Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Incredible Facial Reenactment Technology Can Manipulate Trump & Putin Videos In Real Time (VIDEO)

Imagine what this could be used for.

The world of technology just got a little more interesting. Researchers have developed a pretty mind blowing new piece of video technology that allows a person the ability to transfer their facial expressions on to another person in real-time – creating a video that looks real enough to convince almost anyone.

The technology comes out of a collaborative effort between Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Max-Planck Institute for Informatics, and Stanford University in California. The incredible technology has already being tested on George W Bush, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Vladimir Putin.

The study, Face2Face: Real-time Face Capture and Reenactment of RGB Videos, “animates the facial expressions of the target video by a source actor and re-renders the manipulated output video in a photo-realistic fashion,” according to the researchers.


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New Cannabis Patch Treats Fibromyalgia & Diabetic Nerve Pain

New Cannabis Patch Treats Fibromyalgia & Diabetic Nerve Pain

Over the past 100 years, cannabis has gone from being legal, to illegal, to entering a strange legal grey area in our society. The stigma surrounding cannabis has pushed people to believe that it’s a “drug” that’s poor for your health, when in reality, it’s a plant that has incredible healing properties.

Cannabis can significantly help people suffering from anxiety or chronic pain, and can even kill cancer cells. Some of the more recent innovations using cannabis were two pain relieving patches created by Cannabis Science, designed for patients with fibromyalgia and diabetic nerve pain.

Medical Uses for Cannabis

Cannabis can and has been used for many years to treat a wide variety of illnesses including cancer. Cannabinoids refer to any of a group of related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis.

Consuming cannabis activates cannabinoid receptors in the body, and the body itself creates compounds called endocannabinoids, which help to produce a healthy environment. Cannabinoids play a significant role in immune system generation and re-generation, which is why cannabinoids reduce cancer cells.

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer, conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid, determined that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids inhibit tumour growth. Numerous organizations and universities, including Harvard Medical School, have also been studying the effects cannabis has on cancer cells, proving its success and recommending it to be used as cancer treatment for specific types of cancer.

Numerous cancer patients will smoke marijuana or take cannabis oil orally in order to mitigate the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy. THC has been available in pill form for treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients since the 1980s.

Even the U.S. government has unwittingly confirmed that cannabis kills cancer cells. A group of federal researchers commissioned by the government were selected to prove that cannabis has no accepted medical value, but their findings showed otherwise (read our article here).

Studies show that THC, the compound found in cannabis that gives it its “euphoric” effect, activates pathways in the central nervous system that work to prevent pain signals from being sent to the brain. Likewise, cannabis has been shown to be especially effective against neuropathic pain, or nerve-related pain. Cannabis is essentially an all-natural form of Advil!

Cannabis can also be used to decrease anxiety and mitigate symptoms from PTSD, as the high from THC is associated with temporary memory impairment. Recent studies confirm that oral doses of THC can help relieve a variety of PTSD-related symptoms including flashbacks, agitation, and nightmares.

Cannabis Science’s Innovative “Pain Patch” 

Two of the latest cannabis medical innovations were created by Cannabis Science, a U.S. company specialized in the development of cannabis-based medicine, particularly those meant for cancer treatment. Cannabis Science already has some products on the market in California, such as its “When Nature Meets Science” product line, which includes healing bombs, drops, and tinctures, all made with cannabis.

The company recently designed two new pain relieving medications for self-medicating patients with diabetic neuropathy nerve pain and fibromyalgia.

Diabetic neuropathy is a form of peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to or disease affecting the nerves. Side effects include impaired sensations, movement, and gland and organ function. Neuropathy can result in painful cramps, fasciculation (fine muscle twitching), muscle loss, bone degeneration, and changes in the skin, hair, and nails.

Fibromyalgia is a condition whereby patients have chronic, widespread pain and experience a greater pain response to pressure. Symptoms include fatigue, problems with sleep, memory, and bowel function, restless legs syndrome, numbness and tingling, and sensitivity to noise, lights, or temperature. Fibromyalgia can also have psychological effects including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The medications for both of these ailments will be offered in the form of an adhesive transdermal patch, allowing users to absorb a specific dose of medication through the skin, which then travels into the bloodstream. This method is favourable because it provides users with a controlled release of medication, which in this case is a large amount of cannabinoid (CBD) extract. As the CBD enters into the bloodstream, it then penetrates the central nervous system, allowing their pain to subside.

