The Benefits of the Use of

St John's Wort
in Herbal Preparations

by Karen Saura

copyright 2004 all rights reserved


TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. HISTORY OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 3-8)
B. LOCATION OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 8-9)
C. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENT OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 9-11)
D. MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 11-12)
E. CONTRA – INDICATIONS OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 12-14)
F. KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 15-16)
G. DOSAGES AND APPLICATIONS OF ST JOHN’S WORT. (pages 16-17)
H. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. (pages 17-19)

THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF ST JOHN’S WORT
IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

A. HISTORY OF ST. JOHN’S WORT

St. John’s wort is a modern herb with an ancient past. Man has recognized it as a medicinal herb for over 2000 years as written record goes and probably for much longer than that.
Hypericum is its ancient name dating back to the times before Christ. Yperikon was first mentioned by Euryphon, a Greek doctor from 288 BC (1). The history of St. John’s wort must include references to superstitions going back to its early relationship with man and documented back to its earliest historical references. The name Hypericum has Greek origins and can loosely be interpreted as “over an apparition”. Several Greek roots are looked to as possible origins for the modern word. It might have been derived from the roots eikon which translates as a figure, possibly an unwanted apparition, and hyper which translates as above. These meanings give clues to how the ancients often worked with St. John’s wort as a talisman to exorcise evil spirits or influences. In more recent times, Linnaeus made reference to the genus Hypericum as being derived from the roots yper, meaning upper, and neiko, referring to an image (2).

Ancient Greeks believed that the fragrance of St. John's wort would cause the evil spirits to fly away. The plant was given magical powers. In ancient Greece, the herb was used to treat many ailments, including sciatica and poisonous reptile bites.

As the historical usages of St. John’s wort are investigated, one finds that it has a long uneven reputation interwoven with the herbs many magical and religious association. Over half of its many common English names, and more than thirty are listed in various herbal references, have biblical associations. Ancient Greeks believed that the fragrance of St. John's wort would cause the evil spirits to fly away, thus the plant was given magical powers. The ancient Greeks used the herb to treat many ailments, including sciatica and poisonous reptile bites.

Pedanius Dioscorides (born c. AD 40 – died c. 90) was a Greek physician and pharmacologist, whose work De material medica was the foremost classical source of modern botanical terminology and the leading pharmacological text for 16 centuries. In his writings, Dioscorides made many references to the herb Hypericum. The historical names for this period included Uperikon, Asduron, Androsaimon, and Koris. The physicians and pharmacologists of this period used Hypericum extensively in daily practice for various conditions. Specifically mentioned by an author of this period, Jean Baptist Porta (1535-1615) in his book Natural Magick is a formula for creating “Oil of Hispanus” which includes St. John’s wort in its list of ingredients. Porta specifically recomendes this oil as a remedie for wounds and other things. “The qualities of it are heating. By anointing the neck, it cures all Creeks that are bred by cold. It heals wounds, helps the contraction of the nerves caused by cold. It mollifies cold Gouts, and takes away the trembling of the hands" (3).

Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus (born 1493, died 1541) was a Swiss physician and alchemist whose work marks the beginning of the emergence of the science of chemistry from alchemy. Paracelsus is widely known as the father of modern pharmacology because of his work in the chemical treatment of medical ailments (4). Paracelsus made many references to the herb Hypericum in his pharmacological writings. He specifically refers to Hypericum as commonly used externally to treat wounds and contusions (5).

The English physician and astrologer, Nicholas Culpeper (born 1616, died 1654) is a legendary figure in the field of herbal medicine. In 1653 he wrote his famous herbal reference manual, The Complete Herbal. This manual is still sold even today, over 400 years after its first publication, and is revered not only as a historic window into the medical practices of the past, but as an essential herbal guide still used in contemporary western herbalism (6). Culpeper cites Hypericum in his herbal writings and, drawing from his astrological background, makes reference to its celestial influences. He places it under the celestial sign of Leo and under the dominion of the Sun. Medicinally, Culpeper recognized Hypericum as an especially useful aperient, detersive and diuretic. He also lists it as an alexipharmic and stated that it destroys worms. Hypericum was made into an ointment and applied to injuries to lessen swelling and to close the lips of wounds. Culpeper states numerous usages for St. John’s wort with it being helpful both internally, and externally for a vast range of ailments. He cites it as helpful for ague and fits stating in his Complete Herbal, “The decoction of the leaves and seeds drank somewhat warm before the fits of agues…alters the fits, and, by often using, doth take them quite away” (7).

The name we commonly know it by today, St. John’s wort, came into common usage during the Middle Ages. This common name identifies the herb with St. John the Baptist, the legendary New Testament desert healer and the “baptizer” of Christ. Over the centuries in many ways the herb has been bestowed with mystical and protective properties tying the unique physical characteristics of the herb and its flowering cycle to religious aspects of the worship of St. John the Baptist during this time period. Historical references to Hypericum commonly referred to by the name “St. John’s wort” are found dating back as far as the 5th century AD when, according to Gaelic tradition, the missionary St. Columba always carried a piece of St. John’s wort because of his great regard for St. John (8). Many early Christian writings mention Hypericum with the claim that the red spots, symbolic of the blood of St. John, appeared on leaves of Hypericum spp, on August 29, the anniversary of the saint’s beheading. Other writings of the day state that the most auspicious day to pick the plant was on June 24, the day of St. John’s feast during the period of its peak bloom (9). For villagers of the Middle Ages, connecting the St. John’s wort harvest with the festival celebrating St. John most definitely empowered the herb with mystical qualities and incurred the blessings of St. John further strengthening its value as a charm with which to ward off evil spirits.

Historically there are many references to Hypericum being used as a talisman. It was believed that if you slept with a sprig of the herb under your the pillow on St. John’s Eve, St. John himself might appear in a dream, giving his blessings and protection to the dreamer for the coming year. The herb was often worn or hung about the home to protect the individual, their family, and home from demons (10).

The name St. John’s wort might have been bestowed upon the herb to honor Saint John by virtue of its vast healing properties, especially its usefulness in combating depression – metaphorically in battling demons and driving them away thus restoring good humor. Furthermore, the herb happens to flower around the feast of St. John during the summer, making the inclination to bring a mystical connection between Hypericum and St. John all the more likely given the religious fervor of the day. In any case, it was revered as a powerful herb and was used medicinally for healing, against depression, and as a talisman to ward off evil demons and bad spirits.

The English herbalist, John Gerard (born 1545, died 1612) is widely known for his landmark botanical reference book, the Herball (1597). The Herball is not only a thorough herbal cited and respected to this day, but it includes a wealth of folk medicine and anecdotes of herbalism in 16th century England (11). Hypericum is discussed in Gerard’s Herball. Gerard describes the practice of soaking St. John’s wort flowers in olive oil creating an infusion of the oil in the sun. The oil gradually turns red as the flowers release their vital essence into the olive oil. This oil was then used to heal minor wounds, sores, and burns, anointing the injury with this blessed St. John’s wort flower oil, also known as “Red Oil” or “hypericum liniment.” This very simple, yet specific form of a remedy made from St. John’s wort was still available in pharmacies through the early 20th Century (12).

Hypericum first arrived in North America in 1696 with the Rosicrucian pilgrims migrating from Europe who landed in Philadelphia. The herb flourished in the New World and became highly valued as a medicinal herb by the Dutch immigrants to Pennsylvania and the surrounding American Indian tribes (13). Over time and with the westward settling of North America, Hypericum gradually became naturalized throughout the new continent. Several varieties are now commonly found in waste areas and along roadsides throughout the United States and in some of the lower latitudes of Canada.

In the 19th century the mainstream medical community dismissed St John’s wort as a folklore herb and considered it to have little real medicinal value. Yet, quietly through the years in spite of popular opinion, the Eclectic herbalists of the day continued to use the herb in various ways. They used Hypericum externally to heal wounds and lacerations - especially if there was related nerve damage - and internally as a diuretic, astringent and for its sedative properties.

Hypericum experienced a surge in usage by the German herbalists in the 1930’s as they popularized its usage for neuroses, general restlessness, insomnia and mental or emotional disorders they determined stemmed from excessive intellectual efforts.

Today St. John’s wort is gaining more and more recognition in the western world for its effectiveness in combating depression. It is used in many home remedies and pharmacy preparations and is widely recognized as an herb to be used to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is also effective as a diuretic, in the treatment of gastritis and externally as a treatment for hemorrhoids and inflammation.

B. LOCATION OF ST. JOHN’S WORT

Botanical: Hypericum perforatum (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Hypericacea
Parts used: herb tops, flower
Habitat: Britain, Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand
Common Name: St. John’s wort, Klamath weed, goatweed

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a short plant with numerous yellow flowers. It is wild-growing and bushy. St. John’s wort is perennial and is commonly found in dry, gravely soils, fields, and sunny places in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

St John’s wort is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows freely in the wild in uncultivated ground. This vigorous, opportunistic plant has spread to all parts of the world. It will grow almost anywhere man has disturbed the earth. It is considered to be of excellent medicinal quality when found growing on logged areas at moderate elevations.

