Pages: 276

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 14

Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) is a multi-symptom, multisystem illness that is common and often missed by physicians. CIRS is a defect in antigen presentation that prevents the patient from clearing biotoxins. Some of these biotoxins are from water-damaged buildings, Lyme, cyanobacteria, Pfiesteria and ciguatera. Common complaints include fatigue, aches, cramps, sinus issues, shortness of breath, word-finding issues, memory issues and poor sleep. All physicians should know how to screen and identify CIRS. Symptom review, visual contrast sensitivity, biomarkers and history help diagnose CIRS. Transcriptomics has provided cutting-edge information on the genes that are associated with CIRS. One recent development from GENIE includes the role of actinobacteria and endotoxins in CIRS. Implementing the knowledge about CIRS universally would alleviate the suffering of millions.

Pages: 18

The model for chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) has evolved and expanded with the advent of transcriptomics. CIRS is a multisystem, multi-symptom illness caused by water-damaged buildings and resulting inflammagens such as actinobacteria, endotoxins and mold. One form of CIRS comes from Lyme disease, which does not resolve with a typical course of antibiotics. Other sources of CIRS include cyanobacteria and ciguatera. Confirmation of CIRS comes from visual contrast sensitivity, symptoms, proteomics and transcriptomics, and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), NeuroQuant. The Biotoxin Pathway has provided a template to understand how CIRS disrupts neuroregulatory pathways, coagulation factors and T regulatory cells. Transcriptomics can provide a unique fingerprint for the subtypes of CIRS, confirm hypometabolism and even tailor treatment for the individual.

Pages: 14

The Shoemaker Protocol is an evidence-based approach to biotoxin illness. Every step is peer-reviewed, and it is a structured, step-by-step method that relies on well-designed studies. The Shoemaker Protocol identifies those sickened from biotoxin illness and uses rigorously tested interventions to help them recover. The implications for the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory response syndrome are profound for individuals and public health. If the lessons learned from the Shoemaker Protocol were put into practice universally, we could prevent illness and suffering for many. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is crucial to normalize biomarkers and transcriptomics, resolve symptoms, restore grey matter and improve quality of life. Ramping up VIP provides improvement of symptoms in people with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Pages: 22

While the same symptoms and objective laboratory tests are used to diagnose CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) in adults and children, there are differences in the diagnostic criteria used. The pathophysiology is thought to be the same at all age groups, and treatments differ slightly, but faster and more complete recovery is expected in children. Cytokine storms are seen in CIRS, in sepsis and COVID-19, and in their sequelae of post-sepsis syndrome and post-COVID syndrome. Transcriptomic changes in the latter group are similar to those of untreated CIRS patients. Overlaps are also seen in chronic fatigue syndrome, pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) patients. The prevalence of pediatric CIRS patients has been reported to be at least 7.01% and 7.6%, and it is likely higher in both children and adults. CIRS should be high on the differential for children with chronic headaches and/or abdominal issues. Fetal intrauterine exposure in water-damaged buildings may adversely affect brain development and may contribute to autism spectrum diagnoses. Pediatric CIRS is a preventable disorder, and even a preventable epidemic of medically unexplained symptoms; efforts should be made to protect children from this illness. Such measures will benefit the health of adults downstream.

Pages: 22

Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) is a multi-symptom, multisystem illness that profoundly affects the central nervous system (CNS). Manifestations of CIRS in the CNS include unique fingerprints on volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (NeuroQuant®). Recent advances in the transcriptomics test GENIE (Genomic expression: Inflammation Explained) offer greater insight into how molecular hypometabolism relates to inflammation, metabolism, coagulation and proliferative physiology. Azole antifungals contribute to grey matter atrophy via tubulin disruption. CIRS profoundly affects the hypothalamus, and disturbances occur in melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). CIRS can contribute to mood disorders and particularly suicidality. Abnormalities in CIRS biomarkers can occur in patients with headaches, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), chronic pain, movement disorders, pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS), and psychiatric conditions. CIRS has profound implications relating to dementia and cognitive decline. The work by Dr. Sidney Strickland in the vascular theory of dementia provides new insights into the processes of cognitive decline and raises the question of what role CIRS may play. Universal and targeted screening of CIRS may reduce dysregulation of the innate immune system and benefit patients with numerous and varied neurologic conditions.

