Imagination and Health

Imagination and Health A number of years ago, I awoke from a dream with the following thought in my head: I seem to be a figment of my own Imagination. I was so struck by this that I wrote it down. Also years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching students in my grade school alma mater in an after school creative writing class. One of the first things I told them was that, when it comes to creative writing, the first and final authority on how stories, poems, etc., ought to be told is the writer him or herself. Similarly, I told them, when it comes to our lives and how it ought to be lived, there is only one expert – ourselves. With that encouragement, all 12 students in my class soon developed more confidence in themselves and their creative output soared from week to week, affording me one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had. In our class, we also discussed Imagination, which I redefined as I Make A Nation, since, when we imagine stories in poems, that is a fair approximation of what we do – literally making up the worlds, characters, themes and plots that we create. At the same time, I encouraged my students to take full responsibility for their creative efforts so that what they wrote rang true for them. Responsibility, I told them, to me means “respond ability” or “ability to respond,” which is just another way of saying freedom. When we take responsibility, we don’t make excuses. If something doesn’t “ring true,” we admit it and then work to the best of our best ability to rectify things. To writers, this process is known as editing and revision (re vision). I no longer lead that class, yet the lessons my students and I explored continue to serve me. Over the past few years, I’ve been exploring how they apply to health and illness. In doing so, I’ve also returned to the first idea I shared above: I seem to be a figment of my own Imagination. The more I explore that idea, the more I am realizing how true it is. As far as I’m concerned, it literally means that the many roles I play in life are roles that either I or someone else has literally made up for me. This is something I’ve long known. What’s new and exciting for me these days is my realization that the roles can be changed any time I wish to do so. Meaning that my life, just as anything else I “write,” can be edited and revised, which further means that there are no true limitations as to how my life story unfolds. The key, of course, lies in my taking responsibility for it. As I’ve been examining the various roles I play, I am asking myself if they are roles I want to continue in because I truly enjoy them. Those that are I then give further attention to by imagining how I might make those roles even more enjoyable for myself. As I do so, I then imagine that those changes already exist. And then I let them occur organically without worrying about the hows and whys that might be involved in making what I’ve imagined reality. Whenever I manage to do this as eloquently as I’m describing it here, the positive changes I decide I want tend to have a way of showing up pretty rapidly. For example, a few months ago, I decided that I wanted to create more free time for myself so that I can start to spend time exploring various things that my previous writing schedule didn’t allow for. As soon as I made that decision, I then imagined an ideal set of circumstances that would allow for that to happen. Soon thereafter I received an email a that resulted in the exact circumstances I imagined. Before going further, let me make one thing clear. This process of Imagination that I am discussing here has little to do with the namby-pamby New Age mumbo jumbo that was touted in the film and movie, The Secret. It requires time and effort and a fair deal of work to honestly and effectively re-imagine and recreate our lives. In other words, it takes a lot of responsibility. Yet, in our society, there is a pervasive tendency to want a quick fix solution for our problems (a pill, an herb, a book) and/or a demand that someone else fix them for us (family, spouses, partners, doctors, gurus, government officials, etc). Such a tendency has nothing to do with responsibility, as far as I’m concerned. Having said that, let’s explore how Imagination is related to health. As we consider this question, one thing that becomes clear is that, as a nation, we seem to be putting an increasing amount of attention not on health, but disease. Which, I think, accounts for how widespread chronic illness is in our country. (We get what we focus on.) We also spend a lot of time talking about various causes of disease and what can be done to prevent them or at least minimize our exposure to them. There is nothing wrong with that. After all, part of taking responsibility for one’s health involves knowing what risks to be aware of and then making lifestyle choices accordingly. Yet, if eating healthily, leading a healthy lifestyle, and minimizing our bodies’ toxic burden and so forth were all that were necessary to be and stay healthy, how do we account for the fact that some people who do all of those things die young or succumb to chronic degenerative diseases, while others who smoke, drink and eat whatever they feel like eating can live to a ripe old age with no health problems to speak of? A clue to answering this question might be found in a comment made by a man in Japan some years ago. At the time he was thought to be the oldest person in the world. Well past 100 years of age, he was still going strong when he was interviewed. The interviewer noted that he was a chain smoker and that he drank lots of sake throughout the day. Asked what he considered to be the secret to his longevity, the man shrugged, then smiled and said, “I only do things that make me happy.” When we follow the lead of our Imagination and actually take action to make what we imagine real, happiness, I find, inevitably results. As what we imagine becomes reality, satisfaction follows. Moreover, the creative process that results in “editing reality” brings with it a feeling of excitement that further fuels our creativity and increases our confidence that we can continue to adventurously create our lives from ever increasing levels of boldness. Even so, how many of us actually live our lives this way on a regular basis? I certainly don’t, although now that I have tasted how delicious doing so is I am doing so more and more. This lack of living from our Imagination, I believe, is precisely why so many of us become sick. In fact, I have long been convinced that illness of any sort is actually a gift we give to ourselves in order to reevaluate our lives so that we can better recognize what needs our attention and changing. This view is supported by people I’ve interviewed who recovered from cancer despite being told by their doctors that there was nothing more that could be done for them. Each long-term cancer survivor I’ve interviewed has told me that getting cancer was “the best thing that ever happened” to them precisely because of how it forced them to reconsider the lives they were living. In every case, these same people discovered things about their lives that no longer served them and then took action to stop engaging in them. In some cases, that meant leaving careers and/or relationships and then committing themselves to living their dreams in whatever time they had left to them. Many of these people, upon doing so, experienced spontaneous remissions and are now living far different lives than those they had before they were diagnosed with cancer. And all of them claim to be far happier and more fulfilled. The way that all of this ties into health and Imagination has, I think, mostly to do with a willingness on our part to first truly imagine what it is we want for ourselves, and then to be willing to do whatever is necessary on our part to make it happen. This means foregoing excuses and putting an end to relying on others and/or external circumstances for our fulfillment. For our happiness, like our health, is first and foremost our responsibility. Moreover, if, as my dream implied, we really are figments of our own Imagination, why not imagine that best version of ourselves that we can possibly be. This includes being as healthy as you want to be. So, if you are currently experiencing less than optimal health, here is an experiment I invite you to try: Imagine that there exists a version of yourself who is a radiant picture of health. Really bring your senses into this and allow yourself to fully explore what a radiantly healthy you would be like. How does this radiant you life his or her life? What choices does s/he make and what activities does s/he partake in? Imagine all of this on a daily basis for at least five to ten minutes at a time, and as you do so really feel what it is like to be that radiantly healthy you. And then assume that you are that person. And then watch yourself start to become that version of yourself. In the field of mind/body medicine, there are many documented cases of people who have cured themselves of illness, including cancer, using versions of this technique, which is known by various names, such as creative visualization and guided imagery. I prefer calling it Make Believe because that sounds like more fun. Will your health improve if you engage in this exercise? You won’t know unless you try it. I encourage you to do so.