“As more states nationwide legislate for the legalization of Cannabis and Cannabis derived medications, we here at Cannabis Science are focused on developing pharmaceutical formulations and applications to supply the huge growing demand expected over the coming few years,” explains the company’s CEO, Raymond C. Dabney.

Even though the medical uses of cannabis have been proven time and time again through numerous accredited science institutions and universities, the stigma surrounding cannabis remains significant and contentious. Since it’s an illegal substance, numerous people shy away from it, including those who are suffering from illnesses cannabis could cure or seriously help treat.

It’s inevitable that once it becomes legalized in more places, it will become common practice for the medical industry to recommend its usage. I’m not a doctor, but I can envision people using cannabis-based pain patches for a variety of issues outside of fibromyalgia and diabetic nerve pain. Pharmaceutical pain patches have been designed in the past to treat localized pain in many areas of the body, so why couldn’t we do the same with cannabis?


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Hallucinations Are Much More Common Than We Think

Hallucinations Are Much More Common Than We Think

When certain experiences fall outside of societal norms, people tend to keep their personal events to themselves. For instance, you probably don’t hear people walking down the street talking about their hallucinations as candidly as they do, say, their dreams.

But new research has found that the former is actually much more common among the general population than most people realize.

A study examining over 7,400 people in the UK discovered that 4.3% of participants had reported having experienced visual or auditory hallucinations in the past year, including people without mental disorders. This proves the phenomenon isn’t limited to people with psychosis.

“There is a general idea in psychiatry that hallucinations are a feature of psychosis,” explained lead researcher Ian Kelleher from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, “but when we looked at a whole range of mental health diseases we found that hallucinations are symptoms that occur in a wide range of mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety.”

Borderline personality disorder was used as an example of a psychotic disorder for this study, which, like many other mental issues, has a heavy stigma that sufferers see and hear things that aren’t there. The results of this recent study challenge the stigma, however, dismantling the idea of a divide.

The researchers reviewed data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity survey, and found that a significant amount of participants had been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

To determine if hallucinations were more common among people with a psychotic disorder as opposed to those without, the team looked at how many people with borderline personality disorder reported seeing or healing things that other people couldn’t over the last year compared to participants with non-psychotic depression or anxiety.

Their results showed that hallucinations weren’t greater or more apparent in those with borderline personality disorder than in those with a non-psychotic mental disorder. Additionally, more than 4% of every single respondent reported hearing or seeing things that others couldn’t, leading the team to suggest that hallucinations aren’t exclusively symptoms of psychosis.

“Hallucinations are more common than people realize. They can be frightening experiences, and few people openly talk about it,” Kelleher explained. “Our research is valuable because it can show them they are not alone and that having these symptoms is not necessarily associated with having a mental health disorder. It breaks the taboo.”

Such findings support the results of a bigger study published in 2015, which analyzed data for more than 31,000 people from 19 countries. Researchers found that about 5% of the general population reported experiencing hallucinations, regardless of having a mental illness or not.

“We used to think that only people with psychosis heard voices or had delusions, but now we know that otherwise healthy, high-functioning people also report these experiences,” explained lead researcher John McGrath, from the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia.

These studies reveal the potential inaccuracy of symptoms associated with mental health disorders, and highlight just one of many problems with stigmatizing people who suffer from mental illness, both from a scientific perspective and a moral one.


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Revealing Comic Sheds Light On Link Between Hard Work & Depression

Revealing Comic Sheds Light On Link Between Hard Work & Depression

It’s interesting how our self-awareness can sometimes lead us nowhere. We can look within and see our unhealthy habits, and yet we accept them. These unhealthy habits can lead us down a rabbit hole toward depression, and still, we admit our fault of not nourishing our self worth, but do little to shift our worlds.

But is it that simple to just … change?

Many of us can likely relate to the feeling of being trapped in a detrimental capitalist dichotomy in which using our work to measure of our self worth conflicts with our need to express who we are on our own terms and time.

