalski (Lions Drift, This Valley of Ours, Una Noche De Luces, Night Sky Alive), Stationary Sign (Loose in the Park), and Spectacles Wallet and Watch (Last Pieces).

This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Arthur C. Brooks: When you teach happiness, like I do, one of the biggest questions that people have initially: What is it? I mean, we all think we know what happiness is until you think about it. A lot of people, they assume that happiness is a feeling. A better definition of happiness is: Its like a meal with three macronutrients. Just as a meal has macronutrientsor protein, carbohydrates, and fathappiness is a feast with three macronutrients, and they are: enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose.

I want to focus right now on that third macronutrient, on purpose. I probably dont have to convince you that finding purpose or meaning in your life is required for you to be a happy person. You may have spent certain times in your life really having a great old time. Lots of pleasure, lots of enjoyment, but kind of aimlessly. And you most likely didnt find that you were really, really happy.

Almost everybody, it turns out, when theyre asked what actually helped them understand their lifes purposewhich is part of happinessparadoxically, they talk about periods of unhappiness. Heres the conundrum within all of these ideas: To be happy, you need purpose. To have purpose, you need unhappiness. You need some pain. You need some sacrifice. You need some difficulty. And thats what were going to talk about today. Because we need it to get the purpose and thus the happiness that we seek.

BJ Miller: You know, Im all for happiness. Its a beautiful thing. But first of all, its not always accessible. Second of all, it is deeply related to pain and other trouble. I dont think happiness is the absence of trouble or absence of problems or the absence of pain. I think happiness and pain are really close bedfellows.

Brooks: BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative-care physician and the co-founder of the online palliative-care company Mettle Health. Dr. Millers professional field of palliative care deals directly with the healing of suffering rather than of disease itselffrom physical pain to emotional struggles. You might wonder why Im so interested in his work. Im interested in anybody whos a total subversive in their own field, and thats BJ Miller.

Why is he interested in suffering and death himself? He had a near-death accident in his college years. He dealt with incredible pain and was forced to confront mortality head-on. BJs wisdom on pain and suffering, through his professional work and personal experience, helps us come to grips with the inevitable struggles of being human, which means sometimes being in pain and in every life, sooner or later, coming to an end. Why? So that we can be alive today in a more meaningful way.

Miller: We humans are sort of relatively oriented, so we know joy because weve known pain. And we need foils. We need points of contrast. And so death can provide us this point of contrast so that things like beauty and joy pop; they have something to push against and to relate to. So that idea of having a foil in life to understand what joy feels like because we know what its absence feels like.

Happiness is not so much just the pursuit of pleasure. Its somehow the pursuit of being okay with reality. And reality happens to include things like pain and death. Death gives us this context for our life, this reason that time becomes a precious thing and where we place ourselves becomes important because its not unlimited. It also gives us this grand excuse that we know in a full life, were never going to get to everything. Thats not a failure. Thats just the truth of life being much larger than any one of us.

So death has a lot to teach us, and I would just say, you know, Im neither for or against death. It just happens to insist upon itself. It exists. So therefore I need to deal with it. Happiness, I think, has something to do too, without it not being at odds with oneself. And one of the things we doany, every, all selves do is die. So thats just part of the package.

Brooks: Why would you go through your life never actually being alive until you die, because youve been denying the existence of death? Its a weird psychological conundrum that you put yourself into under the circumstances, dont you think? Why are you interested in this topic? What got you interested in the topic of death?

Miller: Well, because I finally came to realize that it exists, like I said it was, its like part of reality and that it was part of life, not the antithesis or the poacher of life, but part of lifethat its in us. And so my pursuit of knowing myself and knowing life led me to trying to at least accept death.

I dont know if we can know deathIm not surebut I guess you could say, Arthur, my interest in life led me to my interest in death because they are deeply related. And then more specifically, too, I mean, I came close to death myself when I was in college. I had an electrical accident that really bumped me up against my mortality as not an abstraction but as very much a reality that could happen any moment. And so that kind of forced me to look.

I had no choice but to look, you know. I think you can do these things by force or by choice. I was forced to look early on because I came so close to it. And that led me into medicine. But really, my interest has never been in death per se. Again, its just really in life. And its also been an interest in: What do humans do when they bump up against things they cant change or they cant control? And that, to me, has been really the primary grist more than death per se. Its that how humans deal with and understand and work with and realize their own limitations. And how humans start to see life beyond themselves, which is a beautiful way to handle the idea of death.

You can start decentralizing your ego; you can start seeing life outside of yourself and feeling your connection to it and appreciation for it and your responsibility to it. So in my field, we talk about the end of lifelike thats the phrase, end of lifebut its such a problematic phrase. Now life, life will keep going. Your life is going to end; my lifes going to end. This life will end. So its not the end of life. Life does not end, as far as we can tell it. It keeps on going. Weyou or Ido not. So its the end of my life. Once you get over yourself, there is a sort of immortality happening, too, all around us.

Brooks: So when your patients come to you, I mean, there arentI mean, your patients come to you because theyre facing the end of lifeobviously, youre doing hospice and palliative care. And my guess is that many of them come to you and theyre not very happy. Is it fear or regret or something else thats actually leading people who are nearing the end of life who are unhappy to experience this unhappiness?

Miller: Palliative care really is the sort of clinicalits the science or a philosophy or an approach to care that deals with suffering versus deals with a disease. The problem, if you will, the thing were looking at, is suffering. And so a lot of people who I see in palliative care arent at the end of life. They are just struggling. Theyre suffering. Theyre trying to make sense of a world to them that does no longer makes sense, trying to incorporate a diagnosis into their sense of self.

A lot of the clients or patients Ive seen over the years are nowhere near death. So one thing to appreciate is for listeners that palliative care is the sort of clinical pursuit of quality of life in the face of suffering. And we grew out of hospice, which is a subset of palliative care that is devoted to the end of life. So, just to say, you dont have to be dying anytime soon to benefit from palliative care.

Now, having said that, the way I kind of work in my practice is in this sort of existential framework. Any time, whether or not were talking about death explicitly, its always in the air. And then my approach is to work kind of almost backwards, to sort of find a way to rope death and loss into the picture and then build from there. Sort of like: Life begins when you realize that you die. Not only do we have to die; we have to know we die in advance of our death, and that is a real mind bender.

Whats been fascinating with Mettle Health, we started this little group outside of the health-care system because as a clinical physician, your point is well taken, Arthur. People come to me because something is wrong. Thats how they find their way to palliative care or medicine in general.

So in some ways, my job in palliative care is to make them hate their life less or make them hurt less. But you start doing that even if thats your goal. You start realizing that part of the antidote is finding meaning. Part of the antidote to pain of any kind is making sense of it or working with it, or somehow accepting it. So its always in the mix.

But now that weve set up Mettle Health outside of the health-care system, its been fascinating. A lot of people coming to us are caregivers, for one. Theyre part of an ecosystem where illness is in the mix; theyre themselves not dying or sick, per se, but they need help. And some of our clients dont even have an illness. Theyre just going through a big transition in life, like a loss of a marriage or changing their employment or trying to move or trying to kind of get to new aspects of themselves. So theres something very beautiful about this work.

Brooks: I like it. I like it nonetheless. And I will quote, you know, from your latest book where you say in the introduction, There is nothing wrong with you for dying. And its funny that we have to say that. But lets take in context why we think that, with our medical-care system and how youre very different than doctors I ordinarily talk to.

Doctors are in the business of keeping us alive, and therefore they set themselves up as enemies of death. And youre saying, Look, thats wrong! Thats all wrong. You cant be an enemy of something thats a natural part of life and an inevitability, and something that if you keep running away from, it will ruin your quality of life.

And so what youre saying hereI mean, look, I want everybody in the audience to apprehend how incredibly subversive BJ Miller actually is to the entire medical establishment. Youre saying that our approach to suffering and death is actually hurting us. Is that correct?