How The FDA Works to Suppress Knowledge about Nutritional Supplement Benefits

What follows is an actual letter sent by the FDA to owners of a health food store in upstate NY. By reading it, you can see how the FDA literally uses words to make it a crime to share actual, scientifically-verified facts about nutritional and botanical supplements. I explain more about this after the letter.

From the FDA:

This is to advise you that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed your website..and has determined that the products "Kyolic Original Formula 100" (200 cap), "Nature's Way Sarsaparilla Root" (100 cap), "Nutrition Now PB 8 Pro-Biotic Acidophilus" (60 cap), and "Nature's Way Alfa-Max" (100 cap) are promoted for conditions that cause the products to be drugs under section 201 (g)(1)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)(B)]. The therapeutic claims on your website establish that the products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. (emphasis added) The marketing of these products with these claims violates the Act.

Examples of some of the claims observed on your website include:

Kyolic Original Formula 100 (200 cap)

• "Kyolic Formula 100 ... may be beneficial for ... blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart disease ... arteriosclerosis, arthritis, asthma, cancer ... infections of the eyes, ears, throat, respiratory infections ... flu ... fungal infections, viral infections ...."

Nature's Way Sarsaparilla Root (100 cap)

• "Sarsaparilla [an ingredient in your product] may help in the treatment of congestive heart failure, high blood pressure impotence ... swelling and discomfort from rheumatism and arthritis ... psoriasis ... syphilis ...."

Nutrition Now PB 8 Pro-Biotic Acidophilus (60 cap)

• "Acidophilus [an ingredient in your product] ... has anti-fungal activity ... and play [sic] a role in yeast infections, urinary tract infections, cancer prevention, cholesterol levels ...."

Nature's Way Alfa-Max (100 cap)

• "Alfalfa [an ingredient in your product] ... may be used for allergies, anemia, arthritis, asthma, blood disorders ... high cholesterol and diabetes ...."

Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses and therefore, the products are "new drugs" under section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(P)]. New drugs may not be legally marketed in the U.S. without prior approval from FDA as described in section 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 355(a)]. FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data submitted by a drug sponsor to demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective. Furthermore, because your products are offered for conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners, adequate directions cannot be written so that a layman can use the products safely for their intended uses. Thus, your products "Kyolic Original Formula 100" (200 cap), "Nature's Way Sarsaparilla Root" (100 cap), "Nutrition Now PB 8 Pro-Biotic Acidophilus" (60 cap), and "Nature's Way Alfa-Max" (100 cap) are also misbranded within the meaning of section 502(f)(1) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 352(f)(1)] in that the labeling for these drugs fails to bear adequate directions for use. The introduction of a misbranded drug into interstate commerce is a violation of § 301(a) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 331(a).