It’s become a societal standard to assume our job is the most important thing in our life. But why? With money being such a driving force for motivation, and employers urging us to think their approval is a key component of our self worth, along with how our family and friends perceive us based on the job we hold, it seems we are pigeonholed into this way of thinking.

Can you make more money than others? Do things more efficiently than others? Have more enthusiasm about doing it all than anyone else? The pressure we put on ourselves is self-inflicted, but socially influenced. But if we were to peel back all these layers of materialism that separate us from who we are, we might just be able to realize that our worth isn’t based on results, or how quickly we can do something, or how late we stay up finishing a project. Our worth just is.

But even if we can come to that realization, how do we practice it? We still wake up every day and have jobs to do. We still have others telling us work is life. Is it easier to just go with the flow?

No. Because work can be depressing, and that is a very unhealthy reality. Research suggests that those working long hours are even twice as likely to experience a major depressive episode. A report published in the journal Plos ONE found that people working over 11 hours a day are at greatest risk. So while we tie our hard work to self-worth, we’re letting our mental health fall by the wayside.

We must start making a distinction between work and self worth. To help us realize the importance of this goal, autobiographical cartoonist Shing Yin Khor put together a comic that would expose her own struggles with doing just that.

“I wanted to write about how I’ve somehow managed to root my identity in productivity and the corresponding depression that comes when I do not feel I am being productive,” she said.

“I’ve tied my own worth and dignity to my ability to produce work,” one of the comics reads. “It’s not healthy, but there it is.”

It’s a double-edged sword, because when we tie our happiness to something external, we risk something so impermanent controlling our happiness. The good days at work can make you feel so good, but that only means the bad days at work make you feel so worthless. Neither should have such power.

workhard1

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workhard6workhard7 workhard7-5 workhard8 workhard9Check out Khor’s website here.


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Why Heating Your Food With Microwave Radiation Might Be A Terrible Idea

Why Heating Your Food With Microwave Radiation Might Be A Terrible Idea

A few decades from now, will it be common knowledge that using microwave radiation to heat food is harmful to human health? It’s certainly a possibility, and information is already emerging which shows cause for concern. Microwaves work by causing water molecules to resonate at very high frequencies, converting them into steam and thereby heating your food. While this might be a convenient way to prepare your food, using microwave radiation in this way actually changes the chemical structure of that food.

The fact that they are approved as safe doesn’t mean much these days, as we’ve seen with several other examples from Tobacco, PCBs and Asbestos and Glyphosate. Just because a government agency, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or a government health agency approves something as safe, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe.

You might be wondering how this is any different from heating your food on the stove or steaming it, and that’s a fair question. The difference is that microwaves deform and distort the molecules in food, while conventional heating methods do not.

This is problematic in the medical field as well. We know, for example, that during blood transfusions, microwaves are often used to heat the blood before it is transferred to the patient. But using microwave radiation to this actually damages components found in blood. In fact, one woman even died after receiving a blood transfusion of microwaved blood. (source)

It is starting to look like microwaving can completely rid your food of most essential nutrients, but more research on this phenomenon needs to be done. That being said, there are some publications we can refer to if you’d like to find out more information regarding the harmful effects of microwaves on nutrients.

One example comes from 2003. A study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture examined what microwaves do to broccoli, finding that broccoli, after being microwaved, lost up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, when researchers steamed broccoli, they discovered that it only lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants. (source)

A study out of Australia showed that microwaves cause a greater level of “protein unfolding” than conventional heating. It found that “microwaves cause a significantly higher degree of unfolding  then conventional thermal stress for protein solutions heating to the same maximum temperature.” (source)

A study using garlic found that just 60 seconds in a microwave can render its principle active ingredient (alliinase) as useless. Microwaves have also been found to destroy immune-boosting agents that are found in breast milk. These are disease fighting nutrients which are essential to the health and development of the child. For example, one study found that microwaving breast milk caused a decrease in lysozyme activity and antibodies, and aided the growth of more pathogenic bacteria. (source) The interesting thing about this study is that the researchers found that more damage was done to the milk from microwaving compared to any other method of heating.

