Our mitochondria are essentially our most advanced yet simultaneously most ancient environmental sensors within our cells, and our modern indoor (sun fearing) environment and lifestyles are severely compromising to them. Combined with the prolific westernized, ultra processed convenience foods that are dangerously nutrient deficient, as are our soils from conventional farming practices, then you literally have malnutritioned individuals with primeval alarm bells ringing!
They are indeed looking for something, their internal sensors (including the microbiome) are also looking for nourishment- nourishment includes food, drink, connection and spirit.
I would say, your theory and theirs are both correct, coming at the problem from different directions, but arriving in the same place😉👏👏👏
Good and fair points! Reminds of Dr Naviaux's Cell Danger Response, which I think is part of the biological mechanism by which the hibernation process works... "diversity of triggers, unity of response"
I have often thought those I know with dementia have been through some stressful times in their lives, and or have experienced extreme loneliness. In both cases, the outcome is the same. Gary, life is difficult no matter who you are or where you live. And obviously life is extremely hard in some instances.
Very interesting assessment. In essence, the brain’s coping mechanism blocks what it perceives as debilitating. I’m thinking of my grandfather who, the last six or so years of his life, was totally deaf and blind. The only communication with him was through touch which totally nonverbal. I wondered what he was thinking about, or was he in a quasi hibernation state. Thank you for this very interesting post.
Yes. When I had sudden hearing loss in my right ear, with poor eyesight since is was 11, I have wondered if my grandfather’s end will be mine. When I shared my concern with my ENT doc, he told me, “I guarantee that you will have hearing the rest of your life.” I was greatly relieved.
I think you are correct. "If I am correct about this, that the triggering of ancient hibernation circuits helps to explain some fraction of cases of dementia due to chronic loneliness/separation being the main chronic stressor which is switching these circuits on, then they way we treat and care for folks suffering due to this, requires a massive paradigm shift. This would include providing therapies like grief counselling, and making anyone with early signs feel embedded and valued in a supportive community, as a priority."
From what I have observed in Australia (and in Europe), the society has decided to shorten the life of people and not to facilitate the life of people with different abilities including people in a state of dementia. Life as a wholistic experience is no longer supported by the Modern concept of society (and its policies, including how care is manged, financed and provided at all levels). Thank you for your very insightful and soothing articles.
Finally got to this post Gary, very interesting hypothesis.
I've yet to listen to the podcast, but will.
My mother is in the early (diagnosed) stages of dementia - loss of short term memory - living at home with her spouse. She is sharp in the moment, very good long term and would drive if legally able to. Our (family) concern is not that she could not navigate traffic, but that she would forget where she was going or confuse directions and/or where she ended up - then be stuck/lost. Your post prompted me to review the history of her illness, to look for signs of hibernation.
The only factor that made foraging sense, might have been the socialization and contact. However, she has always been independent and at the early recognizable memory "slips" (keys purse, phone, appointments) she lived close to my brother and his family (to include grand/great grandkids), who made sure she was part of their lives and days...calls, visits, invites to meals during the week and more. Honestly, what I would expect the ideal situation would be, for an ageing parent. So it seemed there was no lack there, she would need to forage for...maybe.
She has since moved and as her illness as progressed and driving was lost (which is HUGE to her - as it'd be for many), I wonder if your hypothesis kicks in. She sees the driving as her connection to socialization and the outside world. Although, her husband would drive her anywhere, anytime and there are plenty of city/county programs that offer shuttle service. She herself recognizes, that the lack of larger socialization, is affecting her memory. Indeed during week long visits, she livens up, conversations are deeper and fuller, her mood changes and she is "happier". But she's stuck on the loss of independence and so all outside interaction (aside from medical appointments) are unattainable to her. It all makes sense, with the research I've done.
General thought:
As you point out, your theory may not apply to everyone. I wonder what the factors are, that predispose certain people to the hibernation phenomenon. Since we have seen huge stressors in individual and collective societies, but not wide spread dementia - what are the markers for this...more rhetorical, than asking for a checklist.