Pages: 26

According to the visionary work of James Ryan, PhD, 80% of CIRS patients have “molecular hypometabolism (MHM),” which occurs by the suppression of mRNA subunits, mRNA nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (including ATP synthases), electron transport chain genes and translocases. Dr. Ryan’s work deftly connects biotoxin illness, environment and common medical conditions. Dr. Ryan used a novel approach to describe cellular dysfunction with the shared mechanism of aerobic glycolysis. MHM results in T-reg deficiencies, pulmonary hypertension, insulin resistance and neuronal injury. Cases of IRS2-positive and MHM-positive individuals showed pulmonary hypertension, grey matter atrophy and widened anion gap, which improved with the Shoemaker Protocol and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) usage. VIP is instrumental in reversing MHM and the accompanying changes in metabolism, as evidenced in proteomic and transcriptomic studies. MHM results in voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) closure. Azole antifungal use amplifies grey matter atrophy due to damage to microtubules via tubulin A4A upregulation.

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Urinary mycotoxin testing is unvalidated for evaluation of environmental exposure via inhalation, diagnosis of chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) or the resolution of any parameter of illness. Urinary mycotoxin test results do not indicate antifungal use in oral, sublingual and intranasal forms. Rampant antifungal use has contributed to fungal and bacterial resistance and multi-nuclear atrophy via beta-tubulin upregulation in vulnerable populations. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not condone urinary mycotoxin testing in conjunction with antifungal use. By contrast, in 2008, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) supported a strict case definition for exposure to water-damaged buildings. Globally, 60–100% of healthy individuals have mycotoxins in their urine. Urinary mycotoxin presence does not correlate with human health parameters. Urinary mycotoxin testing most strongly indicates ingestion of stored food. There are few cases of human illness associated with mycotoxicosis. Good farming practices reduce these risks further.

Pages: 14

This chapter addresses the synergistic toxicity between glyphosate and mycotoxins, specifically with respect to the development of euthyroid sick syndrome, also known as non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). Mycotoxins and glyphosate are both known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction through oxidative stress, DNA damage and depletion of glutathione supplies, especially in the liver. NTIS is a form of hypothyroidism that is not associated with impaired thyroid function. Instead, the enzyme deiodinase 3 (DIO3) is sharply upregulated in the liver, and this leads to the overproduction of reverse T3 (rT3). rT3 not only does not activate the thyroid hormone receptors but actually acts to block the receptor response to T3, leading to symptoms of extreme fatigue due to a suppression of mitochondrial activity. Here, we develop an argument that glutathione deficiency plays a central role in the disease process and that this also relates to impaired sulfur homeostasis and deficiencies in heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix of the liver. A stiff basement membrane leads to a pathology called frustrated clathrin-based endocytosis, which results in excessive activity of DIO3 and resulting overproduction of rT3.

Pages: 18

A cursory review of the medical literature regarding water-damaged buildings and human health can be confusing because two opposing views exist. This chapter eliminates the ambiguity by evaluating “naysayer,” “yaysayer” and summary literature from two different time periods: Up until 2010 and from 2011 through 2018. From the earlier time period, a 2002 article created the unproven hypothesis that sufficient mycotoxins were unlikely to be amassed in an indoor space to cause serious human illness. Several other reports accepted this negative argument as the basis for their conclusions. A few large review summaries found ample evidence for some health associations, while other symptoms and illnesses were thought to need more evidence. The epidemiologic and animal experimental data from the less recent time period demonstrated significant data supporting illness caused by allergy, infection, toxicity and multiple non-allergic immune mechanisms. The more recent time period included a systematic review with a near-consensus of epidemiologic studies demonstrating single-system and multisystem illness, with hundreds of associations between indoor dampness/microbial growth and adverse human health effects. Chronic inflammatory response syndrome is a multisystemic illness with published symptoms, physical exam findings, reproducible biomarkers, characteristic imaging and transcriptomic abnormalities.

Pages: 12

Water-damaged buildings (WDBs) account for about half the buildings in the country. These buildings are bought, sold and rented with little regard for the damage they can inflict on human health. WDBs are homes, workplaces, schools and stores. Many people undergo exposures to WDBs every day. About 24% of the population can become seriously ill from routine exposure. However, there is inadequate legal protection for the vulnerable individual to have safe access to the most basic needs in the realms of housing, access to work and education. What would it look like to have safe building and maintenance practices for these millions of individuals? Cutting-edge science from the Health Effects Roster of Type Specific (Formers) of Mycotoxins and Inflammagens, Version II (HERTSMI-2), proteomics, transcriptomics, volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI studies) and re-exposure trials provides evidence of causation like never before. Public policy must align with science to ensure safe environments for the millions of genetically vulnerable individuals.

