Alchemica

May 5, 2019

Good point @Kindness. Probably quite messed up...

Have been seeing what a *little* bit more carbs in the diet does, seems to be one part of the problem, potentially contributing to the shocking sleep quality and waking up 2am every morning...

I went quite restrictive on carbs and a lot of people seem to find such messes with their sleep, potentially in part through the influence on 5-HT

I've noted how socially modulated it is. The brain state caused by prolonged social isolation seems to involve neuropeptides

May 3, 2019

I've been struggling with really 'jagged' cognition which makes it super hard to focus which messes up the mood as a consequence. Trying more dietary stuff

One is some frequent culinary-medicinal shrooms. I've tried lots of Lion's mane, Reishi, Cordyceps etc but not more widely used culinary mushrooms apart from Oyster (and a little bit of Porchini).

Made a big batch of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) and King oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) with my homegrown Reishi soup. Seaweed'd it up with the kale which was nice and made it extra shroomy

Culinary-medicinal mushrooms may be developed as safe and healthy dietary supplements for brain and cognitive health

Mushrooms offer great potential because of the complexity of their chemical contents and different varieties of bioactivities. Available evidence suggests that mushrooms exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immune modulating, anti-microbial, and anti-diabetic activities

These mushrooms are known to contain ergothioneine: shiitake, oyster, king oyster or maitake (hen of the woods) can contain up to 13mg in a 3-ounce serving compared to the 5 milligrams in common mushrooms. Ergothioneine may promote neuronal differentiation and alleviate symptoms of depression at plausibly achieved level of daily ingestion [1].

Other findings provide scientific evidence to support the use of Pleurotus ostreatus as a safe and effective mushroom to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease through the polysaccharides [2].

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27134772
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27498414

Eating mushrooms may reduce the risk of cognitive decline: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2019/…/190312103702.htm

Trying a few days on some simple rosemary tea over the weekend which I enjoy every now and then. It's one it's easy to dismiss

Data suggest potential beneficial properties of acute consumption of rosemary water in humans [1]. Rosemary tea administration exerts anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in mice and inhibits cholinesterase activity [2]

"The presence of 1,8-cineole and rosmarinic acid and the absorption of these (and other) compounds may facilitate performance through cholinergic pathways. Serum levels of 1,8-cineole have previously been demonstrated to correlate with task performance following exposure to rosemary aroma."

Rosemary polyphenols cause the regulation of several neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and acetylcholine) and gene expression [3] while the volatiles activate the NGF pathway and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, promoting dopamine production [4] Carnosic acid and carnosol, which are major components of the rosemary extract, were able to promote markedly enhanced synthesis of NGF [5]

Also incorporating more 'culinary' sage

Sage (Salvia) species effects have been considered and found effective in a range of population groups [6].

A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial involving 30 healthy volunteers found it led to improved ratings in mood post-dose, with the lower dose reducing anxiety (300mg) and the higher dose increasing ‘alertness’, ‘calmness’ and ‘contentedness’ (600mg)

Improvements in mood (e.g. alertness, contentedness, and calmness) and cognition were also identified following the single administration of a S. officinalis extract to healthy young adults. The extract was associated with significant enhancement of secondary memory performance at all testing times. The same measure benefited to a lesser extent from other doses. There also were significant improvements to accuracy of attention following the 333-mg dose. In vitro analysis confirmed cholinesterase inhibiting properties for the extract

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30318972
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25910439
[3] https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0166-4328(12)00657-2
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29273038
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14600414
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27888449

Made Ginkgo pesto from the season's leaves. It's a really nice way to have the stuff

Various preclinical and clinical studies have shown a positive effect of Ginkgo biloba to improve cognitive abilities in impaired individuals and reducing anxiety under pathological conditions [1]

G. biloba is an effective complementary treatment for ADHD [2]

It had a significant difference in ameliorating total and negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia as an adjuvant therapy to antipsychotics [3].

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27908257
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25925875
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25980333

And keeping the diet diverse

I feel you often can't put all your eggs in one basket "___ will effectively fix ___" etc. It's easy to get hyped up about one particular option, float on the wings of expectation, then crash and burn. When you're really mixing it up, I feel the magic starts to come alive.

Just like we see in the diet, if you eat the same food all the time, it simply doesn't work and it can easily be detrimental - healthy dietary diversity scores correlate strongly with depression and anxiety in studies. When dealing with healing plants, particularly those used as food, why is it not the same? Often we're tempted to say something will fix something etc and run with it exclusively as a therapeutic. In my experiences, not to discount individual healing potentials, they could be better mixed up in a diverse phytochemical rich diet than using it as a standalone in a more lackluster diet?

Today my sprout jar is packed with ready Radish and Broccoli again

Yesterday, made Ginkgo pesto with the season's leaves. Along with some Ginkgo, had a Rosemary and Savory tea. Few mixed berries. Have different sprouts with the Ginkgo pesto, which tastes surprisingly nice, also put it on some steamed kale an Roselle leaf with dinner

The day before it was a Hibiscus, raspberry, blueberry and citrus peel chia pod. Mistletoe. Green tea

The day before a pomegranate session with other healthy additions. Lots of sprouts

Unfortunately the "therapeutic merits" of plants and natural products is also propelled by commercial interest so it's easy to buy into that and think one plant is a magic elixir. That's not to say they're not often effective therapeutics but there are strong vested interests

Take for example, blueberry research literally funded by Big Blueberry
The latest spearmint research for cognition carried out on a propriety blend of a special, patented "high rosmarinic acid" type of Spearmint
Ginkgo propelled by trials utilising patented, standardised extracts
Saffron research occurring in Iran through government funding, seemingly with the hopes of fortifying the value of their "red gold"
etc etc

I was one who bought into the promises of Big Blueberry and used them as my almost exclusive fruit... That said, based on the current evidence, a recent review of the available evidence found "blueberries may improve some measures of cognitive performance when consumed for up to six months in duration" [1].

Take for example a variety of fruits are finding therapeutic merit

Blueberry, strawberry, pomegranate, blackberry, grape and plum juices or extracts have been successfully tested in cognitively impaired animal models. Published trials of the benefits of blueberry [2,3], pomegranate [4], grape [5.6,7], flavonoid rich orange [8,9,10] in the treatment of small numbers of cognitively impaired and healthy populations, including on mood, have recently appeared.

Some we hear little of - eg raspberries.

The health-promoting potential of red raspberries includes modulating metabolic disease risk, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and neurodegenerative disorders—all of which share critical metabolic, oxidative, and inflammatory links They contain a unique profile of anthocyanins and ellagitannins (with effects via ellagic acid). Red raspberries contain ~92.1 ± 19.7 mg anthocyanins/100 g of fresh fruit [11]

Really it seems they are best used as healthy additions to a balanced, varied diet, not trying to carry so much therapeutic weight on their own? That said, I try to avoid the more carbohydrate dense options a bit

May 3, 2019

Having a proper read through the tables, a little disappointed.

One that stood out to me was 3',4',5',5,6,7-hexamethoxyflavone (Eremophila debilis) Flavonoid Binding activity to M1 mAChRs

"The aerial parts of the endemic Australian plant Eremophila debilis (Myoporaceae) contain 3% dry weight of the biologically active 5,6,7,3',4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone" [1]

I'd in the past experimented with some different Eremophilas (longifolia etc) thinking it might be phenylpropanoid EOs making it such a respected bush medicine.

This adds an interesting aspect - a flavonoid muscarinic.

May 3, 2019

Comprehensive review on the interaction between natural compounds and brain receptors: Benefits and toxicity

[sci-hub]

In case anyone wanted things to add to their bucket list... or needed a natural product for that receptor...

Includes:

Natural products interacting with nicotinic nAChR and with mAChR.

Natural products interacting with ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors.

Natural products interacting with γ-Aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAAR).

Natural products interacting with cannabinoid (CBR) type 1 (CB1R) and type 2 (CB2R) receptors

Natural products interacting with dopamine receptors (DAR).

Natural products that act on insulin receptors and insulin-like growth factor receptors (IGFRs).

Natural products acting on receptors for advanced glycation end-product receptors (RAGE).

Natural products interacting with receptors associated with neurotrophic factors (NTF).

Natural products that interact with immune system receptors.

Natural products that interact with the scavenger receptors associated with oxidative stress.

Natural products that interact with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)

Natural products that interact with ApoE or LDL receptors.

April 28, 2019

Said three people but I'll likely have enough to send with the next lot of Roselle @superdan

Thanks all for the interest.

April 28, 2019

Tagetes lucida

As the last one from my garden I enjoyed over the last growing season, aiming to spread the love of this plant to 3 people this year who want to grow it with some free seed (No TAS/WA). Post a reply and I'll get back to you once seed is soon harvested. Once again, I'm just going by the way I've harvested seed from other Tagetes like patula. Hope it's the same.

