 |
 |
Please excuse the length of this post. I doubt it will do much to influence Wendy's views so in the interest of peace I have no intention of posting further on this thread. Wendy, Thank you for your long and detailed response to the questions I raised. The generalised nature of the response made it difficult to pick out specific answers to my questions but I was left in no doubt as to the strength and sincerity with which you hold your views. I admire such tenacity. With regard to the matters raised in your response I make the following comments: 1. I, and I suspect must people on this list, already hold the belief that what a person thinks about their situation can profoundly affect how they will respond to treatment. Few would argue against a positive attitude being an invaluable aid to dealing with any disease. That is not the issue. The issue is - can attitude, or belief, cure (by which, in this instance, I too mean "the disease is completely gone") a disease for which there is otherwise no medical cure (by which I mean, in this instance, eradicate the symptoms of the disease) at the present time. As curing (disease completely gone) PD requires the restoration of the substantia nigra this cannot be discussed without dealing with the issue of whether or not faith healing can restore missing body parts (e.g. an amputated leg). 2. In similar vein I think you will find that most of us are familiar with the concept of emotional, spiritual and psychological healing. Many of us, myself included, already incorporate its principles into our PD protocol. 3. I respectfully suggest that your examples of people changing reality are in fact examples of individuals changing their perception of reality. This is, of itself, a powerful force in the life of the individual but is not the same thing at all as changing physical reality. If I can indulge in an example of my own: Two individuals of equal physical ability have to climb a mountain. "A" believes the mountain is unclimbable; "B" believes he can make it to the top. These attitudes are "real" to each individual, and are in their control. The mountain (probably) has no opinion in the matter, and is beyond their control as individuals. - If the climb is easy, and reality in no way challenges either "A's" or "B's" perception of it, both will probably make it to the top. - If the climb is difficult but achievable, though not obviously so, the attitude of the climbers will become a factor. In this instance "B" is likely to complete the climb and "A" is likely to fail. If however someone (human or supernatural)can change "A's" subjective reality (his perception of his ability to make the climb) to the more positive one, the likelihood of "A" reaching the top increases. But, whatever their attitude (subjective reality) both climbers will be dealing with the same mountain (objective reality). It is my belief that apparent miracle cures and faith healings fall into this category. It is also my belief that any intervention by a "superior being" or "force" takes place at this level and is directed at the climbers not the mountain. - If the climb is beyond the ability of any climber until such time as new climbing equipment is invented, or the mountain is reshaped by human technology, then nothing they can do or believe will get them to the summit until that breakthrough is achieved. In this instance it is likely that the climber with the greater ability to adjust his subjective reality will deal with the knowledge best. Again it is my belief that there is no intervention at this level by a superior force. (If there were we would have the evidence of all those missing body parts growing back). It is my hope and prayer that the power which drives the universe, by whatever name we chose to call it, is working on the subjective reality of all those whose task it is to invent the new equipment. May they truly believe they are going to succeed. 4. I am not qualified to discuss Quantum Theory (remember me - I'm the guy who had trouble with averages), but what little I do know does not in any way suggest that we have as yet gained any control of its effects. And whilst I agree it calls into question every natural law we thought we knew, I know of no-one who is living their life as though the law of gravity, for example, had been abolished. No-one I know of would chose to fly by stepping off a tall building in preference to buying a seat on QANTAS. Stephan Hawking knows a lot more about Quantum Mechanics than I do and is still using his wheelchair. However he seems, as much as I can judge, to have a strong, positive view of life. Which I see as yet one more bit of evidence that for all practical purposes objective reality is what it has always been and the ability to use subjective reality to rise above it is still one of the wonders of being human. Dennis.