I wonder what changes to the care model, could be made to deal with this possibility?
I also wonder how mini-strokes play into this...would they mimic this theory, as small parts of the brain are shutdown/killed. Especially since few ever know they've had multiple strokes. I was made aware of these, via my mother's neurology work-up.
According to Ian McGilcrest who I have been listening to on Youtube University , he says we have two sides to our mind - one is out reach and survival , with the focus being limited to the goal , and on the other side , the state of being , observant to what is happening , and maintaining the status quo . Mr McGilcrest says that in Males , the two lobes are not balanced , the reach and grab is more 'Large" than the Sit and share and be side . IN the female , the two sides are more evenly balanced . However , we have been all living in a grab for it culture and most of our systems are structured on access , rather than providence . In a world where , as Jaine Benson wrote , the management of needs is being done harmoniously , the patient is able to easily function . My mom's Alzheimers is fake , and I can tell it , because it is a game she is playing to get everybody under her control. This sounds so strange to say , but she always was living in that grab grab world , and it is obvious to me after all these years . IF she can remember tuna or ham , but can't remember the name of her grand daughter , ever , no . I do not accept this . I did watch a cool tictoc of a bride who's dad did not know her , but she sat him down with a canvas and paints , and suddenly he was able to see her . I believe that this was NOT fake . Inside of the practice of art , writing , and lets say putting on makeup , or feeding the self with utensils - fork spoon , whatever , there is a GRAB HOLD element , that meets with the I AM ME BEING ME element . In the Montessori school that I did a tiny gig teaching french and spanish and japanese , ha ha , it was FUN , the genius head mistress Patricia Fozdik said " Put something in their hands , then they can THINK ." - So , this getting a GRIP on something with the grabbing hand , that itself refers to self managment and care , is the WAY to go with getting people back in a balanced brain state . I have watched a woman talk about her traumatizing cult experience on a podcast , all the while knitting a very very complex pattern , when asked about it , she said
"If I did not knit I would be tearing at my face with my fingernails " -- I am personally on this facinating quest for that intermediary pathway that allows us to FUNCTION , and also to BE . As always , Gary , thank you for the air space here in this little comment box , and THANK YOU for being you , for writing and sharing and doing as you are doing . Keep Going Strong !
To me , it makes sense of the often mal aligned Apple and Eve story -- I may have to write about that . It is kind of strange when real problems and life distortions allow us to comprehend not only the healing path , but beautiful balance and harmony BETTER than if these difficulties did not happen . Grateful for all the confusion , as I see clearer than I ever knew I could .
Would you say maybe dementia is a way to get care? Not get left behind? Reminds me of hearing about people in a relationship, the one who starts to lose their hearing first is the one who no longer wants to hear their spouses demands! Not sure if that’s actual science, maybe an old wives tale.
Yes, instead of pathologizing chronic conditions, I feel there is much body wisdom in it, based on past experiences. ""When the Body Says No", as Dr Gabor Mate says.aq
I have had a pet theory about dementia, born out of some caring experiences. Every one of them had been under anaesthetics just prior to displaying dementia signs. My own father was the most noticeable change. He was firing on all channels just fine when he went into hospital for an operation on his prostate. Thereafter, he rapidly lost his memory and slowly declined until he hardly knew who anyone was..... I wonder if anaesthetics should be scrutinised?
Hi France, I definitely think you are onto something. For example, it is well understand to avoid giving people with Parkinson's, who are in their own kind of hibernatory state, general anesthetic as it can make their condition worse. It is also noteable that when people come out of anasthesia, they shake and tremor. This is what animals do when they come out of freeze or hibernation or a traumatic experience. The doctors think this is a pathology, and give them drugs to suppress, so the person doesn't even complete the wake up stage. So I definitely can see if someone is susceptible to the hibernation response, anesthesia followed by suppressiion of the shaking will cause them to go over the edge
Interesting, haven;t thought of this, I will see if I can find anything... but also the stress and worry of them going through this will have taken its toll on you too?
