A Storm on the Horizon

Imagine being at a party with lots of booze and the usual bunch of people taking advantage of that surplus: being loud and rowdy; the air laden with smoke and cheap pick-up lines. You grow tired of the noise, and find some quiet time and fresh air outside, when suddenly noticing lightning on the horizon. You take a closer look, and realize that a tremendous storm is heading your way. You make your way into the party, trying to warn everyone to prepare; but alas, the warning falls on deaf ears...after all, you are ruining the party.

There is a storm on the horizon which very few people are aware off: the coming energy and resource crisis. It is a matter of simple mathematics: when a group of animals/ consuming individuals live in an enclosed resource system, the resources will become less as the consuming individuals become more up to the point of total depletion. This is the case with us as humans: being in the region of 6.68 billion, also being the creature that uses more resources per head than any other creature on the planet, we are quickly depleting our resources to the point where survivability is becoming less possible.

In a way, our 'party' of the last 100 years - where we nearly depleted millions of years of stored sunlight in the form of fossil fuel in only one century - is over as Richard Heinberg suggests. It is evident in the escalating fuel and food prices, the so called 'Credit Crunch'. In fact - as our whole civilization is built on fossil fuel - our failing global economy is a direct result of the frenzied oil consumption going bust. Our blind energy orgy has depleted the savings account for our children...not an easy thing to tell your grand children one day: sorry Jimmy, we partied away your future!

The only solution, is - first of all - not to fall into denial about this very evident fact: we are racing toward a future of depleted energy with 6.68 billion mouths to feed. We need to act on solutions now, or face a dire future. But as I am the ever optimist, believing in the innermost beauty of the human being, I think that this coming crisis will bring us together again. In fact, it is already happening amongst some communities, the so called transition communities: planing and acting on weaning themselves from the fossil fuel addiction, and teaching others.

I urge you to watch this lecture by Richard Heinberg.

About God's Existence

The question about God's existence, is an old one, and the path of it's debate probably worn out to the core; nonetheless, it is still an unanswered question, and still divides people in basically two main groups:

The 'No' Group

Those who answer 'no' to this question, usually fall into the reductionist/ empiricist group; those who say: if he existed (note they always 'existed', not 'exists'), why has he never shown himself, or they will say: prove it! A member of the 'yes' group will usually retaliate and ask: who created the universe (note, they use 'who', and not 'what'), and with triumphant smiles, the 'no' group answers that the universe came into existence by 'chance'.
Now, this 'chance' is a word applied to an interesting concept [all people's arguments are based on concepts in their minds; concepts that have been based on observation of our universe; almost like very strong opinions, as many of these 'proven' concepts, usually get challenged later in time]. Chance is nothing more, than a probability engine, this probability engine based on fractals, thus 'chaos theory'. Ironically, our universe is a fractal machine. Notice how everything you look at, is fractal: cardiovascular patterns, river deltas, trees, snowflakes, mountain ranges, lightning...all fractals; patterns within ever present patterns, ever similar, but never the same. It is this fractal machine, using vibrating M-Branes to shape fermions and bosons, shaping matter and energy, which in turn, shape this space-time 'reality' we call the universe. It is this very fractal machine, that creates life through a process (used by empiricists in their anti-God arguments) called Darwinism. But Darwinism is only the observation of the fractal machine's automated work.

Now, how did this fractal engine - which 'creates' ever similar patterns, thus everything we know, including ourselves - come into existence? To say that it came into existence by chance, is a conundrum. This suggests that another external or internal probability engine created this one we're finding ourselves in. How many of these are there then, and what 'made' them?
This to my mind, leaves a large gap in the 'No' argument. A further irony, is that the 'No' group, usually talks about the Western notion of God in arguments, and uses the literate words of the Creation Myth in one book, to point a finger at believers and say: this makes no sense if you look at the evidence of evolution. But how can these clever men and women of science not see that the Bible (and all other Holy Scriptures) are Mythical writings? How can they fail to see the metaphor for something that goes far deeper than the story of creation? Surely, they must be clever enough to understand the golden thread of comparative mythology, showing the one Monomyth of life?

This onesided and almost deliberate blind eye to the monomythical concept as well as not thinking beyond the automated fractal machine, limits their evolution as human beings severely. It simply places them in the opposite corner, rendering them team 'no' in the battle of ignorance.

The 'Yes' Group

The 'yessers', fall into a very wide category: from fundamentalist religious madmen (of all religions) to enlightened & open-minded scientists and mystics. Last mentioned, usually never try and prove the existence or non-existence of God; they simply enjoy 'being'. It is usually the fundamental groups that go slightly to severely berserk if the notion of the Existence of God is challenged. But to these, one must ask: why is it only your god that is the right god? Why do Christians, Jews and Muslims fight bloody wars, if they all believe in the God of Abraham, and essentially use the same Kabbalistic scriptures of the Torah? Come to think of it, why do Christian sections fight amongst each other? Does it really matter whether Christ was man or god? Isn't his teachings more important than he himself as he tried to teach his followers? Can't we see that all religions are based on the same stories all over the world; based on the monomyth of life? Can't we see that 'God', is the metaphor for the force we can never fully understand, the force that 'breathes life' into the fractal engine we call the universe?

