Posts Tagged ‘holistic health’

What are the challenges and benefits of offering poetry to patients? Can the sharing of poetry expand the vision of practitioners and students in healthcare professions?  What is the role of poetry in community treatment programs? In shelters? In prisons? What can caregivers gain from writing and reading poetry?

On May 21 – 23, 2010, the Life Lines Conference will be held at Duke University, designed for those who have an interest in examining the place of poetry in caregiving.  Three panels of poets and health practitioners will present perspectives on the ways poetry can play a part in caring for patients and communities. Through discussion sessions, participants will have an opportunity to share experiences, to dialogue, to develop techniques, and to gain a deeper appreciation for poetry in the art of healing.

Highlights of the conference include Friday and Saturday evening talks by poets David Whyte and Jane Hirshfield. Ms. Hirshfield will also offer a master class in poetry writing on Sunday morning. More info at: http://www.duke.edu/web/lifelines/

Dr. Deanna Minich is an internationally-known nutritionist with a unique approach to holistic health, food and nutrition. She combines the various facets of her background integrating her academic training in medicine with her study of energy work including shamanic healing practices, reiki, yoga and intuition, the results of which have been published in several books through Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari. Through her years of experience, she has uncovered the art and unification of what occurs when food is connected with spirit. Recently, I sat down to speak with Deanna to learn more about her practical applications and work to help people achieve what she describes as …‘bridging the gap between the earthly body of our being and the heavenly essence of our soul.

Kala: Deanna, wonderful to speak with you again. I enjoyed having you as a guest on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show where we discussed your book, Chakra Foods for Optimum Health .Today, I’d like to speak with you about your book: Quantum Supplements; A Total Health and Wellness Makeover with Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs. Deanna, what prompted you to write this book?

Deanna: When we think about nourishment, it is important to think about everything that we ingest. Of course, everyone eats food, and with many people wanting to take control of their health, they are also taking dietary supplements in some form or another, whether it’s a daily multi-vitamin, vitamin C tablet, or Echinacea if they feel they are becoming unwell. In addition, an increasing number of health care practitioners are implementing nutritional therapy in their practices, prescribing dietary supplements such as omega-3 oils or probiotics. As a result, there is more awareness about using supplemental nutrients overall.

Kala: How does nutrition affect the chakra system?

Deanna: Everything we do, say, think, and eat impacts our well-being. It is all “information” for the body to digest and transform. We have our physical body, which uses the nutrients from food as energy to live. In the ancient spiritual texts in India, they refer to more subtle aspects of our being – an “energy body” – which will respond to our environment just like our physical body. Our being is wired with paths for this subtle energy to travel on. There are certain places in the body where these “energy highways” coalesce – these intersections are the “chakras” or main energy centers. In Sanskrit, “chakra” means wheel, and, thus, this term is used to refer to the nature of these energy centers – they flux energy in and out of our being. In Western medicine, we might say that they correspond to the major endocrine glands of the body. Essentially, the way that I see chakras is as subtle and symbolic. Each of them connect to a specific aspect of our being: structure, emotions, power, love, authenticity, intuition, and interconnectedness. There is no doubt that food, supplements, and eating hook into each of these aspects of who we are. For example, instead of expressing our emotions, we may stuff them down with food. Instead of telling someone you love them, we may make them a meal. Rather than say what we want to eat, we may let someone else determine what goes in our mouth. Therefore, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to connect foods/nutrients/eating to these aspects.

Kala: How can the vibrational properties of vitamins, minerals and herbs help to balance our body and restore energy?

Deanna: By being in tune with what we need, we can use vitamins, minerals, and herbs to get us into balance. Just like foods, each vitamin, mineral, and herb carries its unique energetic signature. Minerals will be more dense and physical (think of iron, zinc, and calcium), vitamins act as catalysts (B vitamins are used for metabolizing carbohydrates), and herbs contain inherent information for healing (think of the origins of aspirin, white willow bark). I think it is beneficial to tap into supplements as needed. For example, perhaps we are living a stressful life. We are over-committed, over-tasked, and overwhelmed. What may happen is that our physiology begins to “mirror” our surroundings. We may start to feel on overdrive from within – our blood sugar may be erratic, our insulin levels may be overextended. Taking the mineral, chromium, or supplementing with herbs such as extracts from bitter melon and cinnamon, may help to provide the vibration we need to rope ourselves back into balance mode.