Anesthetics is a shock to the system , no different than being in a car crash , but it is a consciousness crash without any visible side effects , except it does have side effects , which you are discovering . I am working on a study of what I call "SLOW BALANCE " which is a re connecting with a balance point where the self is able to self regulate and manage . I believe that the vagus nerve is to the body what the " The corpus callosum is a large white matter tract that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. It is an incredibly important structural and functional part of the brain . It allows us to perceive depth ..." Internet definition . Because I study mirror energy , there is this place in everything where the energy runs through because both sides are allowing it to - think of the vocal chords which allow sound to arrive , because the shape of the edges - like a musical instrument . So , be it electricity , light , or sound or in the vagus nerve , electricty , we ARE electrical beings , there is a place of passage . And re balancing that passage is like tuning in your voice to a tuning fork , so that all the other notes also sound right . With the vagus , conscious breathing exercises seem to help it re set , and with the mind , it is meditation , letting time and space pass through the mind , without external input , music is the work of Musical Genius People and historical instruments that are all harmonized to energize the players , then that is sent into the mind of the listener , like medicine it lights up and heals the brain circuitry , which is a mirror of the music tree . So there are many places , including the hand , which responds very well to a ball , I use a four inch orb of selenite to re habilitate my hand from a bad break . So the idea is , if there is trouble walking , a dance partner who mirrors back the movements of the patient . Now , in the world we live in , that is a machine walker , and a four inch belt held by an authoritarian "Physical Therapist " shouting commands . God forbid we embrace . Inside of mirror energy , a flow of universal consciousness can pass through , and energize the damaged system , helping it to heal .
thank you Frances , finding your special spiritual gift , the energy that you seem to create everywhere you go , and seeing yourself mirrored in that , will be therapy . It could be linen sheets , it could be a monopoly game - whatever you love , its you ! Keep it in your mind and see it in your environment , and self experience your own self -- this is the BEST therapy . No different than a band aid soaked in emu oil , on our skin mimics our skin , and lets the skin heal well , likewise , immersing oneself in a tepid bath of body temperature water - or wearing a blouse that matches your skin tone exactly -- For me , I am a musician , and recently read a list of rules written by another musician . On his list of rules , he said " Create Space " over and over , it was a bit of a joke , as he repeated the create space rule about creating space as three different times ! But , this creating space idea is something that I TOTALLY relate to , as something that I am , do and can do . So I thought about it , in terms of creating space for my own SELF . Because I do it easily , I always think someone else is going to do it for me , but -- just because you wash everyones linen sheets usually does not mean someone is going to make YOUR bed with fresh linen . Remembering to apply our gift to our own self , rather than searching for that EXTERNAL mirror , realizing that we CAN mirror our own self , and create that extra energy , that more clear flow , for our own selves . For example , again , breath work . The body is always breathing , so why tranfer the command mode to the consciousness of short reactive management ? Because if you know you will breathe no matter what , and at the same time you DO some purposeful breath work , you are running that extra flow , I'll call it Extra curricular - but the mathematician named John Van Neuman calls it something like extra existent influence - that then , inside of two matching intentions , both your auto breath and your conscious breath have the SAME intention , and voila , fresh new energy arrives . It's a theory I am working on , called mirror energy - I am going to tell you that in my writing , which I do for songs , I love to study the human body and health , and I also like stories that make us all laugh , in my writing , its all about moving - because what is going on in all the jumping from picture to picture and action to action , is I am showing that there is SPACE ! There is a giant trampoline with a lot of air above , and healing can arrive there ! For me , to be able to explain what I see to other people is something that makes me SO happy ! I challenge you to experiment with this mirror energy thought , discover something that feels like YOU , and sit with it for a bit - and wait to see if you can feel the energy flowing through that pairing . . Thank you for getting something out of my thoughts - It means alot to me . Jen
i really appreciate the depth of your research and integration here Gary, and i never gave much thought to hibernation in this respect. i also didn't know that small animals killed and regenerated their brain cells using hibernation!
