Alexandria Clark

The connection between the mind and body is as unbreakable as it is complex. Human beings are unique organisms, leaving health professionals with the never-ending task of uncovering different remedies for disease. Despite all that remains undiscovered, policymakers wield the power to regulate substances, choosing to acknowledge some as medicine and disregard others as dangerous.

It is no secret that FDA-approved prescription drugs can have serious side effects. Because of this, it is possible that prohibited or peculiar treatments could possess unknown medicinal benefits. If our worldview is based on our culture and society, it takes careful consideration to better understand the differences between Western medicine and traditional healing.

In our Taboo Medicine series, we challenge our readers to rethink the definition of medicine. In this article, we ask you to consider how altering the chemistry of the body can also influence the mind to treat afflictions of consciousness and perception.

What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is an age-old indigenous medicine that is gathered from the Amazon Rainforest and used throughout South America, specifically in Peru. Served as a tea, ayahuasca is used to treat a variety of issues and trauma-related conditions, such as PTSD, insomnia, depression, anxiety, addiction and more.

Known as the spirit vine, Ayahuasca is a plant-based brew that produces hallucinogenic effects credited with spiritual healing. The active ingredient in the mixture is dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, which is a chemical that imitates serotonin and facilitates dreaming in living things.

According to CNN’s episode of “This Is Life With Lisa Ling: Jungle Fix,” “DMT accelerates or enhances communication in the brain between areas responsible for sense of self, emotion and perception. Scientists believe this induces a dreamlike or hypnotic state that triggers personal revelations and new ways of thinking about old traumas.”

LA Weekly

However, there is a common misconception about the components of the concoction, according to Victoria Jara, a 23-year-old  researcher at AyniGlobal and a graduate of New College of Florida with a degree in biological psychology.

“The ayahuasca brew is not just one plant, but rather it is a cocktail of two different plants, the vine Banisteriopsis caapi (ayahuasca bark) and the leaves of Psychotiria viridis (chacruna),” Jara said. “The latter is actually the DMT-containing component, and the ayahuasca vine is the MAOI.”

The Process of Ritual Healing

“An ayahuasca ceremony is filled with meaning and ritual that go beyond the actual effects of the brew,” Jara said.

The ayahuasca ceremony is lead by an experienced spiritual guide or shaman, who prepares the plant mixture and oversees the treatment. According to Jara, it takes several ceremonies for people to get the full healing process. The shaman may contribute to the overall experience by engaging in ritual chanting or blowing smoke over the top of the head, as seen in the Richard Meech documentary film “Vine of the Soul.”

Ania Kruszewska, a 47-year-old yoga instructor and massage therapist, has participated in multiple ayahuasca ceremonies since her first experience in Puerto Rico in the summer of 2012. A year later, she traveled to Peru for a Shipibo workshop at the Temple of the Way of Light, where she participated in seven ceremonies over a period of two weeks. Kruszewska has also done a handful of ceremonies in the in the United States at a Brazilian Church called Union de Vegetales.

Ecofirms

“My first experience was so powerful that it shifted my perception the world,” Kruszewska said. “I experienced many visions always accompanied with very profound personal messages. And visions didn’t seem like hallucinations, but rather, they gave the feeling of real, lived experiences.”

Intense reactions to the drug are not uncommon, as purging is an expected part of the cleansing process. In “Vine of the Soul,” the process appears exhausting, but as individuals participate in multiple ceremonies, they report reaching a deeper level of understanding and self-awareness.

“I felt that the Ayahuasca tea, by entering my body, was illuminating it from within,” Kruszewska said. “I had a vision that ayahuasca went into every cell of my body and dislodged any negativity or illness from within the cell and brought it out, in the form of strong purging that actually felt great, relieving and needed.”

Kapitari

The tea, which is culture-based but spiritually derived, is believed to help create a connection between the individual and universe, offering glimpses into of other levels of reality. The psychedelic effects of the treatment reportedly allow the individual to hear a guiding voice or presence. This is why ayahuasca is sometimes referred to as plant teacher or spirit mother.