Miller: Yes, you are correct. I absolutely agree with that statement. Yes. The medical model sort of pathologizes everything. But the problem with that is, you end up pathologizing normal states, like, it is normal to get sick; it is normal to die. We shouldnt call that pathological because its like a judgment call. This is where you end up feeling like a loser or ashamed to be sick. You know, thats deeply problematic.

So one of the things Im trying to do is de-pathologize these states to unburden us of the shame of being sick. You know, this idea of: Not only do I have to feel bad, whether its pain or depression or whateveryou have to feel bad for feeling bad, you know, ashamed of yourself or feeling for suffering. Thats it. Thats man-made stuff that we foist on each other. It needs to be kind of undone.

And look, I mean, theres a time for fighting, and theres a timetheres a war on cancer, and I get it. You know, thats a way to mobilize a bunch of energy. And sometimes in a disease course, something may actually be fixable, correctable, and you may be able to forestall death and live a little bit longer. And theres nothing wrong with that.

But lets not fool ourselves. Death is still an inevitability, and its not this thing that happens to us. Its not this foreign invader. Its in us. Our cells are programmed to do this. So you cannot go to war with illness or war with death for very long before you are, in fact, at war with yourself. Thats just a true statement.

Brooks: You make this incredibly compelling case that to enjoy our life, we need to declare peace on death. That doesnt mean we need to embrace death. It doesnt mean we need to rush toward death, but we need to be at peace with the fact that it is part of life. So should we also declare peace on suffering, which is also inevitable?

Miller: Great question, Arthur. I do believe we need to declare peace or perhaps a truce on deaththat smells right to me, and that is importantly different than loving it or ushering it in. And in fact, there are data to support that if you can find your way to accepting the fact that you diei.e., accepting realitythat you might even live longer. When I was trained, the convention was, Well you can go for a quality of life or quantity of life, and then somehow you had to choose between the two. What we are increasingly finding is that thats a false distinction. So part of the answer is to break up these false dichotomies.

In terms of declaring peace on suffering, well, for me, I still find it useful to split suffering into a couple of different kinds. So one is, we might call necessary suffering; its just the suffering that comes from being alive. Loss is just part of the deal. It will happen and, you know, and its going to hurt. So natural phenomena. One of the first things we do when we are born into this world is we wail. You might even consider the birthing process something of a trauma, coming out of the safety of the womb and all the certainty of it, into this world. And it is stunning that the very first thing a healthy child does is cry, is wail. I dont think thats a mistake or coincidence. So it does seem to be just an element of the human experience. Thats necessary suffering. You could try to change it, but good luck, you know?

And then theres this other batch that you might call unnecessary suffering or gratuitous suffering. Im all for coming to peace with the necessary suffering, but the unnecessary stuff that we casuallythe pain we casually cause each other with our thoughts or our words. We say mean things. We disregard each other. We dont see each other. We pressure each other to be something that were not. We do all sorts of things to each other and to ourselves. We steal from each other. We do all sorts of gnarly things. And thats a very different kind of suffering.

I think we need to use our discernment to tease out the two. And no, Im all for rooting out the unnecessary suffering. The health-care system has so many problems. Its amazing, but its also dramatically dysfunctional. And as an invented thing, its inexcusable to me that the health-care system causes as much suffering as it does. It isbecause its made up and because we know better, we should be able to design a better health-care system. And I am upset that we havent found our way to do that, and I will continue to be upset and I will continue to try to change that. Im not at peace with that.

For me, this is a very important distinction, and it also kind of gets at the wisdom of the serenity prayer. Give me this sort of discernment to know the stuff I can change and stuff I cant, because they beg for very different responses. If I cant change something, including the suffering, well, my go-to is, what I try to do there, is to love it, that I want to love life so much that its not up to me to pick or choose which pieces of it I get to keep or not keep. If I cant choose to change the natural suffering, Im going to love it. That is very different from me, just casually causing suffering to myself or someone else through inattention or willful ignorance or whatever else.

Brooks: Okay, back to BJ Miller in a second. But right now, a quick timeout for science.

Weve been talking in this episode about dying. I want to tell you now about a study that has really captured my imagination about this subject. This is a study that was published in 2017 in the journal Psychological Science. It was written by five social psychologists by the names of Amelia Goranson, Ryan Ritter, Adam Waytz, Michael Norton, and Kurt Gray. The article that they wrote is called Dying Is Unexpectedly Positive.

And heres what the article says: In 2017, a team of researchers at several American universities recruited volunteers to imagine that they were on death rowthats rightand then to write fictional last statements about their imagined feelings. Heres the twist: The researchers then compared those posts with the last words of people who were actually facing capital punishmentpeople who really were on death row. The results, published in Psychological Science, were pretty stark: The writing of the people temporarily imagining death was almost three times as negative as that of those actually facing deathand this suggests that, perhaps counterintuitively, death becomes scarier when it is theoretical and remote than when it is a concrete reality closing in.

Brooks: And now back to BJ Miller.

Miller: Its not just the patients who suffer from a thoughtless health-care system or an incomplete health-care system, or one that doesnt apprehend its own or comprehend its own limitations. Doctors increasingly suffer from that. So its not doctors versus patients; its this medical system thats a problem.

Poor doctors are trained in it. Poor doctors are asked to do so much, its obscene. Not just doctorsnurses, social workers, chaplains. I feel an endless amount of compassion, empathy, and love for people who are trying to work within this system. Thats different. So separating out the person from the system is important here too. The doctor suffers from that mentality as well. I know many doctors who are burned out because theyre fighting a war that they cant win. And on some level, they know. On some level they know that theyre causing harm, on some level. So thats one point.

And a second point here is what I would advocate as a fluidity or an agility to choose the construct that serves you in that moment. So fighting to stay alive; I fought to stay alive. You know, that made sense, and I wanted my doctors to fight too, in a way to protect this idea of me having a heartbeat. So the skillfulness is when to use which construct or which tool. Thats the skill that I would like us to develop. Going to war with illness on some level can make some sense, but youve got to know when to transition to a different mind frame or a different perspective.

Brooks: So what should our listeners do to start right now not being afraid of death?

Miller: Well, most of the people I know will have some fear. I wouldnt necessarily advocate trying to become fearless. That may be putting on too much pressure. That may be an impossible request. Rather, get to know your fear; appreciate what its trying to protect you from, and be more than your fear.

So if you can have a relationship with your fear that youre not so whipped around by ita lot of people Ive been with who go all the way to the end, you know, theyll tell you they still have some fears. They dont know, you know. Theres still scary moments, but theyve made peace with having fear. I can almost say they defanged the fear by having a relationship with it and seeing it for what it is and for what its not. So one refinement to your question is: Part of it is maybe asking too much to be fearless.

So what I think we can do now is begin to relate to yourself, including the parts that are hard. Begin to have a relationship to your fear; begin to explore it, look at it, see what its trying to tell you. Welcome the clock into your life, in the sense that to realize that time is actually precious. And yeah, most of us arent likely imminently dying. But thats notwe cant even say that. I mean, I could go tonight, Arthur. And thats not a trivial statement. That is a true statement.

So beginning to feel deaths proximity and not see it as something that happens to other people or some indeterminate future down the road. Its around. Its in you, and therefore its everywhere you are, possible at any time. Begin to welcome that thought into your bones. I think I find it very useful to see loss as proxies for death. Little deaths.

If death is scary because its this foreign thing, well, see if you can make it less foreign. Any day is filled with little losses. Loss of a thought or an idea of a relationship or a possibility. Or you know anything. Loss of hair. You know, Sunday nights are a little bit of a death. You know, to have to go back to the workweek, you know, and realizing that the workweek was what made the weekend so fun. You know, the interplay between the two, these kinds of things.

And then as you realize, as youre an empathic human being, were not just like little individuals walking around in vacuums. Welcome your empathy when you feel loss versus when a friend or a friend of a friend dies. Or when you turn on the news and see whats going on in the world, even deaths of people you dont know, let yourself feel something there. Thats a little practice run for your own death.