Kala: Are supplements enough to bring the body back into balance? For example, the american diet is so full of processed food, can one continue to eat processed food and maintain balance with the use of supplements?

Deanna: I don’t believe in “quick fixes” or “silver bullets”. Supplements are one therapy on a palette of many other options. They are potent substances, but also need the support of healthy, vibrant eating, movement, thinking, and emoting. Without everything else in combination, they may not be as powerful as they truly could be. I believe that the first approach to becoming well and maintaining balance is to look at one’s lifestyle. Are you overworking? Are you passionate about what you do and how you live? If not, perhaps some changes need to be made. Eating nourishing foods will be helpful, and eating them in a mindful, loving way will be even better at assisting one in finding balance. An individual’s surroundings may be so stressful that he or she can eat all the nutrient-dense food they want, but they may need added protection. An example would be living in a polluted city. In this instance, a healthy eating regimen combined with appropriate supplements can be of value.

Kala: There’s a huge debate about vitamins, some say that cold pressed vitamins don’t have much nutritional value. What are your feelings on the best way to absorb nutrients?

Deanna: First of all, I think it’s important to examine the health of the gut. Is your gut in a healthy state? I believe it’s better to start here so you can absorb everything you need to optimally rather than focus on the other way around – find supplements that can be absorbed in an unhealthy gut. There are a number of ways to heal an unhealthy gut – the first is to remove the offending substances that you eat. Find out what you are allergic to by working with a healthcare practitioner. Note that most of your immune system is in the gut, so if you are eating foods that you are allergic to, you will be creating an immune response every time you eat. You may also need to examine whether you are stressed when you eat, whether you eat too much, and if you are eating the proper amount at times that your digestion is robust (like eating a larger meal in the afternoon rather than in late evening before bedtime). Supplements such as pancreatic enzymes, probiotics, and fiber may be important in helping to heal the gut. Regarding absorbing nutrients, make sure you follow the instructions provided on the label. If it states to take with food, it’s probably because it’s a fat-soluble substance or it needs food to facilitate its absorption. There may be other supplements that are best absorbed and used by the body when taken throughout the day rather than in one dose, like calcium. Since we only absorb 20-25% of calcium on average, it is better to take smaller amounts throughout the day rather than one huge pill.

Kala: You’re also the author of: An A to Z Guide to Food Additives: Never Eat What You Can’t Pronounce. Sadly, I think 80 percent of what we see in products in the grocery store contain label descriptions that are difficult to pronounce. Why are our foods filled with such complicated ingredients?

Deanna: Our foods are filled with these “unpronounceables” because the majority of consumers want food to be convenient, cheap, abundant, and good tasting. As a result, the food industry responds to this consumer demand by creating additive-laden foods so they can sit on the shelves longer at a low price. As Michael Pollan has said, “We vote with our fork.”

We need to take the responsibility as consumers to demand high-quality foods by speaking out, and by not supporting the purchase of the lower quality items. We put our energy where our money is. If we want to change, we need to start with our next food purchase, food selection in a restaurant, and, ultimately, with the next bite of food.

I would say that your best bet is to shop the perimeter of the store where there are more fresh foods rather than face the complicated foods in the “guts of the store” that are disguised in cardboard, metal, plastic, and Styrofoam.

Kala: Are there some additives that you’d like to attach a red light to and say Stop! Never eat these?

Deanna: Absolutely! There are some additives that don’t do you any good to eat, and, in fact, may cause deleterious effects when consumed over a long period of time. One of them is TRANS FATS. Trans fats were created by the food industry to stabilize fats in a food. Now we know that they are awful for our cardiovascular system. They increase our bad cholesterol and reduce our good cholesterol, so not a good effect overall. As of 2006, it became the law to list trans fat content on Nutrition Facts Labels. However, if the content of trans fats is less than 0.5 grams, the food manufacturer can list the content of trans fats as zero! Therefore, you need to read the ingredient list, and if you see anything that says “partially hydrogenated” on it, be advised that it most likely has trans fats in it. The other “never” ingredient is ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. I think that if we are eating a healthy diet, we will find these substances to be too sweet, and they may encourage cravings. Aside from potential cravings, many of them may have side effects, often neurological ones like headaches and dizziness in some people. I would avoid them at all costs!