“Towards the end of the session there were less visions and more messages that felt like they were being downloaded into my brain. The messages were pertaining to my particular situation, and they seemed like answers or gentle suggestions for improving what wasn’t working in my life,” Kruszewska said.

After the treatment ceremony is complete, patients are meant to feel self-assured and at ease. Ayahuasca allows participants to let down their walls to disconnect from the ego and relieve past traumas. The experience is credited with creating life-affirming harmony. Kruszewska believes it leads to expansion of the mind, which she described as the divine, sublime energy of love permeating the whole universe.

“At the end of the session I felt a humbling, unbound deep sense of gratitude. The tears of joy quietly streaming on my cheeks,” Kruszewska said. “The gratitude for life itself, for this precious gift that life is. The knowing that we are the life, and it never ends.”

“The session left me in a state of clarity and deeper perception. My mind seemed more open and vast. My heart free and humble. I gained a sense of profound acceptance of joy and lightness. I felt that I am and always will be fine. Even in the face of death.”

Western Ideals Converge with Traditional Values

“In traditional and mestizo societies, the ayahuasca brew is sacred. The brew is mother or grandmother ayahuasca, she is the doctor ayahuasca. She is the portal to the spiritual world, allowing the shaman to communicate with other plant spirits to help in healing,” Jara said.

In Western societies, the potential medicinal benefits of indigenous plants are at times unrecognized. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, ayahuasca is labeled as a schedule I substance, which is defined as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” For this reason, Westerners travel to South America to experience authentic weeklong healing ceremonies.

“Traditionally in indigenous communities who use ayahuasca to heal, it is only the shaman who takes the brew, not the participants. However, I believe that the cultural context of the ceremony, i.e. Western or traditional, creates the therapeutic effect of the brew,” Jara said. “For Westerners, consumption of the brew is necessary to believe that the ceremony will have a healing effect.”

Kapitari

This has led to a rise in global ayahuasca tourism, which is booming in countries such as Peru and Ecuador. The treatment has also been brought to the U.S. and is reportedly growing in popularity, according to the Huffington Post. But because the Western use of the drug is not rooted in ritual, its transfer is unparalleled. For this reason, the safety of its use is called into question.

“The benefits are present and are definitely being actively investigated. I believe the brew can offer what the consumer is expecting it will offer, and that is how I feel about most substances,” Jara said. “I personally think that the Western consumption of the brew is problematic and needs to be carefully approached.”

Are Psychedelic Trip and Treatment Interchangeable?

Kruszewska credits these ceremonies with reviving her trust in the world and ending her spiritual crisis. She also refers to one friend who no longer needed antidepressants after the ceremony, and another who kicked an addiction to cocaine. It has been used as a cure for sexual or combat-induced trauma, low self-worth and deficient emptiness. But the question of whether the medicine is dangerous and worthy of its schedule I classification remains unanswered.

“I believe that the different contexts the brew is consumed in are dangerous. The brew could potentially be dangerous for those people who have pre-existing conditions that might not mix well with the biochemical effects of the brew, i.e. heart conditions,” Jara said.

Reality Sandwich

Kruszewska is confident in the healing effects of the brew, but she does not recommend it for everyone. Like Jara, she cautions travelers to consume the tea in the context of a sacred ceremony with experienced shamans who were referred by trustworthy people. She also maintains that the participant must have a good intuitive feeling about the shaman.

It is important to note that certain foods do not mix well with MAOIs. For this reason, it is imperative that individuals check with experienced guides who are aware of the dietary restrictions and any additional risks.

“It is not just the Ayahuasca tea that is healing, but especially the shaman’s intentions and the songs of healing that they are singing. The Ikaros are powerful healing sounds,” Kruszewska said. “Safe places like the Temple of the Way of Light will check on your safety and make sure you can safely participate.”

Many have praised the plant medicine for helping them to bury their demons and achieve self-actualization. Ayahuasca’s reported ability to soothe souls and replace darkness with self-love should be weighed against the possible dangers. Any decision to participate in the ceremony should be viewed as a calculated risk.