I think the biggest one probably is: Acquaint yourself with nature. Try to invite this idea that you are nature, because nature has life and death swirling around together all the time. Go walk in the woods. Youll see falling leaves; youll step on bugs; youll see, you know, its just death is everywhere, and its completely entwined with life. And if you can absorb that lesson, youre really cooking with gas then, I think.

I think its worth noting that just the way we are wired as animals, our nervous system is in fact wired to fight or flight; that is a reflex we have. Thats not something we choose. But over time, I think that reflex can soften, and when that threat doesnt go awayits one thing to stumble on a tiger in the jungle and sure, you want a fight or flight. But if that tigers living in your house and its not going to leave well, you need to adopt a different stance with that tiger.

Over the course of a lifetime, I do think we need to continue to work on ourselves to the point where we can move beyond a simple fight-or-flight response to death or to loss or to pain. So on some level, lets give us all a break. You know, were wired for this stuff. Its not just learned behavior. And then and then I think we, in particular, industrialized society, which has been so much about beating nature, man versus nature. That was all the stuff I learned in high-school literature; that was the lens: us versus nature. I mean, that is such a problematic statement, as though we are not nature, and we are suffering from that consequence all the time.

We have artificially disconnected ourselves from bigger realities, and those bigger realities include death. And then we continue, in this day and age, our messaging, that marketing, the advertisement, the lust for youth and a wrinkle-free face, and all this stuff plays into it. So some of it, I think, is just inborn, part of the deal, and a lot of it is learned, sort of the unnecessary suffering that we continue to foist upon the subject.

Brooks: You know, I teach at the Harvard Business School, and I talk to people who are just super-engaged with their careers and unbelievably successful. And youre a doctor; youve seen the same thing. And people will say, My life is my work. And it sort of is; their life sort of is their work. And then something happens that happens to absolutely everybody, which is that they go into decline and decline is a form of death. And they actually arent literally afraid of their life ending, but theres nothing more terrifying for them than their decline.

So how do you take what you know about death and the fear of death and embrace of death, and make it part of life and make it into some advice for some people who are deeply, deeply afraid of their own professional mortality? Their own success in life, their performance, these people who live for what they can do. What can you tell me about that?

Miller: The way we feel about ourselves in the world is often contextual and even your word, decline. We dont have a better word, so its no shame in using it. But really all it is is change. Its a decline in reference to this other place that you were. Its decline, like disability. Im only disabled in comparison to this standardized human thing that were supposed to be. Im disabled compared to some standard thats made-up. Youre in decline because youre in reference to what used to be or what was.

And the truth is, if you can get really agile and really exercise your human prerogative to choose the frame for yourself. You know we compare and contrast ourselves to one another all the time to place ourselves: Are we good or bad? You know, thats a referentialwe need some frame of reference to know if were doing a good job or a bad job. Okay, fine, but realize as a human being, you also have the capacity to name your reference, to place the context. So if you want to belong in this world, youve got to find a way to look at the world in which you belong.

You know, if you want to continue to wring everything out of every cell and work as long as you can or be as long as you can. In America, we have this issuewere so identified with work. Maybe they just love their work. So were the source of bringing love; bring love to whatever youre doing, whether its working or staring at a wall. So I dont necessarily demonize anyone for loving their work or living for their work.

Youve got to move your frame of reference with you as you decline. So I guess in answer to your question there, that would be my advice, is to continue to practice letting go or shifting, moving that frame of reference. Thats a creative act. We get to do that if we want to.

Miller: Our imaginations tend to be a little bit more rough than reality. So I couldnt have imagined losing three limbs. I might have said something silly, like, Gosh, no, let me die. People did say that. Some people said that to my parents, like, encouraged my parents to let me go when I was in hospital because it would be such an awful thing to live without three limbs. I mean, geez, Louise. Thats just a limitation. Thats problems of imagination and a problem of their own fears, you know?

So one lesson is be careful of your imagination. Dont believe your projections. We are way more durable than we generally give ourselves credit for. And once were actually in the situation, we find our way very often, you know, so I think that that isIll have those fears too. I just put a little asterisk next to it, or Ill just wink at that feeling, knowing that well see when I get there.

You know, the same with death. Like, you know, I think Ill be cool with my death when Im there, given everything were talking about, but I reserve the right to freak out. I dont know. I dont, you know. Thats part of just all this embrace of reality and embracing things I dont comprehend. And maybe I will. And down the road, maybe I wont. I dont know. But to just make sure Im noting when its my imagination versus when its the reality.

We need to get much better at grieving. So part of shifting your frame of reference and keeping up with your life is grieving the losses as they come. Thats a way to metabolize loss, to honor what was, but then also to open your eyes to what you still have.

Brooks: I was out in Aspen, [Colorado,] which is a beautiful place, and I was thinking about how, you know, the life of an aspen tree, you know, how its so stately and solitary and, you know, its a single life. And somebody explained to meand I did not know thisthat an aspen grove is all one plant.

I mean, you see an aspen tree, thats simply one shoot off the same root system, and it goes on and on and on. And when an aspen tree dies, that just means one shoot out of the aspen tree no longer exists in that particular state. Pando, in Utah, where you are right nowits 6 million kilograms of wood that looks like acres and acres and acres and acres of aspen trees. And what youre sayingand its quite a Buddhist way of seeing the world, I thinkthat our individual life is in and of itself an illusion. Do you believe that?

Miller: Well, so youre right, I am, by the way, just down the road from Pando. Its just really around the corner for me, actuallyits not far. Yes, I agree with what youre saying, and I do see its overlap with Buddhism. Im not Buddhist. I find Buddhism sort of irrefutable. Its kind of hard to not be Buddhist on some level.

So Buddhism would be one way to frame that and get to that realization or just observation. You know, thats not a belief system applied to Pando, to apply to that aspen grove. Thats just true. That just is; you can see it. So sure, Buddhism can get you there, but so can observation. So could science, in a way. And one way or another, its not a question of whether or not to believe it and just see it. It just is.

Brooks: This is an important point that youre making, too, and its one that our audience, I think, has probably heard more than once from different guests and from me, which is, you know, you can live with the same priorities as protozoa, where there are certain things that freak you out and so you naturally try to avoid them. But thats not going to make you happy. I mean, basically, your prerogatives that are born into you, that are natural to you, are to breed and stay alive. But Mother Nature doesnt really care if youre happy. And so you actually need to go beyond the way that youre wired in a lot of cases.

And given the fact that we have the metacognition, the awareness of our lives and the awareness that were going to die, we might as well not get freaked out. We might as well actually go against our protozoan biological imperatives and choose happiness. And one of the ways to choose happiness is by actually coming to terms with the fact that our life is going to end at some point, that our life is scarce and were going to enjoy it and we might as well have a happy death as well, right?

Miller: Right on. I mean, I like to say when happiness is a choice, choose it! You know, Im all for happiness. Its a beautiful thing. But first of all, its not always accessible. Second of all, it is deeply related to pain and other troubles. I dont think happiness is the absence of trouble or absence of problems or the absence of pain. I think happiness and pain are really close bedfellows, just like life or health, you might say, is not the absence of disease. I know a lot of walking zombies who dont have any disease that doesnt make them healthy per se. So these false divides, these either/ors, these are all problems of language and constructs. These are not natural phenomena. Some of the most miserable people I know, Arthur, are people who have everything.

And that includesagain, so much of your meta message herethat includes pain! I miss my legs. I loved my legs. I miss them. That hurt, you know. It will hurt when I lose my career. So thats true too. Let that in. The way I got to where I am now is that I didnt sidestep the pain. You got to go through it too. So let yourself feel those losses. Grieve them. You will see how much is left. You still have so much left.

Brooks: Thank you, BJ Miller, for blessing us all with these ideas and for the work that youre doing. Its been really wonderful to be with you.

Miller: Thank you, Arthur. Its such a treat, man. I could talk to you for hours, and I really appreciate what youre up to here. Thank you so much.