Kala: Any tips you’d like to share with us on how best to shop and prepare our meals?

Deanna: The best way to shop is to make sure that you are not stressed when you are making food choices. Use the grocery store as a sanctuary. Enter into it in a meditative, purely calm state so that you can listen to what your body truly needs. In preparing your meals, do the same. Ensure that you like your kitchen, that you want to be in it – paint it a color that makes you feel creative. Orange is the color for creativity so that may be a good place to start. Light some candles, play some music, and create your meal. Whether you are shopping, or preparing or eating food, the most important part of all is that you feel your body and soul are nourished.

Kala: Deanna, a pleasure as always. Thanks for taking the time to share information on having a healthier lifestyle!

Deanna: The pleasure is mine! I enjoy getting the word out about healthy eating. If your readers want daily tips, please have them sign up for the “Food and Spirit Facebook Fan Page” or they can sign up for my newsletter via my website at www.foodandspirit.com. Nourishing wishes to all!

The experience of seeing auras is a complex subject to unravel. I’ve seen auras around people since I was a child. It never occurred to me that others did not see auras as well. For example, when you walk outside and it’s a sunny day and the light is so bright that it makes you squint, do you run to other people and ask, “Do you see the light outside, does it make you close your eyes a little, is the light yellow in color to you”? You don’t ask these questions, you just assume that what you experience is what others are also experiencing.

My first inkling that I was seeing something different occurred in elementary school. We had been assigned to draw a picture of our home and family. While coloring each family member, I colored outside the lines portraying the colors I saw around each person. I also colored around the tree I had drawn, as I see the auras of plants and trees. When my picture was critiqued, I was told that I had not done a good job since I had colored outside of the lines. As an empath, I picked up that the teacher was very displeased with my work, but I could not understand why. That brief conversation opened the door to my eventual understanding that others did not see colors around other people the way that I did. This was the beginning of my journey to read auras and determine what the colors and images that I saw in the auras meant.

While it is fairly easy to learn to see an aura, understanding what the colors and images surrounding the aura represent, is something entirely different all together. To discern what the colors and shapes mean around a person at a particular time requires intuition, practice and an understanding of the spiritual planes and fields around the body.

During the last year of his life, Edgar Cayce began work with his friend Thomas Sugrue to write a book about his work with auras. This book was intended to reveal a full discourse on auras and colors, including Cayce’s notes on how he learned via observation with his clients, the meanings of specific colors and shapes in the aura. Unfortunately, his health took a turn for the worse and he died early that year in 1945.

Due to Cayce’s untimely demise, the compilation of his work and study of the auras was complied into a twenty-page pamphlet entitled Auras: An Essay on the Meaning of Colors. To this day, Auras is a popular reference guide containing helpful information including how the colors in the aura are connected with the planets and musical notes. This pamphlet is still available for sale through the A.R.E. catalog online.

From my experience in reading auras over the years, I’ve found that they are almost as unique as fingerprints. While some characteristics are similar in form including swirls and shades of color, each individual creates a distinctive pattern, which appears in their auric field. This field is comprised by the individual’s thoughts and emotions, as well as manifestations of energy coming into the body and thought forms, which have been around the person for some time.

People, who are able to view auras, see and sense them at different levels. Some are more attuned to see physical dis-ease before it enters the physical body. They may also see emotional distress in the auric field, or glimpses of the akashic records being worked through in this lifetime or they may just see the energy in motion around the person, which reflects their general wellbeing.

In my work as an esoteric wisdom teacher, I teach students how to read auras. We discuss the types of auras, their condition and how to heal an aura that has become damaged due to shock, stress or other harmful situations. I continue to experience new revelations when seeing auras and giving aura readings for people.

In the past ten years, I’ve seen new structures around the auras, that I do not recall having seen before. My theory on this new design in the auric field is that we are evolving at a fast pace and our energy bodies are being attuned right before our very eyes. It is happening so rapidly that the energy bodies around us are being reconstructed and are opening up to allow more light and energy to flow through our bodies now, more than ever before.

In the past four years, I have seen this gain even greater momentum, and the structures, which surround the auric field and energy bodies appear different in people according to their age and state of well-being. What I have seen forming in all stages of life is overwhelmingly positive and awe inspiring, so much so that I am now teaching a new workshop on auras at the Omega Institute in New York this summer, to explain how they are leading the evolution of our light bodies.

