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Meridian Institute News
RESEARCHING THE SPIRIT-MIND-BODY CONNECTION |
In this issue:
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Alzheimer's Research
Program
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Thanks to a generous donation, Meridian Institute has undertaken a series
of research projects on Alzheimer's dementia. The Alzheimer's
research program is made possible by a gift from a member of the Association
for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.). Working in cooperation with
the Health and Rejuvenation Research Center (HRRC - a division of the A.R.E.),
Meridian Institute will conduct five pilot studies involving scholarly,
basic, and applied research on hypotheses developed from the readings of
Edgar Cayce.
APPLIED RESEARCH
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Alzheimer's Dementia Research Protocol
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Suggestive Therapeutics for Alzheimer's Dementia
SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
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Literature Review of the Effects of Gold on the Nervous System
BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH
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Gold in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients With Neurological Disorders
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Effects of Gold on an Invertebrate Nervous System
Cayce often discussed the possibility of nerve regeneration
for a variety of neurological conditions (see back issues of this newsletter
for reports and stories on multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, muscular
dystrophy, and Alzheimer's -- www.meridianinstitute.com/newslet.htm).
Perhaps the most explicit description of nervous system regeneration is
given with regard to rebuilding the brain in cases of "senility," a term
probably equivalent to the modern designation of Alzheimer's dementia:
"The PRINCIPLE [of using electrotherapy with gold
or silver] being that these change the vibratory forces as they add to
or take from impulses within the system, . for WITH the proper manipulations
to PRODUCE coordination WITH drainage in the system, as may be given through
manipulation osteopathically, or neuropathically given to the system under
various stages, may create for a body almost a new brain, will the patience,
the suggestion, the activities in the system BE carried out according to
the conditions as necessary to be met."
Based on these concepts, Meridian Institute has developed
a research protocol for Alzheimer's dementia that will be the primary focus
for one of the applied research projects. Participants in the project
will be provided with a wet cell battery and chemicals for a twelve-month
period of application. The protocol includes written instructions,
data collection forms, and a video describing all aspects of the project.
Because Cayce's approach requires daily sessions with the battery, massage,
and suggestive therapeutics, this applied research project will require
considerable time, energy and flexibility on the part of caregivers.
A second applied research project is designed for
situations where less resources and flexibility is available. It
involves the use of suggestive therapeutics, a form of natural hypnosis
to be used to address behavioral, cognitive and/or emotional symptoms of
dementia. In this project, an individualized hypnotic script will
be created for each participant and will be delivered during the presleep
period at bedtime or during massage. This project is based on numerous
Cayce readings recommending suggestive therapeutics for behavioral, cognitive
and emotional problems. Positive results from a woman working with
a demented parent in a nursing home setting suggest that this technique
has the potential for more widespread application (see the Healing section
below for more on this inspiring story). Like the full research protocol,
the suggestive therapeutics project includes written instructions, data
collection forms, and a video explaining how to work with this technique.
The scholarly and basic science research projects
focus on the role of gold as therapeutic agent for nervous system healing.
Gold chloride was the most commonly recommended medicine for the full spectrum
of neurological conditions covered in the Cayce readings. A scholarly
literature review of the medical literature is being conducted to understand
the historic and modern uses of gold therapy. The literature review
is nearing completion and an article is being written for submission to
a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Based on our present understanding of the gold literature,
we have designed two basic science projects. One project will explore
the concept of gold as an essential trace element as measured in cerebrospinal
fluid. The second basic research project will investigate the potential
of gold as a healing agent in the nervous system of a marine invertebrate
(jellyfish) with a simple and relatively accessible nervous system.
We anticipate that these five pilot studies will
be completed within a two-year time frame. If you are interested
in participating in either of the applied research programs, please contact
HRRC at (757) 496-6411.
THE HUMAN GENOME
In virtually every cell of every living organism,
there exists a complete set of instructions (genome) for creating that
organism and regulating its cellular structures and activities over its
lifespan. With recent breakthroughs in deciphering the human genome
[1,2], expectations of medical advances in the full spectrum of disease
have been forecast.
Beyond the prospect of understanding the genetic
basis of specific diseases, there is a further potential for individualized
medicine in which drugs can be tailored to the unique genetic code of each
person. Whereas a particular drug might be toxic to one individual,
a customized version based on genetic compatibility may be optimally effective
for someone else.
And yet heredity is only one factor in the equation
of health and illness. In most illness, genetic predisposition in
itself is not sufficient to produce pathology. Numerous retrospective
studies of identical twins (hence identical genes) document that in most
illnesses, one twin may develop a specific disease while the other sibling
may remain free of the disorder. Thus, it is the entangled interplay
between heredity and environment (internal and external) that results in
the complex manifestations of health and illness. Furthermore, the
conceptual and philosophical issues (free will vs. genetic determinism)
surrounding human genome research are also daunting.
