I’m up late for no particular reason here again, and I’ve been wanting to put this out there for a while…
but…are you really an atheist? Or an agnostic, for that matter?
Are you sure??
REASON I ASK IS
In our culture we define “God” using far too narrow a focus. IMHO. We confuse religion with spirituality. So for many people, “God” is associated with all the usual religious dogma. I used to tell people, “I am not atheist…but I am atheist with respect to Christianity”!
If you happen to be one of those folks who relies on cold, hard logic to determine your belief or disbelief in God…this post is for you.
ASSUMPTIONS
Let’s assume for sake of argument:
1- There’s nothing spiritual or metaphysical about this universe. Nothing Divine. 2- Our own consciousness is just the product of chemical, electrical, and other physical processes.
Let’s define God as:
1- Omnipresent 2- All-Knowing
Fair Enough?
I’d expand the definition of God to include things like “all powerful” or even “Loving” but I’d rather leave that to your imagination when you’re done reading the following sections.
CONSIDER
Consider then:
We are made of purely physical matter and energy. Nothing “mystical” for the sake of this argument. Our brains- supposedly the part of us that forms thought and holds memory- are pretty damn tiny. The size of a small cabbage. And yet in that small space…that tiny compartment of nothing but physical matter and energy- this amazing consciousness is spawned. And it isn’t confined to internal experiences. Thanks to our senses- sight, hearing, touch- our consciousness can stretch far beyond our physical location, perceiving things far off, and integrating awareness of those things into itself.
Arguably, the power of a physically-based mind is dependent on total computing power…which in turn is dependent on:
1- Computations per unit volume per unit time; and, 2- Total Volume
(and perhaps time spent computing but that’s so obvious it’s a no-brainer)
So basically, a physical brain- in order to increase computation power- needs to either:
1- Pack more computation into a small area or 2- Take up a bigger area.
In our model, conscious awareness is derived from (and limited by) the number of physical and chemical interactions possible within it. But we’re asserting that consciousness naturally arises from purely physical and chemical interactions.
SO YOU’RE TELLING ME
There’s enough physical movement and chemical reaction and energy transfer happening in a human brain (the size of a small cabbage) to elicit a fairly complex consciousness capable of emotion, expression, art, mathematics, abstraction, and everything else we do….
And yet you simultaneously believe that the sum total of all the physical, chemical, and energetic exchanges happening across the sum total of all existence (and across an infinite time span) are not enough to elicit any form of consciousness?
Hilarious!
Take Care & God (no matter how you define it) Bless, – Brandon Novogradac Earth Scientist, Holistic Cancer Coach, Reiki Dude
2. Consciously devote your energy and time to things that fill you up.
3. Learn to separate your own emotions from the emotions of those around you. Don’t allow yourself to be swept up by fear or hype. Check in to ask “Is this truly how I feel?”.
4. Be your own advocate.
5. Speak your whole truth. What does this actually mean? “X is what I see, Y is how I feel, and Z is why it matters. I propose we ……”.
Expanding #1
Remember: saying “No” need not be final. “No” is often the start of setting terms acceptable to everyone involved. Think of it as “Yes….but only if we can agree on the details / conditions”.
Expanding #2
It may help to make a list of the things that matter most in your life. What are your priorities, truly?
Then, with that list in hand, pull up your calendar. If the thing that matters most to you is taking up the least of your time, it will be obvious. While you’re here, book time to do something you love. Treat this as sacred space on your schedule.
Expanding #3
You’d be surprised how many of people are walking, talking emotion sponges. Maybe you’re one of them.
We have a monthly “empath meeting” here in Pittsburgh, at the Soul Spa. We note there are two major types: Sponges, and Walls.
Sponges subconsciously absorb emotions from everyone around them. These people have a tough time in huge crowds or even at the grocery store. When a Sponge becomes consciously aware that this is happening, life usually becomes much easier for them.
Walls most likely began life as Sponges, but to stop themselves from being constantly overwhelmed, learned (at an early age usually) to subconsciously turn off their emotional connection. The wall they form can make it hard for them to show emotion, even though they are extremely deep and caring souls.