St John’s wort grows from one to three feet tall. It is short, decumbent, has barren shoots and erect stems branching in the upper part and glabrous. This plant has a perennial, woody, tufted, fusiform, tortuous, somewhat creeping root. Its pale brown stem is two-edged, branchiate, erect above, curved below, branched, and from one to two feet high. The leaves are from six to ten inches long, one-third as wide with the ramial leaves being much smaller. They are stalk less and grow in pairs with delicate pale bluish-green elliptical leaves with pellucid dots that are actually oil glands on the back of the leaf that may be seen by holding the leaf up to the light. Perforated leaves have transparent spots (oil glands) that look like holes; the unperforated varieties have rust-colored spots. The sap is also reddish colored.

The unopened flower buds are the highest in the red substance, hypericin. The flowers are numerous, of a bright cherry yellow in terminal corymbs and borne in dense, forked, terminal panicles. The calyx is persistent; and the carolla are marked with black dots and lines. Sepals are five in number, acute, lanceolate, connected at the base, with six dark-colored glands. Petals are five in number, twice as long as the sepals, ovate, obtuse, yellow, dotted, and streaked with black or dark purple. The ovary is pear shaped with three long styles. The stamens are numerous, united at base, divided into three sets with small anthers. Styles are three in number, short and erect; stigmas small. The capsule is roundish, three-celled and three-valved and the seeds are numerous, small, and roundish. The whole herb is dark-green, with a powerful scent when rubbed, and stain the fingers dark-purple, from the great abundance of colored essential oil.

The bright yellow flowers bloom mostly from June to August. They can be found in early June at lower elevations and mid-July through September at higher areas in the mountains. Each flower has five yellow petals that are dotted with black along the margins and the many yellow stamens are visible. The flower stage is followed by numerous small round blackish seeds which have a resinous smell and are contained in a three-celled capsule. The odor is particular, terebenthic, a turpentine-like smell. The taste is bitter, astringent and balsamic.

C. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF ST. JOHN’S WORT

St. John’s wort has a complex and diverse chemical makeup. It contains volatile oil, resin, tannic acid and coloring matter. Pectin is also present (14). The red coloring principle is a resinous body known as hypericum red. The peculiar, terebinthine odor of this principle is similar to that of the flowers. The flowers have a balsamic, bitterish, rather astringent taste.

The primary chemical constituents of St. John’s wort include hypericin, pseudohypericin, hyperforing, flavonoids (quercetin, quercetrin, rutin), essential oil (carophyllene, pinene, limonene, myrcene), carotene, vitamin C, tannin, and resin.

Studies suggest that hypericin may have monoamine oxidase inhibiting properties, though this is not the only way that the herb works. St. John’s wort also appears to influence brain levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, and preliminary studies suggest that it may inhibit functioning of the neurotransmitter serotonin (15). The presence of hypericin and pseudohypericin distinguish St. John’s wort form other herbs, and both compounds are promising candidates for study in their roles in boosting immune systems (16). The tannin most likely exerts a skin-soothing effects through its astringent and protein-precipitating actions (17).

Hypericum imparts its properties to water, alcohol, ether, oils, or alkaline solutions. The flowers can be macerated with 90% alcohol to obtain a tincture of a rich red color, containing a mixture of two coloring matters, a yellow principle soluble in petroleum ether, and a red coloring matter, insoluble in this solvent. The red principle, in solid form, was a resinous mass of a green luster, soluble in alcohol with red color, and resembling carthamin red; insoluble in fatty, but soluble in etereal oils. Acids dissolve it with red, aldalies, chloroform, benzol and carbon disulphide with green color. The substance does not possess any advantage over other indicators in alkalimetry. When exposed to air in thin layers, it turns greenish at once. The aqueous extractive matter of the flowers contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and oxalic, sulfuric and carbonic acids (18).

Other species of Hypericum are possessed of medicinal properties, notably the Hypericum sarothra, Michaux, Pine-weed or orange-grass, growing in sands, which has aperient qualities. An allied plant, the Ascyrum crux-Andreae, Linne, also known as St. Andrew’s cross, has been locally applied to glandular indurations and swellings (19).

D. MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF ST. JOHN’S WORT

St John’s wort has been administered in the treatment of many illnesses. The King’s American Dispensatory, published in 1898, lists St. John’s wort as an astringent, sedative, and diuretic with undoubted power over the nervous system. The most well known actions of St. John’s wort are in repairing nerve damage, reducing pain, inflammation and in the treatment of depression. The herb has been used to relieve menstrual cramping, sciatica arthritis and more. It has a favorable action on the secretion of bile and giving it a soothing action in the digestive system.

In recent years St. John’s wort has become widely known for its value as an aid in mood swings, despondency, and low spirits. It has also been used in lotions and oils for soothing the skin. Internally it is used to promote mood, as well as being soothing, anti-proliferative, anti-viral, astringent, nerve tonic, photodynamic, and sedative. Externally it can be used as an antimicrobial (20).

Research supports the fact that it has great effects on reducing anxiety and depression, similar to prescription drugs such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Effexor (21). Clinical studies have shown positive results in treating patients with mild to moderate depression. Improvement was shown with symptoms of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, headache, and exhaustion with no reported side effects. Its ability to act as a natural MAO-inhibition allows for proper chemical balances in the brain, and this decreases anxiety, depression, and manic episodes; and increases focus especially during task modes (22).

Historically the blossoms have been used in folk medicine to relieve a wide range of ailments. It has been used to soothe the digestive system, being called into use for ulcers, gastritis, diarrhea, and nausea. St. John’s wort alleviates intestinal problems, colic, aids in the treatment of incontinence and bedwetting in children and worms have been treated with it. It relieves nervous conditions, central nervous complaints, insomnia, hysteria, depression, headaches, stress reactions, neuralgia, and rheumatic aches and pains. It has a long history of alleviating menstrual cramps and irregularity, uterine cramping, embolism or pains following child birth, mastitis, and is a useful skin care herb for babies. St. John’s wort has been found helpful in conditions involving chest congestion, catarrh, sciatica, shingles, thrombosis, phlebitis, bladder ailments, urinary troubles, and with mumps. It is an effective blood purifier and is useful in cases of anemia, gout, and jaundice. Bruises and hemorrhoids respond to the oil made from St John’s wort as well as general pains, cuts and wounds, varicose veins, swellings, slow healing wounds, skin ulcers, blisters and scalds. It is an effective expectorant, diuretic, and digestion stimulant. St. John’s wort is reported to increase a sense of well being and help repair nerve tissue after trauma. It has antibiotic properties.

E. CONTRA – INDICATIONS OF ST. JOHN’S WORT

St. John’s wort has long been used to alleviate a wide range of conditions. Most individuals who are not on any other medications or prescription drugs experience few if any of the possible side effects, they do exist and these side-effects and contra-indications must be taken into consideration when working with this herb or with herbal formulas and preparations which contain St. John’s wort.

Reported side effects include: stomach upset, allergic reactions, dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, confusion and sensitivity to light. St. John’s wort can also cause dermatitis and associated inflammation in sensitive individuals and when people who take it are out in the sun. St. John’s wort should also be taken with food, as it may cause mild gastric upset in sensitive individuals.
A serious contra-indication for the use of St. John’s wort exists for individuals who are taking Cyclosporin. St. John’s wort has been associated with undesirable reduction of efficacy of cyclosporine. Cyclosporin is routinely given after organ transplantation (such as liver and kidney transplants) to prevent rejection. St. John’s wort may decrease the cyclosporine flow through the blood, which can ultimately cause rejection of the organ (23). Do not take this herb if you have undergone or plan to undergo a transplant operation.

Another serious contra-indication exists for individuals who are currently taking medications containing MAO inhibitors. Hypericum should not be combined with MAO inhibitor antidepressants such as Prozac, Nardil or Parnate. This combination can produce a dangerous rise in blood pressure or hypertensive crisis, along with severe anxiety, fever, muscle tension, and confusion. If an individual has discontinued use of a MAO inhibitor, he should wait for at least four weeks, allowing the body to clear residual traces of the drug from his system, before taking any other antidepressants, including Hypericum (24).

St. John’s wort has been reported to interact with birth control pills, possibly decreasing the effectiveness of “the pill”. St. John's wort is contra-indicated during pregnancy and lactation (25).

When taking St. John’s wort one is advised to avoid foods and medications that are known to interact negatively with MAO-inhibiting drugs. Specifically, these are tyramine-containing foods such as red wine, cheese, beer, yeast, and pickled herring.