It has a rich spiritual background of traditional use with anti-anxiety and sedative-like properties

It's been said to be "vitally important to use very fresh leaves" and experimenters state a dose of 2,000 mg - most participants felt no need to increase the dosage further to “...creates a ‘lucid’ state which can be appreciated in a number of ways: listening to music, contemplating, grooving, introspection, communication, etc. Some of the effects noted are: clarity, alertness, closed-eye visuals, body warmth, body tingles, feeling of well-being, and some time-distortion. The period of alteration lasted 2 to 3 hours in most cases and there was no interference with sleeping afterwards, although many reported increased dreaming (sometimes with weird content).” [1]

It is used historically in religious ceremonies including Huichol Indians who ceremonially smoke it with Mapacho and it is also used with other sacred plant medicines [2,3]

T. lucida is recommended for treating emotional and nervous disorders, often as part of a mixture with other anxiolytic plants [4]

Mexican traditional medicine prescribes T. lucida for “nervios” and “susto”, two culture-bound syndromes described as illnesses characterized by a “state of bodily and mental unrest” able to decrease the ability to achieve daily goals and as a condition of being frightened and “chronic somatic suffering stemming from emotional trauma”

"It is used for producing a fragrant smoke (sahumar) to ritually clean houses of evil spirits. The use in sweat baths (temazcal) and for ritual cleansing (“limpias”) are related"

Anxiolytic and sedative-like activities through 5-HT1A and GABA/BZD receptors possibly through 6,7,8-trimethoxycoumarin (dimethylfraxetin). Other coumarins have also been reported from the species, such as herniarine (7-methoxycoumarin), scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin), and the dimethyl allyl ether of 7-hydroxy-coumarin, umbelliferone, esculetin and scopoletin along with flavonoids, some of them with known anxiolytic-like activity, have been reported in polar extracts of this species. Significant anxiolytic-like response effects were found in animal models from 10 mg/kg onward of the aqueous extract

An influence on serotonergic neurotransmission by T. lucida was also reported in the antidepressant effects which were likely the result of modulation of serotonin reuptake/release, dependent on 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. There is not only a significant involvement of the serotonin neurotransmission in the mechanisms of central effects of this species, but also GABAergic participation [5]

It is is a source of phenylpropanoid EOs: "at least four chemotypes can exist, characterized by the main presence of (a) high levels of (E)-anethole (up to 74%) and low to very low levels of methyl chavicol (11.57%) or methyleugenol (1.8%), and germacrene D; ( high levels of methyl chavicol (up to 97%), in addition to methyleugenol, methylisoeugenol, and germacrene D; © high levels of methyl eugenol (up to 80%), in addition to methylchavicol and methylisoeugenol; and (d) high amounts of nerolidol (around 40%), in addition to methyleugenol, methylchavicol, and caryophyllene oxide"

[1] https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/mexican-tarragon-tagetes-lucida.html
[2] https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/…/jahg_spring_2017_…
[3] http://entheology.com/plants/tagetes-lucida-marigolds/
[4] https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/11/2847/pdf
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26873624

April 27, 2019

Still going with this.

I particularly enjoy a Radish and Broccoli mix.

I buy a wheatgrass/barley grass, spirulina and chlorella affordable mix (from Aldi of all places) that is much easier than doing the wheatgrass though

Sorting out the Value of Cruciferous Sprouts as Sources of Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition and Health

Edible sprouts are a valuable vehicle and opportunity to impact health, delivering beneficial bioactive compounds once incorporated in the diet on a regular basis.

Sprouts of Brassicaceae, like broccoli, radish, kale, mustards, radishes etc are noticed because of their high content of micronutrients, nitrogen–sulfur compounds (glucosinolates (GLSs) and their derivatives, isothiocyanates (ITCs), and indoles) and phenolic compounds (mainly phenolic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanins)

Apart from broccoli, red radish sprouts contain high concentrations of glucoraphasatin (4-methyl thio-3-butenyl) and glucoraphenin, which are its major GLSs. Glucoraphenin is hydrolyzed to the ITC sulphoraphene (SFE)

It is possible to get "reduction of fasting blood glucose and insulin concentration and resistance to almost [normal] physiological levels. There is notable normalisation of blood glucose levels and the lipid profile

April 26, 2019

Finally got around to exploring this but in a different way. Want to see how it goes for exhaustion at very low doses, not in the stacks that I used to be into...

The science of liquorice: whether you love the dark root – or hate it

Glycyrrhizic acid itself seems to have neuroprotective effects and other constituents antidepressant and beneficial effects

Making my own liquorice

Licorice root with Star anise, a little or a lot, to taste has been used to flavour such things [1]

It is suggested to consume only low doses at a time of the root

I used root (I'm using Glycyrrhiza uralensis) and home grown Aniseed Myrtle, Star Anise etc

Aqueous extraction of a decent qty of herbs afforded this solution that I didn't even end up colouring. Smelled delightful. No need for sweetener.

Which was then set into little squares with only small doses of root in each.

I also made sugar free homegrown Hibiscus, Monk Fruit, Cinnamon and Clove 'jam' that turned out really nice for Hibiscus' medicine in a sugar free way and family enjoyed that

April 26, 2019

Trying different proteins for serotonergic effects (along with Mg/Zn etc) these days

Protein source tryptophan from seeds with a high tryptophan-to-total protein ratio can be comparable to pharmaceutical grade tryptophan in some studies [1, 2]

They are nutrient-dense and mostly anti-nutrient-free.

The seeds of Cucurbita sp.have been traditionally used as medicine. Among the Cucurbitaceae members, pumpkin seeds are big, abundant, and edible. Yet, these seeds are mostly discarded as agro-industrial wastes [3].

They are rich in protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), minerals (magnesium, phosphorous, copper and potassium, iron, zinc, manganese), carotenoids, beta-carotene, and Vitamin E

"...a remarkable assortment of health-enhancing nutrients, from magnesium, protein, niacin, and zinc, to its high concentration of tryptophan and essential fatty acids, pumpkin seeds provide a powerful health punch"

- anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties
- protective activity against cardiovascular diseases
- hypoglycaemic properties: Acute consumption of 65 g of pumpkin seed markedly reduced postprandial glycemia. Pumpkin seed has potential as a hypoglycemic food [4]
- because of the high tryptophan content, pumpkin seeds might ease depression, anxiety, nervous irritability and insomnia
- shown to improve the iron status

I like other 'waste' products that are healing, too.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18066139
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16053244

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28463796
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30055778

Sure I try to put love into some meals but other times, just need sustenance. I chew through quite a bit of protein powder to keep at 0.8g/kg. Was doing well dropping weight by using that.

I've tried so many proteins from hemp to soy but just settle on whey most of the time.

Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that dairy products have beneficial effects on cognitive decline and dementia, which may in part occur through whey peptides [1]

As I've sort of subjectively noticed, chronic ingestion of diets differing in protein source elicits marked differences in the brain tryptophan concentrations and serotonin synthesis [2]. and tryptophan concentrations and serotonin synthesis in brain neurons are remarkably sensitive to which protein is present in a meal [3].

Whey protein has been proposed as a potential functional nutritional food supplement that prevents the progression of neurodegenerative disorders [4] and and useful for metabolic disorders [5,6]

A hydrolyzed protein source may be more adequate to increase brain tryptophan and 5-HT function compared with intact alpha-lactalbumin protein or pure tryptophan [7].

While there have been "no significant changes in clinical outcomes" in some neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's in human studies, it improves some biomarkers [8]

Whey consists of a heterogeneous group of proteins, including beta-lactoglobulin (35%), alpha-lactalbumin (12%), proteose peptone (12%), immunoglobulins (8%), and bovine serum albumin (5%)

Due to greater solubility, more rapid digestion, and resultant higher plasma concentrations of amino acids, whey appears to be a favourable protein to provide nutritional and functional benefits.

alpha-lactalbumin:

- Lactalbumin increased plasma tryptophan (3-fold) and the tryptophan ratio (50%) [9]

- may enhance sustained alertness early in the morning after an overnight sleep, most likely because of improved sleep [10].

- Dietary protein rich in alpha-lactalbumin improves cognitive performance in stress-vulnerable subjects via increased brain tryptophan and serotonin activities.

- Supplements of lactalbumin may be useful for nutrition research in relation to age- or disease-related memory decline [11]

April 25, 2019

Yeah that's the one, I assume it could have been a niacin flush but have never had niacin as nicotinic acid, always nicotinamide and never had issues so not sure.

April 25, 2019

On that, I did use a bit of Nutritional Yeast for a bit thinking it would be good to be all dietary and stuff, bit of protein too. Cheesy and stuff. Good in theory. It's got a fair bit of niacin, don't know if that's why I'd break out in a strange peripheral reaction but really just doesn't compare to supplements many a time IMO. RDIs are not always applicable IMO

April 24, 2019

Did you not anything @Xperiment

Hope you're going OK!

Trying to work out what I need without wasting money has been interesting. I've been on and off these. Simply supplementing only B1 leaves you open to not getting enough of the others but I wanted to see if those "Executive B Stress Formulas" etc do anything other than give you fluoro pee? That was what I wanted to see, how I'd go without them. What's your opinion? Do you use them?

It is proposed that "supplementation, particularly with those higher in B vitamins, may improve cognition and mood, which might be facilitated by improving brain health" and that dietary intake above the RDI is often useful, particularly for brain health and even when vitamin status, according to the traditional criterion, is adequate there may be significant mental improvements [1].

I stopped my B-group supplementation for quite some time thinking I'd save some slight cash but despite attempts to eat well, I'm not sure it is providing adequacy for B-groups in particular, I started to show some potential deficiency signs physically. I was one of those that tried everything from L-methylfolate to thiamine etc at very high doses but there seems to be personally better effects with the spectrum. I use one with all B-groups at high doses (and methyl-B12), which is realistically affordable as a daily addition

A meta‐analysis found that adjunctive treatment with high‐dose B‐vitamins significantly reduced total psychiatric symptoms among 297 long‐term patients in 7 different studies [2]

I found thiamine quite a useful addition, but tended to feel it's better to go for the full spectrum at a higher dose. The B-group is proposed to be a useful "complementary therapy in several neuropsychiatric disorders" and "may have specific neuroprotective properties in attention/vigilance" in psychotic disorders [3] and "B vitamins can be useful as complementary strategies" [4] but currently the evidence is "inconsistent".