Are you a Sponge, a Wall, or do you alternate between the two? In any case, mindfulness exercises can help you rebalance your emotional awareness.
Expanding #4
Be your own advocate. There’s so much to this.
Many people will stand up for someone else, but lack the self-worth to stand up for themselves. If this describes you, releasing energetic blocks to the expansion of self-worth and self-love can be extremely effective.
I often tell people who have a hard time advocating for themselves: Picture yourself as your own agent, and see yourself in the third-person. Then negotiate on your own behalf. As though you are your own lawyer or talent manager.
Expanding #5
When you communicate your own truth, remember: you are showing others how to do the same for themselves. Some people are waiting for permission to start loving themselves. When you speak your truth and advocate relentlessly for yourself, this deepens self-respect and self-love within everyone in your sphere.
Feel free to share your thoughts here.
Take Care & God Bless, – Brandon Earth Scientist, Holistic Cancer Coach, Reiki Dude Path Home
This post is for everyone who noticed the sad irony of tired phrases like “Trust the Science” during the so-called pandemic.
(For what it’s worth, I’m a scientist…do you automatically trust me?)
Are you just going to believe everything I type from here on out?
No?
Really?
Good.
Because here’s the deal: Scientists are a lot like everyone else, except we’re a tiny bit weirder than you are (unless you’re some sort of artist). There’s a limit to our knowledge. We have opinions. We make errors, omissions, and some of us claim to have answers we can’t possibly have. Some of us are honest, and others are total bullshit artists.
We’re human. ish.
I hope you enjoy this partial list of “the science” (the bullshit) produced during the age of COVID-19. It’s a sample of the crap you were supposed to trust, just because some well-dressed asshat said it on the news.
As you can see, I’m poorly dressed, with a seriously amateurish background, and yet I can still do “the science” better than many of your modern suit-wearing puppets.
Here we go.
Starting with the phrase, “safe & effective”.
Oh, man.
The phrase “safe & effective” was repeated so heavily that it was obviously just a marketing slogan. This phrase originated with globalist policy makers. So let’s just call it what it was: propaganda.
If a product were truly “safe & effective”, it would go without saying.
The repetition of this phrase, particularly before long-term vaccine safety trials could have possibly been completed, was a huge red flag for anyone paying attention.
“Safe”?
I’ll never forget when we were just eight months into the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and already these mRNA shots had been correlated with more deaths than every other vaccine combined over the previous 30 years. If it’s still online when you’re reading this post, check out the graphs & tables over at openVAERS. That should put to rest any notion that these shots are “safe” in relative terms.
That said, if you got one of these shots, don’t freak out. Your health depends on a variety of factors, and many of those factors are still completely within your control.
“Effective”?
It depends on what you mean by “effective”. If you mean: “it works like any other vaccine, and it stops a disease”. Nope. We wish.
Does it reduce symptoms? Maybe. Maybe not. But so do certain vitamins and lifestyle habits which don’t carry the same degree of health risk as these COVID-19 shots.
The safety record is so awful for these shots that any discussion of effectiveness must be weighed against potential consequences.
My Vaccine Protects You
(My Bullshit Protects Your Bullshit)
I can put this myth to rest with one simple question:
If MY vaccine doesn’t even stop ME from getting a case of COVID-19, how in the fuck is MY vaccine going to protect YOU from getting a case of COVID-19?
Unnecessary Explanation:
1) If I’m sick with COVID, I can transmit it to someone else.
…right?
2) This vaccine doesn’t stop anyone from having COVID. Loads of people who took the vaccine are still getting COVID. It’s not a “rare breakthrough case” happening here & there. Turns out that was more bullshit, too.
4) Which means vaccinated folks are still able to pass COVID to the people around them.
5) So there is no appreciable benefit of the vaccine when it comes to “stopping the spread”. More bullshit, there.
Side note: Natural immunity is superior to vaccine-induced immunity, in diseases for which natural immunity is possible. I’m honestly not sure if immunity applies at all in this situation, because we’re dealing with a mutating coronavirus… or at least, that’s what they say we’re dealing with. Can’t even be 100% sure of that though.