Auras, like so many natural gifts given to us, are powerful conductors of energy. Used consciously and with an understanding of their ability to be a pure vessel to hold the light, we can transform ourselves body, mind and spirit. In many ways they represent the symbolic sarcophagus, allowing us the opportunity and sacred space in which to regenerate, transmute and transform. 

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s  book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala lectures on Esoteric Teachings,  Developing Business Intuition, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom (also known as the Divine Feminine). Kala’s Guided Meditations CD’s include Spirit of Hawaii and Egyptian Mystery Temple and Tibetan Mountain Journey.

More information about her Auras and Chakras workshop here:
http://exploreyourspirit.com/workshop-sff.html

What is Consciousness? I spoke recently with friend Eva Herr about this very question. In her experience as a radio host and author, she has asked more than fifty learned people to respond, scholars in the study of the mind and consciousness. She said that she received fifty different answers. But I have a short and concise answer that she just may not have heard uttered. I want to share this with you.

Today, as I cut the grass on a beautiful and warm Hawaiian day, I didn’t think of consciousness as I steered the riding mower around the couple of lawn acres, not thought of it at all until I had to trim along the fences with a self propelled hand mower which, on the uphill grades, is not always effortless. Then it hit me: To have two gas-powered machines, let alone the fact that one can be mounted like a horse and has a drink receptacle, was truly a gift. I could have had to push some old-fashioned reel mower which would have required days of effort and may have stressed my heart. Well, it came soon on the heels of that thought that just to be able to ponder such a question is another gift, just as is my stopping to view the beautiful fluffy white clouds in an azure Hawaiian sky. So, what is consciousness?

My friend Robert Bruce, author of Astral Dynamics, asked me a dozen years ago if I could fashion an appendix for his book. He wanted me, as a brain surgeon, to describe the location of consciousness and the seat of the soul. I did this for him, taking time to study the work of great scholars.

There were many guesses as to the location of consciousness, but none seemed to be correct. According to Gerald M. Edelman, “Consciousness is neither a thing nor a simple property.” Edelman has asserted that a fundamental property of consciousness is that it cannot be broken down into independent components. That is to say, consciousness is integrated within the brain, and involves many widely separated areas.

I began my study with the work of the famous neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield (Montreal Neurological Institute), who found that vast areas of the cerebral cortex can be removed without affecting consciousness. However, small areas of the brainstem, when destroyed, will seriously affect or abolish consciousness. Brain stimulation cases show that found that the “mind,” not the brain, watches and directs human cognition and function.

Thanks to Robert’s request for my opinion, I came across something that allowed me to finish my book, Medicine, Miracles and Manifestations as it seems to prove that we incarnate on Earth to follow a carefully crafted plan. That critical piece of information is the Bereitschaftspotential and as demonstrated by the work of Dr. Benjamin Libet, (University of California, San Francisco). Libet described it as a “readiness potential” that can be picked up by EEG electrodes (a la Libet) or in modern times, functional MRI studies. It is a brain signal that precedes a consciously-made motor movement by roughly 350 milliseconds and it indicates that what we seemingly do of our own volition is actually initiated in the subconscious mind. Although we feel we have made a conscious decision to do perform an act, it is not so.

I investigated the work of many other luminaries in the field and was left with the thought that can be best described by the following quotation:

On the surface of things, nothing appears as it is.

And yet, everything that appears unreal,

is more real than the surface of things appears to be.

Now, after having a few years to reflect on consciousness, to study the work of others and to listen to their learned discourses, I have reached a concise description of what consciousness is. Perhaps in a few years my thoughts will change, but for now, I will say this:

“Consciousness is a gift.  Consciousness is a miracle”.

Dr. John L. Turner was a guest on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Listen to his interview here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows8.shtml#TURNERMEDICINE

More About Dr. John L. Turner:
After graduating from the Ohio State University with a degree in engineering physics, Dr. Turner continued in graduate school at the Ohio State University, Department of Physics. Three years into the PhD program, he was given a book about Edgar Cayce, The Sleeping Prophet. This changed the course of his life! He was excited about the existence of a spiritual world and made immediate plans to attend the Ohio State University’s College of Medicine where he earned his M.D. He completed his internship year in general surgery and his first year neurosurgical residency at Ohio State University. He completed the remaining four years of neurosurgical training at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. For eighteen years, he served as the sole neurosurgeon on the island of Hawai’i, initially performing lifesaving procedures with a marginally trained staff and substandard equipment. By all measures, John L. Turner is a surgeon with classic western medical credentials. From his first day on call in Hilo, Hawai’i, metaphysical events appeared for his edification and continue to the present day.