St. John's wort makes the skin more light sensitive. Persons with fair skin should avoid exposure to strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light, such as tanning beds. Although rare, these individuals may suffer dermatitis, severe burning, and possibly blistering of the skin. The severity of these effects will depend on the amount of the plant consumed and the length of exposure to sunlight. Some experts suggest that all individuals avoid sunlight when using hypericin, especially when taking large quantities.

In spite of the aforementioned precautions, many say St. John’s wort is relatively harmless. Individuals all over the world are using St. John’s wort, often with great success, who feel that, in their opinion, the benefits tend to outweigh the risks. St. John's wort has had a good safety record over the centuries of its use in folk medicine. In contrast to synthetic antidepressants, there have been no verified reports of hypericum-related deaths. Drug monitoring studies on over 7000 patients and twenty-seven double-blind research studies confirm its safety. The extensive use of hypericum by millions of people has not resulted in reports of serious side effects (26).

So, who should consider using St. John’s wort? Anyone who is healthy and who is on no other medications. The amount of time that a person should continue to take St. John’s wort depends on the individual.

F. KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF ST. JOHN’S WORT.

St. John’s wort has become a popular herb to include in herbal formulas and preparations. It can be drunk as an infusion (tea). Boil water, add the herb (1 tablespoonful per cup of water), cover, allow to steep for eight to ten minutes, strain and drink.

St. John’s wort can be made into an alcohol extract. This can be done by filling a jar with the herb, (if fresh, use the whole herb, clean, strain and chop into small pieces) then fill the jar with vodka leaving as little air as possible in the jar. Cover, keep it in a cool, rather dark place, and vigorously shake it several times a day. After two weeks, strain the liquid from the herb. Pouring it through a light cloth and then squeezing the liquid out of the herb helps to extract most of the alcohol. This alcohol now contains the medicinal qualities of the St. John’s wort and can be stored for several years in a cool, dark place and used as needed.

Many preparations of St. John’s wort are currently available on the open market. Nature’s Way offers a product called “St. John’s Wort Extract”. It is in capsule form and is formulated to promote a positive mood and as a dietary supplement. This specific product uses a highly concentrated extract of the stems, leaves and flowers and combines the St. John’s wort (300mg) with Rosemary leaf (80mg) and Spirulina algae (40mg) (27).

Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D. has developed a formula sold under the Planetary Formula label called “St. John’s Wort Liquid Extract”. This is a liquid extract of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) in 40% grain alcohol and purified water (28).

Planetary Formula has a formula containing St. John’s wort which is designed for emotional balance, “S. John’s Wort Emotional Balance” formula in tablet form. This formula is designed as a botanical support for emotional well-being. Here Michael Tierra has combined a standardized extract of St. John’s wort with the Chinese classic formula Xiao Yao Wan. Both of these herbs have a long history of traditional use for supporting a positive and stable emotional state. This is a proprietary blend: 1.5 g. containing St. John’s wort flowering tops extract, (standardized to 0.3% Hypericin), Jujube seed, Buplerum root, Tree Peony root bark, Bai-Zhu Atractylodes root, Dong Quai root, Poria Sclerotium, Lemon Balm leaf, Licorice root, Cyperus rhizome, Tangerine peel, and Ginger root (29).

G. DOSAGES AND APPLICATIONS OF ST JOHN’S WORT

Dosage: The best preparation to use appears to be the St. John's wort extract standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin. The recommended dosage of this extract as an antidepressant is 300 mg three times per day. Each dose should be taken with meals. Many people take 500 mg per day of herbal extract, tablets or capsules of St. John's wort standardized to contain 0.2% hypericin. Higher intakes of St. John's wort extract, such as 900 mg per day, may be used in some instances. St. John's wort should be taken close to meals. Assess the effectiveness of the herb after 4 to 6 weeks of starting the herbal treatment.

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto l-2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for l0-l5 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Tincture: As an extract (.3% hypericin) take l-4ml of the tincture three times a day.

In his book, Healing Power of Herbs, Michael T. Murray N.D. recommends a dosage of 300 mg. three times a day taken with meals when taking St. John’s wort as antidepressant (30).

I found that in reviewing various recommendations, a general standard seemed to apply. This calls for a recommended dosage of 500 mg per day of herbal extract, tablets, or capsules of St. John’s wort standardized to contain 0.2% hypericin. Higher intakes of St. John’s wort extract, such as 900 mg per day, may be used in some instances. Daily dosages are suggested to be taken broken down to three times a day. St. John’s wort should be taken close to meals. If it is used to support depression in treatment, its effectiveness should be assessed after four to six weeks. Herbal tinctures are also available; they are often taken as 1-2 ml three times per day (31). The program should be discontinued use after 6 weeks if you’ve noticed no results. This would indicate that it’s probably not effective for you.

H. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

St. John’s wort is an herb I discovered personally through using the Christopher formula “Protrac”. Due to the similarities of the name to the drug “Prozac” the name was later changed to “Mind Track”. I first learned of the formula in the curriculum of the School Of Natural Healing Herbalist Program and found it tremendously helpful in combating depression and emotional turmoil during a challenging period of my life leading up to the death of my father from cancer and the subsequent turbulent times which followed. I have since come to rely on it as an effective formula to keep on hand and we have used it with great success on all members of the family during trying periods of trauma, transition, or stress. It is a good remedy to alleviate the extreme stress and emotions resulting from a traumatic event and also very effective when used for extended periods of time as an antidepressant.

I found “Mind Track” to be a wonderful blend of herbs designed to provide cleansing to the entire system, nutrition to the body and herbs specific for the brain, including St. John’s wort. It is designed to be a formula that provides overall emotional clarity. The ingredients are: valerian root extract, organic scullcap, ginkgo extract, organic oregon grape root, St. John’s wort extract, mullein, gotu kola, sarsaparilla, organic dandelion, lobelia and Jurassic Green. This formula is well balanced. It uses St. John’s wort to stimulate the mind due to the presence of hypericin, gotu kola and ginko biloba bring an increase in blood flow and oxygen circulation to the head, improve memory, nerve response and mental alertness. The mullein and lobelia serve to cleanse and provide an antispasmodic quality. They cleanse the blood by helping the lymph and glandular system. Scullcap and valerian root are nervine sedatives and antispasmodics which calm the nerves and muscles while promoting regular and restful sleep. Sarsaparilla, dandelion and Oregon grape root are strong cleansing herbs and work on cleansing the blood and stimulating the liver to detox. Jurassic Green is a nutritional blend of alfalfa, barley and kamut juice and brings vitally needed nutrition to the body.

This formula was my salvation during my father’s illness. It brought the balance back to my mind/body/spirit that had gradually eroded away over 3 years of constant stress and anxiety. That’s not to say that there were not still moments of overwhelm and anxiety, but with “Mind Track”, I found that I was able to take the edge off of the experience and handle things which were otherwise overwhelming. I found that the formula quieted my mind and slowed down the panic-induced spinning of thoughts and worries enough to allow me to breathe, center myself and gain enough distance from things to then move forward with some awareness rather than just reacting like a spinning top bouncing from here to there. At times the stresses were so great that just living through them felt truly life threatening. Upon reflecting back on these moments, I can truly say this formula may have saved my life, it may have saved my marriage, and it definitely saved my sanity.

I have recommended St. John’s wort to various friends, family, and clients over the years. The ones who have actually worked with it, especially with this well balanced formula, “Mind Track”, have come back to me with positive feedback. Along with many instances of successfully working with St. John’s wort, I’ve found that many people are already taking prescription medication which is contra-indicated for use with St. John’s wort. I’ve been shocked to discover how many people in my community can not work with it due to their pre-existing dependence on drugs and layers of drugs prescribed by their doctors to control their depression, mania, sleeplessness, anxiety as well as so many other chronic conditions. This has been a source of great frustration given the success I’ve had in working with herbs to not only in alleviate troubling symptoms, but also to simultaneously cleanse, nourish and strengthen the body mind and spirit. Although I have read reports of herbalists working with individuals on prescription medication and helping them to gradually switch from these powerful and addictive drugs to St. John’s wort and various herbal formulas with success, I have not met any of them personally and have not felt confident up to this point to recommend this course of action to clients or friends.