My Mask Protects You
(Good Lord…)
Most of the masks people wore early in the plandemic were a total joke: Fabric coarse enough to drive a freight train through. Giant gaps between the mask and face, allowing air to freely pass out the sides.
And “boner noses”. We can all agree about that.
Point being, our masks weren’t going to stop viral transmission. They were a joke.
I’m not saying masks are 100% worthless, though. I actually believe they may help…just slightly….especially if someone’s coughing or sneezing.
That said, I’m a firm believer in personal responsibility. If MY mask actually stops a virus, I don’t give a damn what you’re doing with your face. It’s a beautiful thing. When I protect myself, your choices simply don’t affect me.
The problem is, we had a bunch of people who wanted to either A) be the helpless victim; or B) be the boss.
Oh, and we had a bunch of people who wanted to C) be both.
Those Type C people were the meanest & dumbest. Instead of finding a mask that actually stopped COVID (not easy, but 100% doable), or simply staying home, or taking other measures to protect themselves adequately, they just wanted to make sure to tell everyone else exactly what to do…whether or not it actually made sense. Total control freaks…authority fan-boys & authority fan-girls, parroting the phrase “trust the science”, yet obviously not terribly concerned with actual science, safety, health, or logic. More focused on winning arguments than on carefully considering options and just doing their personal best. Sad.
Side Note about Science
It’s worth noting that “the science” is rarely settled. Especially with something still being intensely studied, such as, oh, I don’t know, a “novel virus”…or an experimental “vaccine”.
So yeah….the phrase “Trust the Science” itself was a red flag.
Side Note about Reading the Room
My personal opinion here. Any time you’ve got politicians & bureaucrats from both sides of the political spectrum saying “look, just trust me on this”, your hackles should raise. That was your next clue, right there.
But Unvaccinated People are Spreading the Disease
Yeah….and?
So are vaccinated people.
Vaccinated people are still spreading COVID-19.
Vaccinated people are still spreading COVID-19.
Vaccinated people are still spreading COVID-19.
Period.
For that reason, this idea that “You ought to be especially terrified of UNvaccinated people” isn’t science. It isn’t safety. It’s just marketing. Propaganda. Fear Porn.
It’s divisive politics, in an era of divisive politics. Anyone surprised?
“Two Weeks to Flatten the Curve”
Ha. Ha. Ha.
[Sigh]
Have you seen graphs showing COVID-19 case rates over time? It’s usually impossible to tell- just by looking at the graphs- at what point in time a “lockdown” or mask mandate was either implemented or lifted. According to these data, such measures don’t seem to have an appreciable effect on case rates.
In theory, yes, “two weeks to flatten the curve” made sense. In the real world, it doesn’t work that way.
Tom Woods has covered this topic beautifully over the past couple years. I suggest subscribing to his newsletter.
“It’s a Deadly Pandemic” (and We Need a Dramatic Response)
Oh?
There may be a virus or disease called COVID-19. Sure.
It is lethal in some cases, and brutal in others. Yeah.
It may affect people of all ages in all conditions.
Yet it is nowhere near as dangerous as heart disease or cancer. There’s just no comparison.
So if we’re talking about a proportional response in line with the danger posed by a disease, explain to me the intensity of the response to COVID-19. Explain the hysteria. Why no hysteria about the actual leading causes of death around here?
Fear Porn, people.
It’s been a bunch of fucking fear porn.
I’m not saying the phenomenon known as COVID-19 is harmless. I listen to the nurses.
I am saying, if we were focused on saving as many lives as possible from all causes, our priorities would look different.
“Vaccine Hesitant”
This was a cute & dishonest way to imply that everyone who hadn’t yet taken a COVID-19 jab would eventually change their mind…perhaps when they saw how well it was going for everyone else.
I can’t speak for everyone else in the category, but I looked at the likely benefits and risks, and decided not to take the damn shot. Done. There was nothing “hesitant” about it.
Other Side Notes
I covered some of this as it was all unfolding. Here are some highlights:
“But…People who don’t Trust the Science are Dangerous Conspiracy Theorists”
(or backwards, selfish MAGA people from out in the sticks, right?)