The Amazon Rainforest may be a natural pharmacy producing plants of empowerment, but for now, issues surrounding the promotion of drug tourism and the legality of psychotropic effects remain insoluble. Regardless, it is clear that for Kruszewska, this drug has indisputably made a life-changing difference.

“I feel I am healing myself with the insightful and honest help of this plant in the context of the ceremony,” Kruszewska said. “The subsequent ceremonies a year later in Peru were more difficult. They felt more like deep, personal therapy where I had to deal with the death of my parents, with parts of my childhood… Self-work had begun there. And it is still beautifully unfolding a year and a half later.”

The post Taboo Medicine: Ayahuasca appeared first on Citizens Report.

Who is Monsanto?

Today, Monsanto markets itself as a “sustainable agriculture company” that produces “high-yielding conventional and biotech seeds,” “advanced traits and technologies that enable more nutritious and durable crops” and “safe and effective crop protection solutions.”

However, Monsanto’s controversial history and its association with a variety of harmful chemicals that are believed to contaminate food, affect biodiversity, alter the environment and disenfranchise small-time farmers have made it one of the most publicly distrusted industrial companies.

Modern Farmer

Founded in 1901, Monsanto is credited with producing toxic chemicals such as PCBs; Agent Orange, the herbicidal warfare chemical used during the Vietnam War; the insecticide DDT; the dairy cow hormone rGHB; and the possible cancer-causing soft drink sweetener Aspartame, according to Modern Farmer.

Reinventing itself as an agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, Monsanto’s GMO agricultural seeds include alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, sugarbeets and wheat, as well as over 2,000 vegetable seed varieties. A sizeable amount of Americans foods include ingredients from the corporate giant.

Weeds create a problem for farmers. Monsanto’s seeds have an ability to tolerate powerful herbicides like their cheap, effective weed-killer Roundup Ready (also known as glyphosate), which seemed to solve that problem. But when the weeds became resistant to the herbicide, Monsanto further modified its seeds to endure an even stronger version of the chemical. And the cycle continues. At this point, the practices that produce the food, as well as the products themselves, have become a relevant topic of debate.

Mercola

Effects of Consumption and GMO-labeling

Providing healthy, affordable food is an international political and economic issue that has yet to be solved. But, until that solution is found, many Americans believe that it should be up to them to decide if they want to consume Monsanto’s “Franken foods.” As is mandated in certain European countries, health-conscious individuals in the states are rallying for more comprehensive, honest labeling of products.

Scientific research on the effects of consuming GMOs is somewhat divided. The Institute for Responsible Technology cites 65 Health Risks of GMOs, whereas other organizations claim that the studies are flawed and that more information is needed. Regardless, many people do not want to be a part of this science experiment, refusing to become human guinea pigs, even if the chemicals are not actually harmful.

Daily Finance

Monsanto: At Home and Abroad

Monsanto’s agricultural domination extends far beyond Western markets. The multinational corporation uses the land in developing countries to mass-produce its products, which has major implications on the health of low-income communities. To be frank, Monsanto has been accused of poisoning third world countries. However, there is a difference between the GM crops themselves and the herbicides that are sprayed on them.

In some countries, protective policies are either nonexistent or disregarded without consequence. Roundup Ready chemicals are sprayed near schools and homes, and the toxic waste and the bins that carry it are disposed of improperly. Individuals in these communities are reported to have more cases of cancer, disease and birth defects, as seen in the photo series “Argentina: The Country that Monsanto Poisoned?”

Critics claimed that Monsanto is corrupt in documentaries such as “The World According to Monsanto” and “Food, Inc.,” and people are protesting Monsanto products all over the world, specifically in countries like the United States and Mexico. But many believe that genetically modified foods are a good thing if produced and developed properly.

Radical Glasgow Blog

“I think that GMOs are good for making the crops more effective, and in addition to that, making them more nutritious and resistant to pesticides. A better food crop for people in developing countries is definitely necessary. As far as long-term effects, I’m sure more studies would have to be done on what consuming GMOS does to the human body in 50 years. For the foreseeable future, it just seems like we don’t know,” said Ben Duong, a sophomore microbiology and political science major at UF.