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www.doctormurray.com/articles/worteditolrai.htm (5 Oct. 2003).
Murray, M. The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person’s Guide to the
Wonders of Medicinal Plants. second edition, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA,
1995.
Porta, J. “Natural Magick.” tsnet.com, edited by Scott “Omar” Davis
http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/jportac8.html#bk8XI (2 Feb. 2004).
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Swanson, J. “Pedanius Dioscorides.” Pantagruelion
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Plantes.” Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cushing/Gerard%201%20a.htm (21 Sept. 2003).
Thulesius, O. “Nicholas Culpeper: English Physician and Astrologer.”
Herbalist/Physician
http://gen.culpepper.com/interesting/medicine/nicholas.htm (17 Sept. 2003)
Upton, R. “St. John’s Wort Monograph.” Herbagram. Summer 1997, 40:1-38.
Viable Herbal Solutions. “St. John’s Wort.” Viable Herbal Solutions.
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Weisstein, E. “Paracelsus, Philippus Aureolus (1493-1541).” Eric Weisstein’s World of
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FOOTNOTES

1. Hobbs, C. “St. John’s Wort Ancient Herbal Protector.” Health World Online
http://ww.healthy.net/asp/templates/Article.asp?Id=911 (2 February, 2004).
2. Hobbs, C. “St. John’s Wort Ancient Herbal Protector.” Health World Online
http://ww.healthy.net/asp/templates/Article.asp?Id=911 (2 February, 2004).
3. Porta, J. “Natural Magick.” tsnet.com, edited by Scott “Omar” Davis. Ch. VIII.
http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/jportac8.html#bk8XI (2 Feb. 2004).
4. Weisstein, E. “Paracelsus, Philippus Aureolus (1493-1541).” Eric Weisstein’s World
of Biography http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Paracelsus.html
(17 Sept. 2003).
5. Foster, S. “St.-John’s-Wort: Past and Present.” The Herb Companion.
February/March 1997, 9(3):72-33.
6. Thulesius, O. “Nicholas Culpeper: English Physician and Astrologer.”
Herbalist/Physician
http://gen.culpepper.com/interesting/medicine/nicholas.htm
(17 Sept. 2003)
7. Culpeper, N. “St. John’s Wort.” The Complete Herbal.
http://www.bibliomania.com/2/1/66/113/21081/1.html. (8, Feb. 2004).
8. Upton, R. “St. John’s Wort Monograph – History.” HerbalGram. Summer 1997,
#40, p. 4.
9. Upton, R. “St. John’s Wort Monograph – History.” HerbalGram. Summer 1997,
#40, p. 4.
10. Foster, S. “St.-John’s-Wort: Past and Present.” The Herb Companion.
February/March 1997, 9(3):72-33.
11. Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group. “The Herball, or, Generall Historie of
Plantes.” Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cushing/Gerard%201%20a.htm (21 Sept. 2003).
12. Foster, S. “St.-John’s-Wort: Past and Present.” The Herb Companion.
February/March 1997, 9(3):72.
13. Crellin, J. and Philpott, J. A Reference Guide to Medicinal Plants. pp. 377-378. Duke
University Press, Durham, NC, 1997.
14. Murray, M. “St. John.s Wort Extract.” Dr. Michael T. Murray Online Articles.
www.doctormurray.com/articles/worteditolrai.htm (5 Oct. 2003).
15. Viable Herbal Solutions. “St. John’s Wort.” Viable Herbal Solutions.
http://www.viable-/herbal.com/singles/herbs/s545.htm (4 Oct. 2003).
16. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
17. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
18. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
19. Felter, H. and Lloyd, J. “King's American Dispensatory.” Scanned version copyright
© 1999-2004 Henriette Kress. Henriette's Herbal Homepage. http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/main.html (2 Feb. 2004).
20. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search (4 Oct. 2003).
21. Mah, A. “Hypericum Extract.” Herbalchemy
http://www.herbalchemy.com/antianxiety.htm (4 Oct. 2003).
22. Mah, A. “Hypericum Extract.” Herbalchemy
http://www.herbalchemy.com/antianxiety.htm (4 Oct. 2003).
23. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
24. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
25. Virtual Health, LLC. “St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum).” HealthNotes
Online http://www.vitaminevi.com/herb/st_johns_wort.htm (4 Oct. 2003).
26. Maya Ethnobotanicals. “Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort).” Maya
Ethnobotanicals http://www.maya-ethnobotanicals.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_040/category_search
(4 Oct. 2003).
27. iHerb Inc. “St. John's Wort Extract.” iHerb Inc
http://www.iherb.com/stjohnswort1.html (1 Feb. 2004).
28. iHerb Inc. “St. John's Wort Liquid Extract.” iHerb Inc
http://www.iherb.com/stjohns.html (1 Feb. 2004).
29. iHerb Inc. “St. John's Wort Emotional Balance.” iHerb Inc
http://www.iherb.com/stjohnswort3.html (1 Feb. 2004).
30. Murray, M. The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person’s Guide to the
Wonders of Medicinal Plants. second edition, section ii, #30, pg. 299. Prima
Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1995.
31. Virtual Health, LLC. “St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum).” HealthNotes
Online http://www.vitaminevi.com/herb/st_johns_wort.htm (4 Oct. 2003).

Perception, the Gateway to Creativity

Perception, the Gateway to Creativity

by Karen Saura

copyright 2004

Creative flow is an illusive thing. Almost everyone has experienced the wonderful sense of being in the flow and having new and inspirational ideas flowing through the mind. There is the rush of exhilaration to keep pace with the flow, the wonder of the miraculousness of the process and amazement as the witness within watches what gushes forth from some seemingly unknown source. Conversely, most everyone can remember a moment of utter futility when faced with the need to create, to come up with some novel idea or concept and nothing happens. In these moments it feels as if the flow has withdrawn, dried up and ceases to exist. As the frustration grows, it feels as if the brain is incased in a lead box growing denser and heavier by the moment, effective shutting out any glimmer of a novel thought and the dark web of self-defeating doubts and fears grows, further clouding any hope of salvation.

Does the act of shifting ones perspective offer a way to more consciously access the creative flow? I propose that there exists a relationship between the ability to intentionally shift ones perspective and the experience of intentionally accessing the creative flow. Writers and artists through the ages have explored these shifts in perspective in their work. The surrealists, modern and post modern periods in recent history are full of examples of explorations into intentional shifts of perspective and the resulting creative endeavors. Scientists have often spoken of the Eureka moment when the answer to a pressing question seemingly pops into their head. The common thread which runs through all of these creative individuals - that which gains them access to the creative flow - is the ability to, either consciously or intuitively, shift perspective and access their creative flow.

When I close my eyes and allow for an image to form to represent the creative flow as it comes to me, a cascade appears overhead showering down from above. This is a river filled with light, colors, images, and sounds flowing into the top of my head, through my brain, my body and down into the ground below my feet. It is available to come forth in all aspects of my life. When I write, it flows down my neck and arms into my fingers and emerges as images translated into letters and words. This flow can emerge as sound, movement, feelings, anything which allows for its expression.

Closing my eyes and allowing for an image to form representing the lack of creative flow, I see the same cascade showering upon me, but unable to enter my awareness. My mind is shut down and tight, dark with an armoring of its own creation. This armor is a psychic wall created from images of lack, limitation and fear. This fear projects many strong images of obstacles to overcome or potential failures and these projections shut out the inflow of creative inspiration. Fear manifests either as a dark dense and sluggish area of congestion in my head through which the creative light cannot penetrate or as a frenzied storm of dizzy panic and swirling thoughts which form such a spinning wall of obstruction that it effectively shuts off and deflects all creative flow. Yet, in spite of the psychic wall, creative flow is still present, it is merely blocked from access due to my being locked into a perceptual awareness centered on thoughts of lack, limitation, or fear. Creative flow can be re-established with a simple shift in perspective.

Writers such as Annie Lamott have all experienced periods of writer’s block. In her book Bird by Bird she shares many of her personal techniques for moving through this place of creative obstruction. When the flow seems blocked Lamott advises writers to just sit and write whatever comes to mind. This opens the flow. Allow the writing to be messy and cluttered. Lamott recognizes perfectionism as a fear-based perspective. Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor... it will keep you cramped and insane your whole life (Lamott p. 28). To shift perspectives and move from a fear based perfectionism into the creative flow Lamott suggests a technique of bringing up childhood memories for inspiration (an immediate perspective shift). She looks to school lunches as a good place to writing from. Writing is about hypnotizing yourself into believing in yourself, getting some work done, then unhypnotizing yourself (Lamott, pg.114). This process of self-hypnosis effectively brings about a shift in perspective and with the shift, an opening to the creative flow.

Psychologists have come to rely upon hypnosis as one of many effective methods for helping individuals to overcome blocks to their creativity. Through combining research into perceptual sifts in consciousness with tools such as bio-feedback machines, and brain mapping technology, scientists are now exploring and mapping the brain and its electrical reactions to the many thoughts and emotions which run through the body. Mind/brain maps are being developed which recognize, predict and direct various states of consciousness and awareness.