Well, it turns out that what bureaucrats were calling “the science” all along was actually “the bullshit”.
“Trust the Bullshit”, they should have said. Would have been more honest.
It’s crazy how, during this whole debacle, much of what was initially viewed as “conspiracy theory about COVID-19” eventually became common knowledge.
In fairness, there’s a lot of COVID-19 conspiracy theory out there that hasn’t been proven true, and probably will never be, because well, it’s also bullshit.
It’s just sad when the official narrative- the voice we SHOULD be able to trust- is less truthful than many independent researchers, scientists, and doctors out here who are just trying to get to the bottom of things.
I’m happy to support you in your COVID-19 vaccination decision.
I wish you the best, whatever you’ve decided.
I’m not going to act as though your health decision is affecting me. Because in all likelihood, it isn’t.
It’s sad how much of an us versus them issue this has become. It’s by design.
Don’t Fall for the Bullshit, Next Time!
Easier said than done, because the bullshit artists are constantly upping their game.
Here’s a technique I’ve been using since 2001:
Any time you see a topic hitting the news full-bore…as in, 24/7 saturation of media coverage….let it be a red flag that either A) some not-entirely-truthful narrative is being pushed hard and fast; or B) it’s a distraction from whatever is truly important.
ESPECIALLY if whatever is being presented comes with a hefty dose of fear. Fear is a great motivator, and those who wish to control you wield it well.
Along those lines, it may also help to shift your inner-dialogue from:
“What must society / government / community do to make me feel safe?”
to:
“What steps can I take to protect myself?”
This shift makes you far less susceptible to feeling like you’re powerless. Which makes you harder to frighten, harder to fool, and harder to coerce.
Bottom Line
The point of this post wasn’t to put anyone down for their stance on COVID, or for their health choices. The point here is, the next time someone appears on the news as a scientist, a doctor, or some “expert” of any kind, treat whatever they say as though the words came straight from the lips of your drunk, stumbling neighbor who’s wearing freshly pissed pants.
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.
Take Care & God Bless, – Brandon Novogradac owner at Path Life Coaching Earth Scientist, Certified Cancer Coach, Reiki Master / Teacher
The prospect of radiation therapy for cancer can be daunting and even frightening. Beyond the potential for short- and long-term health complications, there’s also a substantial time commitment involved. Radiation therapy is often administered across multiple sessions per week, for multiple weeks.
In any decision about health interventions, it’s important to weigh the benefits, risks, and costs (money, time, perhaps travel, and any other quality-of-life implications).
Benefits and Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
In theory, the goal of radiation therapy is to oxidize (aka “burn”) cancer cells, while doing the least possible damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The extent to which this can be accomplished depends HIGHLY on the location of the cancer, and the method of administering radiation.
I don’t want to re-invent or retype the wheel, so if you’d like to read more about radiation therapy techniques, benefits, and general drawbacks, please refer to the web page curated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), here.
How to know if radiation therapy is right for you…
It’s one thing to understand the general benefits & risks of radiation. But how do you decide if it’s going to help YOU, specifically?
1) Trust Your Gut
First of all- and this may sound strange coming from a scientist- trust your gut. Most of us have a strong intuitive sense of what is going to be good for us. There’s a mind-body-spirit connection, and those who honor it tend to experience dramatic, even miraculous healing. I’ve seen friends and clients (and myself, I’ll be honest) ignore their intuition and pay the price, obviously not just when it comes to cancer.
2) Ask Your Doctor?
I phrased this with a question mark because- while you should ask a doctor for specific information about treatment- the information you’ll get from doctors is not always specific enough, especially when it comes to cancer treatments. This is partly because there’s not enough time for them to explain every last thing you’ll need to know. But it’s also because doctors don’t do all of your research for you.
The patients who do best are those who take time to bring themselves up to speed on treatments before agreeing to them.
3) Do Your Own Research
Some people may say, “No thanks, I’ll just trust my doctor- (s)he is the expert”.
Ugh.