I stumbled on that when looking to see if anyone had previously made the connection between dementia and hibernation... lots of papers saying scientists were looking into this aspect of animals repairing synpases as a way to "cure" alzheimer's.
love the questions you dream up in the wee hours. i keep thinking i should start an evolving language list for the new paradigm, incorporating creative new means of expressing, reinventing reality with brilliant written words - you've had a bunch - but boo i didn't write them down then...
Fascinating article, Gary. I do question the evolutionary efficacy of short-term memory loss in foraging though. Wouldn't we need that to remember where we had just foraged? Also, my father suffered from dementia and exhibited a number of similar symptoms along with the short-term memory loss (sugar cravings, sleeping a lot, mood changes) but he was not moved to a care home and had a very loving wife and friends around him almost up to the time he died. It is a very complex subject but I sense there is definitely something to this, and linked to the dorsal vagus shutdown trauma response.
Much thanks for peering over my shoulder while over at Mathew's place. I had opened your stack here almost as soon as you had posted, but gotten so absorbed in the implications for a teaching gig I have in Japan, I had failed to come back and comment.
Intuitively, the importance of community for we social primates, and the lack of those bonds sound like they should have a high correlation with dementia. I had not read of the studies, or the article about children sleeping as a traumatic response, but in thinking about some volunteer experiences in rural Cambodia, as tough as their lives were, the communal sharing of burdens seemed to leave them psychologikcally healthier than many of the Japanese volunteers that accompanied me.
With the toxicity-as-the-cause concepts, for me it tends to be a chicken and egg thing. Chronic stress exiles us from being to able to detox via healthy vagus nerve activity, so the build up of toxins in the system. If we have healthy vagus nerve unction, we can actually deal with a lot. The question to ask is, given we are all exposed the same sources of toxins, so what is different about the relavatively small portion of the population who this causes severe chronic disease for?
Yep, toxicity is affected by many things. I'm not sure how many seniors get the flu shots but those sometimes even have mercury too! It's such craziness that they can put toxic metals inside a shot that bypasses the basic protection of digestion!
FYI Chris Exley posted an article about the connection between aluminum and ms.
Sunlight is also something many of us, esp elderly in care homes, do not get much of. We need it, really more than even food - on our bodies as naked as possible with no sunscreen, and even a little in our eyes, especially at sunrise when the atmosphere protects the eyes from too much.
Second about magnesium. It really needs to be magnesium citrate as the carbon version basically just goes through the body. The citrate is readily absorbed. I recommend 'The Miracle of Magnesium' by Dr. Carolyn Dean. Amazing book. Find a secondhand copy. Quick read. I got it about 20 years ago but I notice these days that she is on blogs and on youtube.
The other thing to add is selenium - Dr. Ryan Cole talks about the importance of selenium for energy production and DNA repair. He says 2 or 3 brazil nuts per day is enough. Apparently if you take too much it can cause lung cancer risks.
Thank you. Very interesting. Do you eat nattokinase? If yes, do you consume it regularly? The FLCCC and many doctors are now suggesting that natto is important re the clotting from the virus / jabs.
Perhaps, its both.
Our mitochondria are essentially our most advanced yet simultaneously most ancient environmental sensors within our cells, and our modern indoor (sun fearing) environment and lifestyles are severely compromising to them. Combined with the prolific westernized, ultra processed convenience foods that are dangerously nutrient deficient, as are our soils from conventional farming practices, then you literally have malnutritioned individuals with primeval alarm bells ringing!
They are indeed looking for something, their internal sensors (including the microbiome) are also looking for nourishment- nourishment includes food, drink, connection and spirit.
I would say, your theory and theirs are both correct, coming at the problem from different directions, but arriving in the same place😉👏👏👏
Good and fair points! Reminds of Dr Naviaux's Cell Danger Response, which I think is part of the biological mechanism by which the hibernation process works... "diversity of triggers, unity of response"
I have often thought those I know with dementia have been through some stressful times in their lives, and or have experienced extreme loneliness. In both cases, the outcome is the same. Gary, life is difficult no matter who you are or where you live. And obviously life is extremely hard in some instances.