Pages: 16

The components of a home are unique in layout, system designs and building materials. No two properties operate with air flows, moisture controls and other variables in the same way. Therefore, one needs training and education in building science to understand how moisture and air travel through materials and the forces involved in doing so.  For clients with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), small particle remediation through the use of compressed air, misting, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuuming and multiple steps of damp and dry wiping are key. Failure to remove porous materials from the home may result in continued illness for the patient.  Environmentally safe building products, methods of construction, types of foundation, and methods of moisture control, ventilation and filtration will keep indoor air quality healthy and sustainable.

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American law was influenced through several millennia and cultures. The initial underpinnings endeavored to discover truth. American law now pursues justice to ensure all parties’ rights are preserved. Around 2000, there were several high-profile mold cases with multi-million-dollar settlements or verdicts favoring plaintiffs. In 2002, the American Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published their indoor mold position paper, concluding it was very unlikely that sufficient mycotoxin would be amassed in a water-damaged space to cause serious human health effects. The mathematical model leading to this untested hypothesis was highly flawed, with numerous inaccurate assumptions and constants employed, underestimating the human effect of mycotoxins by ≥9 orders of magnitude. Twenty years later, defense medical experts still cite this paper (and/or papers that relied heavily upon it) to defend landlords, contractors and insurance companies. In 2020, a systematic review was published surveying all epidemiological articles published, from 2011 to 2018, referencing indoor microbial growth/dampness with adverse human health effects. The near-consensus reached demonstrated that chronic exposure to the interior of water-damaged buildings led to single- and multisystem illness (98.2%). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published an outstanding article, validating visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) changes and multisystem illness from chronic mold exposure. Curiously, the CDC has been quiet on the subject since then.

Pages: 6

Meanwhile, as more and more medical providers learn about toxic mold exposure and treatment, more clients have the diagnoses that they need to prove specific causation. Once general causation has been established, a good treating provider need only conduct a differential diagnosis to determine that mold did in fact cause this patient's symptoms. Communities like CIRSx, International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness and others equip medical providers to treat mold illness. The pathogen can affect one person differently than another. And, even the smallest amount can be sufficient to kill when encountered by a patient with the right pre-conditions. It is no surprise, then, that the highest verdict occurred in the very first trial in the courtroom after the Covid shutdowns. The mold exposure resulted in developmental delays for their infant son. The plaintiffs contended that one defendant was negligent when it supplied lumber that was contaminated with toxic mold.

Pages: 14

Healthcare is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as “the prevention or treatment of illness by doctors, dentists, psychologists, etc.” The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world, yet is 11/11, worst, of the 11 most developed countries in measurements of population health. This most costly healthcare system is, ironically, the third leading cause of death in the United States. The model of treatment and prevention is purely what the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, via their mouthpieces at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and nearly every research university, formulate as “standard of care.” Paralleling the medical industry is its sister industry in agriculture, whose equivalent model focuses on pesticides and farm machinery, termed plant protection and precision farming. In fact, many of the pesticides recommended and applied to our food cause the diseases treated by the drugs manufactured by the sister pharmaceutical industry. Many such industry entities are simply divisions of the same company, such as Bayer Crops Science and Bayer Pharmaceuticals under the umbrella of Bayer-Global. Both healthcare and agriculture fail to acknowledge nutrition as the underlying determinant for human health and disease as well as plant health and disease. Here lies the disconnect between agriculture and medicine in the present-day models of each. In reality, agriculture and medicine are inseparable. Soil nutrition/microbiome determines plant health and productivity and subsequently, nutrient density and balance, which in turn, determines human health and disease. Genetics and genetic expression in both arenas are truly determined by “environment,” which is determined, foundationally, in the soil. Agriculture, consequently, fundamentally holds the key to solving healthcare success in both prevention and treatment of disease at a fraction of the current cost. We already possess non-genetically engineered crop varieties, grown under nutritionally balanced organic production systems, that out-produce all genetically engineered, pesticide-laden crops. Nutrition as the foundation must be incorporated into both medicine and agriculture as the primary and most important medical therapy and agricultural functional practice.