Brooks: Were talking this week about death and pain and the necessary integration of suffering into our lives. So how are you going to put these ideas into practice?

Well, theres an ancient Buddhist technique that can help you come to grips with these things that you fear, these things that you would naturally avoid. Its a technique that comes from Theravada Buddhism.

If youve ever been in a Theravada Buddhist monastery, say in Sri Lanka or Thailand, you might notice that there are photographs, typically, along the walls of the monastery. But theyre not just photographs of beautiful scenery. No. Usually theyre photographs of corpses in various states of decay. Now, first you say, Oh, thats horrible. Why is that? And that was my first reaction the first time I saw it too.

I asked and a monk told me, Well, our monks contemplate these photographs. They look at these photographs every day and they say, Thats me. Thats me. Not very long from now. And they do this so that they become comfortable with their inevitable fate, so its no longer scary so that the sting of death is actually removed by making it ordinary. They also engage in whats called the maranasati meditation on death, which is really just an exercise to help you understand the meaning of life. The maranasati death meditation is a nine-part meditation, and heres how it works.

Its kind of alarming at first because it forces you to actually think about yourself dying and decaying, and its really very graphic and actually kind of gruesome at first. It walks you step-by-step through the actual process of physical decay. Im going to spare you the details. You can look it up easily.

Heres the point: When you meditate on your own death, very specifically, very graphically, your own death becomes kind of an ordinary, normal thing. Youll begin to find that death is losing its grip on you. Its losing its terror. The fear of death starts to just melt away, like any other ordinary thing. Now I know it sounds terrible at first, but you know that bad things are going to happen to you, that they are in fact ordinary. We make them extraordinary by trying to act as if they werent going to happen, by running away from them. And we do that because were afraid.

So lets use the idea of the maranasati death meditation on some ordinary fears of pain that we might experience in our lives. One of the things that I talk about a lot with my students who are in their 20s is that the abject fear that they have of failure, mostly professional failure. See, a lot of my students are well educated. You know, they went to colleges that they wanted to go to, and they worked really hard. They know that things might not turn out the way that they expected and that just gives them real terror, so they try to avoid even thinking about it. Well, thats the wrong approach. There are disappointments coming.

Are they terrible? Are they minor? I dont know. But one way or the other, you should not be wasting your life by feeling terrified of something that is going to happen in one way or another, and a way to stop feeling terrified is to look straight at the worst case. Heres an exercise Im going to propose to you. Just using this as an example. Lets say youre 27 or 28 years old and youre in the workforce, and youre really terrified that things are not going to go as well for you in your profession and your career as you hope that they would. As a matter of fact, lets say that things go just south.

Lets do a version of the nine-part maranasati death meditation for your professional life. I want you to ponder these nine steps.

Step one: I feel my dreams growing more distant because what I hoped would come true in my career is simply not coming true.

Step two: People close to me start wondering, Why is she or he not more successful?

Step three: I start to see other people receiving the social and professional attention that I kind of thought I was going to get and I sort of hoped I was going to receive.

Step four: I have to accept work that I used to think was actually beneath me.

Step five: Im making less money than my friends, and quite frankly, I dont feel like Im using my education.

Step six: I dont really feel like Im living up to my purpose or my potential in life professionally.

Step seven: You know, I think my parents feel sorry for me.

Step eight: Im spending some time unemployed, and really, I feel like Im losing my skills.

Step nine: I accept my diminished professional status as permanent.

Look, the point isnt that this is something thats going to happen. The point is that this or some part of this is possible, and the fear of that possibility just might be making your life less fulfilling and less enjoyable than it should be. But theres a solution, which is facing the idea of this professional deaththe worst-case scenariohead-on. If you do so, its going to take away the terror. Its going to help you get on with your life and understand that even this is an ordinary thing.

Pain and disappointment, theyre ordinary things like any other ordinary thing. You can write a maranasati meditation for whatever it is thats troubling you, whatever it is that wakes you up at night.

The point is this: If you dont want to be managed by your fear, you have to manage your fear. You have to own your fear. Own your pain. Look at it directly. Youre strong enough. I know you are. Your fear will decline and youll start to see the transcendent purpose in the worst things and the best things and everything in between, because thats part of a full life. What it was you were trying to avoid, youll embrace, and in so doing, youll start to enjoy the life that youre living today.

Brooks: As we close out the series, I want to thank you all for taking the time to answer this question: When is the last time you remember being truly happy? Ive been amazed by the wisdom in your simple and honest and heartfelt reflections. Youve given me an incredible amount of knowledge. I hope the next time you reflect on this question, each moment of happiness is more frequent than the last. And for those of you still on the journey with me, I hope that your next moment of happiness is coming very soon.

Read more here:
How to Find Happiness When You're Suffering - The Atlantic

In September, Bank of America released a 152-page research report identifying 14 technology 'moonshots'. These are 14 "radical technologies that could change our lives and accelerate the impact of global megatrends."

This research report could be a good starting point for investors who like to jump on the next big thing. It pinpoints 14 potential growth areas with a $330 billion market size today that could grow to $6.4 trillion by the 2030s.

These 14 technologies are split into four categories: Computational Tech, Human Tech, Consumer Tech & Green Tech.

The Computational Technology category includes 6G telecom networks, Brain Computer Interfaces and Emotional AI.

While 5G is still being rolled out in the Western world, it's believed it will need to be replaced by the next generation 6G within ten years.

Industry is rapidly investing in next-generation connectivity, mainly 5G. Telecoms stalwart Nokia doesn't expect 6G to start hitting the market until 2030. In the meantime, there are two to three years until 5G peaks.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be possible with the combination of 5G and cloud and artificial intelligence. This will then be enhanced and further stabilized with 6G.

Earlier this year, this Chinese government outlined plans to accelerate the development of 6G up to 2025 through the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group.

Brain computer interfaces sound particularly futuristic, but this technology is already promising lifestyle improvements for individuals who have paralysis, along with significant innovation in gaming. Down the line, it will help humans become powered up to keep pace with advancements in AI.

Furthering this sci-fi revolution, Emotional AI, otherwise known as 'Affective Computing' or 'Cognitive Computing', is designed to capture, analyze and respond to human emotions and simulate human thoughts.

Nokia surprised investors by beating expectations in its Q3 earnings. It is enjoying sales growth driven by companies upgrading to 5G, cloud investment and improved network services.

Unfortunately, Nokia's recent status as a 'meme stock' could hurt its chances of making considerable gains going forward. It's also facing supply chain issues and increased costs.

In the 6G race, Samsung is likely to be further ahead. Indeed, it outlined its 6G vision last year. Meanwhile, Apple, Google, Cisco, AT&T, Bell Canada, Ericsson, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., T-Mobile, Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, LG Electronics, VMware, and others have joined a consortium called the 'Next G Alliance'.

The Human Technology category includes synthetic biology, immortality and bionic humans.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, Synthetic Biology (synbio) is:

a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities.

Researchers are harnessing synbio to solve medicine, manufacturing, and agricultural problems by drawing on the vast diversity of nature.

People have been searching for a cure for aging or the elixir of life since time immemorial. Now, immortality may not be entirely out of reach. Genomes could hold the key.

And along with extending life comes the option to enhance our bodies with superhuman abilities. Bionic humans could be created with implants or exoskeletons. Biohacking is already making breakthroughs in enhancing the human body.

Amyris, Inc. is a synthetic biotechnology and renewable chemical company. Its share price has suffered in recent months, but analysis consensus is that this stock is undervalued. Amyris is producing high-value ingredients for the health and beauty industry.

Berkeley Lights (NASDAQ: BLI) is a leading digital cell biology company. Its beacon system gives customers in synthetic biology a competitive advantage. According to Amyris:

The Beacon platform offers a truly advanced solution to synthetic biology by making it possible to test engineered microbial strains in a fraction of the time and at unprecedented scales.

Absci Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSI) is another drug company harnessing deep learning AI and synthetic biology to expand the therapeutic potential of proteins.