Tom Kenyon is a psychotherapist who has devoted his career to exploring brain states, mapping them scientifically, and developing methods for his patients to use to stimulate and access unused portions of the brain/mind (inside cover, brain states). In his book Brain States, Kenyon explores perception, creativity, and ways to intentionally shift perception and intentionally access creative ability. He states, “Creativity is one of the most illusive of abilities, yet it is quite simple. Creativity is the ability to sense and imagine things in new ways” (Kenyon, Brain States pg 142). To succeed in modern society, one becomes habituated to a functional mode of perception. This functional mode is, to some extent, responsive to the surrounding environment. We must be organized, on time, balance the checkbook, be quick at the supermarket check-out counter. Beware the wrath of the hurried masses impatiently waiting behind! The demands of a hectic life force us to adopt a mode of thinking which is very much habitual, linear and perceptually aligned with the social systems to which we must adhere to in order to do the things we must do to get through the day.

When I check in with my inner vision as to the energetic nature of this hectic mode of perception, I see many linear lines of flow moving out into these systems, effectively creating a wall blocking access to my ever-present creative flowing. This mode of functioning is a learned perception and useful, unconscious, automatic way of moving through our busy world. If we become identified with this habitual state and forget to shift perspective and re-open to our creative flow, we can begin to feel frustrated, shut-off and out of touch with our intuition.

Kenyon speaks to this tendency of becoming identified with the predictable, unconscious mode of perceiving the world. Doing what is expected is the death knell to creativity creativity requires a plasticity or flexibility of perception. He goes on to say, “The ability to stretch our perception and see more than our learned view of things is not only creative, it is becoming a necessity in our fast-paced world” (Kenyon, Brain states pg. 143-144). Kenyon speaks of the need to make our perception more plastic, more flexible in order to remain creative in our challenging world. He stresses the importance of finding methods which can be used to intentionally bring about perceptual shifts and thereby remaining opening to creative and intuitive flow.

In Brain States, Kenyon details various methods he has developed over the years in research and private practice to help individuals bring about shifts in perception using hypnosis, sound, music, language, body awareness and creative visualization. Many other researchers in the field of consciousness, perception and creativity have also recognized the link between shifting perceptions and accessing creativity.

Susan Blackmore is a scientist who has devoted her entire career to exploring the field of consciousness. In Consciousness, her most recent book, Blackmore describes the creative process as she has come to understand it. Creativity can be partly understood in the way all these explicit and intuitive skills come together in one person. Yet there remains something of a paradox about the source of creativity. She goes on to say, “(Creative individuals) claim their best work just comes to them. They have no idea how they do it… it is as though the (creative expression ) just shaped itself without any conscious effort” (Blackmore, pg. 286). Might I suggest that without realizing it, the creative individual experiences a shift in perception which results in an opening in the mental armor and a sudden accessing of the creative flow resulting in the experience that, as Blackmore puts it, their best work just comes to them? Although Blackmore offers no explanation for the source of creativity, she does suggest meditation as the single most effective technique available for gaining deep relaxation, eliminating stress (and) increasing creativity and offers it as a method for seeking insight and awakening (Blackmore pg.392).

Undoubtedly, mystics throughout the ages would agree with Blackmore’s assessment of meditation at a means for gaining insight and accessing altered states of consciousness. According to Kenyon, “meditation can be though of as focused attention. As you turn attention to a point of focus and keep awareness there, bodily tension de-creases, you feel more and more relaxed” (Kenyon, 101). This shift of focus leads to a shift in perception, and an opportunity to access creative states which had previously been blocked by a mind locked into linear awareness.

The true nature of creativity remains an elusive mystery, yet is accessible through the embracing of perceptual shifts. To embrace these shifts, one must call forth the courage to jump into the unknown and all the changes this brings forth. All absolute understanding is abandoned but for the ultimate truth that to live a creative life, one must embrace change and through embracing change one can express a life creatively lived.

I used to have fiery intensity,
and a flowing sweetness.
The waters were illusion.
The flames, made of snow.
Was I dreaming then?
Am I awake now?

- Rumi

References:

Barks, C. (1993). Rumi: fifty-three short poems translated by Coleman Barks.
Athens, GA: Maypop.
Blackmore, S. (2004). Consciousness: an introduction. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Kenyon, T. (2001). Brain States. Lithia Springs, GA: New Leaf Distributing Company.
Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by bird: some instructions on writing and life. New
York, NY: Anchor Books.

The Koan of Holism

The Koan of Holism
by Karen Saura
Copyright 2005 all rights reserved

One evening while attending a discussion group focusing on issues and situations encountered by holistic health practionners, our facilitator, Mike, posed a series of questions for us to reflect upon. In hindsight, these questions might be better described as koans, Buddhist "...stories and verses that present fundamental perspectives on life and no-life, the nature of the self, the relationship of the self to the earth - and how these interweave… their study is the process of realizing their truths" (Ciolek, 2005).

Mike asked us, “What is holistic health?” “How do we hold the energy of integration?” “What does it look like?” “What does it feel like?” “What is it that we wish to integrate?” “How do we integrate conventional and alternative medicine? Mind and body? Body and soul?” “What is the role of holistic health education in this integration?”

I have frequently grappled with these questions. The only absolute I can come up with is a resistant acceptance that there is no absolute answer. The experience of wholeness must exist somewhere, precariously balancing in that ever shifting place of relationship between an individual and all the ever shifting facets of one’s life experience.

Life comes at us like it or not. Just when we feel like we’re on top of our game, we get a curve ball. The metaphors are abundant: “to have the rug pulled out from under you,” and “the shit hit the fan,” or “I hit the wall.” These phrases struggle to give voice to a universal experience of the shock felt when hit with an unexpected challenge which “stops us in our tracks.” These dramatic experiences can either shift our perception of reality, broadening our sense of self or send us careening into an abyss of destruction and fragmentation. Our individual challenge is to remain in relationship with life’s unexpected challenges, in spite of the difficulties presented by the circumstances, and strive to allow these experiences to expand our sense of self and to go back and pick of the pieces if we fall. A holistic approach struggles to embrace these life challenges with a sense of assimilation and integration.

As I see it, we are living a dance driven by two opposing energetic forces – disintegration and integration. Disintegration is a force of separation and destruction. Integration is a process of healing and bringing things back into integrity and wholeness. We live in a vortex at the center of this dynamic dance of polarities, experiencing periods of destruction, purging, and release with alternating periods of integration, growth, and healing. Nature mirrors these truths back to us. After the forest fire we see the new growth nourished by the ash from the burn. Floods bring destruction and wash away the debris leaving new soil behind to nourish the next season’s crops. An integrative approach recognizes and emphasizes the cyclic nature of the human journey and strives to embrace these opposite forces allowing for a middle path to be revealed.

The challenge of the holistic practioner is to learn to work with change, with the elements beyond our control and to hold this space of integration and openness within ourselves. Resistance to change brings rigidness and rigidity can lead to fragmentation. Fragmentation is the opposite polarity to integration. Although I believe that fragments can ultimately be recovered, re-integrated, healed and transformed, the challenge for the holistic health practioner is to work within the context of these dynamic forces and hold a fluid space for transformation without fragmentation in a way that can embrace integrity and wholeness.

I’m going to share with you a haiku and a story which I feel speaks to many of these questions.

the End Begins

Desperate hand grips pen:
Memory fractures, fragments, drifts…
Fight with scribbled lines.

by Karen Saura

Dad and I sat in his hospital room sharing precious moments reminiscing on his childhood memories and watching Saturday Night Live as he drifted in the morphine cloud. The nurse came in with his sleeping pill. He swallowed it. I bent over and kissed him good night before I left for a little walk through the long, empty hospital corridors. I was there to share his precious last days as his battle with leukemia came to a close. As I left the room that night, little did I know that this was to be the beginning of the end.

I took my walk and called home to check on my family, half a continent away. 20 minutes later I returned to dad’s room, weary, ready to retire to my fold-out chair-bed for the night.

I remember the door. The long, cold, metal handle. My hand holding it, pushing down, pushing open the door. Something was wrong. I entered. The light was on. I felt danger, terror. Dad was not peacefully sleeping his drug induced sleep. He was sitting straight up in bed, wild eyed and panicked, looking around the room as if for the first time. His eyes were different - they had the look of a trapped, caged wild animal. I entered the room, went over to him and asked what was wrong. He stared at me wildly, blankly. “Who are you?!? Where am I?!?” In his disorientation he was terrified and terrifying.

My dad was a man who always held tremendous control over himself, his kingdom, and his environment. This instinct to control suddenly could find no ground to stand on. He was terrified, and dangerous. Although I try to pull my memories of this event together in my mind, they fly around in bits and pieces, fragmented. I remember him grabbing my arm, tightly, both a drowning man clutching for a buoy and a man feeling his very life threatened and not knowing from whence the threat came. He knew me no more. He could have killed me there on the spot - not in malice, but in instinctual self-defense. I felt the threat in every cell of my body.