“Microwaving appears to be contraindicated at high-temperatures, and questions regarding its safety even exist at low temperatures.” (source)

A Japanese study found that only 6 minutes of microwave heating turned approximately 40 percent of the B12 found in milk dead and completely void of any nutritional value. (source)

Three recent studies of historical food composition have shown up to 40 percent declines in some of the minerals commonly found in fresh produce, and another one found the same thing for their protein source. (source)

A Scandinavian study conducted in 1999 also found that cooking asparagus in the microwave results in a reduction in vitamins. (Kidmose U and Kaack K. Acta. Agriculturae Scandinavica B1999:49(2).110-117.)

What Type of Container Are You Using To Microwave Your Food?

Not heating your food in plastic containers should be a no brainer at this point. This is precisely why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that any plastic containers should be labelled for microwave use, but even if they are labeled as safe, it’s still probably not a good idea. For more more information on what happens when you microwave your food in plastic containers, you can check out this article.

Many studies have shown that multiple plastic products contain various hormone disrupting chemicals, and heat is the worst culprit when it comes to increasing the rate of chemical transfer from the container to your food.

As written in the journal Toxicology Letters:

Using a sensitive and quantitative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, BPA was found to migrate from polycarbonate water bottle at rates ranging from 0.20 ng/h to 0.79/h. . . . At room temperature the migration of BPA was independent of whether or not the bottle had been perviously used. Exposure to boiling water increased the rate of BPA migration by up to 55-fold.

Again, heat increases chemical leaching, so be cautious of what you use to heat your food. Even plastic containers which are labelled as microwave safe (or even BPA free, which does not account for other worrisome chemicals) are still dangerous.  According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “what the term ‘microwave-safe’ basically means is that any chemicals leaching from the container into food do so at levels far below those shown to have any health effects.  There is cause to be wary of this claim, however. In particular, #7 polycarbonate plastic should not be used in a microwave, even if it is labeled ‘microwave-safe,’ because it leaches hormone-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA), especially when heated.” (source)

This may be frightening to consider, but examining the products we choose to use on a daily basis is important. We have seen many examples in recent human history of information coming to light about a product or drug which completely changes our understanding and attitude towards it. We only have to look at cigarettes to see the proof of that.

Related CE Article:

Why You Shouldn’t Be A Part Of The 90% Percent Of Americans Who Still Use Microwaves


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Congested? Here’s How To Drain Your Lymphs Naturally (VIDEO)

While it’s summer for some people around the world, here in the Northern hemisphere Winter is in full swing, and with it comes a frustrating array of colds, flus, and other illnesses.

If you are experiencing a cold, particularly a head cold,  you may need some help draining the extra fluid that’s built up in your sinuses. And the following lymphatic massage may be just what the doctor ordered.

Simple and relaxing, you can do this technique all by yourself. The key is to go as slow as possible, and a very light touch is best. The whole thing may take you five to ten minutes to do, and really will help move things around, and down, and hopefully out. I tried the technique in the video yesterday and starting feeling movement in the back of my throat within just a few minutes.

Before you try, this please take note of this list of contraindications recommended by the RMT who made this video:

Contraindications for Lymphatic Drainage Massage

While it doesn’t feel invasive or deep, LDM can have a profound effect on the body because of its function within the immune system and its use of the circulatory system. If you have any of these conditions or problems, consult your physician before performing this on yourself:

  1. Fever, acute infection, early onset inflammatory disease. You need to wait until the acute phase is over and the fever is broken.
  2. Circulatory system problems, especially thrombosis. If there is any risk of embolism of phlebitis, do not use LDM and see your physician immediately.
  3. Cardiac issues such as heart disease, acute angina pectoris or coronary thrombosis (heart attack). Using LDM increases the fluid load on the heart, and compromised cardiac systems should not be subjected to LDM.
  4. Active bleeding, internal or external.
  5. Active malignant cancers, undiagnosed lumps, or tumours whose origins have not been determined by your physician.
  6. High risk pregnancy or late term pregnancy with complications

This likely won’t remove all the congestion in your head, but it can help to alleviate some of the pressure and stuffiness, letting you focus on other things. Heather said about 75% of the people that come to see her have benefitted from doing this massage. Give it a go and try it for yourself!


