Alchemica
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Posts posted by Alchemica
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Sorry to go a bit off direction a bit but have been holding off posting while digesting the question...
Would it be reasonable to see the soul as a karmic imprint of the past, a timeless landscape and a culmination of consciousness (and its implications), morals and goals? Almost a multilayered "journal" of life, historical, genetic and societal experiences interconnected to the self?
Spirit being the medium which links all into the alive cosmos to give oneness with all things, each other and the very source of existence?
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^Thanks for the links!
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Ginger might be gentler on the stomach but still good?
Boswellia serrata (which doesn't inhibit COX, potentially causing gastrointestinal problems, instead inhibits 5-LOX) should be friendlier? http://www.ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/boswell.htm
Few more options below:
http://www.hchs.edu/files/HerbalCox_2_HSR.pdf
http://www.smartbomb.com/readingroom-herba...inhibition.html
http://www.newchapter.com/public/pdf/artic...lthy_living.pdf
Can't speak from experience, so hopefully others will have some better opinions.
Don't forget the Omega-3's as options, too.
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Been having a play around with this myself in the past, then found there was a paper on it which looks interesting. Porphyrins, chlorins, telomeres, DNA/RNA, aromatics, fullerenes etc are all very interesting but I'm keen to see other takes on it all.
Don't have access to the particular journal - would it be possible to get a copy if anyone has access? Would be much appreciated.
Molecules as Mandalas: Modern chemistry and the quest for the self
Alden Josey
Psychological Perspectives: A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought, 1556-3030, Volume 28, Issue 1, 1993, Pages 84 – 101
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On the different approaches to shamanism, I'm keen to hear some opinions...
I'd like to know how western medicine can implement shamanic approaches to healing and harmonise as one, preferably without feeding a drug company/organisation/individual? Say if a group develops their roots in traditional western science/medicine but overlays the shamanic experience (or "neo-shamanic experience") how can the outcome be kept as a synergy of the two, not a conflict?
Personally, I see plants as great teachers on their own but also potential leads for new ways of thinking. Is it "anti-shamanic" to hope for a future that uses the lessons of nature and spiritual models of healing as building blocks, in combination with the technology that science brings forward to merge the shamanic experience into a new treatment paradigm for a larger population target?
Agree that nature is often the best medicine (and that moving away from it has done harm in some areas) but do people here see drug design and medicine changing for the better in the future, or just exploiting plants? Has our understanding gained through science, in particular molecular biology, improved on "what the plants told the shamans" or just added complexity and more paths for problems to arise?
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Ethanol and water were both used in a paper (with ethanol being the better solvent) so tinctures should be OK. Pentane was used in another, so any non-polar solvent like that, even liquified butane should pull the volatile oil fraction. Still, have no idea if there is any point aiming for an extract - the more manipulation you do could possibly greater the chance that you'll lose some of the volatiles.
The crocins are water soluble, the crotetin and safranal oil-soluble. The volatile oil is apparently full of lots of different constituents (150+) which might have different actions. Just as the other SAB bioassays have been saying, it seems that the full effects require absorption through the mouth lining as the actives are damaged in the digestive tract.
Would be interesting to see how a CO2 extract of saffron compared - http://www.victorie-inc.us/saffron.html
Crocus sativus L. in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Double-blind, Randomized and Placebo-controlled Trial
"The stigma's extract was prepared as follows: 120 g of dried and milled stigmas was extracted with 1800 mL ethanol (80%) by percolation procedure in three steps then the ethanol extract was dried by evaporation at a temperature of 35°–40 °C. Each capsule contained dried extract of saffron (15 mg)" Dose 30mg/day
crocus.pdf
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Interesting article for saffron, anyway:
Quality and functionality of saffron: quality control, species assortment and affinity of extract and isolated saffron compounds to NMDA and sigma1 (sigma-1) receptors.
http://www.nextbio.com/b/search/article.nb...l&t0=author
(goes with the more common "crocin may act via the uptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine, and safranal via serotonin (+ GABA-A agonism?) and orally administered crocins are rapidly hydrolyzed to crocetin on swallowing" conclusion).
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A review on Antianxiety Plants: (most are commonly known, but seems to be a good short summary)
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/12345...)%20476-483.pdf is worth a read.