Monsanto is a leader of genetically modified seeds and claims that its agricultural innovations will increase production yield and nutritional value, and hopefully, put an end to world hunger. Although opponents still question the long-term effects of altering the natural composition of food, it is clear that these herbicidal chemicals need to be handled with caution, and that more research must be conducted on the long-term effects of the process in its entirety.

Health concerns are only one issue in the debate that surrounds the agribusiness giant.

To be continued.

Featured photo courtesy of:Vegan Magazine

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Playing Devil’s Advocate: The FDA

Enacted at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the original ban was put in place when the virus was not yet understood. Although a lot has changed since then, the FDA still depends on a wide margin of error for all blood donations, claiming that the policy change is consistent with existing limitations placed on other individuals.

For example, the current policy indicates that a one-year deferral period is necessary for people who are at risk from exposure to malaria or from engaging in sex with prostitutes or intravenous drug users, according to The New York Times.

Via: Imgarcade

The medical reason for not lifting the ban entirely is the “window period” between infection and a positive test result. But thanks to the quickness and accuracy of modern HIV-testing, some scientists argue that it is unlikely for infected blood to be introduced into the system. The FDA, guided by an advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, disagrees.

“At this time we simply do not have the scientific evidence to show that you can go to a shorter period,” said Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Playing Devil’s Advocate: LGBT Activists

While it is the FDA’s responsibility to be cautious, rights groups believe that the ban is unsupported by scientific claims, and that it continues to play on outdated stereotypes. Lambda Legal calls for a shorter deferral period of two months or less, claiming “within 45 days of exposure, currently required blood donation testing detects all known serious blood-borne pathogens, including HIV,” according to an article from The Wall Street Journal.

Activists believe that these regulations hold gay men to a different standard, asserting that many men who have sex with other men are in monogamous relationships and consistently use protection during sexual encounters. According to the Huffington Post, the American Medical Association supports conducting individual risk assessments, which focus on behavior instead of sexual orientation.

Via: Ars Technica

The Numbers

“The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law at the University of California, Los Angeles said in September in a study that eliminating the ban would bring in 615,300 pints of blood annually. Instituting a one-year deferral period would bring in 317,000 pints, the study found,” according to Reuters.

While some are satisfied with taking incremental steps, others claim that if the ban were removed entirely, the expected supply could potentially double. Although the nation’s reserve is reported to be relatively stable, the American Red Cross asserts that there is always a need for more blood.

The indicated policy change will increase the supply by hundreds of thousands of pints per year, but it will not go into effect right away. The FDA is expected to publish a draft guidance that will be followed by a comment period in early 2015, which will decide whether or not the policy change will become final.

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As outlined in a previous CitizensReport article, the pipeline extension has created much controversy, pitting Republicans against environmentalists who are concerned about further exacerbating the ominous effects of climate change. However, with the plunging price of oil in the global market, analysts project that profits from the pipeline would no longer amount to enough to break even.

Via: Politico

Saudi Arabia’s Price War

While analysts believe that oil prices will continue to drop, Saudi Arabia plans to maintain current production in an effort to make “Canadian oil sands output too costly in the American marketplace.” According to The Fiscal Times, Canada is a threat to the nation’s industry dominance, causing them to wage a price war. Extracting oil from Canadian tar sands is extremely costly, and the competition from Saudi Arabia is an added impediment.

Republicans Refuse to Give Up

As the GOP moves to control both houses Congress in 2015, the bill becomes more likely to pass. Despite realistic protests from multiple interest groups, rising Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he plans on making the Keystone XL Pipeline bill his first piece of legislation, according to the Huffington Post.

The consensus for the GOP is that the receding prices are a temporary effect of market adjustment, and that the pipeline would create energy security and further the nation’s alliance with Canada.

“You cannot make major national policy decisions based upon the oil price of the day. We know from our own experience that oil prices will fluctuate and change up and down,” Gov. Chris Christie said in a CNN article. “This provides us with another foundational piece for strengthening the geopolitical position for North America.”

