Bionics and our Biophysical Future

I would support the development of a "bionic" person. The bionic eye and bionic hand are fascinating technological developments that can help a person with health ailments or disabilities, and provide a person with a state of normalcy that enable a person to conduct normal activities and substantially improve the quality of life. I don't support the development of a "bionic" person in the sense of being superhuman or developing capabilities beyond the normal human spectrum. I feel that since the human body is a system and humans exist in a greater system of the environment, the future ramifications of superhuman developments cannot be predicted nor imagined, and deference should be given to the divine intelligence of Nature's creation.

I think that the development of a "bionic" person for military purposes brings up the question of ethics in technology. Just like how medicine can be used to heal or to hurt, technology can be used to benefit or to harm. I don't think that bionics should be used for military purposes because the risk of the technology falling into the wrong hands is a significant consequence. Nuclear warfare has the capability for mass destruction, and I can see the possibility of bionics contributing to warfare that is also immensely destructive.

Energy Medicine and Energy Fields

It is interesting how "energy medicine" is gaining acceptance in the United States. Eastern practices of acupuncture as well as meditation and tai chi are permeating into mainstream curiosity. I think that it has been difficult for people in America to fully accept acupuncture because of a different cultural framework and insufficient Western terminology or language to understand what acupuncture is and how it works. It can make acupuncture seem simplistic, mysterious, or magical. Nonetheless the effectiveness of acupuncture as a type of "energy medicine" as spread anecdotally and the reputation of aiding ailments where Western medicine is deficient, such as with stroke paralysis or pain, has pushed acupuncture into more mainstream acceptance. The coverage of acupuncture by some insurance companies is one indicator of how the effectiveness of energy medicine is being acknowledged in Western society.

I think it is fascinating that Kirlian photography is able to capture auras of a person or object. Even more fascinating is how the aura of a person can change after receiving an acupuncture treatment. In a way, Kirlian is proof of energy and how acupuncture has a substantial affect on energy. I am curious to see Kirlian photography and the colors that come up with the aura. It is interesting to think of how colors are associated with certain energetic qualities. It makes me think of the vibrational characteristic of the color being similar to the vibrational characteristic of a person's aura and energy state.

Intention has an affect on health and wellbeing on an energetic level. I think about how setting an intention brings alignment and openness within the internal energetic lines, and that can create a pathway that makes it more accessible to achieve alignment and openness in the external body and surrounding environment. It is interesting to consider how the external can be a reflection of the internal, so by cultivating the internal with right intention, the external can shift as well.

Life and Living Systems

I know I'm a "living system" because... I am continuously evolving in molecular and chemical composition. It is apparent that I am a living system when I observe my nutrition and activity patterns. My body reflects and changes depending on the quality of the food that I eat and the types of athletic activities that I engage in. The interaction of my body with the world around it is evidence of my life within the system that I am living in. This makes me think about how as humans we have to be conscious of the environment that we live in because our sustainability is truly dependent on it. It is becoming more and more of a challenge to source food that is nutrient-dense and does not have harmful antibiotics, pesticides, GMO, mercury, etc. The diminished quality of the food we produce and gather will inevitably have an effect on the quality of our lives.

I think it is an interesting cultural phenomenon that as a society we are consuming more time with technology and entertainment and spending less time interacting face-to-face with each other. And with this cultural shift, efforts are being put forward to make technology and entertainment more personalized and interactive with the user. One of the articles discussed how Disney is funding startup technology companies that promote products using innovations of artificial intelligence. Technology companies are striving to make technology more human with personalized content, emotional engagement, and direct interaction. This makes me think about the impact technology has to social evolution, whether an increase in technological skills will come at the sacrifice of interpersonal skills.

Synthesis

The sun was in the sky in Oakland when I woke up from sleeping. I drank a liquid decoction of apple, kale, carrots, ginger, and lemon for breakfast. It tasted refreshing and delicious to me. I went to get what is known by some people as an acupuncture and I believe is a healing therapy. I ate a meal called lunch in some cultures at a place that described its food as the style French. I spoke on a device called a telephone to a person I consider to be a friend. I made an effort to study material for classes. I invited another person that I consider to be a friend over my apartment for a meal called dinner in some cultures. I went to sleep when the sky in Oakland was dark.