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Genetically Modified Humans Are Coming: U.S. Scientists Just Backed Permanent Gene Editing In Humans

Genetically Modified Humans Are Coming: U.S. Scientists Just Backed Permanent Gene Editing In Humans

“Genetically modified humans” sounds like a term that belongs in Hollywood, but it’s actually a very real possibility, and one that’s being heavily discussed in the scientific community. Contributing to one of the most controversial topics to date, a panel of science experts in the U.S. just examined and gave their support for germline editing. This means that in the future, parents will likely be able to tamper with the genetics of their children pre-birth.

Germinal choice technology refers to reprogenetic technologies that enable parents to alter the genetic constitutions of their children. One of the ways this can be done is through germline editing, which is a fancier term for human genetic engineering. Germline editing alters the genes of a sperm or an egg, but it then changes the future DNA of every single cell in the embryo. This means that the genetic changes made to the embryos will then affect all future generations within that family lineage.

Germline Editing Will Likely Be an Option in the Future

The panels were made up of experts from two of the most prestigious scientific institutions in the U.S., both of which recommended that germline editing be viewed as a serious option in the future and not be prohibited outright (source).

This is a dramatically different stance than the last assessment given in December 2015 by an international summit of scientists, who stated that it would be “irresponsible to proceed” with germline editing given the controversy surrounding the subject and the safety issues involved, all of which have yet to be resolved.

The panels’ discussions can be further analyzed in a report released earlier this week by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. The panel recommended that germline editing of early embryos, eggs, or sperm should only be permitted to prevent serious disease or disability if there’s significant scientific evidence illustrating that the procedures are safe.

“Human genome editing holds tremendous promise for understanding, treating, or preventing many devastating genetic diseases, and for improving treatment of many other illnesses. . . . However, genome editing to enhance traits or abilities beyond ordinary health raises concerns about whether the benefits can outweigh the risks, and about fairness if available only to some people,” explained Alta Charo, co-chair of the study committee and Sheldon B. Lubar Distinguished Chair and Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

One of the illnesses the panel specifically mentioned that germline editing could be used to prevent is Huntington’s disease, a progressive brain disorder that can result in uncontrollable movement, emotional issues, and loss in cognition, most commonly appearing in a person’s thirties or forties. However, the panel was quick to note that with these alterations could come some very serious side effects.

One of the potential risks includes developing new conditions, diseases, or mutations. If this happened, parents would have no idea until their babies are born and begin to mature.

Perhaps the most obvious risk is the societal implications associated with the genetic engineering of humans. If it’s an expensive process, meaning it will likely only be made available to upper class citizens who can afford it, it could create a “designer class” of babies with preferred qualities and genes.

“These kinds of scenarios used to be science fiction; they used to be seen as far-off hypotheticals… But actually, right now, I think they’re urgent social justice questions,” said biotechnologist Marcy Darnovsky from the Center for Genetics and Society to Rob Stein at NPR.

“[W]e’re going to be creating a world in which the already privileged and affluent can use these high-tech procedures to make children [with] biological advantages,” she continued. “And the scenario that plays out is not a pretty one.”

“Previously, it was easy for people to say, ‘This isn’t possible, so we don’t have to think about it much,’ ” said MIT researcher Richard Hynes, who helped lead the committee, to The New York Times. “Now we can see a path whereby we might be able to do it, so we have to think about how to make sure it’s used only for the right things and not for the wrong things.”

Will Genetic Engineering Mark the Birth of Transhumanism? 

Transhumanism is a futuristic ideology which purports that humans will be altered and improved using sophisticated technologies in the future to upgrade our intellectual, physical, and mental capabilities. Many scientists are actually in favour of this, especially as we become more technologically advanced, making this seem more realistic.

Elon Musk supports this movement, in fact, as he believes that human beings will eventually use technology to enhance our inherent natural capabilities.

“Over time we will see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence. It is all about the band width of the brain,” Musk said.

“Some high band width interface to the brain will be something which helps achieve symbiosis between human and machine intelligence, which solves a control and usefulness problem,” he continued.

Musk has spoken about this topic on several occasions. For example, last year he explained that we should consider getting brain implants in the future because, without them, we may not be able to compete with artificial intelligence (AI). He also has strong opinions about AI, arguing it could pose a threat to us if we become too dependent on it (source).