Via: Earth First Journal

Obama’s Federal Permit and Veto Power

Because the pipeline would terminate in Nebraska, the State Department has delayed releasing its environmental review until 2015 when a decision on a related lawsuit from the Nebraska Supreme Court is made. As an effect, Barack Obama has yet to issue a presidential permit that asserts the pipeline is in our national interest, allowing it to cross an international border.

However, Obama has been open about his skepticism, believing the project would only provide long-term economic benefits for Canada. He claims that it would not lower gas prices in America, and that the job creation would be temporary. As well, the president agrees that the pipeline would negatively affect the fight against climate change.

The Debate Rages On

The debate has political, environmental and economic implications. If the GOP-led Congress comes to a majority agreement, it could block Obama’s veto. Although much has changed in the six years that the project has been introduced, it may now possess the necessary political backing for authorization.

The debate about the intended benefits and consequences of the pipeline rages on. But without high oil prices, it seems that it is not feasible for TransCanada to earn profits from the project. However, the question of whether or not the Keystone XL Pipeline will actually be built still remains unanswered.

The post The Keystone XL Pipeline Debate Rages On Despite Profitless Projections appeared first on Citizens Report.

Many of us have not experienced the formidable overgrowth of abnormal cells, while others have been spared from witnessing the life-threatening struggle of a family member or friend. For unaffected observers, the ribbon is merely a symbol that signifies collective moral support. But for the people who have lived with this disease, it means much more.

According to a new study published in the Dec. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a vaccine to disarm the debilitating disease has shown great promise in experimental trials. Although nothing has been confirmed, the vaccine seems to be safe and effective in slowing down the progression of the disease.

The study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis included fourteen women who were diagnosed with an “advanced” stage of breast cancer, which means that the illness was severe enough to require chemotherapy. Because chemotherapy is known to weaken the immune system, the patients had not received treatments for a month prior to the start of the study.

To understand the vaccination, one must understand the disease. Breast cancer is caused by the overproduction of abnormal cells that begin to invade breast tissue, form a malignant tumor and spread throughout the body. These cancerous cells are incorrect copies of replicated DNA, which have fought against the body’s natural suicide mechanism and have also escaped undetected by the immune system.

The vaccine works by instructing a certain white blood cell to attack and destroy an excess protein found in breast tumors called mammaglobin-A. This protein is a marker for the disease because it is present in 80 percent of breast cancer patients, according to the researchers. It is anticipated that the vaccine will simultaneously boost the immune system while slowing the progression and spread of the disease.

One year after the vaccine was administered, scientists concluded that the disease did not progress in about 50 percent of the patients in the trial. The side effects were reported to be minimal, including rashes, tenderness and mild flu-like symptoms. In comparison, within a similar group of 12 patients, only 20 percent showed no signs of progression after one year, according to the study.

Dr. William Gillanders, co-author of the study and vice chairman for research in the department of surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, claimed that although the clinical trial was small, the researchers could confidently say that the vaccine is safe.

“We can also say with confidence that we were able to generate an immune response in almost all the patients who were vaccinated,” he said. “And there is preliminary evidence that the vaccine may have an impact on breast cancer progression. But that needs to be studied further to be confirmed.”

Researchers admittedly require a longer study with a larger sample size, but believe that the vaccine would be even more effective in newly diagnosed women who have yet to undergo chemotherapy.

Dr. Courtney Vito, a breast surgeon and assistant clinical professor of surgical oncology with the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif., said that the vaccine “makes a lot of sense and is very promising.”

“Ramping up the immune system specifically against breast cancer cells is really just augmenting nature’s own lines of defense, possibly without the side effects of drugs like chemotherapy, which is what this trial showed,” Vito said.

Because breast cancer is a disease that does not discriminate based on age, class, race, ethnicity, and in some cases, even gender, it comes without warning and without mercy. The findings from the study are both promising and exciting, especially for those who have yet to see improvement in their condition. Although the vaccine is still in the early stages of development, its existence represents the powerful changes created by the collective hope that is symbolized by the petite pink ribbon.