Consciousness is understanding the subconscious which influences our reality. This can be from understanding the forces that we feel but are not always aware of, such as gravity. It can also be the thought patterns that influence how we engage with the world, such as dark aspects of our character. What we consider to be reality is a reflection of what is inside of us.

Classical Physics

Of Newton's Three Laws, the First Law stands out to me: "Objects at rest remain at rest, and objects in motion remain in motion in a straight line at constant velocity. A force must be applied to change the state of motion of an object." This makes me think of habits, which have a tendency to continue at the same manner, unless the force of willpower is applied to change the habit from its usual course. The amount of willpower needed to make the change depends on how substantial and sustaining the habit is.

When I think of "energy efficiency" in our culture, I think of the concept of carbon footprint. For example, it can be debated to whether buying local produce or imported produce is more energy efficient. Often the conclusion is that local produce is more energy efficient. However the real calculation depends on the total resources needed to grow the produce locally versus the total resources needed to grow the produce abroad plus the resources required to transport the produce.

Descartes said "I think therefore I am". But what, really, am "I"? Our perception is subjective and the way we see things creates what we know as reality. I think the realization that our perception is subjective opens us to other perspectives and helps us to see things objectively. Reality is great enough to contain multiple truths, and our perspective is only one truth.

Chaos Theory

I've heard "ordered chaos" used casually before in describing a complex situation that has a degree of predictability. Chaos usually refers to a disordered state, which seemingly has no rhyme or reason. It is interesting to think about how chaos can be organized with a mathematical theory. Perhaps we label something as "chaos" when it exhibits a complexity and randomness that we don't understand it, but when recognizing there is a pattern or initiation of behavior, it seems "ordered" in a way.

Fractals as patterns of complex system - This makes me think of nature, and the fractals that exist in the dynamic and changing system of the environment. Scientists can predict hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes by observing patterns. A single incident can give clue to a formula for a pattern that repeats on a larger and wider scale. For example, scientists can look at past hurricanes and apply fractal mathematics to predict the emergence and trajectory of future hurricanes. Fractals can help predict seemingly chaotic events in nature.

"Consciousness out of chaos" is an interesting concept. It makes me think of mental chaos/confusion, and mental consciousness/clarity. Chaos reflects a system that is not in equilibrium, and therefore contains energy, which can be destructive or constructive. The ability to realize consciousness and harness the energy of chaos is advantageous in reaching a greater state of creativity and change.

Vibrations

Vibrations can be powerful, and like other things that are powerful, vibrations can have two sides. Vibrations can be "good", beautiful as with music and healing as with sound vibrations that correspond with chakra centers in the body.  The collapse of the Nimitz Freeway is an example of how a vibration can be "bad". The low-frequency vibration of the earthquake resonated with the structural layers of the freeway, and since mud layers responded strongly to the earthquake, it caused the bridge to collapse. Another example of a "bad" vibration is with the Honda lawsuit of how the rattling of the car made occupants feel nauseous. The extent to which a vibration is "good" or "bad" depends on the frequency, the situation, and the material matter or people being influenced.

In my yoga practice I experience "forced resonance" while doing pranayama breathing technique called bhramari. Sounds are made with the mouth for the duration of exhalation, similar to the sound of a humming bee. When practicing bhramari, the sounds can be made at various pitches to target the seven different chakra centers  in the body. One can focus on vibrations at particular tones and frequencies to target a healing effect on body tissues, physical and emotional issues associated with each chakra.

The English translation of the Chinese word "qi" as "energy" is not accurate. Qi encompasses more than energy because it involves an interaction between vibration, air, and vital substances. Qi is not constant but rather has varying contextual characteristics - of being free flowing or blocked, organized or unorganized, righteous or harmful, constructive or destructive, etc. There can be comparisons drawn between the Western understanding of "energy" with Chinese word "qi", but the two words are not equivalent.

Symmetry and Sacred Geometry

At the grocery store today, I noticed the delicious cakes in the bakery. A thought came to mind about how we often associate symmetry with perfection. A cake is considered beautiful if comes out of the oven in the form of a perfect circle, one side is not more lop-sided than the other, there is smoothness and consistency in the frosting. You could turn the cake upside down and it would maintain the same symmetrical shape. But there are times when we opt for asymmetry, such as when "Happy Birthday!" is written on the cake. The words would be illegible if it were symmetrical, so asymmetry is favorable.

