Alzheimer's and Integral Consciousness

'So here, we see hope. We see that Alzheimer's is neither a decline nor a reduction of the person, but an opportunity to move into the higher plane; an opportunity for self-discovery, the self-discovery and self-transcendence we must all accomplish, in our own journey of ascension."

Maurie D. Pressman, M.D.

This entry is no doubt going to meander. Increasingly, I find myself observing what I call the "non-local" or integral nature of "mind". (Boy, does that sound pretentious, but I can't come up with anything more elegant at the moment.)

For example, yesterday I pulled out a folder of prints from a show I had at a friend's gallery 5 years ago. I haven't spoken with him since, but looking at the prints I found myself thinking fondly of him, remembering many good conversations. Later in the day, Lewis called. He said he found himself thinking about me, and on an impulse picked up the phone. So we talked about what we've both been doing in the past 5 years...........and I put down the phone once again reflecting that we are, indeed, telepathic beings.

Lewis, like myself, is dealing with the care of elderly parents. I spent most of my adolescent years as caretaker for my grandmother, who developed dementia. Lewis is trying to cope with his mother who has Alzheimer's. It is profoundly stressful, profoundly painful, to deal with not only the physical, but the gradual cognitive loss of a loved one. To see that person we recognize gradually slip away from identity, memory, this world.

I left our conversation with the name of a book I thought he might want to read by a psychologist who believes that understanding Alzheimer's is about understanding the nature of our multi-dimensional being. And there was also a story I felt like sharing, a story about my grandmother, but I think I'll leave that until my next blog entry.

The book (It is very much in the form of a journal, and many passages have a kind of "stream of consciousness" form) is written by the founder of ISSEEM, Elmer Green, who is also one of the founders of Biofeedback. Dr. Green agreed with his wife and life-long collaborator, Alyce, to study the progression of her disease from a spiritual perspective. The Ozawkie Book of the Dead - Alzheimer's isn't what you think it is! *

Here's an excellent excerpt from a review by T.M. Srinivasan:

"The book under review is by 'the father of clinical biofeedback' in this country and co-founder of the Council Grove Conference for the study of Voluntary Control of States of Consciousness, the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, and lately, the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine. His long time associate and wife, Alyce Green had Alzheimer's for the last seven years of her life. Elmer tended to her during these years and "explored the realms of consciousness beyond Alzheimer's and death."

Part 2 of the book deals with their experiences as Alyce slipped into her own world initiated by Alzheimer's. Alyce, during times of profound lucidity, was able to communicate an experience of dual consciousness, of being both "here and there". She was in "two bardos" (to use a word from Tibetan Buddhism), moving from the present to the other which was beyond death as she progressed with Alzheimer's. For example, she tells Elmer in one passage, with much sadness, about the "big goodbye that is shortly coming up" (knowing about the present) and then says "they had taken her to see the great temple" (aware of the beyond). [p. 423]

Elmer kept a diary from May 8, 1989 till after Alyce passed away on August 6, 1994. The widely swinging moods, the sudden show of affection towards Elmer, the awareness of events at several levels all makes this part very informative and touching.

The last part is titled "Learning to enter the Yogic states of deep stillness". This part deals with karma and how to get over its entanglements, Theta Brainwave Training, channeling, and stories about dreams experienced by Elmer and several others, who received instructions and support from Alyce. In a series of three synchronicities, Elmer meets his school friend and sweetheart, Gladys Strom. All these synchronicities are arranged by Alyce, who wants a companion for Elmer during his travels and lectures.

The book also contains information from an earlier book by the author that dealt primarily with biofeedback [Elmer and Alyce Green, "Beyond Biofeedback", Knoll Publishing Company, Fort Wayne, IN, 1989]. "

*Published by Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027, 2001. Total pages 873.

"Beyond Awakening" Free Teleseminar sponsored by ISSEEM

I received an email from The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) (www.issseem.org) announcing a Free series of seminars, available via Internet or telephone. I was impressed with the teachers who are participating,so I wanted to pass on the information to any who may wish to also register. The event's sponsors, who are providing funding for this event free to the public, are impressive too. I look forward to following it, and copy from the announcement I received below:

Beyond Awakening: Registration and Information

What is emerging today at the leading edge of human transformation? How can our spiritual practice help us evolve toward planetary citizenship? Join 27 of the world’s most dynamic spiritual teachers for a groundbreaking series of dialogues. Some of those you'll meet:

Jean Houston

Ken Wilber

Barbara Marx Hubbard

Brother David Steindl-Rast

Ram Dass

Gangaji

Michael Murphy

Dan Millman

Living on this earth has never been easy. The Buddha famously taught that "life is suffering," and that the way out was to get enlightened. That alone was challenging. But the Buddha lived 2500 years ago... before email, cell phones, airplanes, television, computers, global terrorism, environmental disasters, economic recessions, and the expectation that you be a "peak performer", a "super-mom" or just plain "super". Now it's a whole new story — not only do we suffer, get sick, and die, like other humans throughout history—but we're doing so in a world that's seriously out of whack. We face stresses and demands—despite our amazing comforts and opportunities—that the Buddha never dreamed of, beyond our age-old human condition.

Our spiritual practice needs to occur IN this world—with our families, at our work—and in relation to all the world's problems. That's our mission.

Albert Einstein famously said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them."

We—as a society, as a culture, and as individuals—need to transform our consciousness, change our frequency, be the future that we want, and that the world desperately needs. These can't just be empty slogans...Just as we must awaken to the timeless truths of love, Spirit, compassion, and peace, we must also go beyond awakening to embody those truths in an embodied, engaged, evolving spirituality that is true to who we are, here and now — and that can empower us to co-create a sustainable human future. Exactly what that "evolving spirituality" looks like—and how to live it—is what we'll be exploring in this groundbreaking series.

There is no cost to participate in this live, interactive event. Thanks to our generous sponsors, and to all the luminaries who have volunteered their time, we are able to offer this event to you for FREE. All you need is a telephone or a computer to participate and explore:

• How to turn the fast pace of life into a profound practice to experience clarity, purpose, and yes, inner peace.
• How to find community in our fragmented, virtual world and get the support you need.
• What neuroscience can teach us about skillful, effective (and efficient!) personal practice, and how you can apply this research in your everyday life.
• How to question our inherited spiritual wisdom, and at the same time rescue the light of that wisdom, like precious jewels, from being dimmed down and fragmented.
• How you can help catalyze the transformation of our culture as well as your own consciousness.

We're committed to making each teleseminar as interactive as possible. Each week, you'll be able to ask questions and interact with these teachers.

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**The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) is an international non-profit interdisciplinary organization dedicated to exploring and applying subtle energies as they relate to the experience of consciousness, healing, and human potential. ISSSEEM is in a unique position, acting both as a bridge builder between communities and a leader in the field, offering a community with a widespread appreciation of the energetic component within many disciplines including quantum physics, therapeutic modalities, healing, psychology, consciousness, psi and the understanding of our multidimensional existence.
Founded in 1989, ISSSEEM studies systems and energies that interact with the human psyche and physiology, either enhancing or perturbing health. The organization: Interconnects persons who work with or conduct research about subtle energies and human consciousness, encourages an exchange of information through conferences, seminars, and workshops, informs and Interfaces with members and the broader scientific community through Bridges, a quarterly magazine, and Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine, a peer-reviewed, scientific journal, cooperates with other organizations that have common interests and goals, enhancing the use of available resources.

ISSSEEM • 2770 Arapahoe Rd Suite 132, Lafayette,CO 80026 • 303-425-4625