Edgar Cayce often spoke of the role of heredity and
environment with respect to the principle of cause and effect, both in
this lifetime and others. Interestingly, Cayce's system includes
the Hindu concept of karma. As Cayce put it, "Karma is cause oft
of hereditary conditions so called. Then indeed does the soul inherit
that it has builded in its experience with its fellow man in material relationships."
[3] In another instance, when asked, "From which side of my family
do I inherit most?" Cayce replied, "You have inherited most from
yourself, not from family! The family is only a river through which
it (the entity, soul) flows!" [4] Thus the transformational potential
of illness is inherent in many Cayce readings where heredity is cited as
a contributing factor of disease. Considering the current excitement
surrounding the human genome project, the possible manifestation of karmic
patterns via heredity calls into question a strictly materialistic/reductionistic
interpretation of genetic data. The potential relationship between
heredity, illness and spiritual development represents a typical example
of how the Cayce philosophy integrates various disciplines into a unitary
worldview.
References:
1. Olivier M; et al. A high-resolution radiation hybrid map of
the human genome draft sequence. Science. 2001 Feb 16;291(5507):1298-1302.
2. Venter CJ; et al. The sequence of the human genome.
Science. 2001 Feb 16;291(5507):1304-1351.
3. Edgar Cayce reading 3313-1.
4. Edgar Cayce reading 1233-1.
THE POWER OF SUGGESTION: MY DAD AND ALZHEIMER'S
The following excerpts come from a healing story
submitted to Meridian Institute from a woman who was a participant in one
of our residential research programs.
"Dad was 79 when the "official" Alzheimer's diagnosis
came. Mother was 72. Prior to this determination we had been
seeing more and more symptoms of dementia -- forgetfulness, confused thinking,
vagueness, lowered frustration tolerance, disorientation as to his
surroundings and events, to time, to his loved ones and others, and to
his not being able to distinguish between fantasy and reality..
"Looking back it's remarkable to me that throughout
the course of this progressive disease, Dad, in his essence and in his
character, never disappeared. His humor, his wit, his honesty and
integrity could not be erased in spite of the inevitable changes occurring.
So even though he frequently did not know who he was or where he was, Dad
was still essentially Dad. Besides, even if he didn't know, we knew
who he was and we never forgot. Then too, I wonder at times whether this
kind of continuity could in some way be a result of using ongoing suggestive
techniques with him.
"Dad was still Dad when the time came for nursing
home care. None of us wanted this to be a solution for him, but the
reality of our limitations and the increasing demands of his home care
made it a necessity.. It was at the nursing home that I began using bedtime
suggestive techniques. Dad may not have remembered who I was, his
daughter. But he became accustomed to hearing the familiar, gentleness
of voice with its soothing messages of love and care; and became used to
feeling the reassurance of physically being touched and massaged on his
back and arms. He visibly would relax into a grounded, calm place -- tension
easing from his taut body, strain receding from his face, and breathing
becoming regular and rhythmic.
"These positive suggestions were given to him nightly
at bedtime, preferably as he was falling asleep. Although, it was
not always possible to catch him at that moment, consistent repetition
over time seemed to stabilize his daytime behavior, allowing for his being
more responsive and cooperative to redirection when he was distressed or
unreasonable. For, as the disease progressed he was becoming more
challenged to understand what was happening in his environment, around
him and in him. For example, he would do inappropriate things like entering
other resident's rooms without invitation and sitting beside them on their
beds. While he did nothing harmful, it was a disturbing intrusion
for the residents.
"Sometimes he would become perseverative and frustrated
when he'd be unable to do something like open a locked door that needed
to stay locked. Staff noted how Dad more readily responded to their
walking him through such moments when suggestion was being utilized.
Suggestion seemed to be playing a vital and sustaining role with Dad in
his daily life. And coincidentally, an added benefit was given to
me, the suggestion-giver. The suggestive process also calmed me, helping
me cope better with this disease afflicting my dad.
"The content of these simple verbal suggestions began
with helping to locate him in time and space, i.e. telling who he was by
reminding him of his name and how Mom, my brother, and I loved him and
how God loved him and was strengthening him to manage his illness and that
God's angels were probably standing nearby to protect him and keep him
company.
"Orienting continued by describing him as a good
person who provided well for his family as husband, father, son; and who
took very good care of all his friends, customers, employees, and others.
More locating occurred by naming his nursing home and specifying why he
was living there, calling his illness by name and giving a short statement
about the illness as one that makes for confusion and forgetfulness. And
reassurance was given that he was doing a great job at handling it and
underscoring specific ways he was doing that. Options were given
to encourage his capacities to know and feel he was loved, to experience
relaxation and have freedom from fear in body, mind and soul, and to support
the idea that he could choose to be helpful and cooperative with others."
For the complete transcript of this story, go to:
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/articl12.html
Meridian Institute's Electronic Library contains
Chapter 3 from Principles and Techniques of Nerve Regeneration which
discusses suggestive therapeutics as applied to Edgar Cayce's approach
to treating dementia.
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/mh/mhcont.html
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