It has been claimed that "administration of the entire B-vitamin group, rather than a small sub-set, at doses greatly in excess of the current governmental recommendations, would be a rational approach for preserving brain health" [5].

"Even in healthy humans, multivitamin supplementation has been shown to improve cognitive performance and reduce negative mood states, including depression, anxiety, and stress" and several studies point "toward the efficacy of vitamin and mineral supplementation, particularly B vitamins, in preventing and alleviating disease and disability"

High-dose B-group supplementation [6]:

- acutely may improve contentment and cognitive task performance in adults
- shown to reduce negative mood states of personal strain, confusion, and depression when administered chronically in healthy individuals
- reduced fatigue and improved performance during a cognitive tasks
- shown to reduce blood markers for oxidative stress, inflammation and increase brain markers for oxidative metabolism and myelination

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9122365
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28202095
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30771856
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29171643
[5] https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8020068
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30513795

April 23, 2019

Hope all are well. I'm still trying to manage this with diet and exercise before it becomes more problematic for me. I'm still dropping kg but have had lots of use of SGAs which cause severe lasting metabolic adverse effects, such as elevated blood glucose and insulin resistance (IR)

Still like cinnamon and anthocyanins and a planty diet but have problems still. Trying to find as close to food options as possible. While plain tea can offer some slight dietary support, I'd like more glucoregulatory function

Several herbs have also demonstrated benefit in glycemic control in clinical trials. These herbs and herbal extracts include berberine, ginseng, gymnema, banaba, cinnamon, fenugreek, and kudzu. While many of these herbs appear to be promising when used in isolation, the practice of herbal medicine most often utilizes polyherbal combinations for purported synergistic effects [review]

While berberine is promising both for it's metabolic effects and on the brain, it's one I do have concerns with regard to interactions with that are clinically relevant "interactions should be considered when berberine is administered" for CYP2D6, 2C9, and CYP3A4.

I like fenugreek but it does seem to have some effects on the GI tract that can be less wonderful.

Cinnamon seems a useful adjunct as the "polyphenolic polymers, found in cinnamon, appear to potentiate insulin action by increasing phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, thereby increasing insulin sensitivity, which may lead to improvements in blood glucose control and lipid levels". [1] but often with "modest effects" [2]

As an isoflavone option that is food based, I like the idea of Kudzu

Pueraria lobata could interfere with SGA-associated IR and revert overexpressed IR-related proteins [3]. This is intriguing as it's also a promising rapid-acting antidepressant compound through AMPAR-mTOR signaling pathway activation and increased BDNF [4] exerts anxiolytic-like effects, which may be "associated with normalization of 5-HT levels and biosynthesis of allopregnanolone in brain" [5] and alleviated the behavioural deficits induced by chronic stress [6] and may be a "potentially valuable preventative therapeutics for memory-related nervous disorders" [7]. Have a big bag of standardised kudzu.

While chromium supplementation has been promising results are mixed. Saffron is also promising.

Review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30616613

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30144878
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27618575
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30946280
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30284466
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29101599
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28740098
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28734961

April 18, 2019

Happy Bicycle Day all.

One plant I was really impressed with over the heat was Hibiscus sabdariffa. I didn't know if it would do very well down here but it's pretty much everything I'm looking for in a plant over the warmer time of the year, it thrived in the crazy heat without being a pain to water. Easy to grow, super tough, high yielding as a medicinal and for food. First you get a barrage of beautiful aesthetic flowers then a continuous supply of calyx (albeit mine a little smaller than what I often see commercially) and leaf. The leaf is nice as a cooked/salad green (if you like lemon flavours) and if you want a hit of tasty sourish goodness, the calyx are nice even raw. Plants like this really do make your food your medicine.

I have quite a bit of Roselle this year if anyone has interest in free seed soon (No WA/Tas), feel free to express interest. Actually after tips on the best way to collect the seeds, just let them ripen fully on the plant? if anyone has knowledge? I'm a bit conflicted, one source says "usually harvested ten days after the flower blooms. The large flowers fade and fall off, leaving behind their bright red, fleshy lotus shaped calyces. The Roselle flower seeds are then dried to be planted later and the fleshy red calyces are dried or eaten fresh." I've got lots of pods from when I was harvesting calyx - these viable or do the pods need more specific ripening time on the plant?

These look viable and currently available:

Some permaculture people "definitely recommend planting Rosellas in the garden if you are in a warmer climate." [Good review on this plant] [2]

Review on the pharmacology

The plant showed antibacterial, anti-oxidant, nephro- and hepato-protective, renal/diuretic effect, effects on lipid metabolism (anti-cholesterol), anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects among others. [3]

Using the leaf as a cooked green: Hibiscus sabdariffa is "high in essential nutrients required for optimal performance of health and the maintenance of good health together with the reduction of aging". 10 polyphenols including chlorogenic acids, quercetin, kaempferol etc were identified in the leaves along with good levels of carotenoids showing good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity

Hibiscus derived polyphenols are known to ameliorate various inflammation-related conditions, including obesity. The mechanism includes the regulation of energy metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, transcription factors, hormones and peptides, digestive enzymes, as well as epigenetic modifications [4]

It can be considered as a food rich in lutein, chlorogenic acids and anthocyanins [5]. The organic acids such as hibiscus, dimethyl hibiscus, and hydroxycitric acid were strongly associated with some beneficial health effects [6]. A preliminary study on the use of this as an alternative source of iron for the treatment of anaemia and some other mineral deficiency diseases was promising

Different works have demonstrated that Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts reduce blood pressure in humans - this effect is due to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity [7]. The polyphenol content in H. sabdariffa works as an anti-inflammatory by improving antioxidant conditions and regulating the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 [8]. Other Hibiscus anthocyanins have anti-depressant properties through dopaminergic, adrenergic and serotonergic mechanisms [9] .

Possibly Effective for:

Hibiscus flower normalises blood pressure and exerts a protective effect on the heart. New research is underscoring the possibility of using hibiscus to normalise blood sugar.

Reports have shown that H. sabdariffa derived bioactive compounds are potent in the treatment of obesity with an evident reduction in body weight, inhibition of lipid accumulation and suppression of adipogenesis through the PPARγ pathway and other transcriptional factors [10]

Low doses of Roselle tea or supplements appear to be effective in reducing blood pressure, and may be anti-diabetic.

High blood pressure. Some early research shows that drinking hibiscus tea for 2-6 weeks decreases blood pressure in people with mildly high blood pressure. Other early research shows that taking a hibiscus extract by mouth for 4 weeks may be as effective as the prescription drug captopril for reducing blood pressure in people with mild to moderate high blood pressure. However, an analysis of results from various clinical studies suggests that there is not enough evidence to draw strong conclusions about the effects of hibiscus in reducing high blood pressure [11].

Also heaps of Ashwagandha seed still left.

April 14, 2019

On 14/04/2019 at 5:57 PM, Cimi said:

Is the anandamide in chocolate from the cacao plant?

If it is present to an appreciable degree, it is theoretically degraded so quickly by FAAH after oral administration that it's likely not that relevant but some propose there are N-acylethanolamines that slow degradation also in the chocolate. That said some of the fatty acid amides I've found orally sometimes do something at high enough doses. It may be that the abundant catechin flavonols, which seem to have moderate affinity to cannabinoid receptors (and other receptors) are more active. You've got a good lot of fatty acids, some with affinity to CNS receptors, that could also alter endocannabinoid tone. The pharmacology of the tetrahydro-beta-carbolines and isoquinolines in chocolate isn't well established from my understanding

One fairly recent review links most of the psychoactivity to these main constituents:

"...we would like to propose the “mood pyramid” as a model, summarizing the more general up to the more specific psychopharmacological actions of cocoa and chocolate. There is a large amount of scientific evidence that the flavonoids, more in particular CF, are involved in the cognition-enhancing effects, although this may not be very specific for cocoa or chocolate, since these constituents are widely distributed in nature and in food. At the second level, the methylxanthines caffeine and theobromine have additive and maybe synergistic effects on cognition and alertness, although the role of theobromine remains unclear. Methylxanthines are less common in nature than flavanols, but still not restricted to T. cacao. At the third and gradually more specific level, the tetrahydro-isoquinoline alkaloids, more in particular salsolinol, may exert additive or synergistic activities" [1].

April 13, 2019

Really good review, some people here will likely be interested. One I'm surprised didn't get mentioned is β-caryophyllene for it's notable CB2 affinity. I've never been interested in potent CB1 agonists but these other plants interest me. New to me is seeing anthocyanins as cannabinoid modulators

Cannabimimetic plants: are they new cannabinoidergic modulators?

https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03138-x [sci-hub]

In nature, surprisingly many molecules act on the endocannabinoid system through cannabinoid receptors, degradation or synthesis enzymes. Phytochemicals and secondary metabolites able to interact with the endocannabinoid system have been recently described in a broad range of plants and fruits.