Somehow I calmed him and slipped back out the door. Calmly, desperately, I found the night nurse and tried to explain what was happening in the room. The next moments recede into my fragmented memory… its continuity returns with dad in restraints in a wheelchair.

My brother and I wheeled him around all day. In the solidarity of fraternal understanding we were able to ward off our personal horror and find humor and some sense of quality time with dad as we watched dementia dismantle him at warp-speed. By that evening he had lost most coherent memory fragments and was left with desperate instinctual needs for the familiar objects of his daily life. Keys, over and over he asked for keys. He was probably looking to make a get-away, to no avail. Briefcase, pen and paper, the objects with which he had ordered his world and captured his thought. He clutched his briefcase, using it as a surface upon which to write, continuous, copious writing with great intensity and concentration with his familiar gold pen. With these weapons he was bravely warding off the inevitable, tightly holding to the fleeting remnants of the man he had been. Hopelessly he mimicked the motions of his days of power, authority, and control.

When I later pulled out these precious last writings, my heart broke as I saw his familiar script grasping at words, finding letters and movements, then diminishing into scribbles and lines. Line after line of scribbles and lines. His final desperate attempt to hold onto the shadowy fragments of reality and mental control.

What felt like an eternity of compressed time, thoughts, experience, and emotions actually must have passed by in a mere day or two. The doctors never addressed what had happened that night. I suspect it was a drug interaction that caused a mini-stroke in the brain. Probably the left brain considering the loss of linear functioning and conscious memory, yet retention of instinctual, habitual actions. But that is my personal speculation, my desperate attempt to hide my personal horror and grief in a rational scientific explanation. He was there to die. The body was finished. I had hoped for dad a death with dignity. In my naivety I felt that we could facilitate an ideal death transition for him. I had not considered the possibility of a death which careened out of control, fragmenting, disintegrating in front of me, and I helpless to intercede.

After that fateful night, it took exactly 1 week for the process to run its course. I was there when dad finally “died”. When his heart stopped and his final exhale was exhausted. But when did he begin to die? On a random day when some genetic program triggered? Or one moment when he was exposed to just too much of something resulting in the birth of leukemia in his bones? Did dying begin 3 years before when he was diagnosed? Perhaps it began that fateful night when his neurons were shattered in a chemical war in his brain shooting pieces of memory and self out into the universe - gone forever. Maybe it came the night he was finally forced from his body by its inability to take in the next breath. The Tibetans believe that dying continues on for several days after the final breath for the spirit needs time to completely withdraw from the organs and cells, before finally, absolutely leaving the body behind.

I’ll probably never have a satisfactory answer to these questions. My best hope is to find some resolution and from there put it aside. Not away, but aside, in a special place to be pulled out and contemplated from time to time. Perhaps that’s the best anyone can hope for. A dance with Death which allows for personal peace, room to live. A relationship that respects and honors Death when it comes to call, then sends it on its way. A stand which defies Death through a Life well lived.

CarpieDium!

I was my dad’s holistic health practioner. When we discovered he was ill, I began my formal herbal studies earnest, knowing that nutritional and herbal support can play an integral role in battling illness. Dad was blessed and cursed with an interesting variety of leukemia. MD Anderson Cancer Center took him on in an experimental research program. They offered him cutting edge drugs and treatments, magic bullets, and life saving procedures. He was very ill when he embarked upon this journey. The treatment provided by MD Anderson no doubt prolonged his life by three years. Although one might open the topic of quality of life during these three years, but then who’s to judge another’s journey. In spite of the progressively diminishing capacity he experienced as he became increasingly reliant on the medical intervention, I saw that these three years provided him with a unique opportunity to reevaluate his relationships and many other aspects of his life. These topics fall into the category of not knowing. They merit recognition, then release.

What I do know as a health practioner is that many of these treatments brought with them nasty side effects which, because they did not deal directly with the condition being studied were treated casually by his physicians with lesser medications or dismissed as psychosomatic.

The most dramatic side effect was systemic itching as a side effect of the chemotherapy drug treatment. In my herbal studies I discovered that most skin conditions occur as a result of the liver being overloaded. The skin is a second organ of elimination for the body. Therefore, itching can be a symptom of an overloaded liver. If you cleanse and nourish the liver and it is relieved of its toxic overload, then the itching should diminish and ultimately cease to be an issue.

I found a powerful liver cleansing program for dad and coupled it with nutritional superfoods to support his liver and keep his blood counts up. He followed the program precisely. After five days he called me to tell me not to hail victory yet, but he could actually shower for the first time in weeks without taking valium with a glass of wine to endure the itching to come. After seven days he reported that the unbearable itching was gone. When he reported this amazing success story back to his physician it was met with a defensive and dismissive attitude. “It must have been a coincidence” and “You must be careful with those herbs and pills – they are not sterile and could cause problems.”

Well, dad learned the first lesson of integrative health in your typical medical environment – keep your alternative practices to yourself. We kept the itching at bay with the liver flush, kept the blood counts up with green drinks, super foods and daily shots of what he called Whole Food’s Market’s “motor oil” – a blend of wheat grass, beet, and other vegetable juices. We managed these conditions holistically with great success, much to the chagrin of his doctors. What we did was outside the realm of their studies and skewed their research. Our biggest challenge was to keep him on the nutritional supplements while in the hospital during one of the many times he “dodged the bullet” as he put it.

Dad’s battle with cancer probably mirrors many others. His journey began through the doors of the hospital and the conventional treatment approach. He brought in alternative support, explored exotic options too numerous to go into at this time, and eventually turned to soliciting prayer circles and joining a church. He fought it out to the bitter end.

My role as his holistic health educator was to bring him information, give him support, and to hold a space of possibility and transformation open for him as he ultimately made his own choices and lived his own life journey.

Although, through my eyes, his final life experience was one of fragmentation, I watched him go through and incredible transformative journey in the three years prior to his final week. I learned that my biggest challenge as a holistic practioner is to find in myself that place of acceptance and of not knowing. To trust that reality is constantly and spontaneously emerging and to remain open and available to the ever present possibility of the miracle of transformation.

Author's Bio:

Karen Saura MEd, MH, is a master herbalist, science teacher, and holistic nutritional counselor. She emphasizes the use of whole, organic foods, nutritive herbs and supplements to promote optimal health, prevent disease, manage chronic illness and to rediscover the joy of healthy eating. Phone consultations are available.e-mail: ksaura@gmail.com .


References
Ciolek, T. (2005). Zen Buddhism Koan Study Pages. East Anglia, UK: World Wide Web Virtual Library. Retrieved March 21, 2005, from http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/ZenPages/KoanStudy.html.

Unconscious Influences

Unconscious Influences
by Karen Saura
copyright 2003, all rights reserved

We exist in a world defined by conscious intention and filled with unconscious urges. The psyche as a whole is composed of two parts, the conscious and the unconscious. We all share this common make-up of our psychic nature. In fact, it is from the unconscious that our most creative impulses emerge. This is the eternal well of insight and creativity from which true visionaries, artists, and writers draw their inspiration. The conscious mind sets the structure and the unconscious fills the structure with the substance that gives it meaning. Where the unconscious is the ocean, the conscious is the vessel which gives it shape and measure.

What is necessary in order to have a creative relationship between the unconscious and the conscious? How will we define the vehicle of communication? Since the unconscious exists beyond the realm of the conscious (hence the term “unconscious”) possible ways of connecting with it must be found in order to allow it to slip through the control mechanisms of the conscious mind. Methods or practices of consciously accessing the unconscious include meditation, dream analysis, free form drawing and painting. If an individual has a relationship with the unconscious, a communication is established which allows for a balance to exist between the conscious intent and the unconscious urges.

The “shadow” is one of Carl Jung’s most useful terms for the unconscious part of the human psyche. Through conveying a visual image of what we intuitive sense of the unconscious we gain a glimpse of the realm of the unconscious as a dark place where that which we’d rather not encounter dwells... shadowy, murky, always lurking just behind us. The shadow is simply the whole unconscious.

During the late 19th and early 20th century, while the concept of the unconscious as a psychological force was emerging in psychotherapy, artists were simultaneously exploring their personal connection to the unconscious, dredging up dream imagery and drawing upon the realm of the shadow as the center and driving force of their art. For surrealism, Dali, De Anea, even Chagall, capturing dream imagery and the unconscious became not only the artistic objective, but also the defining subject matter for most art through the 20th century. In fact, except for Impressionism, all art movements which emerged during the last century have been defined by the conscious exploration of the unconscious.

Robert Bly describes the unconscious in his book, The Little Book on the Human Shadow, as a “long bag we drag behind us, heavy with the parts of ourselves our parents or community didn’t approve of” (Bly, 1988, p. 2). Bly asserts that we are born whole and as we grow and develop we are forced to reject various parts of ourselves in order to be accepted into society. In our attempt to “fit into” society, we gradually deny parts of ourselves, fragmenting them and hiding them away in this long bag of unconscious shadow stuff as we conform our public persona to fit the status quo.