Very interesting assessment. In essence, the brain’s coping mechanism blocks what it perceives as debilitating. I’m thinking of my grandfather who, the last six or so years of his life, was totally deaf and blind. The only communication with him was through touch which totally nonverbal. I wondered what he was thinking about, or was he in a quasi hibernation state. Thank you for this very interesting post.
I often ponder what it is like in the heads of folks in type 1 and type 2 stages, and what they are thinking.
Yes. When I had sudden hearing loss in my right ear, with poor eyesight since is was 11, I have wondered if my grandfather’s end will be mine. When I shared my concern with my ENT doc, he told me, “I guarantee that you will have hearing the rest of your life.” I was greatly relieved.
I think you are correct. "If I am correct about this, that the triggering of ancient hibernation circuits helps to explain some fraction of cases of dementia due to chronic loneliness/separation being the main chronic stressor which is switching these circuits on, then they way we treat and care for folks suffering due to this, requires a massive paradigm shift. This would include providing therapies like grief counselling, and making anyone with early signs feel embedded and valued in a supportive community, as a priority."
From what I have observed in Australia (and in Europe), the society has decided to shorten the life of people and not to facilitate the life of people with different abilities including people in a state of dementia. Life as a wholistic experience is no longer supported by the Modern concept of society (and its policies, including how care is manged, financed and provided at all levels). Thank you for your very insightful and soothing articles.
Finally got to this post Gary, very interesting hypothesis.
I've yet to listen to the podcast, but will.
My mother is in the early (diagnosed) stages of dementia - loss of short term memory - living at home with her spouse. She is sharp in the moment, very good long term and would drive if legally able to. Our (family) concern is not that she could not navigate traffic, but that she would forget where she was going or confuse directions and/or where she ended up - then be stuck/lost. Your post prompted me to review the history of her illness, to look for signs of hibernation.
The only factor that made foraging sense, might have been the socialization and contact. However, she has always been independent and at the early recognizable memory "slips" (keys purse, phone, appointments) she lived close to my brother and his family (to include grand/great grandkids), who made sure she was part of their lives and days...calls, visits, invites to meals during the week and more. Honestly, what I would expect the ideal situation would be, for an ageing parent. So it seemed there was no lack there, she would need to forage for...maybe.
She has since moved and as her illness as progressed and driving was lost (which is HUGE to her - as it'd be for many), I wonder if your hypothesis kicks in. She sees the driving as her connection to socialization and the outside world. Although, her husband would drive her anywhere, anytime and there are plenty of city/county programs that offer shuttle service. She herself recognizes, that the lack of larger socialization, is affecting her memory. Indeed during week long visits, she livens up, conversations are deeper and fuller, her mood changes and she is "happier". But she's stuck on the loss of independence and so all outside interaction (aside from medical appointments) are unattainable to her. It all makes sense, with the research I've done.
General thought:
As you point out, your theory may not apply to everyone. I wonder what the factors are, that predispose certain people to the hibernation phenomenon. Since we have seen huge stressors in individual and collective societies, but not wide spread dementia - what are the markers for this...more rhetorical, than asking for a checklist.
I wonder what changes to the care model, could be made to deal with this possibility?
I also wonder how mini-strokes play into this...would they mimic this theory, as small parts of the brain are shutdown/killed. Especially since few ever know they've had multiple strokes. I was made aware of these, via my mother's neurology work-up.