It's interesting how changes to diet have likely altered our endocannabinoid system:

"...the transition from high-protein hunting and gathering society, to one based on agriculture, and hyper-glucidic and -lipidic, has favored the over-activation of CB1R"

Some plants

Cannabigerol-like phytocannabinoids called amorfrutins have been identified in the genus Helichrysum

Several amorfrutins have been isolated from liverwort belonging to the genus Radula and from two species of the Fabaceae family, Amorpha fruticosa and Glycyrrhiza acanthocarpa

Molecules structurally similar to CBD are ferruginene compounds and methylpenanol analogs of CBD extracted from Rhododendron ferrugineum, species belonging to the Ericaceae family. Rhododendron dauricum, a flowering plant belonging to the family Ericaceae native to the North Asian forests, produces daurichromenic acid (DCA)

Guineensine belongs to a class of N-alkylamide alkaloids, first isolated from West African pepper (Piper guineense). They are also abundant in numerous other species of Piper genus, such as in P. longum and P. nigrum (the dietary pepper species) guineensine has ability to inhibit the central reuptake of the major endocannabinoids

Chelerythrine, present in the plants Chelidonium majus, Zanthoxylum clavaherculis, and Zanthoxylum rhoifolium, and sanguinarine, extracted from Sanguinaria canadensis, Argemone mexicana, Chelidonium majus, and Macleaya cordata, are two benzophen-anthridine alkaloid with potential cannabimimetic action

Out of six kavalactones, yangonin has shown good selectivity for CB1R compared to CB2R

γ-Sanshool is another alkaloid, extracted from plant genus Zanthoxylums uch as Z. clava-herculis, Z. armatum, Z. bungeanum, Z. piperitum. γ-Sanshool displayed an antagonist profile for CB1R and simultaneously an agonist activity for CB2R

From Voacanga africana, three alkaloids with CB1R antagonism, voacamine, 3,6-oxidovoacangine, and 5-hydroxy-3,6-oxidovoacangine, have been isolated. The crude extract of Voacanga africana has been used for the treatment of diseases connected to endocannabinoid systems such as chronic inflammation, mental disorders, and convulsions in children. Indeed, based on binding studies, it was established that these three alkaloids could be considered modulators of CB1R.

α-Amyrin and β-amyrin are pentacyclic triterpenes, ubiquitously distributed in the plant kingdom, known to have a number of biological effects produced via indi-rect cannabimimetic mechanisms. α-amyrin is isolated from the resins of Bursera and Protium species of the Burseraceae family. The key sources for β-amyrin include Amphipterygium adstringens, Eucalyptus globulus, Ficus carica, Ficus cordata, Nelumbo nucifera and Byrsonima crassa

Even betulinic acid, a pentacyclic triterpenoid, can bind to both CB1R and CB2R

Falcarinol, found in many plants of the Apiaceae family (Daucus carota specifically), exhibits binding affinity to both CB1R and CB2R but selec-tively acts as a covalent inverse agonist in CB1R

Polyphenols:

Biochanin A has cannabimimetic activity seems linked to inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase, an enzyme for anandamide degradation

A growing body of evidence suggests that anthocyanins incl. cyanidin may have analgesic, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, and these biological effects are tied to its potential action on cannabinoid receptors. Cyanidin is a ligand with moderate affinity to human CB1R and CB2R

There is moderate affinity of catechins to CB1R.

Curcumin is an antagonist/inverse agonist towards CB1R but contradictory results have been also produced

Magnolol showed a profile of partial agonist with selectivity for the CB2R, while honokiol possesses a signifi-cantly lower affinity for the CB1R

The cannabimimetic action of kaempferol may be due to its inhibitory capacity towards the FAAH degradation enzyme. Quercetin, a flavonol associated with rutinose to form the glycoside rutin, showed an upregulation of CB1R

Maca - Lepidium meyenii - has action on the endocannabinoid system

N-alkylamide lipids show structural similarity with anandamide and bind to CB2R more potently than endogenous cannabinoids. N-alkylamides have been isolated from Echinacea purpureaand Echinacea angustifolia. Moreover, other extracts of Echinacea spp. have demonstrated anti-inflammatory property by PPAR activity. Even Otanthus maritimus (family: Asteraceae) possesses N-alkylamides with a good CB2R affinity

April 11, 2019

Anyone else gone and planted a few common Camellias for tea purposes? It's quite debated whether non-sinensis teas are caffeine/theanine containing but those who have made tea from it often say it seems more potent.

I like to have a mutual living relationship with the medicine I'm using - not simply a commercial consumptive one - so will plant a few common (related) C. japonica which can be used to make tea

It, according to some, contains caffeine and catechins of the same kind as C. sinensis but "Japonica seems much more potent, even when processed as green tea." with >5% per weight caffeine in dry leaves but "..not all cultivars will be equally potent" [1] (another study on the contrary found no caffeine [2] and some say the "entire series of reactions required for the synthesis of purine alkaloids was deficient in both C. japonica and C.sasanqua". ) and triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins and fatty acids. It has 42% of C. sinensis' theanine compared to Camellia sasanqua which is slightly higher [3]

[1] http://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200403042358213.page
[2] http://dx.doi.org/10.1270/jsbbs1951.34.459
[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00021369.1984.10866604

Explorations into the effects of tea on behaviour and mental health come at a time of growing scientific interest in the role of nutrition in mental health and preventive medicine. Physicians need more ways of tackling anxiety, depression and age-related cognitive decline — these conditions place a huge burden on health systems, and treatment options are limited - due to the lack of available therapies — around one-third of all people with anxiety and depression never find an effective therapy [1]

Tea is on the rise, because so is stress. It embodies mindfulness and the serenity that a lot of stressed people need in their lives, along with being connected to emotions, and promotes a calming sensation for many drinkers [2]

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00398-1
[2] https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2019/03/20/tea-drinkers-are-better-people-and-probably-less-stressed-too

April 8, 2019

That was beautifully written @mysubtleascention I like the mention so often of harmony - that's a wonderful way to put it. Thanks for sharing.

April 8, 2019

Yeah I get you on that, it's sad that's the way things are for so many - I too sought the void all too often as life felt totally futile and full of pressures I couldn't handle. I've had to essentially disconnect from the majority of the ways our society runs, which isn't doable for everyone, as it is simply really bad for my health and not feel too guilty about it, the other way was literally killing me way too quickly

Thing is, I got a 'safer alcohol substitute' like pregabalin (don't mention the way phenibut went) and tried to use that instead of drinking and got blatantly addicted to it. Dose escalations. Tolerance and withdrawals. These things, if they offer any sort of nice effect, they will have abuse potential and really serious potential for harm away from being not that damaging in themselves - eg people operating heavy machinery is just one

I feel if many people got a clean break from drinking even to socially normal levels, ie a good period of total abstinence going, they'd find themselves in a better place where they didn't have to get persistently blasted by anything. So many., even those doing socially acceptable drinking, are in the cycle of use-withdrawal that they don't know what they feel like without it in their lives, which is scary. It really is such a nasty substance for mental health, for spiritual growth for everyone and society. They could too become teetotallers getting bent on a wholesome cup of tea etc

I'd rather some decent kava be allowed in, or something planty that could build up a responsible culture of use around it. But while people are used to getting inebriated as culturally accepted there will be issues

April 6, 2019

Yeah originally they were looking at pagoclone but it could be any α-subtype GABAA targeting drugs/PAM

But really, this is another cultural symptom... sure it may be safer than ethanol but seeking such a quick fix is a consequence of a problem, not a solution

This was once my Holy Grail quest - to have a safe alcohol substitute/pro-social aid through through things like this

Then I noticed how empty mere anxiolysis was. Spiritually devoid. It had no ability to grow you into your Divine Self, it just let you run away

Sure, there's severe pathological anxiety which I know is all too crippling but we need more wholesome tools that allow one to be themselves. I still feel plants offer a better tool to return to wholeness. Sure, they may not offer blatant inebriated anxiolysis but that's part of the challenge I feel, to be comfortable with things like anxiety until they no longer over-power you.

We need to consider why people are seeking such anxiolysis and feed their spirit to a place where they can have calm loving self-acceptance and compassion, not allow them to run away with another vice.

For me, this weekend I could go out... but in all honesty I'd rather not. eg in our society, you have to be absolutely off your head to find the majority of people interesting enough to even be interested in having a convo with them thanks to their cultural conditioning...

April 4, 2019

There could possibly be some changes but in my non-professional opinion, nothing dangerous. Best checking with professionals though. You have to consider your changes to self-concept too which would also impact the journey

There is a strong modulatory influence of estrogen on the serotonin system: there seems to be cross-talk between estrogenic and serotonergic pathways "ovarian steroids bring induction of dendritic spine proliferation on serotonin neurons [with a ] profound effect on serotonergic transmission. " [1]

ERβ negatively regulates 5-HT_2A[a phytoestrogenic diet caused a significant decrease in the expression of 5-HT_2A receptors ] and estrogen changes this receptor binding

There is support for the effect of progesterone on 5-HT1A receptor expression by affecting the serotonergic system supporting "relation of the steroid hormone progesterone to 5-HT1A receptor binding. [2] [3]

There could be some changes to CYP liver enzymes, too - this would alter how quickly things like beta-carbolines stayed active

April 4, 2019

Thanks for sharing. I used to just aim to get loose on loose leaf tea. Then I noticed how potent a healing aid it was on a different level...

Tea has powerful spiritual and ceremonial role - I'm not sure I'd go as far as soma but it's a potent ally.

Tea mystics are spiritual psychonauts

“Tea is Nature… Tea is Medicine… Tea is Heart and Spirit…”

Tea is something that can help you forward in meditation, mindful absorption of the present, and self-cultivation.