The above violations are not meant to be an all-inclusive list of deficiencies in your products and their labeling. While reviewing your website, we noticed that you were promoting other products for disease treatment and/or prevention. The unlawful disease treatment and prevention claims on your website were too numerous to list in this letter. It is your responsibility to ensure that products marketed by your firm comply with the Act and its implementing regulations. We advise you to review your website, product labels, and other labeling and promotional materials for your products to ensure that the claims you make for your products do not cause them to violate the Act.

You should take prompt action to correct the violations described above and prevent their future recurrence. Failure to do so may result in enforcement action without further notice. The Act authorizes the seizure of illegal products and injunctions against manufacturers and distributors of those products [21 U.S.C. §§ 332 and 334].

Please notify this office, in writing, within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of this letter, as to the specific steps you have taken to correct the violations noted above and to assure that similar violations do not occur. Include any documentation necessary to show that correction has been achieved. If corrective actions cannot be completed within fifteen working days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which the corrections will be completed.


My Comments

Note this sentence from the FDA's letter: "The therapeutic claims on your website establish that the products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease." By claiming the definition and usage of the word "drug", the FDA makes it illegal for any nutritional supplement company to share any health benefits related to their supplements without prior permission from the FDA (permission that will not be granted).

Also note that in the majority of examples the FDA cites, the website only said "may" in terms of the potential health benefits that the products might provide. More importantly, science does support the benefits attributed to the product. Kyolic, for instance, is a garlic supplement, and garlic has been shown to be beneficial for the conditions the website cites.

But as soon as someone shares these facts in conjunction with selling supplements, the FDA accuses them of a crime because doing so, they claim, means they are marketing "drugs."

But it's perfectly OK for drug companies to hawk their drugs to anyone without such FDA interference. Despite the fact that drugs, properly prescribed and taken, kill over 100,000 Americans each and every year, hospitalize another 2 million people, and cause additional harm to 20 million more, and these are conservative estimates.

This abominable double standard is just one example of how deeply the FDA is in bed with Big Pharma.

Some Facts About Addiction In Light of Whitney Houston's Death

In light of a variety of very judgmental comments about Whitney Houston’s death now appearing on Facebook and elsewhere, I thought I’d weigh in on the issue of addiction. Some people claim it’s a choice, others that it’s a disease.

The truth is that it’s both.

It begins as a choice, but it can very quickly become a disease. Not everyone who chooses to drink, smoke, do drugs, or engage in other addictive activities will develop the need (literally) to continue to do so. Those who do develop such a need are usually biologically predisposed towards addiction (due to biochemical imbalances in their brain and/or genetics) and most often suffering from some level of emptiness within their psyche. The addictive substance or substances they expose themselves to temporarily calm the biological aspects and provide an illusory relief of whatever mental/emotional issues are affecting the user.

In such people, a very vicious cycle soon develops. Each time they use whatever they are addicted to, receptor sites within the brain are formed which literally cry out for the substance or substances that they are linked to. The more the addictive substance is used, the more these receptor sites form, so that the brain increasingly demands more use of the substance (or activity, e.g., sex, gambling, and even running for those who are addicted to experiencing the “runner’s high”). This is why addiction treatments based on the AA model so often fail – because they do nothing to address the receptor sites.

As this cycle unfolds, the need for ever greater amounts of the addictive substance is also something that addicts typically experience, because there are now more receptor sites in the brain to satisfy. As an example, where once one or two beers each day was enough to leave someone satisfied, in alcoholics that level is nowhere near enough, and so drinking becomes heavier and the drinks themselves often change towards those with higher alcohol content. At the same time that all of this is happening, another equally insidious effect in occurring in the brain – namely a literal shutting down of the brains higher level centers that equate with choice, intelligence, and the ability to perceive and do “the right thing.” As these centers of the brain become impaired, simultaneously the “reptilian brain” that cares only about satisfying needs, grows increasingly stronger within addicts.

All of these facts have been proven for decades, as has the fact that addiction is most definitely a disease once it takes hold. As with any other disease, people can still get well, but it requires proper treatment that addresses all of the factors in one’s life that made addiction possible in the first place. Such treatments do not include judgment.

I know too many loved ones who suffer from some form of addiction. Every single one of them, at heart, is a very loving and kind person, and also very intelligent and creative. I’m convinced that they are also too sensitive to the harsh realities of this world.

When viewed from that awareness, the only appropriate response is compassion.