Pages: 14

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex multifactorial disease characterized by persistent fatigue of unknown origin for at least 6 months, post-exertional malaise and other chronic symptoms that severely impact patients’ quality of life. The etiology of ME/CFS is unclear. This chapter explores updated evidence of multisystem involvement and contributing environmental and lifestyle factors in this condition. Understanding the evolving pathophysiologic and treatment body of knowledge in ME/CFS will help clinicians diagnose and understand this challenging condition.

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In the late 1980s, a cluster of seemingly unrelated symptoms was being reported in several populations. While symptoms tended to vary, one aspect the populations appeared to share was constant, unremitting fatigue that seemed to be exacerbated by exertion. Given that the populations were often centered in urban areas, the term “Yuppie Flu” was used in the media, suggesting that the symptom clusters were not representative of a “real” physical illness but an “imagined” psychosomatic illness. Other hypotheses revolved around a suggested relationship with Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV). Unfortunately, pharmaceutical therapies that addressed these issues, such as antidepressants and antivirals, yielded poor outcomes in the vast majority of cases. Fortunately, published research from the last 10–20 years has made it clear that clinical success can be attained using a new model of metabolic and pathophysiologic understanding that incorporates functional medicine/allostatic load concepts. In this chapter, research will be highlighted suggesting that by clinically repositioning the ME/CFS patient as a manifestation of a unique combination of environmental stressors, genetic propensity and metabolic imbalances, custom multiphasic treatment modalities that incorporate a patient-specific combination of lifestyle modifications, nutritional supplementation and/or pharmaceutical assists can yield highly predictable, time- and cost-effective, long-term outcomes.

Pages: 286

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 8

Soil health is the capacity of the soil resource to fulfill necessary soil functions. Two of those critical functions are to supply water and nutrients to the plant. The attributes of soil health directly linked to water encompass the ability of the soil to store water and to allow water to enter into the soil. Increases in soil organic matter increase water storage, while infiltration increases are a result of more resilient soil aggregates that can withstand the disruptive forces of water and protection of the soil surface from the direct impact of water drops onto surface aggregates. These two changes in the soil directly impact plant growth, because there is a reduction in water stress, which limits productivity. The result is an increase in water use efficiency in agronomic systems with enhanced soil health. Nutrient availability is increased as soil health increases because of the microbial processes in the soil and the continual release of nutrients from plant materials. Nutrient use efficiency increases with soil health because the increased plant productivity that is linked with the increased water supply allows the plant to more effectively utilize the nutrients in the soil profile, leading to an increase in nutrient content in the plant. These interactions are complex and have not been thoroughly investigated to the level necessary to provide quantitative relationships for a range of management practices linked to soil health and nutrient and water availability. As we continue to explore these interactions, the results of these studies will help us develop production systems that are more capable of meeting the quantity and quality requirements for an expanding world population.

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Metabolic normalization of cancer cells and concomitant inhibition of carcinogenesis may potentially also be attained by induction of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial correction. The possibility exists to cause such cells to revert back to normal aerobic cells, capable of normal function via metabolic and mitochondrial correction, which may be accomplished in a number of ways. The goal of this diet is to shift the body from burning mostly glucose to burning mostly ketones. An important element of phospholipid homeostasis is that the phospholipids in the mitochondria can be modified by dietary glycerolphospholipids and fatty acids. Cancer and degenerative diseases in general are increasing to epidemic proportions in all industrialized countries. Cancer has been widely considered a genetic disease involving nuclear mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; this view persists despite the numerous inconsistencies associated with the somatic mutation theory.

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The quality and quantity of sleep has a greater impact on an individual’s development and success than almost any other factor. We now have an abundance of research confirming that there are five or six major pediatric sleep disorders (i.e., sleep-related breathing disorders, periodic limb movement disorder, restless legs syndrome, behavioral insomnia of childhood / delayed sleep phase syndrome and narcolepsy), that if left unidentified and untreated, can impair cognition, learning, behaviors, moods and/or health. The effects of these sleep disorders become accumulative the longer they go unidentified, causing increasing delays to academics, frequently resulting in special education placement, and eventually, they may jeopardize graduation and/or post–high school education/career training. If these sleep disorders persist into adulthood, there is an abundance of research indicating that many of these adults are subject to higher rates of accidents, major health problems, insurance costs, disability, difficulties with family and work relationships, and earlier deaths, as well as fewer job promotions and lower income. As a result, many professionals are making diagnoses or prescribing medications or special education programs that often might not be necessary if these sleep disorders were identified and corrected early. One solution to resolving this problem would be to use the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students-Revised (SDIS-R), which has undergone the most thorough and extensive validation process of any sleep screening inventory in the United States and has high sensitivity and specificity, as an online, quick, easy sleep screener. Not only will early screening and treatment provide more success for students, but they will have more job/career success and be healthier throughout adulthood, resulting in great cost savings to our educational system, insurance companies and society. The first-in-line assessment for all pediatric and family practitioners should be a quick, inexpensive and accurate sleep screening of every patient or client between 2½ and 19 years of age for these 5 major sleep disorders.