According to Ian McGilcrest who I have been listening to on Youtube University , he says we have two sides to our mind - one is out reach and survival , with the focus being limited to the goal , and on the other side , the state of being , observant to what is happening , and maintaining the status quo . Mr McGilcrest says that in Males , the two lobes are not balanced , the reach and grab is more 'Large" than the Sit and share and be side . IN the female , the two sides are more evenly balanced . However , we have been all living in a grab for it culture and most of our systems are structured on access , rather than providence . In a world where , as Jaine Benson wrote , the management of needs is being done harmoniously , the patient is able to easily function . My mom's Alzheimers is fake , and I can tell it , because it is a game she is playing to get everybody under her control. This sounds so strange to say , but she always was living in that grab grab world , and it is obvious to me after all these years . IF she can remember tuna or ham , but can't remember the name of her grand daughter , ever , no . I do not accept this . I did watch a cool tictoc of a bride who's dad did not know her , but she sat him down with a canvas and paints , and suddenly he was able to see her . I believe that this was NOT fake . Inside of the practice of art , writing , and lets say putting on makeup , or feeding the self with utensils - fork spoon , whatever , there is a GRAB HOLD element , that meets with the I AM ME BEING ME element . In the Montessori school that I did a tiny gig teaching french and spanish and japanese , ha ha , it was FUN , the genius head mistress Patricia Fozdik said " Put something in their hands , then they can THINK ." - So , this getting a GRIP on something with the grabbing hand , that itself refers to self managment and care , is the WAY to go with getting people back in a balanced brain state . I have watched a woman talk about her traumatizing cult experience on a podcast , all the while knitting a very very complex pattern , when asked about it , she said
"If I did not knit I would be tearing at my face with my fingernails " -- I am personally on this facinating quest for that intermediary pathway that allows us to FUNCTION , and also to BE . As always , Gary , thank you for the air space here in this little comment box , and THANK YOU for being you , for writing and sharing and doing as you are doing . Keep Going Strong !
So glad you have gotten in to McGilchrist's work, this is a big piece of the puzzle.
To me , it makes sense of the often mal aligned Apple and Eve story -- I may have to write about that . It is kind of strange when real problems and life distortions allow us to comprehend not only the healing path , but beautiful balance and harmony BETTER than if these difficulties did not happen . Grateful for all the confusion , as I see clearer than I ever knew I could .
Would you say maybe dementia is a way to get care? Not get left behind? Reminds me of hearing about people in a relationship, the one who starts to lose their hearing first is the one who no longer wants to hear their spouses demands! Not sure if that’s actual science, maybe an old wives tale.
Yes, instead of pathologizing chronic conditions, I feel there is much body wisdom in it, based on past experiences. ""When the Body Says No", as Dr Gabor Mate says.aq
Hi Gary,
Fascinating ideas about dementia. Thank you!
I have had a pet theory about dementia, born out of some caring experiences. Every one of them had been under anaesthetics just prior to displaying dementia signs. My own father was the most noticeable change. He was firing on all channels just fine when he went into hospital for an operation on his prostate. Thereafter, he rapidly lost his memory and slowly declined until he hardly knew who anyone was..... I wonder if anaesthetics should be scrutinised?
Hi France, I definitely think you are onto something. For example, it is well understand to avoid giving people with Parkinson's, who are in their own kind of hibernatory state, general anesthetic as it can make their condition worse. It is also noteable that when people come out of anasthesia, they shake and tremor. This is what animals do when they come out of freeze or hibernation or a traumatic experience. The doctors think this is a pathology, and give them drugs to suppress, so the person doesn't even complete the wake up stage. So I definitely can see if someone is susceptible to the hibernation response, anesthesia followed by suppressiion of the shaking will cause them to go over the edge
Interesting, haven;t thought of this, I will see if I can find anything... but also the stress and worry of them going through this will have taken its toll on you too?