Medicine, Miracles, and Manifestations, is the twenty-year story of Dr. Turner’s contributions to the field of neurosurgery through Integral Medicine. The concept of Integral Medicine has been written about by notable members of the medical community, including Andrew Weil, Larry Dossey, Deepak Chopra, Mehmet Oz and Dean Ornish. Each of these writers is a physician who specializes in internal medicine or surgery. What makes John Turner similar to these writers is that he, too, is a physician. What makes him different from these writers is that he is a neurosurgeon. In fact, he is the only brain surgeon to write of medicine from this perspective: hand’s on use of complementary techniques prior to, during and after surgery, and exploration of pathways that lead to the spiritual world. The tools of the surgeon normally have more immediate, measurable results on patients’ health and well-being. With the opportunity to study and operate on the brain, Dr. Turner was in a perfect position to explore the mind-body connection. Medicine, Miracles, and Manifestations reveals how metaphysical events such as remote viewing, telepathy, consciousness and life-after-death are verifiable manifestations of the manner in which the human brain interfaces with the universal consciousness that author Lynne McTaggart refers to as The Field. More info at: www.johnlturner.com

Recently on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, I spoke with Dr. Davis Liu about the future of healthcare in the U.S.  One of the most interesting ideas we discussed was being able to have a live video chat with your doctor online rather than having to go into the office for minor exams.   It appears that the future is now, in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Anna Wilde Mathews reports: ” The Doctor will Text You Now – Patients visit with their physicians online as more insurers being paying for Digital Diagnoses”.  You can read Ms. Mathews article here in the Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203872404574257900513900382.html#printMode

and if you haven’t listened to the show with Dr. Davis Liu about the future of Healthcare in the US, I suggest you listen now and prepare for the changes coming soon:

http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows3.shtml#LIUHEALTH

Dr. Liu is also a Guest Blogger on Kala’s Bohemain Blog, his most recent article focuses on Saving Money on Prescription Drugs and can be read here:

http://exploreyourspirit.com/blog/2009/02/19/save-money-on-medical-care-prescription-drugs-and-more/

All the best,

*~Kala~*

A new year means a new opportunity to do better. This year, in particular with a new president, there has been a lot of talk about healthcare reform. Even under the most optimistic situation , if legislation passed tomorrow , significant changes would still be years away.

What can you do to make sure you are around and not bankrupt to see these reforms occur? Healthcare and medical expenses are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy. Do the following:

* Get preventive screening tests done. Even if you feel well, find out what tests you should get done even if you feel well. You do get routine maintence for your car don’t you? Why? So it doesn’t break down. Well how about your body?

* Pick a primary care doctor to be your healthcare advocate. Either an internist or family doctor will do. Research consistently shows patients who have a primary care doctor coordinate care and who is the first logical step to access the healthcare system not only are healthier but also spend less to get there.

* If you need medications, always insist on generic medications. They aren’t inferior. They are medications that previously were branded but no longer have patent protection. This means other pharmaceutical companies can manufacture the medications resulting in decrease prices. Recent generic medications over the past few years include allergy medications CLARITIN, ZYRTEC, cholesterol lowering medication ZOCOR, and heartburn medication – “the purple pill” PRILOSEC. Notice how before they went generic, companies plastered the airwaves and print with advertising. Now that they are generic, no one seems as enthusiastic, yet the medications work just as well for a lot less.

* Consider getting medications at Wal-mart or Target. At $4 copays for many generic medications and $10 copays for a 3 month supply, these are often cheaper than the plans offered by insurance companies.

* Eat less. With the economic crisis, people are more careful with their money. With 2/3 Americans already overweight or obese, changing your diet by eating less not only might save money, but also help you get healthier. Fewer calories in means less likely to add weight. It takes 3500 calories to equal 1 pound.