The Way of Tea is expressed in four Japanese characters: Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquillity

“It’s hard to even speak now ‘cause that was so profound, and I don’t know that words are really poetic enough or descriptive enough, but I really felt — I feel different from the moment I started ’til the end; I really felt like I went through a journey.” [1]

"Having been under the influences of rapid infusions of some 1950’s Red Mark Yin-Ji Puerh I feel justified in suggesting tea or Camellia sinensis as a possible candidate or substitute for Soma. With tiny orbs of qi coursing through my system after each sip I see a vision of the lineage of patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism and thangkas of blue Bodhisattvas holding cups of amrita in their palm. Tea may not be the original soma, but the reverence, ritual and perhaps the shape into which it is pressed (especially in Tibet), make it a serious candidate as a soma-substitute or amrita."

Tea "as a beverage that, when ritually prepared, allowed communion with divinities—suggest the reason for continued appeal in later ages in both China and Japan”. Tea’s constant domain within a sacred, often ritual context must be always remembered and it is retained even in the more secular literati circles that treated it as a near sacrament in their microcosmic ways and arts.

"Tea’s special relationship with Buddhist and Daoist “ritual”, or combinations thereof, and persistent associations with Indian mystics and religious experience were instrumental in the spread of tea throughout ancient China, Korea and Japan." [2]

There's much to be explored in a porcelain cup of alkaloids - we do not always think of tea as a potent psychoactive plant in the West, as it is so commonly consumed and readily available.

One becomes liberated from earthly attachments and is able to commune with eternity, nature, and all living beings - a path to the essential self [1] People note a sense of well-being and peacefulness and appreciate the little things and not rush

Erowid Tea

"The effects were stronger than I expected. I hadn't had tea in awhile. Sounds around me were amplified. The wind was pressing against me. I felt like I had taken a strong sedative. My body felt heavy. The wind itself felt euphoric and I felt butterflies through out my body. I had a strong since of well being. The world was beautiful, the trees swaying in the wind were happy/excited. Every living things Qi/soul whatever you want to call it were reaching out to my soul/energy and intertwining. Almost like drinking the tea allowed me to shed energy blockage which was keeping us from connecting. We were friends. The birds chirped beautifully. I felt inspiration and connection to the earth. I was ONE and felt love!"

"Vision crisps up ... more vibrant, bit sharper. Euphoria. ... It was an amazing time, carefree in the warm summer sun, fueled by fusion, almost god-like. There was no comedown, it simply ended. I would honestly consider that day a +++ on the Shulgin scale comparable to mushrooms."

People have touched on the social, spiritual, and health benefits, noting that it opened one’s mind to the higher things. It encouraged quiet meditation, rustic simplicity, aesthetic judgement, appreciation of nature, and the significance of the present moment. It also necessitated “courtesy ... moderation in actions,” and purity of spirit [3].

Some assert ...the practice of tea will make you friendlier, kinder, and more concerned with serving your fellow human beings. In other words, the plant Camellia sinensis and its related Camellia species will make you into a better person.

“茶禅一味” which translates to something like “Zen and Tea — the same taste.” In other words, consuming tea are both viewed by some as spiritual expressions

[1] https://www.reddit.com/.../understanding_tea_mysticism.../
[2] https://sites.google.com/.../delawaretea.../Home/tea-as-soma
[3] https://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/tea-and-christianity

Ritual use of plants incl. tea

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Unfortunately our relationships with plants are often reduced to “Aha, now we understand the activity of the plant. It’s that molecule.”

It’s very heartening to see that there’s a lot of interest in a return to the ritual artistic qualities of relationship with the plant. It’s honoring the name of this is a ritual engagement with a really awesome, profound, sacred psychoactive substance, the plant.

It’s this quest for over simplifying the complexity of life, in a way that makes us able to think we grasp it, that can also in some way interfere with our reverence for the power of what the substances are. There’s two things I think that have interfered with our ritual relationship historically with these plants. I mean, one of them is this reduction of thinking about them as just molecules sometimes. And the other is commodification, which happens everywhere, of course. It is our modern world, the commercialization and massive marketing of just about anything that can be so marketed. And so the task really is to stay connected, with the reverence in some way for the reverence of their Pharmacon, of their power as medicines and poisons, as substances of pleasure, poison, prescription and prayer.

...the thing I feel is a really important aspect of these medicines and poisons is that many of them have enjoyed long histories of association with humanity and with cultures, and they had been considered as allies. Things that the people draw upon as sources of support and strength, a friend, an ally who helps you out when you’re in trouble, and allies have power, otherwise wouldn’t be very useful to have such a thing, such an entity as an ally if it were a wimp, that wouldn’t be very helpful. So allies have power, and that power has been historic respected and revered and appreciated for its awesomeness. And that gave rise to the development of ritual around the use of psychoactive substances. So historically, mind-altering plants in human societies were treated with respect and reverence.

It’s not uncommon for folks to go into a coffee shop and grab whatever that 917 milliliter thing is, full of coffee and then walk out and get into their car and drive away, or maybe not even get out of their car when they do it, there’re drive thru ones. So it’s a very, very different relationship we have with this sacred ancient, powerfully stimulating beverage just in the last few years really. And I don’t even know what these things are. Is that really coffee? ... A culture of speed.

Tea, another gorgeous psychoactive mind-altering plant, that is native to East Asia, and like coffee has spread around the entire world and has been appreciated by the peoples that lived in East Asia several thousand years ago for its stimulant effects, but it didn’t reach Europe until the 1500, around the same time coffee did. And there’s lots of ceremonial ritual aspects attached to the consumption of tea ranging from Japanese tea ceremonies to British tea ceremonies and so forth.

April 3, 2019

One ally that has been instrumental in me getting past vices is this common one which I think is totally underrated. I find my simple tea is so healing and you don't need to drift off to fancy teas all the time! Some tea drunk suggestions from others

Tea - A passage to spiritual harmony

Epidemiological investigations have reported that drinking tea reduces the risk of dementia and depression. Research suggests that tea catechins, mainly EGCG, elicit cognitive effects as well. EGCG administration has been associated with self-reported calmness and reduced stress in healthy subjects. It showed beneficial effects in related areas such as work performance and creativity [1].

Tea use was associated with reduced stress, increased calmness and increased electroencephalographic activity (increased alpha, beta and theta activities) in the midline frontal and central brain regions Green tea consumption in subjects with cognitive dysfunction (2 g/day for 3 months, approximately equal to 2 to 4 cups of tea/day) significantly improved cognitive performance. Along with the effects of lower doses of caffeine and small quantities of L-theanine, EGCG has sedative effects in the brain, partially through GABAA receptors, and consequently moderates an acute stress response in a dose dependent manner.

With the feelings of euphoria, there can be a strong sense of focus and calm. Tea drinkers may experience acceptance of the world, a feeling of contentment, and pleasing lightheadedness or sense of floating. Others list symptoms such as a giggling, a bouncy feeling, a feeling of emotional bliss, a contemplative or philosophical mindset, or an introspective, sensitive mood. The overall effect is often described as a very Zen feeling.

...get in a mindset of focused observation of the physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual effects of the tea [ref].

EGCG may reduce the negative mood effects of caffeine in a similar manner to L-theanine.

Several studies found that caffeine and L-theanine improve attentional performance but studies did not find any change in self-reported mood compared to caffeine. Some of the studies, even on more well-known combinations such as caffeine and L-theanine, failed at reproducing the same results as in other studies. L-theanine appears to be most beneficial in subjects that reported being more stressed and/or anxious during the study.

Tea catechins have GABAA modulatory [2] and cannabinoid affinity [3] and tea consumption might reduce antipsychotic-induced side effects. While the tea catechin EGCG is known to inhibit COMT enzymatic activity in vitro this may not be relevant in vivo EGCG attenuates NMDA antagonist-stimulated behaviours

"Much of orally ingested EGCG is hydrolyzed to epigallocatechin (EGC) and gallic acid. In rats, EGC is then metabolized mainly to 5-(3',5'-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone" These metabolites may promote neurogenesis in the brain [4]

As ligands for the GABAA receptor benzodiazepine site, the higher catechins like EGCG being PAMS at some sites. EGCG reversed the effects of GABAA receptor negative modulators - picrotoxin and methyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate, EGCG and chlordiazepoxide fully generalised in substitution studies. The phenolic acids are also GABAergic, potentially at different GABAA subtypes.

Polyphenols and L-theanine for stress:

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Although green tea contains caffeine, its consumption produces a noticeable relaxation effect, which is attributed to the presence of catechins, L-theanine or both compounds. Furase et al. indicated that EGCG has sedative and hypnotic effects at the brain level, by acting partially at the level of GABA receptors moderating the response to the acute stress. In addition, a positive effect against anxiety in mice has been observed. The sedative effect is enhanced by the presence of L-theanine. This amino acid is considered as a neuroprotective agent that reduces psychological and physiological stress. However, the consumption of green tea does not induce sleep due to the caffeine content, which produces the opposite effect, stimulating the central nervous system and promoting wakefulness. Effects attributed to L-theanine also include promoting the secretion and functions of certain neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. For all these reasons, the consumption of green tea may be advisable in certain diseases associated with stress and anxiety.

Black Tea

- regular consumption of black or oolong tea was associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment and decline

"Following plants trends and rituals that don’t come from your personal lineage harms those who rely on such plants, especially colonized people, and the plants themselves (by overharvesting). Moreover, this routine does a disservice to your health.