I believe that genetically engineering human beings could serve us in a way, but it could also do more harm than good. Germline editing could seriously improve the lives of many if it could prevent certain diseases, but at what cost?

In addition, the fact that a man and a woman can mate and create offspring together that’s made up of a mixture of their genes is truly beautiful. Do we really want to alter something that’s already such an incredible gift in nature?

I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong answer here. However, there are certainly some risks involved with genetically modifying humans. It’s easy to imagine how the elite could use this to further manipulate the general population, or how it could create an even greater divide between high income and low income families. The idea of creating an Aryan or superior race could even be proposed again, which would only further perpetuate the illusions of separatism and hierarchy.

Then again, it could potentially help us further advance our consciousness and awaken our inner capabilities, especially if the technology or alterations have absolutely no health risks (zero radiation/EMF exposure, no increased risk in disease, etc.).

In either case, I believe our time would be better spent further advancing our collective consciousness. If that can be done through AI, then that’s incredible and I’m all for it. However, we must remember that, if we truly dial in and get in touch with ourselves energetically, we have the power to heal ourselves from within. We don’t need to rely on technology to save us and prevent diseases. Yes, technology plays an important role in society, but that doesn’t mean we should let it overshadow our own capabilities as spiritual beings.

 

 


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Why Psychedelic Drugs Are Having A Medical Renaissance (Video)

It has been truly amazing to witness how many things in our world are now changing that were once considered impossible. We have been able to see this to a large degree with marijuana use and research, which is revealing more health benefits and even cures for various ailments every day. In my lifetime, marijuana use has gone from extremely illegal, to a little bit less illegal, to decriminalized, to the point where now I can literally walk into a cannabis dispensary with a health concern, get a card, and leave with cannabis in my possession — legally. This is in Canada, mind you, and I know it is not like this all over the world, but even four states in the U.S. have now fully legalized marijuana, and it seems as though all of Canada is heading in that direction, too.

Legalization of marijuana is important for more reasons than you might think. Aside from its obvious benefits to users who suffer from things like pain or anxiety, its legality also makes conducting scientific studies on its potential healing benefits much easier, and that leads to the possibility of it actually being able to help a lot of people who are in need a lot sooner.

So, in less than 26 years, I’ve witnessed all that happen, and still I was shocked when cannabis became legal in Colorado — a good sign that we’re heading in the right direction if ever there was one. It tells us that things really can change, and just because things are the way they are now doesn’t mean they always have to be that way. Scientists have recently begun to do more research into other psychedelic substances and determining any potential health benefits that they might have as well. John Hopkins University and an organization known as MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) have published numerous studies demonstrating the positive outcome for using psychedelics such as cannabis, psilocybin, and MDMA for treatment in mental health issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and more.

It appears that psychedelics are making their way into treatment studies, and for very good reason. Actually, there was a tremendous amount of research being done in the realm of psychedelics in the 1960s, spearheaded by Timothy Leary. These drugs became widespread for a time, but thanks to the War on Drugs in the 1970s, these substances were made illegal — despite their potential — and all of the research stopped.

Fortunately, the tide is turning again, and people are realizing that, not only are these substances non-addictive, when used in a controlled setting in their pure form they can help those in need tap into an observer’s point of view into their lives.

More on this is explained in the video clip below, which is from PBS news. When topics such as this are on the mainstream news, you can be sure things truly are changing in the world. Check it out!

As mentioned in the video, in order to ensure participant safety, these substances should only be taken under the supervision of trained professionals.

Below are links to some of the studies mentioned:

Having A ‘Bad Trip’ On Shrooms Can Actually Improve Your Well-Being

‘Magic Mushrooms’ Can Improve Long-Term Psychological Well-Being

Research Proves Psilocybin’s Ability To Effectively Treat Alcoholism

This Is What An MDMA Assisted Therapy Session Looks Like

New Study Finds Psilocybin To Be A Therapeutic Powerhouse For Advanced Cancer Patients

The Truth About LSD: Research Reveals Many Therapeutic & Medicinal Benefits

Study: Single Session Of Ayahuasca Can Defeat Depression

Ayahuasca: A New Approach To Western Medicine

And there are many, many studies on the therapeutic and medicinal use of cannabis as well, which you can find by clicking here.