* Invest in walking shoes or other cheap forms of exercise. Forget the gym, unless you already do it regularly. Go for a regular walk. Realize that a 30 minute walk only burns about 200 calories, which means to lose weight, not only do you need to move more but also eat less.

* Quit smoking.  Drink in moderation (if you want to).

With all of these tips, not only will you improve your physical health, you might also help for financial health. By being healthier, you might be around long enough to see true healthcare reform and not be bankrupt in the process.

More About Dr. Davis Liu:
Davis Liu, M.D., is a practicing board-certified family physician with the Permanente Medical Group in Northern California since 2000. His opinion pieces have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee and he has authored numerous review articles for the Medical Software Reviews newsletter. He completed his residency training at the Glendale Adventist Family Practice Residency Program. He received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His secondary school education was at the Taft School. As the only physician in his family, many times his family has benefited from his medical knowledge. As an insider, he increased the chances that they would have good outcomes. This coupled with his business school training gives him a unique perspective not only on the challenges individuals have to stay healthy but also the financial implications to get there. Until healthcare reform improves the American healthcare system, he feels individuals today need to have the vital information necessary to ensure that they are doing the right things so that they and their families Stay Healthy, Live Longer, and Spend Wisely. More info: www.davisliumd.com

LISTEN to Dr. Liu’s interview on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show about his book: Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America’s Healthcare System by clicking on the link here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows3.shtml#LIUHEALTH

Dr. Liu has a new interview coming up on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala show discussing more ways to save money and invest wisely in your healthcare. This show will air on Tuesday, March 3rd.  Check back then to listen to Dr. Liu and Kala as they discuss healthcare reform and the future of medicine in the U.S.

(Condensed from the book The Soul of Autism: Looking Beyond Labels to Unveil Spiritual Secrets of the Heart Savants, published by New Page Books,
© 2008, William Stillman)

The world needs autism. Of this, I am convinced. The world needs autism now more than ever. Don’t believe me? Look around…look closely and carefully. Contemplate a global awareness. Consider the call to action we’ve received in recent times by way of grand-scale, devastating natural disasters and international terrorist attacks—which drastically spiked an online “rapture” index, a Christian speedometer that measures how quickly the world is careening toward the day of reckoning. Popular culture has relaxed ethical conduct so much so that films and television programming have desensitized us to sex, violence, and abusive language to the point of no further room in which to push the proverbial envelope. Motion pictures like Saw and its sequels, Wolfcreek, The Devil’s Rejects, Turistas, and Hostel have given rise to a pornographic franchise: human beings mutilating other human beings with sadistic ardor in gratuitous, graphic depictions of torture. Witness, too, the celebrity behavior we have come to condone as acceptable due to “wardrobe malfunctions,” racial rants and sordid misconduct. Although this book was written during wartime, it is the irresponsible misbehavior of certain public figures that made top news. There is vague accountability and fewer repercussions in consequence for one’s misdeeds which may, in fact, be rewarded post “rehab.” Further, the premise of most reality television is predicated upon lust, greed, manipulation, deceit, and the endeavor for physical beauty at all costs. Such cultural poison has anesthetized us to our own humanity.

Think people don’t emulate what they see? A recent Associated Press article speculates there’s an astounding drop in social etiquette—rudeness and amorality is on the rise. Corporate corruption has fostered employee disloyalty. Email has taken passive-aggressive interactions to new heights. The 2006 National Violent Crime Summit concluded that “crime is coming back” in a big way. USA Today recently cited an FBI estimate for a 94 percent increase in hate crime attacks against persons with developmental disabilities. Reports of “road rage” are a daily occurrence. “Happy Slapping” has become the latest craze: someone physically accosts an unsuspecting victim while another perpetrator records the assault with a camera-phone, and posts the attack online for all to see. Internet child sex predators are rampant, and child pornography has become more brutal with the number of images depicting violent abuse rising fourfold since 2003. Americans are insulated with artificial complacency from heinous international human-rights violations perpetrated by megalomaniac dictators. Instead, self-absorbed and selfish behavior without consideration of others has become the norm, it would seem. A “messiah complex” has emerged; we have become a narcissistic society bent on gratifying our own needs because “it’s all about me.” Violators of this pursuit are perceived as rivals. And it’s autistics that, clinically, are defined, in part, as lacking empathy and social reciprocity!