The doctor IS an expert at prescribing medical interventions and adjusting the dose according to your changing health status. This does NOT mean the doctor knows how every medication works, or exactly how likely the therapy is to benefit you, or exactly how likely the therapy is to harm you.
If you want to know how well a therapy aligns with your health goals, then 99% of the time you will need to do some research. This is easier than you might think. It just takes time…so don’t let anyone pressure you into a hasty decision.
Potential sources of information include:
official prescribing information
medical & scientific journal articles and studies (search PubMed or Google Scholar)
anecdotal- Do you know any friends who have been through something similar? Ask them what they did & how it went.
4) Things to Consider
When you’re researching, here’s what you’re looking for:
What percentage of therapy recipients see measurable benefit?
How much benefit do they see?
How long does that benefit last?
How does the therapy compare with alternative therapies?
How does the therapy compare with doing nothing?
What are the typical side effects?
How common are the side effects?
How long do the side effects last?
How might the side effects be reduced or avoided?
What’s the out-of-pocket expense?
Keep in mind, you’re looking for information that is specific to your type of cancer, and specific to the radiation therapy being offered. The more accurate you are in your research, the better armed you’ll be to make your best decision.
Other Thoughts
Why do I advocate private research so much?
Because I’ve watched people undergo therapies which had very little chance (as in, near zero chance) of offering noticeable benefit, yet which also carried significant risks. I’ve seen people almost lose their lives from therapies which- in all likelihood- didn’t improve their health. In all of these cases, the therapies were prescribed by a doctor. In many cases, that doctor probably did not read the prescribing information or medical studies to anticipate how the treatment would affect that specific patient. It just doesn’t happen that way. Until this changes, patients need to educate themselves and/or find outside help.
A lot of the wisdom offered in this article applies not only to radiation, but also to chemotherapy, surgery, and medical interventions for diseases other than just cancer.
Hopefully this is enough to help you figure things out and move forward with confidence!
“Curing” is by definition limited to medical intervention.
If you have a cut, a cure in the form of stitches or glue may help, but healing ultimately does the actual mending.
Your body heals independently & naturally, by the grace of the divine and by your own will, with some help from Mother Earth.
So next time someone says “incurable”, you may want to gently correct them. This word isn’t anything but a limiting belief. It sounds scientific, definitive, authoritative, and final… but it’s not.
Ah. The power of belief is such that, if you believe it, it’s true for you.
So my first challenge is convincing the so-called “incurable” of another truth:
You are always healing.
-Brandon Earth Scientist, Holistic Cancer Consultant, Reiki
I’m on a tangent from health-related matters, sort of, to talk about this whole Ukraine & Russia scenario. But maybe it’s not a tangent. There IS such thing as spiritual healing, and spiritual evolution. Through that lens, I suppose war IS on-topic for a website concerned with healing.
I chimed in with the following comments today under someone else’s Linkedin post, and figured I’d share it right here, too:
“Very few people here in the USA ever said a word against abuse of military power when the USA started wars (not too long ago). We like to pretend the USA is the only country on Earth without a corrupt government. It’s such a narrow, one-sided, dangerous, hypocritical philosophy. For those of us who have ALWAYS been anti-war, recognizing how it only serves the global elite, this is hard to watch. Again. As long as average men and women continue to take sides with willingness to do murder, we will repeat history. So no, it never matters who “the aggressor” is. It’s you. and you. and you. It’s all of us. Murdering on behalf of politicians and bankers. If you don’t see it yet, you are not ready to understand this post. Send food. Send love. Don’t ever send weapons.”
As we sit on the edge of yet another armed conflict between nations, let’s express a seldom-spoken yet often felt Sense of Knowing.
Like most people, I happen to view military personnel as heroic because they’re “willing to die for their country”.
However: For as long as that continues to be our only belief, we’ll continue to tacitly and tragically accept and subconsciously encourage war- with all the death & trauma it entails.
So I also observe the historical evidence that military personnel are routinely coerced into murdering strangers to prop up international business interests. This is possibly the worst imaginable abuse of humankind’s willingness to serve a greater cause.
And so while I honor the sacrifice made by fighting forces worldwide, I do so by vehemently denouncing war as the last resort it truly ought to be.
