M.J. Rose

We hope that you are having a wonderful start to the new year. Please enjoy a little summary of our universe – perhaps it will help you put things into perspective as you endeavor to wrangle 2014!

“The Story of Everything: In two mind-blowing hours, Hawking reveals the wonders of the cosmos to a new generation. Delve into the mind of the world’s most famous living scientist and reveal the splendor and majesty of the universe as never seen before. See how the universe began, how it creates stars, black holes and life — and how everything will end….”

(From Knowledgeoftheday.org)

Stephen Hawking’s Universe – The Story of Everything (2010) from Luis Ribeiro on Vimeo.

Can we trust our own memories?

How Many of Your Memories Are Fake?

When people with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory—those who can remember what they ate for breakfast on a specific day 10 years ago—are tested for accuracy, researchers find what goes into false memories.

by Erika Hayasaki, The Atlantic

“One afternoon in February 2011, seven researchers at the University of California, Irvine sat around a long table facing Frank Healy, a bright-eyed 50-year-old visitor from South Jersey, taking turns quizzing him on his extraordinary memory.

Observing from outside of the circle, I tape-recorded the conversation as one researcher tossed out a date at random: December 17, 1999.

“Okay,” Healy replied, “Well, December 17, 1999, the jazz great, Grover Washington Jr., died while playing in a concert.”

“What did you eat that morning for breakfast?”

“Special K for breakfast. Liverwurst and cheese for lunch. And I remember the song ‘You’ve Got Personality’ was playing as on the radio as I pulled up for work,” said Healy, one of 50 confirmed people in the United States with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, an uncanny ability to remember dates and events. “I remember walking in to work, and one of the clients was singing a parody to Jingle Bells, ‘Oh, what fun it is to ride in a beat up Chevrolet.’”

These are the kinds of specific details that writers of memoir, history, and journalism yearn for when combing through memories to tell true stories. But such work has always come with the caveat that human memory is fallible. Now, scientists have an idea of just how unreliable it actually can be. New research released this week has found that even people with phenomenal memory are susceptible to having “false memories,” suggesting that “memory distortions are basic and widespread in humans, and it may be unlikely that anyone is immune,” according to the authors of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)…”

For the complete article click here.

“Chi” is something I first heard about during my acupuncture treatments. When the needle goes in, sometimes a little zap occurs – like electricity shooting up the nerve. My skeptical mind thought, well, that’s obviously just the needle hitting a nerve! My practitioner promised, no, that is the needle moving the life force, or chi, in your body, and that movement of the chi is how the healing happens. Still, I remain skeptical sometimes, and that is why when I saw this video about an amazing man called Dynamo Jack who seems to have cultivated an ancient wisdom to harness the power of chi, I was very, very intrigued…

Enjoy!

Healer Demonstrates Extraordinary Powers of Chi, Baffles Scientists

by Eliot Estep

“Life force energy, also known as chi or prana, is found in everything. This subtle and pervasive energy is said to be the vital building block of all matter and creation, both physical and non-physical. This energy flows in, through, and around the body, forming vibrant and cohesive living systems in endless forms. Many traditions believe that a steady supply of chi is necessary to sustain all living beings. By understanding the rhythm, flow, and the qualities of life force energy, a wide variety of exercises and healing practices have been developed over time to improve health, vitality, and longevity. These practices are worldwide and span across all cultures including Reiki, Qi Gong, Pranic Healing, and many more.

In rare cases, chi has been shown to produce some truly astounding effects. In the following video, a Chinese healer demonstrates some of the powerful applications of chi when harnessed and directed with mastery. These feats are clearly visible and are shocking to witness at first. This type of ability came from much training and diligent meditation, including his membership in a secret order of healers…”

Posted by Emily, blog editor.