Meanwhile, Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: EKSO) develops and manufactures powered exoskeleton bionic devices that can be strapped on as wearable robots.

The Consumer Technology category includes eVTOL, Wireless Electricity, Holograms, and the metaverse.

eVTOL is the closest we've come to flying cars. It stands for Electrical Vertical Take-off and Landing Vehicles. These are being developed as an alternative mode of transportation to ease the burden on aging infrastructure and congested roads.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and expanding electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure requires wireless electricity to ensure seamless rollout and stable electricity supplies in remote settings.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg envisions holograms as a staple of the metaverse. While not actually a Facebook invention, Zuckerberg is pioneering the advancement of the metaverse. And is on a fast-track mission to make virtual reality our present reality.

In a not-so-distant future, the metaverse will allow humans to be present in a virtual world.

Projected to be a future iteration of the internet, aka Web 3.0, simulated environments and holographic projections should allow the physical and virtual worlds to converge.

With its recent name change to Meta, it seems Facebook is going all-in on making the metaverse a reality. For that reason, if you want to invest in these upcoming technologies, this would seem as good a place as any to start.

Facebook has seen its share price rise 168% in the past five years, so it's got plenty of fans. Of course, many don't understand its vision, and therefore FB stock could be in for a rocky time ahead.

Nevertheless, plenty of investors love the potential and see its extensive reach, (booming marketplaces, WhatsApp, community video, Instagram, expansion into VR, AR, AI, e-commerce, and physical tech products) amounting to a perfect collection of entities to bring it success in this brand-new world.

Facebook will soon change its stock ticker from FB to MVRS.

The Green Technology category includes next-generation batteries, OceanTech, green mining, and carbon capture and storage solutions.

With EV expansion growing exponentially, sustainable alternatives to lithium batteries are in vogue. Solid-state, vanadium flow, and sodium ion offer potential.

OceanTech includes harnessing the power of the waves and tides to create energy, land-based aquaculture, and precision fishing using AI.

Green Mining suggestions are questionably green but include deep-sea mining, agromining, mining of wastewater and even asteroid mining.

Meanwhile, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are gaining traction as many oil majors transition into renewables. With legacy pipelines and rigs lying dormant, they have the facilities, talent, and resources to make strides in CCS development to remove and store carbon emissions permanently.

While pivoting from Oil and Gas to renewables, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) is developing large-scale commercial CCS projects in Australia, Norway, and Canada.

Many Oil and Gas companies are transitioning in this way. Aker Carbon Capture, an offshoot of Aker Solutions, is advancing its CCS projects around the world. While Aker Biomarine (FRA: 1PG) is investing in precision fishing using AI.

Meanwhile, AKVA Group (FRA: 3QI) is investing in the digitalization of aquaculture. And Alfa Laval (STO: ALFA) is building an aquaculture product portfolio.

Excerpt from:
14 Technologies That Could Change Your Life and Your Portfolio - Value The Markets

Human beings seem always to have had some notion of a shadowy double that survives the death of the body. But the idea of the soul as a mental entity, with intellectual and moral qualities, interacting with a physical organism but capable of continuing after its dissolution, derives in Western thought from Plato and entered into Judaism during approximately the last century before the Common Era and thence into Christianity. In Jewish and Christian thinking it has existed in tension with the idea of the resurrection of the person conceived as an indissoluble psychophysical unity. Christian thought gradually settled into a pattern that required both of these apparently divergent ideas. At death the soul is separated from the body and exists in a conscious or unconscious disembodied state. But on the future Day of Judgment souls will be re-embodied (whether in their former but now transfigured earthly bodies or in new resurrection bodies) and will live eternally in the heavenly kingdom.

Within this framework, philosophical discussion has centred mainly on the idea of the immaterial soul and its capacity to survive the death of the body. Plato, in the Phaedo, argued that the soul is inherently indestructible. To destroy something, including the body, is to disintegrate it into its constituent elements; but the soul, as a mental entity, is not composed of parts and is thus an indissoluble unity. Although Aquinass concept of the soul, as the form of the body, was derived from Aristotle rather than Plato, Aquinas too argued for its indestructibility (Summa theologiae, I, Q. 76, art. 6). The French philosopher Jacques Maritain (18821973), a modern Thomist, summarized the conclusion as follows: A spiritual soul cannot be corrupted, since it possesses no matter; it cannot be disintegrated, since it has no substantial parts; it cannot lose its individual unity, since it is self-subsisting, nor its internal energy since it contains within itself all the sources of its energies (The Range of Reason, 1952). But though it is possible to define the soul in such a way that it is incorruptible, indissoluble, and self-subsisting, critics have asked whether there is any good reason to think that souls as thus defined exist. If, on the other hand, the soul means the conscious mind or personalitysomething whose immortality would be of great interest to human beingsthis does not seem to be an indissoluble unity. On the contrary, it seems to have a kind of organic unity that can vary in degree but that is also capable of fragmentation and dissolution.

Much modern philosophical analysis of the concept of mind is inhospitable to the idea of immortality, for it equates mental life with the functioning of the physical brain (see mind, philosophy of). Impressed by evidence of the dependence of mind on brain, some Christian thinkers have been willing to accept the viewcorresponding to the ancient Hebrew understandingof the human being as an indissoluble psychophysical unity, but these thinkers have still maintained a belief in immortality, not as the mind surviving the body, but as a divine resurrection or re-creation of the living body-mind totality. Such resurrection persons would presumably be located in a space different from that which they now inhabit and would presumably undergo a development from the condition of a dying person to that of a viable inhabitant of the resurrection world. But all theories in this area have their own difficulties, and alternative theories emerged.

Kant offered a different kind of argument for immortalityas a postulate of the moral life. The claim of the moral law demands that human beings become perfect. This is something that can never be finally achieved but only asymptotically approached, and such an unending approach requires the unending existence of the soul. This argument also is open to criticism. Are humans indeed subject to a strict obligation to attain moral perfection? Might not their obligation, as finite creatures, be to do the best they can? But this does not seem to entail immortality.

It should be noted that the debate concerning arguments about the immortality of the soul and the existence of God has been as much among Christian philosophers as between them and non-Christian thinkers. It is by no means the case that Christian thinkers have all regarded the project of natural theology as viable. There have indeed been, and are, many who hold that divine existence can be definitively proved or shown to be objectively probable. But many others not only hold that the attempted proofs all require premises that a disbeliever is under no rational obligation to accept but also question the evidentialist assumption that the only route to rational theistic belief is by inference from previously accepted evidence-stating premises.

Read the original:
Christianity - The immortality of the soul | Britannica

J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015 Apr; 7(Suppl 1): S49S50.

Department of ENT, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of ENT, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of ENT, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Received 2014 Oct 31; Revised 2014 Oct 31; Accepted 2014 Nov 9.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

It is a known fact that every symbol has a unique meaning. In that case what does this unique symbol, Caduceus, which is used, in various forms and modifications, by many medical organizations mean? Is it just a custom or does it have a deeper meaning? The story of this medical symbol started way back in 1400 BC, travelled through time, has undergone many changes, misconceptions and has finally reached the present state. Here we have tried to give you a glimpse of how it has evolved over time, what it actually means, what have we interpreted and what can we learn from it.

KEY WORDS: Caduceus, rod of asclepius, medical symbol

There are certain things that will not be taught in medical schools, and it is usually learnt out of our own interests. The Caduceus is one of them. Being in the medical profession for so many years, have we ever thought what that symbol that we wear on our coats, print on our prescription pads and textbooks, stand for? So let us get reminded of some of the long forgotten facts in medicine. The worthiness of the medical symbol has been debated for a long time.[1] If you observe closely there are two symbols that are used to represent medicine as seen in .[2] One is the Caduceus, and the other is the Rod of Asclepius. Caduceus is a symbol with a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings while the Rod of Asclepius is the one with a single snake.[3] The similarity between both these symbols is the snake.