Anesthetics is a shock to the system , no different than being in a car crash , but it is a consciousness crash without any visible side effects , except it does have side effects , which you are discovering . I am working on a study of what I call "SLOW BALANCE " which is a re connecting with a balance point where the self is able to self regulate and manage . I believe that the vagus nerve is to the body what the " The corpus callosum is a large white matter tract that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. It is an incredibly important structural and functional part of the brain . It allows us to perceive depth ..." Internet definition . Because I study mirror energy , there is this place in everything where the energy runs through because both sides are allowing it to - think of the vocal chords which allow sound to arrive , because the shape of the edges - like a musical instrument . So , be it electricity , light , or sound or in the vagus nerve , electricty , we ARE electrical beings , there is a place of passage . And re balancing that passage is like tuning in your voice to a tuning fork , so that all the other notes also sound right . With the vagus , conscious breathing exercises seem to help it re set , and with the mind , it is meditation , letting time and space pass through the mind , without external input , music is the work of Musical Genius People and historical instruments that are all harmonized to energize the players , then that is sent into the mind of the listener , like medicine it lights up and heals the brain circuitry , which is a mirror of the music tree . So there are many places , including the hand , which responds very well to a ball , I use a four inch orb of selenite to re habilitate my hand from a bad break . So the idea is , if there is trouble walking , a dance partner who mirrors back the movements of the patient . Now , in the world we live in , that is a machine walker , and a four inch belt held by an authoritarian "Physical Therapist " shouting commands . God forbid we embrace . Inside of mirror energy , a flow of universal consciousness can pass through , and energize the damaged system , helping it to heal .
It was a healing experience just reading this comment! xx
thank you Frances , finding your special spiritual gift , the energy that you seem to create everywhere you go , and seeing yourself mirrored in that , will be therapy . It could be linen sheets , it could be a monopoly game - whatever you love , its you ! Keep it in your mind and see it in your environment , and self experience your own self -- this is the BEST therapy . No different than a band aid soaked in emu oil , on our skin mimics our skin , and lets the skin heal well , likewise , immersing oneself in a tepid bath of body temperature water - or wearing a blouse that matches your skin tone exactly -- For me , I am a musician , and recently read a list of rules written by another musician . On his list of rules , he said " Create Space " over and over , it was a bit of a joke , as he repeated the create space rule about creating space as three different times ! But , this creating space idea is something that I TOTALLY relate to , as something that I am , do and can do . So I thought about it , in terms of creating space for my own SELF . Because I do it easily , I always think someone else is going to do it for me , but -- just because you wash everyones linen sheets usually does not mean someone is going to make YOUR bed with fresh linen . Remembering to apply our gift to our own self , rather than searching for that EXTERNAL mirror , realizing that we CAN mirror our own self , and create that extra energy , that more clear flow , for our own selves . For example , again , breath work . The body is always breathing , so why tranfer the command mode to the consciousness of short reactive management ? Because if you know you will breathe no matter what , and at the same time you DO some purposeful breath work , you are running that extra flow , I'll call it Extra curricular - but the mathematician named John Van Neuman calls it something like extra existent influence - that then , inside of two matching intentions , both your auto breath and your conscious breath have the SAME intention , and voila , fresh new energy arrives . It's a theory I am working on , called mirror energy - I am going to tell you that in my writing , which I do for songs , I love to study the human body and health , and I also like stories that make us all laugh , in my writing , its all about moving - because what is going on in all the jumping from picture to picture and action to action , is I am showing that there is SPACE ! There is a giant trampoline with a lot of air above , and healing can arrive there ! For me , to be able to explain what I see to other people is something that makes me SO happy ! I challenge you to experiment with this mirror energy thought , discover something that feels like YOU , and sit with it for a bit - and wait to see if you can feel the energy flowing through that pairing . . Thank you for getting something out of my thoughts - It means alot to me . Jen
i really appreciate the depth of your research and integration here Gary, and i never gave much thought to hibernation in this respect. i also didn't know that small animals killed and regenerated their brain cells using hibernation!
I stumbled on that when looking to see if anyone had previously made the connection between dementia and hibernation... lots of papers saying scientists were looking into this aspect of animals repairing synpases as a way to "cure" alzheimer's.
love the questions you dream up in the wee hours. i keep thinking i should start an evolving language list for the new paradigm, incorporating creative new means of expressing, reinventing reality with brilliant written words - you've had a bunch - but boo i didn't write them down then...