Much Love

 

 

 


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A $100,000 Message From Robert F. Kennedy Jr & Robert De Niro To American Journalists & Scientists

A $100,000 Message From Robert F. Kennedy Jr & Robert De Niro To American Journalists & Scientists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Chairman of the World Mercury Project (WMP), announced a $100,000 challenge today aimed at putting an end to including mercury, a neurotoxin that is 100 times more poisonous than lead, in vaccines administered in the U.S and globally.

It’s offered to anybody, including journalists and scientists, who can provide a study showing that it is safe to inject mercury into babies. This will be difficult, as hundreds of studies (that were also present at the press conference in print form) suggest that it isn’t safe at all, and can significantly increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.

Robert De Niro and numerous other people support the World Mercury Project, many of which made a historical appearance at the National Press Club today bringing attention to an issue that more people are becoming aware of every single year. For nearly 100 years, appropriate safety assessments (toxicity studies) have not been conducted for the administration of vaccines containing mercury as an adjuvant, yet we continue to give them to the general public. Government health authorities have been putting mercy (and aluminum) in vaccines based solely on the assumption that it is safe to do so.

You can view the full press conference on the World Mercury Project Facebook Page.

Since vaccines have been perceived as non-toxic substances for decades, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not attempted to prove the safety of this particular vaccine ingredient. Considering billions of dollars have been paid to families of children injured by vaccinations, it’s fair to say that this is an alarming state of affairs, so it’s about time that this press conference was held. (source)

Here is a quote from Dr. Jose G. Dores, a professor at the University of Brasilia’s Department of Nutritional Sciences who recently published a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. In the study, he offers the following observation: “Despite their long use as active agents of medicines and fungicides, the safety levels of these substances have never been determined, either for animals or for adult humans—much less for fetuses, newborns, infants, and children.”  (source)

A fairly recent Meta-Analysis published in the Journal Bio Med Research International found that:

 “The studies upon which the CDC relies and over which it exerted some level of control report that there is no increased risk of autism from exposure to organic Hg in vaccines, and some of these studies even reported that exposure to Thimerosal appeared to decrease the risk of autism. These six studies are in sharp contrast to research conducted by independent researchers over the past 75+ years that have consistently found Thimerosal to be harmful. As mentioned in the Introduction section, many studies conducted by independent investigators have found Thimerosal to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Considering that there are many studies conducted by independent researchers which show a relationship between Thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders, the results of the six studies examined in this review, particularly those showing the protective effects of Thimerosal, should bring into question the validity of the methodology used in the studies.” (source)

Not only was the science (all from PubMed) present at the conference, facts about scientific fraud and industry influence were also brought up.

For example, Dr. William Thompson, a longtime senior CDC scientist, published some of the most commonly cited pro-vaccine studies, which showed that there was absolutely no link between the MMR vaccine and autism (Thompson, et al. 2007, Price, et al. 2010, Destefano, et al. 2004). However, Dr. Thompson recently admitted that  it was “the lowest point” in his career when he “went along with that paper.” He went on to say that he and the other authors “didn’t report significant findings” and that he is “completely ashamed” of what he did. He was “complicit and went along with this,” and regrets that he has “been a part of the problem.” (source)(source)(source)

A  study with revised information and no data omitted was published by Dr. Brian Hooker (a contact of Dr. Thompson) in the peer reviewed journal Translational Neurodegeneration, and it found a 340% increased risk of autism in African American boys receiving the Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The study has since been retracted around the same time of this controversy.

You can read the full study HERE; although, unsurprisingly, it has since been retracted.

Thompson’s attorneys, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Bryan Smith of Morgan & Morgan, also released a statement from Dr. Thompson, which mentioned Hooker: “I have had many discussions with Dr. Brian Hooker over the last 10 months regarding studies  the CDC has carried out regarding vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorders. I share his belief that CDC decision-making and analyses should be transparent.” (source)

He had to invoke whistleblower protection and turned extensive agency files over to Congress. He said that for the past decade, his superiors have pressured him and his fellow scientists to lie and manipulate data to conceal a causal link between vaccines and brain injuries, including autism.

In addition to these, there are countless other concerns involving vaccines, which is precisely why more and more parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children.