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^ Agreed. Having no idea about socialisation (never have), facebook has sort of been a way for me to try and experiment with getting into mainstream society and seeing what I'm missing out on. Then you end up seeing all these happy people in photos and moving ahead in their lives while you yourself are trapped in a virtual world that holds no personal meaning. Not sure about others but verbal communication is the thing that I need to develop but instead I end up programming myself in the wrong way ultimately and just reinforce more anxiety in social situations. Then there's all the neurosis, non-mindfullness and ADD like crap that online interactions feed. How messed is generation Z going to end up?
Ahh well, you don't need psychologists to over analyse every single flaw in your life just to find yourself miserable and wanting out of it all - these days the internet is perfect. Just seems that the quick reward hit that online interactions seems to have is very addictive.
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Nice topic, thanks for the link.
As for the question:
http://www.mdvu.org/library/disease/rls/rls_mpath.asp "a clear understanding of any defect in the metabolism or signaling in the dopamine system remains elusive..."
I'll try and put in my (basic) understanding, but don't quote me on this:
Have to consider that there are quite a few different dopamine pathways. Psychotic symptoms are generally attributed to the mesolimbic pathway - Blocking postsynaptic D2 receptors by a D2 antagonist acting in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway is one method that antipsychotics might act. The activity in the mesocortical dopamine pathway is attributed to negative symptoms etc.
When D2 receptors are blocked (or not functioning as they should) in the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway, it can produce disorders of movement - the link above suggests that the "diencephalospinal A11" pathway is possibly a disturbed pathway at night in RLS.
Then the other neurotransmitters also come into play - also having effects on dopamine signalling pathways. Dopamine suppresses acetylcholine activity, Serotonin inhibits dopamine release (via 5-HT2a) etc.
The newer RLS treatments seem to be targeting D3 over D2 (still, both can have some wacky side effects).
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If you're open to mythological/metaphysical suggestions, Wedjat is an Egyptian goddess, Lady of Flame, associated with a cobra. Wadjet-Bast was often depicted with a lioness head... The new moon is in Leo at the moment...
Could be similar god?
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Thanks for pointing that out - remember buying the stuff in 50g bags from Happy High Herbs (Medicine Garden brand) that definitely had "Erythroxylum catuaba" written on the package about a year or so ago - another deceptive marketing ploy I guess...
( http://users.cyberone.com.au/bwalters/rare...lum_catuaba.htm seems to be a good confusion remover if anyone else is like me)
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A few more links worth taking into consideration (probably above all the other links). Found that I came to extremely similar outcomes (just with more airheaded nonsense and ego dramas) without consulting them, anyway. Try not to get stuck in reverse and waste your time like I have been for far too long:
Jung and Alchemy
http://members.core.com/~ascensus/docs/jung3.html
Archetypal Alchemy: The Transformation of the Psyche-Matter Continuum
http://www.alchemyconference.com/downloads...hemy-Marlin.pdf
A Glossary of Jungian Terms
The alchemists thought that the opus demanded not only laboratory work (why not entheogenic), the reading of books, meditation, and patience, but also love.
- The Practice of Psychotherapy
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Sorry to hear.
Purely a suggestion but what about a macrogonus? like this:
I wonder if it could do with a name... wouldn't be surprised if more of it could get around. Does some interesting colours, IMO anyway.
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Neat, thanks for sharing nabraxas.
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I'll just add my experience: they are by no means benign drugs, especially if they are deliberately pushed over the maximum prescribing dose by a shrink. You can end up a new "you"... a "you" that you never thought could ever exist. Just as is the case with any mind altering substance.
Still, back at the time I was desperately wanting out of the world... now I want to stay (strange feeling in retrospect). Besides some lingering neurological defects and delusional ideologies from past accidents and mischief that occured on SSRIs, things are sort of OK... and that's without the meds. Just be careful, that is all.
"Whatever you choose after being well informed on all sides, i'm sure you will be supported by many around you. All the best."
Likewise!
I like this picture, anyway. Always good to use your own judgement about the meds and systems in place to check for "quack-ness" IMO and watch out, if you ever feel even a little bit different than you should, get someone to keep a close eye on you.