Why are we all so deliberately blind to the obvious; so keen on creating melodramatic scenes, categorizing ourselves into groups in the corners, willing to fight to the death for our ignorant pop-dramas? Is it maybe because we ourselves, are falling prey to the monomyth: being the heroes and villains of the fractal engine, toying with us like puppets on strings?
Maybe this is the meaning of life...to escape this automated fractal pattern of being clever primates, falling for the primate gene programming to choose sides, and fight for prey/ female/ land?

Maybe the time has come for some, to realise this and escape from the monkey-in-suit syndrome, and evolve into a higher being; a being en search for the origin of All?

The Ironies of Supermarket Man: Weeds

When humans are innovative, cunning and excel on the planet earth, they deem themselves 'successful'. When plants or animals do the same, they are seen as weeds or parasites.

Take the Dandelion for instance: a little yellow flower that erupts on your precious lawn in summer, is seen as a pest of a weed. It has this 'damned' root that cannot be destroyed except with a weed killer. How dare this silly little flower erupt on our perfect lawns and 'spoil' it?

In fact, the Dandelion is a very valuable plant: that 'damned' root can be dried, roasted and milled, creating a caffeine free drink that resembles caramel coffee; simply delicious. The leaf can be cooked and eaten like rocket or spinach, and the flower can be made into a tea. It even has diuretic effects, aiding with blood pressure etc. The Dandelion is one example of many.


Supermarket Man has spun himself into this illusory, materialistic and super hedonist world, where everything is seen as a means to an end; that end being the exploitation of resources and conforming of nature to this picture-perfect hedonist paradise of infinite pleasures of the flesh. In the process, Supermarket Man is detaching itself from Gaia and his very own soul...he is in fact, missing the point of life, and becoming the weed himself.

Supermarket Man should just one day, stop and wake up to the already perfect existence around himself, unfortunately spoiled by grey concrete structures, smog and the sound of artillery intermingled with the screams of the wounded.

In between the glass, metal and picture perfect gardens, there is a profound stillness; a Hum of universal proportions silently but surely binding everything into one continuum. The Hum that flows through everything - including you, dear reader - quietly creating the Mystery of Life...

Why Science alone cannot Produce the Answers

I sometimes wonder, where science became the initiator of reductionism; the 'art' of denying the Great Mystery of the Foutain of Life. The reductionist or empiricist, will almost always shoot down any notion of something mysterious; the 'feeling' of something nostalgic/ sad/ happy or those other feelings that can't be explained, bubbling up from inside at the mere thought of the possibility that; maybe...just maybe, science can't and will never explain some things in this complex fractal universe of ours.

A simple dwarf star emmits a mutlitude of radiation into it's surrounding space of 9 planets; some of this radiation penetrates the atmosphere of the third planet and falls onto its salty ocean. Nearby, on the edge of the landmass, sits a male Homo sapiens overlooking the event; the radiation reflecting from the ocean surface, penetrating his retina, sending electro-chemicals to his brain; and something happens in this male Homo sapiens...he 'feels' an achy warmth surrounding his 'heart' that stirrs him to shed tears as he gazes at the dancing diamond glaze; he 'misses' his female companion who died two years before, this being the spot where he asked her to be with him forever. He hasn't been interested in any other females ever since, and was at that moment contemplating of jumping off the edge of the landmass, ending his 'sufferring'; but alas, he turns around at the thought of causing his offspring - his little boy - more suffereing...


How does this empirically explain the 'selfish gene'? Better yet: why does a hippopotamus - filmed in South Africa - risk its own safety by chasing away a crocodile which attacked a little entelope, and sit by it, lifting the head of the entelope with its own, untill the entelope dies of its wounds?

There are many more such mysteries on this lonely 'third' planet in the vast universe of parts; mysteries that point a finger past the veil of illusion that blinds us from the Light that cast all these shadows; our collective mind being the leaves of the tree through which this Light shines.


Science is the study of these shadows; the study of the world above water, and reductionism being te side effect of failing to acknowledge the vast world beneath the surface. Science is only the one leg of understanding Being; the other leg, is the study of the Great Mystery.

Oh, there you are!

After a very long silent period, I break the ice with this: never assume that, because you follow tha narrow and just path, believing that you are a good person and therefore deserve good things coming your way, that it will happen like that. That is why I always feel that this bandwagon of 'law of attraction' is leading people astray...

Our son was born and diagnosed with a rare cancer in May (hence my long silence). It was probably the most difficult period in my life, and am now, for the first time, touching ground again. Fortunately, our son is doing well; but alas, it is as if the Universe one day looked upon the billions of souls here on earth, and said: oh, there you are Jean Erasmus; let us give you a little something...we will give your son a rare cancer...

Malignancies in the newborn are extremely rare, and this also counts for neuroblastoma. In fact, less than 10 births per year in the UK are diagnosed with it. It is as if we've win a lottery; only this lottery brings angst and tears.