Left side image is the Rod of Asclepius while the right side image is the caduceus

Have you ever wondered why is a snake, which is a symbol of destruction[4] used ironically as a symbol of healing? Well, the answer lies deep sown in history when Moses, around 1400 BC, used the bronze serpent erected on the pole to cure the people who were bitten by snakes.[5] The other reasons why serpent has been used is the shedding of the skin that indicated longevity and immortality. The snake's ability to change from a lethargic stage to one of rapid activity symbolized the power to convalesce from an illness.[2] Charas and Martyn (1673) subjected the viper[6] to innumerable experimental investigations and concluded they were valuable remedies for itch, erysipelas, measles, smallpox, leprosy and were a valuable adjunct to the production of a beautiful skin.[6] Hence, the snake has been a powerful symbol of healing itself.[7]

The snake mentioned in the symbol is an Aesculapian snake which belongs to the family Colubridae. Its zoological name Elaphe longissima. Smooth, glossy, and slender, the snake has a uniformly brown back with a streak of darker color behind the eyes. The snake's belly is yellowish or whitish and has ridged scales that catch easily on rough surfaces[8] (like that of a pole or staff).

The confusion starts with the use of Caduceus and Rod of Asclepius. The Caduceus is a symbol of Hermes or Mercury in Greek and Roman mythology. Caduceus symbol is identified with thieves, merchants, and messengers, and Mercury is said to be a patron of thieves and outlaws, not a desirable protector of physicians.[8] The symbol originated when Mercury once attempted to stop a fight between two snakes by throwing his rod at them, whereupon they twined themselves around the rod, and the symbol was born.[2,8,9] The Rod of Asclepius belongs to Aesculapius, who was the revered Greek god of healing.

The modern use of staff of Aesculapius started when The American Medical Association had the staff of Aesculapius as its symbol in 1910. The Royal Army Medical Corp, French Military Service, and other medical organizations had done the same. Even today the World Health Organization, Medical Council of India symbols have the staff of Aesculapius in them. US Army Medical Corps, the Public Health Service, and the US Marine Hospital however use the Caduceus largely as a result of the adoption of the Caduceus as its insignia by the US Army Medical Corps in 1902.[10] Thus, it symbolizes administrative emblem, implying neutral and noncombatant status.[11]

In 1990, a survey was done in the US and it was found that 62% of the professional associations used the Rod of Aesculapius while 37% used the Caduceus and 76% of commercial organizations used the Caduceus.[12]

Does any disease that can be treated by a stick come to your mind? Yes, it is none other than Dracunculus medinensis the guinea worm. This is potentially a disease that can be treated with the stick that was also one of the reasons why the medical symbol originated.[13]

The use of the symbol is very ironical as how can destructive creatures used to represent a healing purpose. The answer lies in the snakes characters of, skin shedding representing immortal life, sudden change in activity emphasizing transit from sickness to cure, early use in the bible, and most important of all it was used by Asclepius who is the god of healing.

Source of Support: Nil

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

See more here:
Things you dont learn in medical school: Caduceus

Theres not enough evidence to prove aloe vera can treat all the health issues it is said to help with. (3) The claims are many and varied, including:

Aloe latex contains aloin, an anthraquinone that gives aloe vera its laxative properties, and which may relieve constipation, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). (6)

Constipation is a symptom commonly seen in primary care patients and also occurs with chronic digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (5)

An analysis of three randomized controlled studies published in October 2018 in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility suggests that aloe vera may be useful for individuals with constipation, including those dealing with this symptom in IBS. (7) This is due to aloe veras laxative effect and its ability to increase water in the intestinal lumen.

Aloe creams have a calming effect on the skin and have been shown to help reduce itchiness and inflammation. (5)

In a past review of aloe vera, researchers noted the plant has the ability to inhibit prostaglandin E2 production. (8) These are lipids that not only play a role in the inflammatory process, they're also active in the sebaceous glands, possibly contributing to inflammatory skin conditions, notes other past research. (9)

Some people swear by aloe to calm a sunburn. You might have experienced the gels cooling effect yourself, and according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, aloe vera is generally safe to use for soothing mild sunburns. (10) But the research backing up the claim that it can speed skin recovery is lacking.

One past small study, for instance, found aloe vera applied topically after laboratory-induced sunburn didnt have an effect on reducing redness when compared with a placebo. (11)

Although aloe vera might not be effective for treating sunburns, it may provide some relief after a first- or second-degree burn. In a review of four controlled clinical trials consisting of 371 sunburn patients, researchers found that healing times for patients who applied aloe vera to their burns was about nine days shorter than in the control group. (12)

In a pilot trial published in December 2015 in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, researchers found that a standardized aloe vera extract in a syrup helped lessen several symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including heartburn, belching, and vomiting, over a four-week period. (13)

This may be due to GERDs link to inflammation. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antioxidant and anti-ulcer properties that have been studied some in animals and patients with IBD (irritable bowel disease), as past research notes. (3,14)

A past clinical trial found drinking two tablespoons of aloe vera juice every day for two weeks helped lower the blood sugar levels among people with type 2 diabetes. Triglyceride levels of the study participants also improved which could have additional benefit for those with diabetes: They're at an increased risk of developing heart disease, which is linked to triglyceride and cholesterol abnormalities. (15)

Originally posted here:
What Is Aloe Vera? Benefits, Risks, Uses, and More ...

It was only a matter of time before posh upscale "wellness" clubs made the leap from toning bodies to selling wealthy clients on someversion of immortality I'm just surprised that it's happening in Torontobefore Miami or L.A.

Billed as the first of its kind North America, Longevity House is a brand new "ultra-exclusive members club" in Toronto's west end that purports to extend the lives of its members through biohacking, plant medicine and various cutting-edge technologies.

Using the same types of equipment as elite performance athletes and coaches (including Lebron James and Tony Robbins), the club says it can help members live up until the age of 120 and in good shape, too, thanks to improved "healthspans."

It's an enticing proposition, but there's a major catch in the form of a $100,000 (one time only) price tag.

"With the $100,000 membership fee, Longevity House's 30 members can attend monthly workshops and have access to the top practitioners in biohacking, plant medicine, epigenetics, breathwork and functional medicine to balance mind, body and spirit," reads a release issued Thursday morning announcing the club's existence.

"Longevity House believes in two interventions at a time: weight training in an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) suit, red light therapy while balancing on a vibration plate, and ai-driven cardio alongside oxygen variability training."

Longevity House'sinitial service menu for its inaugural location on a private oasis in west Toronto. Image via Longevity House.

Among the services available to members of Longevity House are the buzzy "smart home gym" Tonal, the AI-powered CAROL bike and the freaky-deaky Biocharger system, which generates its own electromagnetic energy field to "optimize health, wellness and athletic performance by balancing the energy of the cells in the body."

A host of "trailblazing experts" are also available at members' fingertips, according to the release, including (to start) Urban Buddhist Monk Reverend Dr. Bhante Saranapala and Giovanni Bartolomeo, founder of Elemental Rhythm.

All of this takes place on a private, 9,000-square-foot estate backing onto a ravine in Etobicoke a "curated environment mixing the best of luxury, privacy, technology, expertise, and ancestral grounding in nature," as publicists put it.

The flagship location of Longevity House in Toronto's west end is already open, but at least three more are planned: One for Yonge and Eglinton that is expected to launch this fall and two more that will open next year in New York City and Miami (see! I knew Miami would be down for this.)

"We are creating a space for people to strive for health creation rather than disease prevention," says the company's founder, Michael Nguyen, who is best-known as a celebrity tailor to the likes of Drake, Ryan Gosling and Jeff freaking Bezos.

"How you live every single day matters, and we provide members with a destination to access the most innovative and proven tools in one place to ensure a longer and better healthspan."