Jung speaks of “splinter psyches” in The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche (Jung, 1981, p. 98). These “splinter psyche” are bits of the psyche which have split off most frequently as a result of a so-called trauma, emotional shock, or as a result of a moral conflict, ultimately deriving from the apparent impossibility of affirming the whole of one’s nature. “This predisposes a direct split no matter whether the conscious is aware of it or not” (Jung, 1981, p. 98). Jung’s description of these “splinter psyches” and how they relate to the conscious and unconscious describe, from Jung’s perspective, the same dynamics which Bly alludes to with his metaphor of the parts of ourselves stuffed into the “long bag we drag behind us” (Bly, 1988, p.2). Jung goes on to describe how the conscious and unconscious work together to absorb these parts of self which have been fragmented or rejected and must be hidden from view. “The unconscious helps to assimilate the splinter [which has been rejected by the conscious psyche]” (Jung, 1981, p. 98). The splinter psyches are then absorbed by the unconscious without conscious awareness. Now, embedded in the unconscious, Jung describes these splintered bits as going on to exist as “living units of the unconscious psyche” out of sight of our conscious perception, yet present and subtly affecting our conscious activities in unexpected and surprising ways. Bly speaks of the act of eating the shadow, consciously bringing these denied, splintered psyche fragments to the light of our conscious attention and consuming them with awareness, thus re-accepting them as significant aspects of our being and liberating all the creative energy they held bound in their prison of unconsciousness.

The conscious and the unconscious exist as complementary parts of the whole of our psyche. They must exist in a relationship of balance, and if one is emphasized while the other neglected, various degrees of psychological imbalance are the result.

Jung explores this relationship which exists between the conscious and the unconscious whereby “the unconscious behaves in a compensatory or complementary manner towards the conscious” (Jung, 1981, p. 69) and vice versa. If a form of communication has not been established between the conscious and unconscious a situation results of a state of too great a one-sidedness. When the unconscious is allowed to rule, a psychotic condition results in which the individual lives under the direct influence of the unconscious. The opposite extreme would be an individual who structures their life under “directed conscious functioning resulting in a considerable dissociation from the unconscious” (Jung, 1981, p. 69).

Our modern lifestyles demand this type of concentrated, directed conscious functioning. Yet, the unconscious cannot be denied, or ignored. The further we are able to remove ourselves from the unconscious through direct functioning, the more readily a powerful counter-position can build up in the unconscious, and when this breaks out it may have disagreeable consequences” often through a slip of the tongue or a lapse in memory (Jung, 1981, p. 71).

When denied and repressed, the unconscious intervenes again and again in daily life in a disturbing and apparently unpredictable manner. Life can be flowing along according to the consciously structured plan and then suddenly, when you least expect it, something totally unexpected resonates with some hidden aspect of self, some “splinter psyche” stuffed in our bag of shadow material, and out it pops in all it’s disgusting, repressed, emotionally charged, terrifying glory. A monster rearing its ugly head through a tear of the psychic fabric, twisting the moment from rational sensibility into a cubist nightmare of distorted reality colored with rich, rejected, unconscious shadow-stuff. After the initial shock from the trespass of this unwanted unconscious interjection into the present moment subsides, the conscious mind makes a desperate scramble to grab at bits and pieces of rationalization, excuses, and blame, quickly and effectively shoving that monster back into the long dark bag of shadow stuff.

Yet, the unconscious cannot be denied. That would be as futile as denying dreams or sleep itself. Throughout history and spanning cultures the unconscious has held a relevant position in the basic structuring of humanity’s varied expressions. Jung speaks of a collective unconscious shared by the whole of humanity which ties together the planetary psyche via universal archetypes of psyche forces. These archetypes can be found in the imagery which weaves through cultural expressions spanning the ages - defying social, political, and religious boundaries. The grim reaper, virgin, hero, the shadow - these archetypes are universal and serve as a larger background upon which the individual unconscious defines itself within the specific constraints of the individual’s unique religious, cultural, and personal construct.

Our world is structured by conscious intention which is filled from the richness of the vast sea of the unconscious. When tapped into and drawn into the conscious realm, this rich unconscious source serves as an eternal well of insight and creativity for all to draw from. As we each reclaim our creative source through taking personal responsibility for reabsorbing our own shadow self and bring the personal unconscious into conscious awareness, the very act of eating our shadow and facing our fears transforms us bringing each into a lighter, more playful and joyful place of personal _expression. Perhaps through the process of our individual enlightenment we each eat a bit of the global shadow of humanity and thus serve the collective whole to progress towards the collective enlightenment of the global consciousness of humanity.

About the Author:

Karen Saura MEd, MH, is a Master Herbalist, science teacher, and holistic nutritional counselor. She emphasizes the use of whole, organic foods, nutritive herbs and supplements to promote optimal health, prevent disease, manage chronic illness and to rediscover the joy of healthy eating. Phone consultations are available.e-mail: ksaura@gmail.com .

References:

Bly, R. (1988). A little book on the human shadow. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.
Danrich, M. (2003). Spiritual school of ascension. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: Ascend Press.
Jung, C. (1981). The structure and dynamics of the psyche. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Robertson, R. (1995). Jungian archetypes. York Beach, ME: Nicolas-Hays.

A Call for Global Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods

A Call for Global Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods

By Karen Saura

copyright 2003 Karen T. Saura

“We are confronted with what is undoubtedly the single most potent technology the world has ever known - more powerful even that atomic energy. Yet it is being released throughout our environment and deployed with superficial or no risk assessments - as if no one needs to worry an iota about its unparalleled powers to harm life as we know it - and for all future generations to come” (Batalion, 2000, para. 1).

The debate over the release of genetically modified (GM) foods has raged relentlessly since the first discussions to introduce GM foods into the food chain via the introduction of genetically modified “super seeds” to farmers to test the new strains of plants out in the real world. Supporters lauded the miraculous possibilities waiting to be realized as the vast applications of GM foods are explored and implemented into our society. They claim that this new technology promises to solve many of the current global problems including starvation, malnutrition, and chemical poisoning of the environment. Opponents of the technology warn of the unforeseen natural disasters posed for release into the ecosystem via the “Trojan horse” of GM foods. They fear ominous dangers ranging from new health issues which will develop from the introduction of these alien creations into our bodies, disruption of the fragile ecosystem, future farming disasters, terminator seeds unleashed, and anirretrievable loss of biodiversity on planet earth.

Genetically modified foods have become a part of our world and like it or not they are here to stay. Over the last twenty years, these new foods have quietly and irretrievable been introduced into the open market, escalating the debate surrounding health and safety concerns to a new level involving a heated struggle for control over the rules which will govern the role of GM foods in the global marketplace. Who is to choose which ones are safe? How much information does the public need? Who is to control the global food supply, previously a non-patented, natural resource, provided for by the planet we live on. In the US and many other countries, GM foods are already sold in the marketplace without full disclosure and informed labeling. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food. A global labeling system for GM foods needs to be established that informs consumers about the presence of genetically modified ingredients in their foods. GM foods should be labeled because theglobal consumer has the right to know whether or not the food he may be putting into his body has been genetically modified allowing consumers to choose whether or not to support this new technology through their purchases.

What exactly are genetically modified foods? The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as: “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use” (FAO, 2000, para. 3). With regard to foods, it specifically refers to the new DNA techniques, molecular biology and reproductive technological applications including a range of different technologies such as gene manipulation and gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of plants and animals. These new organisms are then termed genetically modified organisms.

If we examine history, people have been altering their food for thousands of years. Humans first started cultivating edible crops over 7,000 years ago. Evidence of early agricultural practices such as plant grafting has been found in the ruins of ancient civilizations, proof that agricultural manipulation has been around for a long time. Modern bioengineering practices find their humble beginnings in these earliest attempts to modify crops and livestock. There are ample traces in the most ancient historical records of our ancestors practicing hybridization, the crossbreeding of animals and the crossing of two different plant strains to create new varieties with a combination of traits. Hybridizations are limited by natural barriers between the species. Some combinations absolutely will not take. Genetic engineering allows the scientist to bypass these natural barriers by using technology which literally inserts the genetic material from one organism into an otherwise incompatible host organism. We now have creations blending types of genetic material which could never before be combined. This creates all sorts of new health, safety and environmental concerns, and daunting practical issues to encounter surrounding fair and clear food labeling.