There’s no reason to chase plant wisdom outside your lineage for meaning - we miss out on a chance for a more genuine connection with plants already deeply rooted in our family histories by following plant trends that fall outside our lineage." [1].

There's lots of research around green tea/EGCG and theanine but "Theaflavins, black tea polyphenols, effects on brain function, especially mental condition, have not been elucidated". Recently there's been a bit.

Oral administration with theaflavins can suppress neural inflammation and prevent inflammation-related brain disorders, improving memory impairment and depression-like behaviour [2]. Theaflavins from black tea have a stronger anti-inflammatory effect than many other polyphenols. Oral consumption of theaflavins induced anxiolytic effects via activation of the dopaminergic system in the frontal cortex [3]. Despite concerns about these reaching the CNS, oral doses are indeed CNS active in animal models.

A standard cup of black tea was found to contain L-theanine 24.2 ± 5.7 mg and mostly thearubigens contrary to a cup of green tea which contains ~8mg theanine and ~70 mg EGCG per bag. That said, one study claims green tea was more effective for neuroprotection than red and black teas.

One paper states black tea polyphenols are more effective than green tea polyphenols in body weight reduction [4]. Theaflavins are "promising functional food ingredients and medicines for improving insulin resistance-related disorders" and improve postprandial glycemic control [5,6].

Black tea possesses "marked aphrodisiac activity" and "can function as a quick acting, safe, oral aphrodisiac" [7].

[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/plants-as-medicine-history
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30696093
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30806570
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27941615
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30572687
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28049262
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18565706

Green Tea

Improves “cognitive functioning [through affecting]…working memory processing at the neural system level by suggesting changes in short-term plasticity of parieto-frontal brain connections.”

Beneficial for it's stress resistance, and neuroprotective and autophagy-promoting properties

Green tea might reverse the development of depression through normalisation of the reward function.

Green tea is promising for neuroprotective/neurorescue activities in a wide array of cellular and animal models of neurological disorders and is suggested as a prophylactic for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's etc

- higher consumption of green tea is associated with lower prevalence of cognitive impairment

A retrospective study with 278 consecutive Parkinson's patients reported that consumption of more than 3 cups of tea per day delayed age of motor symptoms onset by 7.7 years and green tea polyphenols provide a symptomatic benefit in Parkinson's

Green tea is believed to lower the risk of dementia both through it's polyphenols and active metabolites that exhibit effects on nerve cell proliferation and neuritogenic properties. The consumption of green tea catechins is generally believed to suppress age-related cognitive dysfunction, The neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and iron-chelating properties of EGCG make it promising for neurorescue. Diet induced neuroinflammation was restored by EGCG supplementation and homocysteine-induced neurodegeneration and neuro-inflammation in the brain was attenuated. It inhibits brain damage and promotes regeneration in the cerebral cortex of rats. It shows promise for Down syndrome and is a TLR4/MyD88 antagonist and inhibitor of DYRK1A

EGCG was able to effectively inhibit volatile anaesthetic-induced neurodegeneration and improve learning and memory retention, which is relevant to my case. There is evidence of hepatoprotective [see more - note high doses have been linked to rare hepatotoxicity] and restoration oxidative-nitrosative stress-mediated apoptotic signalling in cognitive deficits associated with alcohol

Teas significantly reduced AChE activity and partially reduced fat accumulation. Green teas reduced memory deficits. They reduced reactive species accumulation and reduced plasma triglyceride levels. The tea polyphenol EGCG has been shown to ameliorate metabolic abnormalities and fatty liver.

Some evidence suggests that daily consumption of tea catechins may help in controlling type 2 diabetes

Green tea is promising for different neurodegenerative conditions, such as memory deficits. EGCG-treated rats displayed a superior behavioural performance and it enhances neuroregeneration after injury via alteration of levels of inflammatory cytokines. Green tea was more effective for neuroprotection than red and black teas.

Green tea's theanine seems to have multiple beneficial effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbance and cognitive impairments in patients with major depression [4] It may be beneficial in schizophrenia [5]

Review

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Polyphenols are the most relevant family of phytochemicals in terms of beneficial effects on human health. Within them, flavonoids constitute a very extensive group and are distributed in a great variety of vegetables. They have a common basic structure of (C6-C3-C6) diphenylpropane, which usually forms an oxygenated heterocycle. Flavonoids are usually bound to sugars (glycosides) and for that reason they tend to be water-soluble. Green and white tea are especially rich in flavonoids, specifically catechins. In this line, the consumption of green tea is considered the main source of catechins in the diet. The content in phenolic acids (gallic acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid), gallic esters of glucose (gallic tannins), quercetin and proanthocyanidols is also highlighted. Total polyphenols range between 10.60-25.95 g/100 g in white tea and between 13.7-24.7 g/100 g in green tea.

The most abundant catechins in green and white tea are (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), representing approximately the 59% of the total catechins; (-) epigallocatechin (EGC), which accounts for the 19%, (-) epicatechin gallate (ECG) in a proportion close to the 13% and (-) epicatechin (EC), around the 6% of the total. According to Hilal and Engelhardt2 and Carloni et al. catechin content in tea ranges from 9.89 to 17.00 g/100 g in green tea, from 7.94 to 16.56 g/100 g in white tea and from 0.74 to 10.00 g/100 g in black tea. Catechins content is consistent with the fermentation degree, since black, white and green teas are fully, slightly and non-fermented, respectively.10 Levels from 2.76 to 9.34g/100 g for catechins in white tea have also been reported. Regarding EGCG, the amounts change between 4.40-9.60 g/100 g in green tea and between 5.23-9.49 g/100 g in white tea. Cabrera et al. observed that the content of EGCG in green tea leaves was higher than 80 mg/g, whereas in black tea it did not exceed 30mg/g. Wu and Wei reported that one cup of green tea (2.5 g tea leaves/200 mL water) may contain 90 mg of EGCG and Johnson et al. estimated that the daily intake of 3-5 cups of green tea (720- 1200 mL) could provide up to 250 mg of catechins.

Oolong contains more O-methylated catechins like (-)-epigallocatechin 3- O-(3- O-methyl)gallate with distinct physiological functions in animal models and humans compared to common tea, including antiallergy, antiobesity, the prevention of cardiovascular disease risks [review]

Pu-erh tea fermentation forms simple phenolic acids (gallic) and theogallin while epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate and theanine decreased during fermentation [review]

It is reported that Pu-erh tea have a variety of pharmacologically activities, such as anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral effects. It is promising for it's effects on metabolic syndrome through remodelling the microbiome

Pu-erh tea contains "biological compounds binding transcription factors and inhibiting the expression of mGluR5 and is a novel natural neuroprotective agent" as dysregulation of mGluR5 is implicated in multiple brain disorders particularly showing promise for pain, epilepsy, schizophrenia, drug addiction and Alzheimer’s disease

Gallic acid in Pu-erh tea is reported to be a main constituent. This has neuroprotective, antidepressant [1] and anti-psychotic acitivities [2] It is also a rich source of other benzoic acid derivatives, phenylacetic, phenylpropionic, phenylvaleric and phenolic acid esters [3]

Host your own healing tea ceremony

Sure, there's 'recreational tea sessions'. There's also healing tea sessions

When practised to foster harmony in humanity, promote harmony with nature, discipline the mind, quiet the heart, and attain the purity of enlightenment, the art of tea becomes "teaism" [1]

It can re-inforce harmony of nature and self cultivation: refinement, an inner spiritual content, humility, restraint and simplicity

Tea invites us to connect with nature, with our community, and with the deepest parts of our unknown selves.

I believe if you dedicate your time to one plant such as Camellia sinensis, you can form a really therapeutic ally and it's often the easily dismissed plants that can bring us to where we need to be...

I feel tea brings us back to better holistic health and spiritual harmony - you often don't have to be fancy and chase a multitude of exotic plants and potions. It turns into a wild goose-chase

It's sacrilegious the way we as a culture make it about "a quick mediocre cuppa" when it's healing properties for the body, mind and spirit are so notable

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_ceremony

Spirituality of Tea

"I got nasty habits; I take tea..." - Mick Jagger

"Tea is part of the spiritual activities of being properly engaged and aware, both of self and others. As J. Norwood Pratt relates:

As an elixir of sobriety and wakeful tranquility, tea was also a means of spiritual refreshment and spiritual conviviality, a way to go beyond this world and enter a realm apart.

Tea was an aid in Christian temperance. Tea is an equaliser, the approach to tea as an aid to meditation, and the emphasis on beauty in simplicity.

It allows a Daoist concept of returning to a state of rustic simplicity.

"Tea seeks social harmony through self-discipline and personal discovery and personal desire for salvation. Whereas Tea requires a degree of contemplation of, and concentration [it also] invites the participant to look into himself or herself, to discover a self that is no longer separate and potentially antagonistic but in harmony with the environment and all others.

“I” and “Thou” are able to merge, where the “Thou” becomes the “I” and vice-versa. The distance between self and other, which upholds life in normal times, disappears in favor of unity. “I” and “Thou” become “we,” a “we” established and strengthened by ritual

Freedom is sought not in large space or in unrestricted behaviour but, on the contrary, by accepting and “overcoming” restrictions. There is freedom through meditation and other forms of self-discipline.

It invites humility, that is, a negation of self in the absorption in something else as expressed in the Buddhist notion of muichibutsu. This concept can mean many things. It points to the Buddhist notion of “nothingness,” “emptiness,” or the original unity of all things.