Read the original here:
New private club in Toronto aims to help rich people live until they're 120 years old - blogTO

With so much of 2020 and 2021 bringing unparalleled death and loss, sometimes we need a reminder that we are still very much alive. This weekend, the Houston Chamber Choir will present Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms known better as his requiem for the living to do just that as part of the choirs To Bring Comfort concert. It takes place Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main Street, and will be available on virtual release starting November 22.

With our season themed Sing out the new day, we wanted this concert to proclaim the hope and sense of renewed joy we were having as we move into a new phase of COVID-19. I also wanted to recognize the fact that everybody has been through a lot these last 18 months, and some people in particular have suffered significant losses, so Brahms requiem suggested itself to me on a couple of cases, said Bob Simpson, founder and artistic director of the organization.

Simpson is correct in his observation. First, it is a requiem, and because so many people have lost their lives recently, it is completely appropriate to pay homage to them and to reflect. Second, Brahms wrote it to comfort the living. The very first words are, "Blessed are those who morn." It is only in the last movement the choir sings, "Blessed are those who are of the dead."

The piece really does have something special to say about our moment now as we move ahead and reflect on all the anxiety and uncertainty and also take on the sense of hope that we are experiencing now. The Brahms requiem is the perfect expression of that, Simpson added.

Founder and Artistic Director Bob Simpson will lead the Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir this weekend.

Photo by Jeff Grass Photography

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In writing the piece, Brahms picked his own text out of The Bible.

He knew his Bible very well and he handpicked passages that he felt reflected his personal theology. Here, we have a piece that has a completely different approach than the traditional requiem, and it focuses on hope and the sense of wellbeing that he found in Scripture, Simpson said. Its a piece that is predominantly in the major keys. This isnt an accident. He wasnt writing a mournful piece. He was proclaiming great hope and great promise. Were presenting it because we hope its a community rallying point to take stock of what has happened but give us a sense of courage and forward motion to take on the hope of the future.

Adding to the concert, the choir will be performing Brahms own four-hand piano arrangement featuring noted pianist Brian Connelly, artist teacher of piano at Rice Universitys Shepherd School of Music, and Yvonne Chen. They will play a 19th century Bsendorfer piano similar to one Brahms would have played.

Its not a modern concert grand piano. It has less iron in the structure, so the strings are under less pressure. Theres a gentleness to the sound that turns the requiem into a chamber piece. Theres an intimacy that this accompaniment allows us to explore. Theyll provide an important part to this piece by providing intimacy and approachability that makes it even more touching under these circumstances, Simpson described.

The concert will also honor the researchers and medical professionals who have stood by to comfort the ill and their families and also perform the work of researching and delivering vaccines. Houston Chamber Choir is collaborating with the Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) for To Bring Comfort. The concert opens with the premiere of Hymn for Strength, a new composition with words by Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean and music by CPAM Director Todd Frazier. This new work will be performed by a choir comprised of representatives from Houston's healthcare community, led by M.J. Gallop.

Todd dedicated this to the Texas Medical Centers healthcare employees, caregivers and first responders fighting COVID-19 in our community and around the world. For me, that adds a very special dimension to this concert, Simpson said.

Houston Chamber Choirs To Bring Comfort plays 7:30 p.m. Saturday at South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main Street, and will be available on virtual release starting November 22 on the Houston Chamber Choir Digital Stage. For tickets or information, call 713-224-5566 or visit houstonchamberchoir.org. $10 to $25.

More here:
Things To Do: Enjoy A Different Kind of Requiem With Houston Chamber Choir - Houston Press

India celebrates Ayurveda Day every year on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras. This day has been marked every year since 2016 on the occasion of Dhanwantri Jayanti. As this year, Dhanteras is today, November 2, so Ayurveda Day 2021 is being celebrated today. The day is marked to spread awareness on the importance of Ayurveda in our daily lives.

Besides, National Ayurveda Day is observed to focus on the strengths of Ayurveda and its unique treatment principles. The central government wants to reduce the burden of diseases by utilising the potential of Ayurveda.

Read: Happy Dhanteras 2021: Images, Wishes, Quotes, Messages and WhatsApp Greetings to Share on Dhantrayodashi

Since Lord Dhanvantari is the god of Ayurvedic medicine, Dhanteras is observed for the wellbeing of ones family members or kin. Lord Dhanvantari is considered to be the healer of all ailments. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Dhanvantari, who is a physician of the gods, appeared before the Devas and the Asuras during Samudra Manthan. He held in his hands Amrita, or the nectar of immortality and also the text called Ayurveda.

Read: Dhanteras 2021: Dhantrayodashi Significance, Time, Shubh Muhurat and Puja Vidhi

The Devas and the Asuras both wanted the nectar to become immortal, which led to a fight between the two mythical groups. It was Garuda, often depicted as a large eagle-like bird, or a half-human, half-bird creature, which protected the nectar from the Asuras.

Ayurveda has been practised in India since ancient times. It involves various concepts of immunity but the most important ones are Bala - the concept of strength, Vyadhi Kshamathwa - the concept of resistance to illness development and Ojas - the concept of supreme resilience. Given the importance of a strong immune system, many have turned to Ayurveda to aid the fight against the novel coronavirus.

AS PER AYURVEDA, FOLLOWING ARE SOME WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY:

Every Indian must have heard the word kadha at home. Kadha is an Ayurvedic concoction made by mixing various herbs and spices which are boiled in water for over ten minutes so that all the medicinal benefits of these herbs could be extracted. Kadha is a popular home remedy during cold and dry seasons and can help boost immunity.

This herbal concoction can be made by adding Tulsi (Basil), Dalchini (Cinnamon), Kali Mirch (Black pepper), Shunthi (Dry Ginger) and Munakka (Raisin) into water. You can add jaggery or natural honey to this concoction if needed. You can also add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder in 150 millilitres of hot milk. These concoctions should only be had once a day.

According to Ayurveda, yoga is necessary to relieve physical stress and calm the mind. Meditating on a daily basis can help in reducing both physical and mental stresses. You can start by sitting in a comfortable place and meditating for at least 10 minutes daily.

You can practice yoga asanas such as savasana, sukhasana and siddhasana for 20 minutes a day, two to three times a week to maintain your nervous and endocrine systems. You should also practice pranayama every day to calm your mind.

According to the Ministry of AYUSH, there are certain ayurvedic procedures which are believed to improve your immunity against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19. You can practice procedures such as Pratimarsh Nasya where you have to apply sesame oil, coconut oil or ghee in both the nostrils in the morning and evening.

Another procedure is oil pulling therapy, where you have to put one tablespoon sesame or coconut oil in your mouth and swish with it for 2 to 3 minutes, then spit it out. Rinse your mouth with warm water after and practice this therapy once or twice a day.

There are many medicinal herbs that are known to improve immunity and have also been mentioned in Ayurveda. Some of these herbs are:

Kalmegh: Kalmegh is a bitter-tasting plant leaf which has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This herb is known to help fight cold, flu and other upper respiratory tract infections.

Guduchi Giloy: Guduchi Giloy possesses anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. Giloy is also considered a natural fever suppressant which also reduces the stress and anxiety levels.

Chirata: Chirata is a common Ayurvedic herb which is considered to have strong anti-asthmatic and expectorant properties. Chirata is helpful in getting rid of chest congestion.

(With inputs from myUpchar.com)

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Excerpt from:
Ayurveda Day 2021: History, Significance on Dhanteras and Tips That Can Help Boost Immunity Amid COVID-19 - News18

November 1, 2021

Alareece Collie

Iam passionate about traveling. When I was in seminary, I took a trip to the Middle East with a group of seminarians. It was my first visit. I was extremely excited. My childhood fantasy of being like Indiana Jones was becoming a reality.

We went to Jordan: visited places like the ancient city of Petra. We went to Israel, took a dip in the Dead Sea, enjoyed a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We went to Turkey: visited the cities of the seven churches in Revelation, including Smyrna, the focus of this article.