Re sceletium: Mesembrine: very potent serotonin-uptake inhibitor, inhibitor of PDE4 (Several PDE inhibitors have been examined for memory improvement, neuroprotection, depression and schizophrenia using preclinical animal models ) and some receptor activities found on nicotinic, dopamine and nor-adrenaline sites. Not sure about the mesembrinone/mesembrinol. So it's a bit of a mixed action drug.
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I was going to mention Wilhelm Reich and 'orgone' too.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgone
but I can't understand why some of you have so much difficulty in accepting the concept of mental impairment, like in psychosis.. Why should there be some higher intelligence, deeper meaning or whatever in psychosis-like behaviours? I mean, even brains like Lilly went crazy for long periods of time due to his obsessive drugs abuse [K I think], thankfully Lilly admitted his dellusional periods and this makes his work be of greater importance...
T st, the omega point stuff seems like a good way to grasp it but still it's all pretty complicated anyway you look at it. Purely speculating, but is the "Hunab Ku" symbol potentially relevant at all, ether being the medium that feeds/removes at the merge to "zero-point"? Either way, no point making wild assumptions I guess.
Cheers mutant, good link.
No problem accepting mental illness, ticked a few DSM's off the list personally. Just seems wise to think about why things are happening.
Still, I think that the above case of over-indulgence by that person was merely sticking open that third-eye for too long though.
Seems like lots of Egyptians, musicians and religions do that and write/sing about it. Seem to come to very similar opinions.
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Good input, cheers!
And yes, I certainly learn from my mistakes, it's the only way
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Personally, I'd hate to think that consciousness could survive physical death in it's entirety, but what if it does?
All the mistakes of the past back to haunt us... arghhh!
Or do we get some peace and release in the end?
Pointless questions since no one has the answer (that I know), but still, I like to ponder. Still, the post is a bit too dark and gloomy - bring out the rainbows, mellowing in floods of DMT, unicorns and lollypops!
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Well versed in encountering the "dark side" myself... On that, why put too much faith the complicated models of physics, light or mathematics; they really are just theories!
Personally, I ran into the biggest problems when my moral and ethical values were in conflict with either my doings or those of society - one thing to consider doing is to break free from the constraints of those and go with the flow, just source enough courage to believe in yourself and maybe an "other(s)" if you like.
Found it useful to break down consciousness into 12 strands... See your strengths, weaknesses etc.
This page gives a few clues:
http://www.peaceinpractice.iinet.net.au/di...nsciousness.htm
Or consider getting use to some more Maps of Consciousness (I'm liking Metzner's Book), and look into the "dark knight of the soul":
http://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dsp...6/1/02whole.pdf
Take it easy and all the best!
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On the topic, heres a bit of heavy reading material if anyone is interested:
Where all current models fail or find a workarounds for universal problems Ether could maybe provide a solid answer. It is also of great interest how we could join or fit together M-theory and its 11 dimesions of space time and ether.
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/gr-qc/pdf/0001/0001101v1.pdf
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I think some of their synapses might be recovering, or they are off integrating their new philosophies in the world... You know, they are all sensible users and value moderation.
Or it could be all the cosmic going-on-ness that's feeding some new thoughts and interests, not sure.
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Nice. http://www.frizvanov.net/models/Stratif.gif and http://www.frizvanov.net/gallery.htm are worth a look at.
IMO, we all need to band together and get this noosphere working as soon as possible, it looks sweet!
Are the majority of Shaman's homosexual?
in Chill Space
Posted · Edited by Alchemica
Thanks for the input G*P. Had similar experiences with "the system" but still chained to it unfortunately... will see if I can find someone on the NLP front and give it a go.
On the degrees of seperation, tst, I agree but as more is understood about the receptors/enzymes, the binding etc. we can hope for novel organic small-molecule/protein based solutions that will be perfect "keys", perfect half-life etc even if they are merely adaptations of nature by a small degree... but then that becomes patentable. Keys to "better" options, probably not. Keys to more rapid, destructive or specific treatments, maybe? Push "evolution" and hope it goes ok, or stick with what we are given and know? My experience with "super-synthetics" hasn't been great so I know the trend I prefer... just the allure of the new and novel never seems to go away.
Anyway, must stop changing the thread direction.