CP violation is a violation of the conservation laws defined by charge conjugation and parity charge. The violation is seen in radioactive substances, such as uranium. I wonder if nuclear forces are so destructive because it has properties so counter to matter that does not exhibit CP violation. We have seen how radiation and atomic bombs are so destructive on humans and existence. Perhaps the reason why the affect of radiation is so difficult to treat in humans is because we do not have a secure understanding of how CP violation works and how to reverse it.

I think there are connections between sacred geometry and physics. It is interesting to think about sacred geometry in representing a "higher dimensional math". Sacred geometry enables an understanding and access to the energy flow of abstract concepts, such as time and dimensions. The I-Ching is a great example of how time can be a heightened observance of patterns of change, a quantum understanding of how change in one aspect will affect another aspect, which can seemingly predict the future.

Energy, Matter and the Four Forces

E=mc2 affected me when I trained boxing today. My sparing partner that weighs more than me, that have more mass than me, can deliver a punch with more force and more energy. There is a clear correlation between mass and energy. In Einstein's equation, the speed of light is a constant. Yet in my boxing training, the speed is not constant. Therefore I use my quick speed as an advantage when sparing. My ability to move around the ring and deliver punches with high speed and unexpectedly makes up for my disadvantage in mass, enabling me to have an energy to match my sparing partner. 

I find the four forces interesting in that the affect of gravity is more acknowledged than the others, yet the other three also have an affect. I find electromagnetism fascinating and think that we don't acknowledge that force enough. Gravity is attractive, whereas electromagnetism comes in two charges, positive and negative. Electromagnetism has both attractive and repulsive properties that can combine or cancel each other out. I wonder how electromagnetism can be applied to energy between people, how two people can have an electromagnetic combination and be attracted or repelled by each other based on the energy that those two people have.

The function of gravity is to give explanation for why masses move towards each other. I think about the gravity on Earth, and how our understanding of gravity enables us to make predictions that affect our everyday lives. For example, we can estimate that a full grocery bag will require muscle strength to carry because of the pull of Earth's gravity; we can throw a basketball up in the air towards a hoop based on a projection of how gravity will make the ball come down (hopefully for the Warriors, into the basket!); we can use a crane on a construction site and know that gravity will have a pull on the steel being lifted and ensure that the tension cord is of a certain strength to counter gravity's force on the mass of the object. An understanding of gravity is applicable in our everyday lives. 

Synchronicity

I think that we try to comprehend and explain synchronicity, primarily by trying explain the sensation of it or our observation of when it happens. But I think that we cannot really explain synchronicity because it is in an energetic realm beyond our full comprehension. I think there is an energetic dynamic that plays out between people, and influences interactions and circumstances in ways that we are not fully aware. I think that dynamic is so complex that it creates a design in the universe of what happens, when people meet, how things occur. Our sensation of synchronicity is when we trust in that design and go with the flow of it, rather than trying to control it or put rationality to it. We surrender to what is happening in the present and embrace it as synchronicity. It is easiest for us to embrace the notion of synchronicity and greater design when we observe it occurring with people we choose to be close to, such as our partner and close friends. We open to a degree of trust and intentional thought, and that enables us to open our eyes and see how things are happening. Particularly when things are happening in a favorable or pleasant way, it is easier for us to accept the idea that things are happening exactly as they should, and that our energetic dynamic is playing out in our experience with another person. For example, when a person calls another person and that person was just about to pick up the phone to call them. I think this energetic dynamic is happening all the time, synchronicity is happening all the time, we just don't easily recognize when it is not favorable and difficult to accept. For example, when a person loses a job, the tendency is to put the blame externally on other people or external factors rather than to see the possible ways one could have influenced and brought upon that unfortunate circumstance themselves. I think it is challenging to explain synchronicity because we have limited vocabulary and understanding of the energetic realm, and we have a propensity to observe synchronicity in some circumstances but not others.

I believe we are all connected. I think we are connected to people in different degrees depending on their proximity to us, but nonetheless every human as some affect on another. It reminds me of a story I heard once about a butterfly wing flapping whose ripples through the air could be felt across the world.

