Insights from Near-Death Experiences Remind Us of Who We Are and What Unites Us
The following article was taken from PEERS website newsletter, Oct 2024 You are a great, mighty and powerful spiritual being with dignity, direction and purpose. — Dannion Brinkley, survivor of an earth shaking near-death experience and major contributor to the field of near-death studies Since[...]
Global Wellness Institute’s ‘Meditation Research Spotlight’
Research Spotlight The databases often return hundreds of medical studies for a single wellness approach. This section summarizes a sampling of five studies – providing just a taste of the available research. Mindfulness Meditation Offers Real Pain Relief; Not a Placebo Mindfulness meditation, used for[...]
Science Shows Death Is Not the End
Article courtesy of Evolutionary News Sam Parnia’s medical specialty at the New York University Langone Health System is resuscitation. He also directs large clinical studies of heart attacks (cardiac arrest). That has brought him into contact with a lot of people who are on the[...]
The Five Love Languages
Original article from VeryWellMind The five love languages describe five ways that people receive and express love in a relationship. These are words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. Knowing your partner's love language and letting them know yours[...]
Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System
Article can be found in it's entirety on the Common Wealth Fund website. Abstract Goal: Compare health system performance in 10 countries, including the United States, to glean insights for U.S. improvement. Methods: Analysis of 70 health system performance measures in five areas: access to care,[...]
When Dogs Smell Your Stress, They Act Sad
Original article from Scientific American. Humans and dogs have been close companions for perhaps 30,000 years, according to anthropological and DNA evidence. So it would make sense that dogs would be uniquely qualified to interpret human emotion. They have evolved to read verbal and visual[...]
A protein called Reelin keeps popping up in brains that resist aging and Alzheimer’s
This story appeared originally on NPR A key protein that helps assemble the brain early in life also appears to protect the organ from Alzheimer’s and other diseases of aging. A trio of studies published in the past year all suggest that the protein Reelin[...]
4 Things That Increase Your Risk Of Early Onset Dementia (That You Can Change)
Original Mind Body Green article available HERE. By 2050, researchers expect 115 million people will be living with dementia around the world. In the U.S., the CDC expects to see the sharpest increases in cases among Black and Latino Americans. And while dementia risk increases[...]
1 in 3 Have Neurological, Psychiatric Problems Post-COVID
Article courtesy of HealthDay News ~ Doctors are seeing such cases around the world: About a third of COVID-19 patients go on to develop "long-haul" neurological or psychiatric conditions months after being infected, new research shows. The findings suggest a link between COVID-19 and a higher[...]
Your Brain Evolved in the Sea – Why That Matters
Article courtesy of Vital Choice Our ancient ancestors emerged from the sea. Human fetuses still have “gill-slit” structures, remnants of our watery origins. The fact that we are small, mobile, thinking seas has long intrigued writers and researchers. As pioneering marine biologist Rachel Carson put it,[...]
Where Does Your Mind Go When Your Body Is Near Death?
Original article from Human Parts I am in New York City, at JFK. At the check-in desk, a young woman with a ponytail is taking deep breaths and pointedly adding “Sir” or “Madam” to her repeated apology for the lateness of the[...]
The Brain of an Elderly Person
Article by Dr. P.K. Gupta The director of the George Washington University College of Medicine argues that the brain of an elderly person is much more plastic than is commonly believed. At this age, the interaction of the right and left hemispheres of the brain becomes[...]
Midlife Omega-3 Levels Tied to Brain Structure, Cognition
Article courtesy of MedPageToday Omega-3 fatty acid concentrations in red blood cells were linked with brain structure and cognitive function in midlife, an exploratory cross-sectional study showed. In about 2,200 people with an average age of 46, a higher omega-3 index was associated with a larger[...]
Mindfulness Meditation Is Equally Effective as Medication in Treating Anxiety: Study
Article courtesy of Nice News Over 40 million adults in the United States struggle with anxiety. Both medication and meditation practices, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), have previously proved helpful for alleviating symptoms. But in a new study out of Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC),[...]
Meditation May Change the Gut Microbiome, Study of Buddhist Monks Suggests
Article courtesy of Technology Networks. A study of 37 Tibetan Buddhist monks suggests that long-term, deep meditation could positively affect the gut microbiome. The research is published in General Psychiatry. How does meditation affect the body? In the era of “wellness”, an increasing number of people[...]
Neurons help flush waste out of brain during sleep
Original article from Science Daily, Feb 28, 2024 ~~ Findings could lead to new approaches for Alzheimer's, other neurological conditions The night is still, but the brain is far from dormant. During sleep, brain cells produce bursts of electrical pulses that cumulate into rhythmic waves[...]
Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Is Lower Than You Think
A surprising and mysterious trend has arisen in recent years that may help point us toward a cure for dementia: Rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. are actually dropping. Indeed, your risk may be lower than that of your parents or grandparents. The percent of[...]
Human brains are getting larger. That may be good news for dementia risk.
Original article can be found in UC Davis Health ~~ Brain size has steadily increased for people born after 1930s, according to a new study. Study participants born in the 1970s had 6.6% larger brain volumes and almost 15% larger brain surface area than those[...]
Why genes shape but don’t determine our behavior
Original article from Big Think, published March 5, 2024 ~~ Genes are sometimes called the “blueprint of life,” but that doesn't make them the behavioral playbook. Excerpted from Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply about the Meaning of Our Existence by Samuel T. Wilkinson.[...]
Altruism, Empathy Toward Animals Begins at an Early Age for Many, Study Finds: “Domestication Enabled Humans to Thrive”
Original article from Nice News ~~ Are humans inherently good or inherently selfish? Philosophers stretching back to the times of Socrates and Plato have debated human nature and its complexities. But only in recent decades have scientists and researchers started to pull back the layers[...]
Does trusting your doctor’s ‘gut feeling’ lead to better care?
Excerpted from National Geography article Whether it’s called a gut instinct, a sixth sense, or a strong hunch, new research is supporting a process that blends rapid judgments and perceptions that occur outside of conscious awareness—a way of knowing something without knowing how[...]
Genetically engineered ‘Magneto’ protein remotely controls brain and behavior
Article courtesy of The Guardian “Badass” new method uses a magnetized protein to activate brain cells rapidly, reversibly, and non-invasively Researchers in the United States have developed a new method for controlling the brain circuits associated with complex animal behaviors, using genetic engineering to create[...]
Covid linked to risk of mental illness and brain disorder, study suggests
Article courtesy of The Guardian One in eight people who get coronavirus also have first psychiatric or neurological illness within six months, research finds Throughout the pandemic, one of the more puzzling aspects of the coronavirus has been the prevalence of new mental or neurological illnesses[...]
Living to 100: One island’s remarkable record of centenarians
Article courtesy of CBS News This scene of residents gathered at an Italian café may not seem remarkable, until you know their ages; they're each 100 years old – and Guido Lepori says he's got years to go: "At least 150!" he told correspondent Seth Doane.[...]
The Legacy of Trauma: Can Experiences Leave A Biological Imprint?
Podcast courtesy of NPR ~ Listen here ~ Descendants of trauma victims seem to have worse health outcomes. Could epigenetics help explain why? Bianca Jones Marlin and Brian Dias walk us through the field of epigenetics and its potential implications in trauma inheritance. This episode was[...]