...tea is at once the center of the universe and a means to harmonize with the essence of things." [2]

[1] http://walkerteareview.com/spirituality-of-tea-buddhism-ch…/

[2] http://anthropoetics.ucla.edu/ap0501/tea/

Other methylxanthines and synergies

Theobromine may selectively enhance caffeine psychoactivity - increased “energetic arousal” as well.

In terms of mood effects cocoa flavonoids may modify caffeine's psychoactive effects in a similar manner to L-theanine. Experiments found that combination of cocoa extract and caffeine attenuated the anxiety-provoking effects of caffeine alone

Evidence for an improvement of executive function 90–150 min after the administration of cocoa flavanols.

Caffeinated cocoa (70 mg caffeine, 179 mg theobromine, 499 mg flavanols) caused lower omission errors and improved accuracy in healthy subjects compared to cocoa alone (21 mg caffeine, 179 mg theobromine, 499 mg flavanols), but attentional performance was not better

April 3, 2019

Making Love - How spirituality changed my relationships

Keen to hear what spirituality has changed for your life?

There are a few things that have shifted for me through some recent spiritual experiences.

In two words: My relationships

Most notably towards life. Just a peaceful calm acceptance of it with some re-invigoration. And of death.

Also, my relationships:

Aiming for my healthy relationships with friends, family and myself but also

1. towards substances
2. towards suffering
2. towards sexuality
3. towards "others"
4. towards love

...some people are evolving in their spiritual awareness toward meaning-making, healing, and peace, while others remain in a state of chronic anger and suffering. I was stuck in the cycles of painful devolution WAY too long

The pain in the human heart needs to be attended to by rituals and practices that, when practiced, will lessen anger and allow health and creativity to flow anew

Some individuals start to explore new spiritual paths, becoming more aware of higher realms of consciousness, and a sense of divine presence

Towards substances

These days I'm a teetotaller. Literally just drink black tea.

After so long of pharmacological exploitation of biological mechanisms (and maladaptive behaviours) that normally generate healthy attachments between friends, family and lovers one can use a core strategy of grief therapy to facilitate growth of the individual into new healthy pre-occupations, habits and relationships [1]

Connections between unhealthy behaviours, mental illness, and attachment abnormalities are real, but quite complex and nuanced.

Over time, it has created a pathological limitation of their free will and capacity to enact adaptive choices. It has limited their motivational-behavioural repertoire to an abnormally narrow set of ‘programs’ at the expense of healthy motivations and behaviours

We can see the great difficulty of producing a therapeutic rescue and liberation of the patient from their imprisoning behaviours, because it is also about a ‘love affair’ that is keeping them imprisoned.

One can attempt to form strong therapeutic attachments with people that can ‘over power’ their pathological attachments

Helping people bear and mourn what are often tremendous and irreplaceable losses is often critical to protecting them against future relapses and worsening depression.

Bringing empathy, honoring patient’s humanity and need for connection, relieving them of shame could all be valuable therapeutic ingredients to recovery

From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383361/

Towards Suffering

I have some greater compassion but also a less biomedical approach to illness

Each time our world cycles through a winter of the human spirit, there is an invisible summer within us, an invitation to reinhabit our deepest decency and live up to our most ennobled nature.

Humans are generally experts at finding ways to place ourselves into spiritual bondage, it is this very spiritual “woundedness” that becomes the path to our healing and recovery. While illness is slavery to a cruel god, it can also be the pathway to a deeper spirituality than is experienced without it. It is through our wounds that we can allow spirit and others to enter our lives and help make us whole. "There Is a Crack in Everything, That’s How the Light Gets In"

"Sometimes one has simply to endure a period of depression for what it may hold of illumination if one can live through it"

"...the most withering aspect of depression is the way it erases, like physical illness does, the memory of wellness. The totality of the erasure sweeps away the elemental belief that another state of being is at all possible — the sensorial memory of what it was like to feel any other way vanishes, until your entire being contracts into the state of what is, unfathoming of what has been, can be, and will be."

You learn to build fires where you can warm yourself as you wait for the tempest to pass. These fires — the routines, habits, relationships, and coping mechanisms you build — help you to look at the rain and see fertilizer instead of a flood. If you want the lushest green of life (and you do), the gray is part of the natural cycle. [1]

[1] https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/12/08/tim-ferriss-tools-of-titans-depression/

I'm interested in using the current wisdom of induced altered states of consciousness [1] as a backdrop to navigate and heal from what would otherwise be dismissed as simple pathology.

I've had some quite intense experiences lately which have actually helped me. It's surprising how what could be glossed over as 'poor mental health', if navigated as a compassionate journey, seems to unfold towards some better wholeness. Sure, you want to taper the intensity to a safe tolerability when needed but safely exploring your craziness can be really therapeutic.

In 'illness' there are endogenous altered states of consciousness, changes in ego and self-concept and heightening of physical sensations, emotions, and memories and hallucinations; some of which can be traumatic

What happens when this is approached in a way that allows an unfolding and working through of intense experiences, rather than dismissing them? Shifting from plain symptom reduction to a psychotherapeutic and spiritual framework?

What does meaningful integration look like?

- normalise the experiences

"From a purely psychological perspective, integration involves a reuniting of the parts of ourselves that have been split off, banished from consciousness, deemed unfit or unsafe to acknowledge, experience or express. This fragmentation of the personality and of the psyche leads to a host of mental health problems and disorders and interpersonal relationship difficulties. When the identity, or sense of self, is impoverished or unstable, a person will experience excessive self-criticism, chronic feelings of emptiness, and dissociation (a state of disconnection from mind and body). In psychotherapy, we focus on the integration of the ego and the development of a continuous and stable sense of self. Ego is a Latin word that means “I.” When a person has an integrated ego, they have a reliable sense of their “I” and of their personal identity. They also have a reliable sense of others as distinct from themselves and an understanding of how these two constructs (self and other) interact to form a sense of reality. The integration of the ego is the process of organizing the aspects of the personality (drives, attitudes, beliefs, goals) and the split off parts of ourselves (due to shame, pain, trauma, etc.) into a balanced whole. In so doing, we become more effective in managing our lives and our relationships with others.

We reconnect the fragmented parts of ourselves that have been split off or exiled because of the shame and the pain that they hold. These are the parts of ourselves that we don’t like; the parts that are vulnerable and afraid. However, in burying these painful parts of ourselves, we inadvertently also bury the other more joyful parts of ourselves. If we numb our fear, we numb our joy. We drink and abuse substances of all kinds to numb the pain or to feel something else or nothing at all. We constantly shift the external experience when the current one overwhelms us. This means we aren’t being present. We aren’t still. Integration is about collecting all of the parts of ourselves and weaving them back together like the multifaceted diamonds that we are. We are like diamonds that shatter in response to trauma and difficult life experiences, fragments chipping off with each blow. The work in traditional psychotherapy is to unite, or integrate, the various parts of ourselves into one brilliant whole. By bringing awareness to the various parts of ourselves (the mind, the body, the breath, the senses) they can become integrated.

...while integration in psychotherapy involves creating wholeness within the ego, and integration in spiritual practices involves bridging the ego with that which lies beyond it"

- language may not be available to express what we’ve experienced, nor is it necessarily the best or most effective way to express it. Drawing and painting and working with mandalas are great ways to express nonverbal material.

- somatic practices can be helpful. What affects the mind affects the body, and vice versa. Becoming embodied and aware of the breath while moving through sensations helps us to integrate on the physical level.

- It is through an increased awareness of the body, the mind, and the spirit that we become whole.

[1] https://chacruna.net/integration-psychedelics-spirituality/

I see so much suffering is a process of grief.

Grief as a Mystical Journey - from Loss to Faith

We learn that a broken heart is capable of great love. Those experiencing loss, difficult and painful times can find many areas of compassion and comfort, particularly "Grief dares us to love once more." — Terry Tempest Williams

"The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief - But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love." Hillary Stanton Zunin

There is no renewal without a ‘small’ death of our personality, our set positioning in life or our childlike naivety.

Sure there's the heavy grief. Loss of loved ones including pets, adjusting to illness but there's also other levels which can impact life

"Grief of not being welcome, wanted, enough, or of not knowing enough, have enough support, money, skills etc...Paralysis, shame and envy can become the new guests in our beings....

We stop, numb and stay small not to feel our sadness, our numbness, our fears and anger. We are not skilled in Grief neither in Love. A terrible poverty takes place in our heart..." - Soul and making the world of our longing

From Francis Weller's The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief

1. "There is some strange intimacy between grief and aliveness, some sacred exchange between what seems unbearable and what is most exquisitely alive."

2. "Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close."

3. "Grief is subversive, undermining the quiet agreement to behave and be in control of our emotions. It is an act of protest that declares our refusal to live numb and small. There is something feral about grief, something essentially outside the ordained and sanctioned behaviors of our culture. Because of that, grief is necessary to the vitality of the soul. Contrary to our fears, grief is suffused with life-force.... It is not a state of deadness or emotional flatness. Grief is alive, wild, untamed and cannot be domesticated. It resists the demands to remain passive and still. We move in jangled, unsettled, and riotous ways when grief takes hold of us. It is truly an emotion that rises from the soul."