Pages: 34

Circadian biology and mitochondrial medicine will eventually become foundations of every healing modality. They have yet to be fully appreciated in their roles in health and wellness, mainly because of their connection to light and biophysics, which is not well understood in mainstream clinical medicine. The rise in technology over the past few decades is associated with the healthcare crisis that is growing, resulting in excessive exposure to the human population to artificial electromagnetic light frequencies, which have already well-established scientific connections to disease. Understanding the cellular biophysical creation of time and energy will allow more comprehensive integrative management by physicians and healers. Disruptions of the circadian rhythm and epigenetic insults to the mitochondria must be mitigated to allow the full regenerative capacity of humans to be enabled in the healing process. This chapter will describe the components of the clock and energetic systems that drive the biophysics of wellness. Without these fundamental principles being addressed, the true human potential for healing remains unrealized.

Pages: 48

Pathogenesis and nutritional support for prophylaxis and symptom de-escalation. This article provides the background to what has been described as Consensus-COVID, a list of nutritional supplements to be used for SARS-CoV-2 prophylaxis and for COVID-19 symptom de-escalation. Before considering nutritional strategies, the background to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is discussed along with pathogenesis of the disease. The overview discussion provides a synthesis of these ideas and explores COVID-19 as two separate conditions. The first is the viral phase, which may or may not be followed by a hyper-inflammatory phase. The transition to the latter phase, or the pulmonary phase, appears to be triggered by a hypersensitivity response induced by viral debris (spike protein, etc.) and the rise in antibodies to epitopes of SARS-CoV-2. Therapy directed to blocking this transition, and therefore de-escalating the disease, is discussed.

Pages: 24

An action-based, solution-focused, future-oriented psychodynamic model will be presented that conceives of the mind as holding infinite potential and of memory as dynamic and continuously updating itself on the basis of new experience (whether real or simply envisioned). A constructivist model at heart, the author’s freshly minted Model 5 is an innovative and exciting approach to healing that is informed by the groundbreaking neuroscientific discovery that when traumatic memories are reactivated in an embodied fashion, the network of synapses encoding those memories will become deconsolidated for a time-limited period. This unlocking – fueled by repeated and dramatic juxtaposition of old bad learned expectations with new good envisioned possibilities – will create the opportunity for both rewiring the brain and reprogramming the mind by way of therapeutic memory reconsolidation.

Pages: 12

We are multidimensional beings existing in a vibratory/informational universe of quanta, patterns and possibilities. The physical world is created by subatomic processes subject to vibrational frequencies and patterns that direct matter and the mind into innumerable configurations, forms and mental processes. Movement/vibration is a fundamental aspect of the universe that creates change and yields information. Living organisms in general, and perhaps human beings in particular, are designed and shaped by these fundamental qualities and processes and programmed by consciousness. The unique vibratory range that comprises the sound spectrum has organizational and design properties that largely structure the physical world and all of our mental activity. Sound is a perfect tool for understanding this, because it mimics the vibratory nature of the universe, organizes matter into its many forms, and serves as a vehicle for consciousness in creating a sense of self and reality, social identity, physiological activity and different states of mind. Language, music, art, mathematical theory, physics, neuroscience and anatomy clearly illustrate the relationship that exists between mind, consciousness and the design nature of sound.

Pages: 16

Sound, Light and Color presents a sensory integration approach to sound and color in the healing arts. Sound and color practices originating in syntonic optometry, creative arts therapy, sound healing and the psychology of visualization are presented in the context of creating a coherent mind–body environment. The primary focus is the use of sound and color to prevent the onset of physical and mental conditions as well as to support professional treatment for diagnosed conditions. We recognize that when a client is coherent, conditions that we may be trained to treat oftentimes resolve as part of a holistic healing process. For this reason, there is an important distinction to be made between specific evidence-based treatments and general holistic practices that have been shown to enhance mind–body coherency. The integration of sound and color has been in the past, and ideally will be going forward into the future, a place where science and art meet. What is most important is that the experience of sensory integration be understood as normal and further researched as an important component of a natural healing process that leads to greater mental and physical adaptability in all aspects of life.