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The lack of action has caused environmental conditions to worsen, permanently altering our planet and it’s ability to sustain life. Among the effects that are predicted to worsen are the massive extinction of forests, the melting of land ice, the rising of sea levels leading to coastal flooding, the destruction of crops decreasing the food supply, and an immeasurable death toll due to by severe heat waves.

In addition, extreme weather conditions and lack of adaptive survival methods to these natural disasters will lead to unpredictable amounts of human injury and fatality, disproportionately affecting the poor, the underprivileged and the uneducated. According to the U.N. and the World Bank, governments do not have the luxury to delay implementing serious policy changes any longer.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, 190 nations met to discuss a pragmatic way to address climate change, but the effectiveness of the new-style plan is heavily debated. The stark difference between the financial agency of developing and developed nations is creating the doubt. In some cases, it is believed that not all countries will hold their end of the bargain without the aid of wealthier countries. 

In November 2014, the U.N. released its most severe warning on climate change to date, according to an article from the New York Times. The 175-page summary report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change asserts that global warming is no longer a future issue; it is happening now and needs to be addressed.

The World Bank issued a similar warning, which claims that extreme weather events will become the “new climate normal.” The Earth’s atmospheric system is now locked into a fixed warming, and even if strict action were to be taken immediately, this would not be reversed, according to the World Bank report. The World Bank article believes that this will affect poorer communities, stunting the development of these groups now that the World Bank must restructure their budget in order to adapt to the changes.

Although each country has agreed to restrict its emission of fossil fuels to insure that the planet heats to no higher than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2 degrees Celsius, above the preindustrial level, energy companies have continued to invest billions of dollars in fossil fuel collection with the help of government subsidies. The U.N. report illustrates that only a fraction of the necessary funding is going toward reducing fossil fuel emissions, despite previously made agreements, according to an article by the New York Times.

The new-style deal to create a stricter plan for 2015 was made in Lima, Peru, with each nation agreeing to submit a finalized order by March 31, 2015 that will serve as the basis for a new national agreement to be presented during a Paris summit sometime next year.

The plan is attempting to place equal responsibility on developing countries, although some countries claim it will be more of a hardship for their emerging economies. China, ahead of the U.S., the E.U. and India, is the largest polluter, and although they were excused from cutting emissions in a previous climate agreement, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, they have made a new deal with the U.S. to help bridge the gap. This deal is hopefully leading the way for a partnership between rich and poor countries. However, the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat believes the suspected contributions in Paris will not add up to enough effort to make a difference.

It has become clear that politics, not factual evidence, is driving the fight against global warming. Experts suggest that in addition to an increase in political commitment, universal education is also necessary to safeguard survival, according to a study conducted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) that analyzes natural disaster data in over 167 countries across four decades. 

The study, which was published in a special issue of the journal Ecology and Society, indicates that the answer to reducing the amount of fatalities caused by climate change is universal education. The findings assert that a proper education on natural disasters, with a regional focus, will greater outweigh the benefits of building preventative infrastructure, such as sea walls, dams, irrigation systems, and so on. However, these changes along with cleaner and more efficient energy sources should not be ignored.

“Education directly improves knowledge, the ability to understand and process information, and risk perception. It also indirectly enhances socioeconomic status and social capital. These are qualities and skills useful for surviving and coping with disasters,” said Raya Muttarak, one of the researchers who co-authored the IIASA study.

For humans to adapt to the inevitable effects of global warming, every single individual must possess a greater understanding of the shifts in environmental stability. For humans to survive climate change, the reality of the problem must be admitted, and that has been done. The next step involves a combination of realistic and effective policy changes, legitimate effort from dependable world leaders, and adaptive education of the masses.

“The report makes crystal clear that we cannot continue down the current path of unchecked, growing emissions. Leaders must step up and take the necessary decisions on how we manage our economies towards clean growth and resilient development,” said Rachel Kyte, World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change. “Urgent and substantial technological, economic, institutional and behavioral change is needed to reverse present trends. Economic development and climate protection can be complementary. We need the political will to make this happen.”

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