For a more in-depth look into this topic, you can read this heavily sourced article we published about it, but keep in mind that more information is always coming to light, even since we published this one:

The Top 6 Reasons Why More and More Parents Are Choosing Not To Vaccinate Their Children

The World Mercury Project $100,000 Challenge & The Livestream

The World Mercury Project’s mission is to raise public awareness of the sources and dangers of mercury, help treat those who have been personally affected by mercury exposure, and to push for safe and responsible removal of mercury in all consumer products and industrial processes.

You can view the full press conference on the World Mercury Project Facebook Page.

“On the occasion of our announcement of the World Mercury Project’s $100K challenge, we want to address America’s reporters, journalists, columnists, editors, network anchors, on-air doctors and news division producers….

Despite the cascade of recent science confirming that thimerosal is a potent neurotoxin that damages children’s brains, the American media has fiercely defended the orthodoxy that mercury-based vaccines are safe. We believe that even a meagre effort at homework will expose that contention as unsupported by science. In just the past month, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) review confirmed thimerosal’s profound neurotoxicity and a Yale University study connected vaccines to neurological illnesses including OCD, anorexia and tics…

Journalists, we have discovered—even science and health journalists—don’t always read the science! On the vaccine issues, many of them have let government and industry officials tell them what the science supposedly says. Instead of questioning, digging and investigating, journalists, too often, have taken the easy course of repeating the safety assurances of the pharmaceutical industry and the regulators at CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, which they have good reason to doubt.” 

As you can see, there are many issues to bring attention to, and the fact that mainstream media continues to ignore this type of thing is a big concern, and means we should probably be paying even more attention to it.

 


via Collective - Evolution
Yale University Study Finds Link Between Vaccines & Multiple Brain Disorders

Yale University Study Finds Link Between Vaccines & Multiple Brain Disorders

It’s become a common question to ask if someone is anti- or pro-vaccination. With heavy arguments on either side and truths and lies at every turn, the controversy surrounding the topic seems only to heighten with each passing year. So when researchers find valuable information that is for or against vaccinations, it’s worth reading up.

Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen a devastating rise in brain disorders like Autism, ADHD, and major depressive disorders — a phenomenon that, understandably, has people searching for answers, particularly those directly affected. In this regard, an overwhelming amount of parents have reported that their children went from being seemingly healthy to suddenly suffering from disorders like Autism or ADHD as a result of vaccinations.

Now a team of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and Penn State College of Medicine have lent further weight to many of these parents’ words. The study, which analyzed five years’ worth of private health insurance data on children ages 6-15, discovered that young people vaccinated in the previous three to 12 months were much more likely to be diagnosed with certain neuropsychiatric disorders than their non-vaccinated counterparts.

The study raises more questions among an already growing list regarding whether over-vaccination can cause immunological and neurological damage in vulnerable children. The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, Jan. 19.

Over 95,000 children in the database that were analyzed were found to have one of  seven neuropsychiatric disorders: anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and tic disorder. The children with these disorders were measured against those without such disorders, as well as children with two other conditions unrelated to vaccination: open wounds and broken bones.

The control subjects without brain disorders were matched with subjects based on age, geographic location, and gender. The researchers found, as they had imagined they would, that broken bones and open wounds had no association with vaccinations worth noting. Additionally, new cases of major depression, bipolar disorder, or ADHD showed no noteworthy link with vaccinations.

The study did find, however, that children who had been vaccinated were 80% more likely to be diagnosed with anorexia and 25% more likely to be diagnosed with OCD than those who had not been vaccinated. Furthermore, vaccinated children had a higher risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and with tics compared to the controls.

“This pilot epidemiologic analysis implies that the onset of some neuropsychiatric disorders may be temporally related to prior vaccinations in a subset of individuals,” the researchers wrote. “These findings warrant further investigation, but do not prove a causal role of antecedent infections or vaccinations in the pathoetiology of these conditions.”

They also caution that their research should by no means serve as a deciding factor for whether or not people should vaccinate their children. “Given the modest magnitude of these findings in contrast to the clear public health benefits of the timely administration of vaccines in preventing mortality and morbidity in childhood infectious diseases, we encourage families to maintain vaccination schedules according to CDC guidelines,” they said.


via Collective - Evolution