Pages: 34

The use of musical instruments and the human voice for healing still remains widespread throughout the world. The following pages present a compelling stance that the human voice is possibly the most powerful sound healing instrument that exists for human beings. Vibration is an oscillation or back and forth movement about a point of equilibrium. Quantum theory tells us that everything in the universe, whether visible or invisible, is vibrating and in a constant state of motion. In physics, the word quantum is defined as “the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction.” Since everything in the universe is vibration, then it is this level through which everything can communicate with everything else, at which everything is on the same playing field. Vibration is the language that everything speaks and thus, becomes an interdimensional bridge for communication between all forms, a meeting place for resolution of all conflict and a transformational platform from which all may expand.

Pages: 20

Healing sanctuaries that embraced the arts, simple nutrition, guided meditation and dream interpretation in practice originated in ancient times; however, these activities are also offered in the best spas and recuperative centers across the world today. In other words, they have withstood the test of time as essential components of what constitutes a therapeutic healing environment. Our chapter is written in two parts. In Section 26.2, we examine how art and creativity have remained consistent features of our models of mind and the clinical encounter over time. An important anchor to the proceeding chapter discussion is noting when and where linguistic conventions of artists and scientists diverged in significant ways, and how those divergences are reflected in our models of mind. In Section 26.3, we report on new software and devices that embody our ideal design processes and involve creative participation on the part of the users. While broad in scope, the chapter suggests that creative design, creative collaboration and creative expression underlie most worthy human accomplishments and are the driving forces behind both personal and cultural development. If these activities lead us forward in our thinking and doing, then they are also powerful forces for self-healing that can’t be ignored. Our chapter content is limited to analysis of Western milestones and the last two centuries.

Pages: 12

This chapter discusses the human organism and how its energetic and informational systems function. It builds on fundamental principles of the laws of nature, of physics, which underpin all processes in the universe. Medical science has gone on the premise that by looking for fundamental building blocks of the physical body, we can reverse engineer and understand the mechanisms of health. The universe is made of energy, matter and information, but information makes the universe interesting. The fact that Boltzmann and Shannon both derived the same equation points to the deeply physical nature of information. The target intention experimental data is compelling and has been replicated by Tiller's laboratory. Although other independent laboratories have successfully reproduced the protocol of changing water pH with an IHD, it is primarily a single-laboratory experience. The target experimental data demands a new scientific framework whereby the results are lawful and understandable.

Pages: 16

A life being born into this world is akin to birthing the light. Childbirth is a journey which mothers used to embark on with confidence, fearlessly following their own instincts. This event has undergone enormous change over the last couple of centuries, especially following the medicalization of childbirth. Medical interventions and Cesarean sections initially appeared to be a boon by reducing preventable maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, but gradually, rampant and irrational use of these interventions resulted in their becoming problematic due to associated maternal and perinatal complications. Most of the time, medical interventions take away some of the benefits of natural birthing, like a sense of fulfillment, emotional bonding with the new-born baby and partner, microbiome seeding of the new-born and related indirect long-term benefits for the new-born. The vast majority of these mothers, instead of embarking on the childbirth journey confidently, feel fearful, unprepared and unsupported during the process. It is important that this imbalance be corrected and mothers are well supported to undergo natural birth with requisite interventions wherever indicated. To make childbirth a positive experience for prospective mothers, we need to understand their perspective and prepare them for this role with childbirth classes, having a labor companion and a trained midwife to navigate this beautiful and wonderous journey.

Pages: 8

This chapter explores the hidden but universal societal enigmas that have existed since the beginning of civilization and are in fact wired into our very biology, and that have a huge impact on our physical, mental and spiritual health. Healers, or shamans, have existed since the Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic era, and they played a pivotal role in cognitive and social evolution through visual symbolism, group bonding rituals and analogical thought processes. Since the scientific renaissance and separation of religion and science, dualistic thinking has replaced holistic thinking in Western society. Since the 17th century and the emerging dualistic thinking in Western society, shamanism began to be perceived as contrary to rational thought, and shamans were regarded as little more than theatrical performers. Fundamental to all shamanic practices is the ability to access ASC. The shaman achieves these non-ordinary states of consciousness through drumming, singing, chanting, dancing or using psychoactive substances.