Life is not about manifested desires (believe me, I am one of the most idealistic and positive people on the planet). It is not about manifesting more money and romance etc. Life happens when you make those idealistic plans. I've said it before: Life is the ultimate school for transcending beings like us; making the shift from animal to spirit. Life is there to experience the sour and the sweet, and return with this elixir to where we came from one day...

Instead of forcing your desires upon the universe, rather allow your Inner Self to blow 'Thy Will' of the One Consciousness through you, and manifest the road you need to walk in order to grow spiritually.

Allign and Allow

Best wishes

Will be back soon...

Sorry for the slowdown in blogs; my wife and I are just at present working through a health issue with our son. Things will continue as normal as soon as things look brighter.

Best wishes

Jean Erasmus

BODY (health): Asthma simplified

Asthma is a common, multi-factorial respiratory condition that is associated with episodes of coughing and various degrees of breathing difficulty. It affects about 1 in 4 urban children, and can lead to death in serious cases.
Asthma is characterized by chronic 'background' inflammation of the upper to mid airways (bronchi), resulting in congested, mucous filled airways with episodes of acute flare-up, causing severe coughing and airway restriction (wheezing). This inflammation [inflammation: response by cells to 'non-self' elements such as chemical compounds, micro-organisms and radiation] is caused by two main factors:

* GENETIC PREVALENCE

Some people are born with a genetic predisposition where their immune system will 'over react' to external factors, causing the inflammatory response in the upper and mid airways associated with asthma. Thus, it could be said that asthma 'runs in families', and is an important question by a medical practitioner when first examining a patient.

* EXTERNAL FACTORS (most common)

There are various external factors that could cause asthma, but the following are the most common found:
Chemicals such as sulfuric, nitrous and volatile organic airborne and ingested chemicals. Pollutants, most notably Tobacco smoke & micro fibers of synthetic carpets in the average home. Allergens like pollen, dust mite excrement and dry airborne animal saliva. Micro-organisms such as various respiratory viruses, fungal spores & bacteria are also causes.
As mentioned earlier, these external as well as internal factors cause the 'background' inflammation, which then could be changed into an acute 'attack' where the threshold between chronic life sustaining, and life threatening will be crossed. This could be due to a higher intake of the above-mentioned factors, or triggered by mainly exercise, laughter or cold air. It is also usually present in the early hours of the morning due to a drop in bodily steroid production.

CLASSIC SYMPTOMS & SIGNS

Asthma is usually a chronic condition with episodic acute episodes. These two factors have different presentations. In the chronic phase, common symptoms are dry to 'wet' coughing; breathlessness & failure to thrive in children. Signs often only include a 'pigeon chest' in young children as well as delayed milestones. In young adults, there could be prolonged expiration times and occasional wheezes with auscultation. Mostly, asthma is first diagnosed after an acute episode, with symptoms including severe coughing, difficulty in breathing and a feeling of panic; and signs of anxiety, laboured breathing with polyphonic wheezes and rapid heart rate with engorged neck veins.

TREATMENT

It is vital to treat an acute attack as an emergency by ensuring an open and viable airway and administering 100% humidified oxygen, Beta-2 stimulants and fast-acting intravenous cortico-steroids. It is also vital to remove and/ or treat any causing factors if at all possible.
In the chronic phase, it is of utmost importance to start with preventative measures, thus, by avoiding causal factors. Ironically, the most common factors will be found in one's home; tobacco smoke and especially synthetic carpets being the culprit [carpets - especially synthetic ones as their static attracts particles - are saturated with all kinds of pollutants]. Smoking should never occur indoors, and carpets should be replaced by solid flooring. If this is not possible, carpets should be vacuumed daily with a proper vacuum cleaner (with HEPA filters cleaned regularly), in the absence of the asthmatic person, leaving the house open to 'air out' for a while. Bedding should also regularly be washed and dried properly, with mattresses aired and dried in the sun on occasion. Foods containing preservatives (especially nitrate and sulfide containing ones) should be avoided. In conjunction with the utmost important Primary Health Aspect mentioned above, drugs such as long acting cortico-steroids and Beta-2 stimulants can be prescribed. It is also important for the asthmatic to always carry a fast acting Beta-2 stimulant inhaler as well as a Medic-Alert bracelet with his or her condition inscribed.

PROGNOSIS

Early onset asthma has a strong tendency to diminish or even disappear into adulthood, while late onset asthma usually sticks around like a bad habit. This can also be ascribed to the misdiagnosing of other respiratory diseases closely mimicking asthma in adults.

ALTERNATIVE VIEWS

If one takes Reiki principles into account, respiratory problems - notably so in asthma - is on a mental level, secondary to a repressed sense of failure to accept life force, or that what the Universe has to offer. Thus, those who always decline something good coming their way, feeling guilty of accepting 'freebies'.

Indeed, if we take a closer look at the new field of psychoneuroimmunology, it is clearly seen how different aspects of personality and mental attitudes will lead to certain diseases (such as the reduction of Killer-T cells in Type C personalities; rendering some prone to cancer as an example).

This shows again how health is not merely a case of the reductionist 'this equals that' slapped with pharmaceuticals; but requiring a careful, empathetic and holistic approach.