Smyrna, now the modern-day city of Izmir, can trace its roots to Alexander the Great. Also, many believe that it is the birthplace of the poet Homer. In Smyrna one of their main streets was called the Street of Gold. Other interesting data on the city include the meaning of its name: Smyrna means myrrh, an aromatic potion that thrice figures in the Gospel records of His life: first as a fragrant spice given to the baby Jesus, then twice in relation to his crucifixion and burial (see Mark 15:23; John 19:39).

Ancient ruins can seem outdated and irrelevant. We relegate them with That was then; this is now! But Smyrna does have lessons for us. Such as faithfulness: Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

I read these words and wonder: whatever became of faithfulness? In a world of frantic busyness, increased skepticism, and broken vows, faithfulness sometimes seems outdated, like ancient ruins.

The message to the church of Smyrna reminds us that faithfulness is fundamental to the Christian journey, a lesson learned by looking at the cross, the church, and the crown.

First, the message to Smyrna reminds us about the significance of the cross: These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life (Rev. 2:8). Jesus was faithful unto death, death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). In faithfulness to His mission, He is an example for us today. The cross remains a symbol of hope for us because of His substitutionary sacrifice, and a source of inspiration because of His example of unflinching faithfulness. And He speaks with unique authority: as the First and Last. Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End and everything in between; Lord of the past, present, and future.

Hear His voice in Isaiah: Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last (Isa. 48:12). He speaks with the authority of someone who has experienced persecution and was called to be faithful to death. His commitment and love sustained Him through intense sacrifice, rejection, and pain. Likewise, in every generation His followers are called to be faithful, enduring until the end (Matt. 10:22).

The church of Smyrna knew persecution well. They experienced it from Jews who lived there, and from the Romans. Jesus warned that it would worsen (Rev. 2:10). Polycarp, once Smyrnas Christian bishop, understood the cost of his refusal to call the emperor his Lord. He left us memorable lines: For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?1 And: I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ.2

For some Christians, persecution for our faith may seem distant. However, in other parts of the world, our brothers and sisters are losing their lives because they want to remain faithful to Jesus. In India several Adventist pastors have been beaten or killed. In China a recent law has forbidden the sale of online Bibles,3 and there continue to be new laws that restrict religious freedom for Christians.4

Nevertheless, the light of hope burns even in Jesus call to faithfulness. For faithfulness until means that a time is coming when Smyrna will no longer have to suffer. And the promise is for all who reach that point: faithful until death? Heres your crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Smyrna will share the victory of their Lord, He who was dead and came to life again. Years before John wrote, the city of Smyrna had been destroyed and rebuilt. Smyrnas saints could understand that though there is death, there will be life again.

How do we learn from Smyrna, when many today never even dream of persecution for our faith? Im free to express my beliefs and not be persecuted. How can I show faithfulness to faith in the absence of threat? It seems that the real question is not about willingness to die for Jesus, but about commitment to Him whatever the circumstance. Polycarp came to martyrdom only because of who he was in life. Am I as committed as Polycarp to living for Him?

How do we learn fromSmyrna, when many today never even dream of persecution for our faith?

A friend of mine told me of sailing from the island of Cozumel in Mexico to the mainland. A sign on her boat said, Warning. Waters could get rough. And just as the sign said, the waters got rough. She, along with many other passengers, was throwing up. She felt so bad that she wished she could jump off the ship. Her husband, not nearly as sick, leaned over and said, Keep your eyes on the horizon. She did. Staring at the horizon restored her sense of equilibrium, and she was able to complete the journey with no more seasickness.

We need to keep our eyes on the cross. We will be tempted and tested daily, but we, with Smyrna, may remain faithful, and emerge victorious. Jesus, our Savior and Guide, has been here before: He has experienced the tests, tribulations, and temptations; He can bring us through. With Him, after life and death, there is life again, a more abundant life. Keep your eyes on the cross, symbol of love and faithfulness.

The message to Smyrna reminds us that we are called as a community. Attachment to, dependence on a community, is becoming rare. Loud praise of individualism seems to drown out the beckoning call of community. And yes, the choice to follow Jesus is personal: no one can choose for us. But our call also has collective significance. Were in this together, a togetherness that further molds, and yes, tests our faithfulness. Community can be frustrating at times. It can also spur growth, strength, and healing. There is something about people gathering together with one focus and mission. We strengthen each other to be faithful.

Smyrna had much to inspire. Science and medicine flourished. A library, stadium, and theater that seated about 20,000 people testified to prosperity. However, many believers were financially poor as a result of the persecution they were experiencing. Jesus knew of their struggle: I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich) (Rev. 2:9). His message was that despite material poverty, they were succeeding where it mattered: they were spiritually rich. And they were because they had chosen to be faithful. Amid daily challenges, they supported each other, and rose together above their difficult circumstances.

Jon Cole, a colleague of mine, lived and taught in Izmir for a year. Recently, as we reflected on community, he shared a story. He needed to find the landlord to pay his rent in person. He found him playing backgammon with a group of friends, and apologized for the interruption. His landlord smiled and said, No problem; an uninvited guest is Gods guest. His message was that people and relationships are not an inconvenience.

The gift of community is celebrated in the We of one of my favorite songs, Were Marching to Zion. As the chorus says: Were marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful, Zion; were marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God.5 Were marching: Im marching, youre marching, were marching. Nobodys doing it alone. Were a community of faithfulnessto Jesus, to His cross, to our individual integrity, and to our church, the family of faith, in which we journey together and are faithful together. And we are not together to compete against one another: Whos holiest? Whos most faithful? Rather, we support each other all the way to until, when theres no more because weve reached the finish line. And everyone who covers the distance by faith in Jesus will receive a reward, the crown of eternal life.

Whether we experience turbulent skies or troubled seas, we are assured not only by each others presence, but, supremely, by the competence of the Captain of our salvation (see Heb. 2:10).

Some years ago I was heading to Puerto Rico from The Bahamas to take some classes at Antillean Adventist University. I flew to Puerto Ricos capital, San Juan, via Miami, Florida. Getting to Antillean Adventist University then required catching a connecting flight from San Juan. Arriving there late, I ran to the waiting area for my connecting flight to Mayaguez. There were four people there. I thought, Praise the Lord, I made it . . . Seems like Im earlier than most of the other passengers.

After some waiting, they called the flight. There were still only five of us. I wondered, Strange . . . Wheres everyone? Perhaps this isnt a full flight . . .

We walked out to the plane, and there it was, so small: This looks like a toy; a paper plane.

Five of us quite filled the plane. We strapped in, and off we went, flying over beautiful Puerto Rican beaches, some of the best beaches in the world. The skies were clear, and it seemed like a good day.

But then the winds picked up. The plane began to experience turbulence. It began to shake.

You could feel it struggling against the wind. I held on because thats all you could do. You cant always predict turbulence, and you cannot control it. It comes.

Then I saw a red light on the captains dashboard. The plane was so small, and I was sitting so close to the captainall the passengers were! I could easily see the dashboard. Then we heard a beeping sound. As if on cue, my seatmate and I both turned and looked at each other, communicating without words: What is that light? Why is there a light? What is that beeping noise? Im afraid. Are you afraid? OK, were both afraid.

For me, its one of the great reassurances in being on an airplane. Im never alone. Theres companyfellow passengers who feel the turbulence, who are afraid at times, just like me. And theres a competent captain. There, thousands of feet up in the air, in the midst of turbulence, were in community.

The flight continued: smooth skies; rough bumps; occasional terror; and a safe landing, eventually.

Whether the Christian journey involves troubled seas or turbulent skies, we are never alone. We have an expert Captain and fellow passengers on the journey: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us runwith perseverancethe race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus,the pioneerand perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross (Heb. 12:1, 2, NIV).

What joy? The joy of us for company, not just for a while, but throughout the victory celebration when the promise of our text finds its total fulfillment, as the Captain of our salvation crowns us all with immortality, the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

Alareece Collie is executive pastor of the University church on the campus of Walla Walla University, College Place, Washington.

Excerpt from:
Adventist Review Online | Whatever Became of Faithfulness? - Adventist Review