Sunday, October 31, 2010

Saint Jose Silva?

There is no such a saint? Maybe should be.
Not so long ago, I heard about Silva Method, a method enabling people to utilise hidden powers of human brain.
Personally, I am a sceptic quite critical about all supernatural powers. But this method can fit into my rational point of view. In a nutshell it works like this...
It is based on assumption, that brain controls all functions of human body including our immune system. That means, brain can defend the body against any sickness. In some cases, it can also accelerate a destruction of the body producing toxins - e.g in a depressed person, who lost any drive to live.
According to Jose Silva, we can program our brain. To do this one should reach alpha state (look also here), state externally similar to meditation. After reaching this state, one can program his brain to perform specific job. Here a couple of examples: a person with blocked arteries imagined a vacuum cleaner sucking all the rubbish from his arteries. Another one, with arthritis, imagined a pneumatic hammer crushing rocks on his joints. Both were healed within few weeks.
So far, I do not see anything illogical or supernatural.
Why am I writing this under a banner of sainthood? Because the church monopolised the domain of miraculous cures. It even requests minimum two miracles to award the title of a Saint. Our Australian Mary Mac Killop had to wait 101 years to jump over this hurdle.
What is interesting to me, is the fact that two sides most interested in this area, do not even want to hear about this method. These sides are the Church and "official" medicine. About the church I already wrote, it would undermine the whole idea of sainthood. As of medicine - it would be a blow for omnipotent surgery and pharmacology.
Just lately, I heard a story of a doctor, who could not convince a patient to agree for some surgery. Then, one morning, the patient said:
- I saw Jesus in my dream, he told me the surgery will go OK. Now I give my consent to it.
The doctor joked with his colleague, that there was another candidate to psychiatric department.
Quite inappropriate joke. Why the doctor was unable to convince the patient? Maybe it was he, who needed help from a psychologist?
Looking closer on miracles recognised by the church, I see lots of similarity to Silva method. Firstly, sick person prays, repeating over and over simple prayers. This is a way to achieve an alpha status. In their prayers, sick people call a Saint to heal their body. The signal goes to brain. For the brain it is immaterial whether it was St Francis of Assisi or a tradesman with pneumatic hammer. The brain does the job.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Grand Final 2010

I am not a fan of footy but I am trying to feel the pulse of Melbourne. So on Saturday morning, I rode on bike towards MCG. It was 4 hours before the start of the game, but the crowd was already building up.
Fans of Saints...



And of Magpies..



After returning home, I showed my colours..


Yes, black and white, no wonder Magpies won the trophy.