Fascinating article, Gary. I do question the evolutionary efficacy of short-term memory loss in foraging though. Wouldn't we need that to remember where we had just foraged? Also, my father suffered from dementia and exhibited a number of similar symptoms along with the short-term memory loss (sugar cravings, sleeping a lot, mood changes) but he was not moved to a care home and had a very loving wife and friends around him almost up to the time he died. It is a very complex subject but I sense there is definitely something to this, and linked to the dorsal vagus shutdown trauma response.
Hi Gary!
Much thanks for peering over my shoulder while over at Mathew's place. I had opened your stack here almost as soon as you had posted, but gotten so absorbed in the implications for a teaching gig I have in Japan, I had failed to come back and comment.
Intuitively, the importance of community for we social primates, and the lack of those bonds sound like they should have a high correlation with dementia. I had not read of the studies, or the article about children sleeping as a traumatic response, but in thinking about some volunteer experiences in rural Cambodia, as tough as their lives were, the communal sharing of burdens seemed to leave them psychologikcally healthier than many of the Japanese volunteers that accompanied me.
As a proxy, I just took a look at the world suicide rate by countries, but knowing what I know about 'official' statistics coming out of Japan, can only take this with a couple of spoons of salt. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country
Cheers Gary, and sorry to be such a poor correspondent lately. Life just has a way of sneaking up on ya.
steve
It's amazing how often "scarcity" is made to play a role in our understanding of the life of our distant ancestors...It effin' tells us nothing...
It is an essential ingredient in economic models, since 'life is brutish and short" became an argument for capitalist economics...
As for 'chronic loneliness, isolation/seperation, abandonment and loss/grief' - there's certainly a lot of Emotional Scarcity these days...
Although "With a cellphone - You are Never Alone" seems to compensate the many young...
There's an even bigger factor. Aluminum.
Dr Chris Exley was doing a study on brains in the brain bank that had Alzheimer's and autism and found most had high levels of aluminum in the brain.
I appreciate these other discoveries, but they ignore the elephant in the room, toxicity.
With the toxicity-as-the-cause concepts, for me it tends to be a chicken and egg thing. Chronic stress exiles us from being to able to detox via healthy vagus nerve activity, so the build up of toxins in the system. If we have healthy vagus nerve unction, we can actually deal with a lot. The question to ask is, given we are all exposed the same sources of toxins, so what is different about the relavatively small portion of the population who this causes severe chronic disease for?
Yep, toxicity is affected by many things. I'm not sure how many seniors get the flu shots but those sometimes even have mercury too! It's such craziness that they can put toxic metals inside a shot that bypasses the basic protection of digestion!
FYI Chris Exley posted an article about the connection between aluminum and ms.
https://drchristopherexley.substack.com/p/aluminium-and-multiple-sclerosis
He recommends silica rich mineral water which helps bind to aluminum and helps the body removing it.
Sunlight is also something many of us, esp elderly in care homes, do not get much of. We need it, really more than even food - on our bodies as naked as possible with no sunscreen, and even a little in our eyes, especially at sunrise when the atmosphere protects the eyes from too much.
Yes, "hypervigilance" I think this is sometimes called.
interesting about milk - does natural yogurt do the same thing?
Thank you; i just checked it out.
Second about magnesium. It really needs to be magnesium citrate as the carbon version basically just goes through the body. The citrate is readily absorbed. I recommend 'The Miracle of Magnesium' by Dr. Carolyn Dean. Amazing book. Find a secondhand copy. Quick read. I got it about 20 years ago but I notice these days that she is on blogs and on youtube.
The other thing to add is selenium - Dr. Ryan Cole talks about the importance of selenium for energy production and DNA repair. He says 2 or 3 brazil nuts per day is enough. Apparently if you take too much it can cause lung cancer risks.
edit: typo
Thank you. Very interesting. Do you eat nattokinase? If yes, do you consume it regularly? The FLCCC and many doctors are now suggesting that natto is important re the clotting from the virus / jabs.