4. Many who undertake the full journey into grief come back carrying medicine for the world.

“Deep in our bones lies an intuition that we arrive here carrying a bundle of gifts to offer to the community. Over time, these gifts are meant to be seen, developed, and called into the village at times of need. To feel valued for the gifts with which we are born affirms our worth and dignity. In a sense, it is a form of spiritual employment - simply being who we are confirms our place in the village. That is one of the fundamental understanding about gifts: we can only offer them by being ourselves fully. Gifts are a consequence of authenticity; when we are being true to our natures, the gifts can emerge.”

Summarised by Darcy K. Butcher

...we are not locked in to the images of God that have been handed to us by family and culture. Interpretations of faith are dynamic rather than stagnant, and they are subject to change and evolution, with the spiritual shakeup resulting from loss and trauma as a common trigger. When one’s sense of equilibrium is disturbed, it can result in a "shifting of the field of consciousness from lower to higher levels ... the necessary beginning of any process of transcendence". This shift can push us through Fowler’s stages and lead us toward a new equilibrium

Five stages of mystical development

- an "awakening" experience that jolts us into a new reality
- purging of the old familiar self
- a period of illumination
- a surrender to emptiness
- a state where the usual conflicts and challenges are viewed from an elevated perspective. Here, instead of merely seeking relief from pain, one seeks meaning

Some putative stages:

Primal Faith: a foundational state of either trust or mistrust, depending on the care it receives and its sense of safety in the world. From this foundation, preliminary images of "God" begin to form

Intuitive-Reflective Faith

Mythic-Literal Faith
Losses are triggering curiosity and questioning that can lead them to the next stage, where, Fowler explains, there is an ability to imagine other possibilities and other realities

Synthetic-Conventional Faith
Centred on building a personal identity and building relationships with the world outside the immediate family.
"God" is a significant other who knows the depths and the secrets of the self, and offers companionship, guidance and support

Individuative-Reflective Faith

"The person is pushed out of, or steps out of, the circle of interpersonal relationships that have sustained his life to that point". This turning point can move a person toward deeper awareness as the result of a life-altering loss, that is, any experience that Wulff (1991) describes as causing one to "reflect on the relevance of established beliefs and values"

Conjunctive Faith

"waking up", one learns they can feed grief and pain or feed wonder and faith. Loss was not a meaningless accident. Open up to a greater potential and gained a reference point from which they contribute to the universe in new ways

- reclaiming and reworking of one’s past

-a view beyond separateness and dualism. It is a universalized faith rather than a personal one, functioning more in a transcendent reality than in a material reality. "This is where there is access to a quality of transcendence more concerned with personal revelation than with symbols or doctrines". In terms of grief resilience and recovery, this stage represents an emergence from grief with a positive outcome that includes a heightened awareness and a peaceful acceptance of the natural ebb and flow of sorrow and joy".

Universalizing Faith

"walk the talk"

It is possible to now see the self as part of a universal collective concerned with the energy of the whole rather than as an individual, autonomous island only concerned with personal, ego-centered needs.

From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29224518

Towards sexuality

Anyone else feel we need to literally re-program our mind, body and spirit away from most of our culture’s devolution of the sacred life-force energy that is so rampant today?

I feel it is our need to bloom a love beyond our immature, rebellious, uncertain and sexually confused carnal natures to vision of ourselves which will generate aliveness and hope.To form the capacity for loving intimacy.

There is a strong and positive correlation between sexuality and spirituality as well as wellbeing. One can be certain that any improvement in one of the areas may have a positive implication on the other area [1].

Unfortunately in our culture, sexuality gets reduced to a physical hedonistic high, power/control and lust and other negative ways - aiming then to gratify ‘our’ needs, ‘our’ desires - to fill a void - but it is not simply "hunger to be satisfied". We also live so dualistically, failing to see each-other equally, with love

To merge spirituality with sexuality means to connect sexuality with love, beauty, wonder, equality and joy. To affirm the wonder of life, the beauty of the human spirit and embrace love and care.

Sexuality and spirituality are both deeply personal and connected to our life force energy. Our attitudes about life, love, care and compassion are all connected to our feelings about sexuality.

Getting beyond our self absorption and being able to tap into the wonder and awe of creation can help us deepen our experience with sexuality - we need to associate sexuality with love, care, joy and commitment - where we open our minds and hearts

If we think of the body, mind and spirit as one, then to have a sense of wholeness associated with our sexuality is to be tuned into all aspects of our being–our spiritual life, senses, feelings and thoughts.

Connecting to our sexual energy is also about feeling joy and passion that come from honest conversation, giving to others, being in nature, being active and being of service.

"Relationship gives us access to Divinity through the portal of love. God is love, the attraction that brings beings together. Oneness is the realization of our intrinsic continuity with all of existence and the source of existence. The recognition of our oneness is an expansion of the "self-system" into a holy context, to be a Godself in relationship with infinite Godselves, the entire evolving chain of being beheld in your lover as a reflection in a Sacred Mirror."

Development is linked to these areas

Physical
Perceiving one’s body, gender, and growth-producing sexual behaviour as well as that of the opposite sex with a positive attitude.

Emotional
Feeling comfortable, confident, and competent with one’s body and sexuality, and that of the opposite sexes’

Social

Relating with persons of the same and opposite sex in a healthy way; having the capacity for self-disclosure; being able to sustain friendship and intimacy.

Moral
Valuing the ways of allowing and encouraging the behaviours necessary for ongoing growth.

Psychologically, the major challenge is to become more fully the persons they were meant to be by becoming more single-minded, more loving and caring, and more whole. It means achieving better balance between autonomy and intimacy and between self-interest and self-surrender. Into generative behaviours

Spiritual
Spiritually, the task is to develop spiritual intimacy. Individuals at this stage can respond to the dual desire and longing for intimacy and transcendence by becoming more sensitive to relationships through putting others’ needs and interests first and by becoming more meditative and prayerful. Individuals in this stage are more attracted to Centering prayer and related forms of meditation than in previous stages.

When any of these six dimensions are absent or limited, or if they develop in unhealthy ways, our journey toward sexual integration will in some way be hindered or slowed down leading to our sexual energy being expressed in ways that are hurtful to ourselves and others

http://www.claretianformation.com/psycho-sexual-development/

Modified from: https://charlottekasl.com/sexuality-spirituality-and-relationships-a-guide-to-bringing-them-together-in-our-lives/

[1] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6ee6/fe5add99f90502e571417e7603feacff1529.pdf

Towards others

I was always stuck in you vs me...

We become incapable of seeing the spectrums of life... moral discernment is simplified and greatly inhibited. It becomes easy and necessary to "other" (including parts of ourselves) who gets lumped into the "the other". Healing becomes hard because we destroy through categorisation that which we can no longer hold in empathy.

Our view of other people and life itself is also split into polarities... As a result, we view the whole universe through a tainted lens.

Splitting and the dualism it entails results in a repression of spirituality because it is a disconnect from deeper reality: my own Self, other people, and the whole universe.

We repress the profound: spirituality, unity consciousness, and imagination, into an unconscious spiritual shadow self. In the attempt to protect ourselves from pain through compartmentalisation, we plunge ourselves deeper into it. The disconnect of splitting is more painful than pain itself because it cuts us off.

We need to prioritise personal and collective healing if we want to experience the joys of spirituality, the freedom of wholeness and connection. Polarity is indeed part of the natural order, but we lose touch with life when we cut off consciousness of connection. Dualism is the idolisation and immortalisation of polarity through the destruction of relationship. ...systems of othering are so tempting because they appeal to our sense of separation and offer a solution that resonates with our suffering. Dualism protected us as children from the beauties of life and the wonders of spiritual experiencing being swallowed up by suffering. But dualism no longer serves those of us who aspire to move beyond childhood wounding into adult thriving.

Modified from: https://lifeafterdogma.org/2019/02/11/psychological-splitting/

Towards Love

“If we are stretching to live wiser and not just smarter, we will aspire to learn what love means…"

Our society continually casts love as something that happens to us passively and by chance, something we fall into, something that strikes us arrow-like, rather than a skill attained through the same deliberate practice as any other pursuit

In spite of the deep-seated craving for love, almost everything else is considered to be more important than love: success, prestige, money, power — almost all our energy is used for the learning of how to achieve these aims, and almost none to learn the art of loving.

Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one’s capacity to love. Hence the problem to them is how to be loved, how to be lovable.

That said, a love predicated on possession inevitably turns into fear — the fear of losing what was gained.

"Love is concerned with growth and evolution. It is — though as yet hardly acknowledged in that connection — a root-factor of ordinary human growth; for in so far as it is a hunger of the individual, the satisfaction of that hunger is necessary for individual growth — necessary (in its various forms) for physical, mental and spiritual nourishment, for health, mental energy, large affectional capacity, and so forth. And it is — though this too is not sufficiently acknowledged — a root-factor of the Evolution process.

Love is a complex of human relations — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and so forth — all more or less necessary. And though seldom realized complete, it is felt, and feels itself, to be imperfect without some representation of every side. To limit it to the expression of one particular aspect would be totally inadequate, if not absurd and impossible.

The intense chemistry of the psychic elements produces something like an actual flame. A fresh combination is entered into, profound transformations are effected, strange forces liberated, and a new personality perhaps created; and the accomplishment and evidence of the whole process is by no means only joy, but agony also

Love does more for the moralizing of poor humanity than a hundred thousand Sunday schools. It cleans the little human soul from the clustered lies in which it has nested itself — from the petty conceits and deceits and cowardices and covert meannesses." [1]

[1] https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/03/31/edward-carpenter-love-marriage-in-free-society/

April 1, 2019

Interesting but have you tried simple tryptophan? Seems to be a commoner approach with a better established safety profile

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