And for the record, a lot of us were protesting war over twenty years ago, when the USA was the obvious aggressor. It’s eye-opening to see how many Americans- who were deadly silent about The Atrocity We Call War back then- are now suddenly very vocal against it, now that Russia is the apparent culprit. It sure is nice to hear your outcry now. Where the hell you been hiding? Can we count on you next time? Or is this just about popularity and going with the flow? Yeah, I’m calling you out, but only because deep down, I believe in you. Otherwise I wouldn’t waste my time.
Take Care & God Bless…the Ukes, the Russians, the Corrupt Politicians (may the light cleanse or clear as needed), and everything else, always.
– Brandon Holistic Cancer Coach, Earth Scientist, Reiki Master Home Page
It’s tough to know what’s actually going on when it comes to war or anything else- especially overseas- because the news is so full of shit. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of independent outlets are full of shit, too. It’s just that the mainstream media delivers its BS with such an air of credibility and coordination that their lies and omissions are arguably far more dangerous to society.
Regardless of the actual truth of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a lot of people are expressing their sympathy for Ukrainians on social media this week.
That much is good to see.
Even on LinkedIn, where political commentary is typically sparse, there are every manner of “support Ukraine” posts floating around. Some people are sharing links to fundraising campaigns.
It’s wonderful to see people here in the USA expressing interest in Peace.
Strike while the iron’s hot, they say. So let’s do some soul searching:
Next time the USA invades a country, will the voices of Americans suing for peace in Ukraine today emerge again with the same heartfelt concern for those being attacked?
Or are we judging Russia against a standard we ourselves will forever refuse to uphold?
It’s hard to envision a world where the people who attack an effectively defenseless nation with nothing more than vague accusations serving as justification are the good guys…right?
You guys are talking the talk.
Moving forward, let’s walk the walk.
Take Care & God Bless, – Brandon Novogradac Earth Scientist, Certified Holistic Cancer Coach, Practicing Reiki Master brandon@pathlifecoaching.net
An open letter to Police, Military, and all other current & former Law Enforcement:
Lots of you are doing phenomenal work every single moment. Thank you.
Meanwhile, the NYPD apparently just arrested a nine year old girl (video link) for going to a museum without showing her papers. “Just following orders” and “just upholding the law” is no excuse at this pivotal time. Do you know what they called that sort of thing in Germany, 1939?
Well, they probably just called it “Good policing”.
Perhaps those of you who have connections in New York (and still have any balls at all; it’s an old expression) will put pressure on NYPD to end this madness before it spreads.
I’m not ignoring all the great work you do. I’m asking you to step up and LEAD one more time….if you haven’t tired of it already.
Silence is complicity.
Take Care & God Bless, – Brandon Novogradac Earth Scientist, Holistic Cancer Coach, Reiki Master
Oh, and if you don’t understand why this is immoral to the Nth degree, head over to my videos, articles, or even the notorious Workaround Page. Scroll down to find information on so-called “COVID vaccine” safety. If you’re too pressed for time, at least look at the first graph at this web page. Prepare yourself. It’s not pretty.
This little morning mantra was delivered during a Reiki session. It offers a daily boost for anyone working in the healing arts, medicine, counseling, therapy, or any other profession in service to others. Best served with coffee or tea!
“For one more day, I offer my hands and heart as a perfect and true extension of God’s Love. I do this gratefully and faithfully, setting aside every fear, releasing all doubt”.
[[Not looking for a mantra that uses the word “God”? You can instead say, “Universal Love” or “Unconditional Love”. Make it your own.]]
And that’s the crux of it. Personally, I may close out this particular mantra with the repetition, “I am, I am, I am”.
or,
“For my highest & best, and for the highest & best of All. So it is.”
How to use this mantra:
Speak this mantra each morning to acknowledge you won’t be facing your day alone. (Not even close!)
When we affirm our connection with a higher power (aka Source, aka God), we accept our gifts while letting go of everything outside our control.
Sometimes as healers, we forget to consider our own needs. When you say this mantra, remember to feel that beautiful Love expanding inward…not just outward!