In early 2007, the Centers for Disease Control revised its autism statistics from the previous tally of 1 in every 166 children (which excludes countless untabulated adults), now suggesting that the national figures are closer to 1 in every 150. But perhaps the reverse statistic signifies the greater epidemic: of every 150 individuals, 149 are “normal” or neuro-typical! We so dearly need people with autism and other differences—in their mild, unaffected manner—to lend balance to the world, and refocus us on what’s truly important. Perhaps this principle resonates most with parents who have been obliged to undergo a personal transformation as a result of their child’s diagnosis—parents who otherwise may have succumbed to the messiah complex. One mother confessed, “I think [autism] has humbled me. I think I’m a pretty good parent, and I can do that sort of stuff well; but with autism, that ego is taken down a few pegs. I think it has helped me be more accepting of people with disabilities. Not that I was a complete anti-handicapped person before, but now I think more in terms of what people can do.”

Dwindling are the days of parental shame and self-deprecating guilt, as underscored by the mother who wrote, “Autism for me was a challenge not a defeat.” A new evolution is compelling parents to re-envision their lives, to see clearly their own transcendence, and to hold greater hope for the future. This is supported by research such as the “Qualitative Investigation of Changes in the Belief Systems of Families of Children with Autism or Down Syndrome,” a document that concludes, “Although parents may grapple with lost dreams, over time positive adaptations can occur in the form of changed world views concerning life and disability, and an appreciation of the positive contributions made by children to family members and society as a whole. Parents’ experiences indicate the importance of hope and of seeing possibilities that lie ahead.”

One parent rejoiced and opened her heart by telling her circle of parent-friends, “I was just thinking about all the reasons I am ticked that my child is autistic and then thought, you know, if autism had not happened to our family I would not have learned so many things! So many people I would have never known! I believe it has taught me courage beyond words…As much as I hate it, it has made me a better person and better parent to my child. Anyone here feel as though you were helped on some level by this diagnosis?” She received an avalanche of glowing responses.

I have yet to meet a person with autism who has not in some capacity declared their desire to give back of themselves, to share their gifts, and to teach others. In their gentle way—as befits their nature—people with autism compel us to higher standards of deference and respect for humanity. Being present with the autistic individual requires us to be calm and refrain, to be silent and truly listen. What do you suppose people with autism have indicated they’re here to teach? The most salient themes of the human experience: tolerance, patience, sensitivity, compassion, and, of course, unconditional love. These themes consistently emerge in my work as a consultant no matter where I go.
We need people with autism in the numbers with which they’ve increased, especially if we’re to unite in a renaissance for what is right and true and good and kind. It is coming. And the next major human rights movement to shatter myths and tear down walls of hate will be lead by those meek of voice but strong of will.

More about William Stillman…

William Stillman is the author of Demystifying the Autistic Experience: A Humanistic Introduction for Parents, Caregivers and Educators (2002) which has been highly praised by the autism and self-advocacy communities. His other books include The Autism Answer Book (2007), The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children with Asperger’s Syndrome: Help, Hope and Guidance (2005) [a condensed version of which was published in 2008 as When Your Child has Asperger's Syndrome], The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children with Bipolar Disorder: Professional, Reassuring Advice to Help You Understand and Cope (2005), and his groundbreaking work, Autism and the God Connection: Redefining the Autistic Experience Through Extraordinary Accounts of Spiritual Giftedness (2006). Stillman also writes a column, “Through the Looking Glass,” for the national quarterly publication The Autism Perspective, is a regular contributing writer, and is on that magazine’s advisory board. His editorial essays, posted to the authors’ blog BasilandSpice.com, have received favorable reader feedback and have been carried by national news services Google News, Ask News and Reuters. In 2008, Stillman was one of fifteen authors selected to contribute to Autism Today’s Autism Expert Report, a monthly publication designed to provide premier advice and recommendations to parents and professionals. (Stillman is also coauthor of several successful books about his life-long passion, The Wizard of Oz.) Stillman has a B.S. in Education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, and has worked to support people with different ways of being since 1987. He was formerly the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Retardation’s statewide point person for children with intellectual impairment, mental health issues, and autism.

Listen to William Stillman’s Interview Now on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show

by clicking on this link: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows3.shtml#STILLMAN

More info at: www.williamstillman.com