I think that meditation is a very useful tool that can help one gain an understanding of energetic power. After being in a room where a group of people have meditated, the energetic shift to a state more peaceful and calm is clearly perceivable. The energetic shift in a person who has meditated, and the effect that person has on other people, is also perceivable after meditation. These are simple ways that prove how thoughts and energetic quality have an influence on our experience and what happens in the world.

Quantum Mechanics

In American culture we are encouraged to believe that we are the rulers of our destiny, that we can create ourself and our life to be whatever we desire. We like to have a sense of control over outcomes, and have a certainty that a particular action will lead to a particular result. Yet when things don't go the way we expected, we have a contrary attitude, quickly placing responsibility and blame for what happened outside of ourselves. The incongruence lies in that while there is certainty that an action or change in one aspect has an affect on another aspect, we do not really have complete control or understanding of what that change will be, and therefore there in uncertainty. In our own lives, in society, in the environment, I think it is important to accept the limited perspective and knowledge we have, and confirm that while we have an understanding of patterns and can make probable predictions, to more or less of a degree, we cannot have complete certainty about anything in our lives or the universe, even though the universe itself has an equation of balance and inter-transformation. I feel that Eastern culture has more acknowledgement of this concept of certainty in the universe although much of it is unknown to us. Eastern philosophy and medicine points to how patterns across ancestral generations, constitutions, arrangements, seasons, years, star alignment etc can have an influence on the individual and provide a greater degree of probability into what is unknown and uncertain.

To measure something is to define it's state by a previously defined concept of measurement. Particles simply exist, and our understanding of particles at a particular moment and in a particular form gives it a definition that falls in line with our framework of understanding.

Observing the effect of something and attempting to understanding the cause can be of much challenge. This makes me think of the process of trying to understand physical and emotional patterns. We observe a physical injury, illness, or disease and we analyze emotional triggers, reactivity, and propensities. Then we try to figure out what habit, incident, or experience caused the imbalance, pain, or suffering. The truth is that we can never fully understand or be certain about the cause, although we can make inferences and probable guesses, and subsequently offer treatment that is likely to support healing. Although ultimately healing is a multifactorial and mysterious process that cannot be control by one or a few factors. It is a reminder to be aware of the expectation we have of cause and affect, but also let go of attachment to that expectation.

The meaning of time

Time is our construction and the speed of time is perceived in our experience. I believe that by attuning our awareness and senses, we can perceive more input in frequency and quantity, and therefore experience the illusion that time is slowing down.

I think that the cultural implications of time have a greater impact on our interactions than we acknowledge. Having lived and worked in multi-national environments, I have seen how understanding of time shapes our experience and interpersonal relations. Our unspoken understanding of time governs the basis of assumptions, fluidity of interactions, and creation of expectations. Time also reflects values and social norms. As the world becomes more global, I believe that it is ever more important to have an awareness of how time is understood across different cultures and to have a flexibility in navigating around different concepts of time.

I believe in the possibility and existence of parallel universes. Dark matter is a wonderful example of how human logic and intelligence is limited. I think that patterns across time, which Chinese Medicine is based on, is a clue to how there is an underlying force that is influencing the manifestation of reality that we see but have an incomplete understanding of.

The beginning

Hello, my name is Ivy.

What attracts me to Chinese Medicine is that it is a holistic and integrative philosophy to medicine and life. Chinese Medicine aligns with my belief that the physical, emotional, and spiritual is interconnected. It also supports the notion that nothing exists in isolation but rather has a relational cause and effect with other things. I am drawn to Chinese Medicine as a method of healing that addresses problems at the root in order to resolve them, in contrast to Western Medicine that often addresses just the symptoms, which consequently fails to truly resolve problems and causes more problems by externality. Personally I have seen and experienced incredible benefit of Chinese Medicine and learning the art is a way for me to express my intention to be of service to others.

I think physics is fascinating as a way to understand our human experience. I don't particularly like math, but I enjoy learning about the theory in physics. I find it interesting to think about the facets of our experience that we typically don't think about, or have assumptions about, or aren't able to have straightforward understanding or clear answers.

An experience I had of time "slowing down" was when I was in a bike accident last fall. As I was hit and felt my trajectory shift, coming closer and closer to impacting the ground, it seemed that things were happening in slow motion. I was able to have more awareness and perceive more subtleties of my movements and thoughts. Within this heightened experience of the present happening, I also simultaneously sensed a flashback to the set up of the past and prediction of unfolding in the future.