The current status of the humble tomato will well illustrate the extent to which the labeling parameters need to be mapped if they are to be true to their intentions and serve every consumer, including those who choose to completely avoid GM foods in any form whatsoever. In the 1990’s, a new variety of tomato was introduced, the Flavr-Savr ™ tomato. It had been genetically modified to enhance flavor and shelf life. If we are to label the GM Flavr-Savr ™ tomatoes, how is this to be done? Does every individual tomato wear a GM sticker? Or, does the grocer place a sign over the bin in the store? If imperfect and bruised Flavr-Savr ™ tomatoes are purchased to be made into tomato paste with other tomatoes from other sources, does the manufacturer label the product as “may contain”? This would directly apply to affordable and generic brands that often mix lots of produce as they buy for price in order to keep costs down. And how do we handle products created with ingredients from “morethan one country”? The labeling system must be global in order to have a universal compliance and standard if the GM label is to be trusted by the consumer. Should food products derived from GM plants be labeled? Corn meal, for example, and flour, or starch from GM potatoes? How about vegetable oil which comes from plants of possible GM origin? (McHughen, 2000, p. 213).

The FDA has been unable to clearly take a stand on GM foods, fair labeling and public health. Genetic engineering manipulates an organism at the very source of its uniqueness and changes it – fundamentally and essentially. DNA is nature’s blueprint for creating the individuality of an organism. Although it may appear to be essentially the same as its natural predecessor, what if the gene inserted was a gene from a food that could cause an allergic reaction? The FDA’s official position on foods known to cause allergic reactions is clear. Laura Tarantino is the head of FDA’s biotechnology branch. She states, “The food will have to be labeled so everyone will know it contains an allergen, unless the developer can show scientifically that the allergenicity has not been transferred...this is one case where we would clearly insist on labeling” (Ticciati, 1998, pp. 12-13). But adding a gene and creating a new hybrid GM organism may create novel, unpredictable allergens, novel andunprecedented health conditions. Yet, the FDA considers these new GM foods to be safe for the consumer, effectively ignoring potential health consequences to the consumer which may result from the genetic modifications. These GM foods are not labeled in the US.

The consumer should have the information available to choose if they wish to participate in this national bio-tech food experiment, not forced to participate through nondisclosure. How can the FDA justify not labeling foods as such? The FDA has taken the position that, according to their research, at least some of the GM foods already on the market show no “tangible difference” when compared to their natural counterparts, therefore, in their opinion, no such difference exists. They have also taken the position that too much information might confuse rather than enlighten the consumer. Because grasping the mechanics of biotechnology is beyond the technological reach and understanding of most laypersons it can seem unnatural and frightening even though it has been declared safe by the FDA (Hart, 2002, p.243). Yet, consumers have become accustomed to handling labeling information ranging from Kosher or non-Kosher, free-range or organic, saturated, unsaturated, expeller-pressed, #24 red,#45 yellow, msg, bht, and on and on… Consumers have learned how to read these labels and act on the information they provide. For the FDA to suggest that labeling GM foods and additives will mislead consumers is inconsistent with current labeling standards and underestimates the intelligence of consumers. GM foods should be labeled.

The rate at which these unlabeled GM products are hitting the market is growing exponentially by the day. A genetically modified hybrid is considered a new invention and can be patented and protected by intellectual copyright laws. Whoever owns the food patents owns the food chain. The corporate race is on to tweak and twist valuable natural commodities in order to claim intellectual ownership of and future profits generated by the GM foods. Over the past ten years, biotech companies have rapidly used patenting to gain control of staple crop seed stock. This has led to a near monopoly control of certain commodities which have been genetically modified, especially soy, corn and cotton. As a result, almost seventy-five percent of such processed foods contain some GM ingredients. Largely between 1997 and 1999, GM ingredients suddenly appeared in two-thirds of all US processed foods. This flurry of food alteration was fueled by a single Supreme Court decision Diamond vs. Chakrabartywhere the highest court decided that biological life could be legally patentable (McHughen, 2000, 245). Since then thousands of applications for experimental GM organisms have been filed with the US Patent Office alone, and many more abroad. More and more of these unlabeled products are entering the US marketplace daily. It is becoming a very lucrative industry and is being pushed upon an uninformed US consumer. Countries that require GM foods to be labeled generally find their consumers to be very resistant to the introduction of these products into their marketplaces. This is resulting in a tremendous international debate over the labeling of GM products and a global economic war between companies positioning themselves to best profit in the exploding GM foods industry.

Because current labeling laws in the US do not require listing genetically modified ingredients, few consumers are aware that they are currently purchasing and consuming GM food products and that this has been going on for almost twenty years. Granted, you can look at labels and see exactly how much salt, fat and carbohydrates are in the foods you eat, but you would not know if the bulk of these foods, and literally every cell in them had been genetically altered. The labeling laws have not kept pace with the explosion of GM creations. The products containing GM ingredients are currently not labeled in the US. Without labeling, few consumers in the US are aware of the pervasiveness of GM foods.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) is the international organization charged with creating a universal food labeling system to address the new health, public safety, and environmental issues emerging as these biotechnological advances hit the global marketplace. Formed in 1962, Codex’s mission is to protect the health and safety of global consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade through relevant standards. Over its 40-year history it has fulfilled its mandate by establishing some 4,000 standards, recommendations, and guidelines for individual foods, food labels, pesticide residues, food contaminants, food additives, hygiene practices, and other issues relevant to traded foodstuffs (Kalaitzandonakes & Phillips, 2000, p. 1). In 1993 Codex addressed the need to develop global labeling standards for GM foods. An Intergovernmental Task Force of Foods Derived from Biotechnologies was established to create the global set of standards, guidelines and recommendations for foods derived from biotechnologies or traits introduced into foods by biotechnological methods (FAO, 2000, para. 1). Over ten years have gone by and we still have no global labeling standard. Even basic elements of what is to be labeled and when a label is or isn’t necessary is still debated (Kalaitzandonakes & Phillips, 2000, p. 1). The explosion of GM products has created an entirely new paradigm of foods which has never before had to be worked into the parameters of the global society. The old way of thinking about foods, what they are, where they come from and how they are produced no longer applies. Our entire relationship to food and the environment has to be re-evaluated. Meanwhile, as the Codex discusses and debates the issues at hand,GM foods are rapidly infiltrating our food chain, our bodies and our ecosystem spread by the wind, birds and bees and the forces of global commerce.

To illustrate the complexity of addressing what and when to apply the GM label, let’s look at how the US handles the regulation of our food supply. The government agrees that there exists the responsibility to the public to inform and label GM foods. It is unclear, however, who is responsible for this, what food manufacturers should warn about, and who is the regulator. The FDA is responsible for the safety of domestic and imported foods except for red meat and poultry, which is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. The Environmental Protection Agency is the primary regulator for pesticides, with help from the FDA (Singer, 2000). The FDA only labels if it has been demonstrated that the organism is sufficiently different. It is reasonable for the consumer to demand safe food. However, if the consumer wishes to be discerning, she must weigh the facts objectively. She must consider the pluses and minuses of GM products; those produced with pesticides, herbicides and/oradditives, and the fact that nature has a way of mixing it all up anyway. An ‘organic’ farm may not be as organic as we think. Cross-pollination and other mixing occurs. Nothing in FDA regulations states that GM foods are not organic, so some foods labeled “organic” may indeed be genetically modified (Deaton, 2003).

In the United States, the FDA is responsible for establishing food labeling guidelines. Internationally, each country establishes its own internal guidelines which the Codex is attempting to bridge into a global system. Foods are moved around the world daily via air, land, and sea. Take a look at the supermarket and you will see peaches from Chile, Australian lamb, and Mexican papayas. A huge national and international economy drives the daily movement of food around the world. A working labeling system must accommodate vastly different cultures, politics, economies and laws.

An examination of a time line of proposed legislation from various countries illustrates which countries have taken a firm position on the labeling of GM foods and further reveals to what degree the global public has become concerned about the presence of these GM foods in the marketplace in spite of corporate and governmental attempts to maintain the current status quo. The European Union (EU), China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Australia have already passed legislation requiring some form of labeling for GM products. On May 26, 1998, the EU adopted rules requiring mandatory labels for foods made from genetically engineered soybeans and corn which took effect immediately. August 1999, the Japanese government voted to require labeling of GM crops and foods containing GM ingredients. The Australian New Zealand Food Authority also ordered mandatory labels in August 1999. The Korean government approved mandatory labeling of GM corn, soybeans and bean sprouts, effective in March 2001.In May of 2001, China’s State Council passed a draft regulation requiring clear labeling of GM food products especially with regards to imports. Non-labeled imports were subsequently banned in China. The US responded with sharp criticism of their actions (Hart, 2002, pp. 193, 269).

There have been several attempts at some form of GM food labeling in the US, but to date, none has been approved. November 10, 1999, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act was presented in Congress. Although there was significant support for the act from many of members of congress, the legislation was withdrawn without a vote (Hart, 2002, p. 169). In January of 2000 the US participated in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity held with the intention of creating a global set of protocols on Biosafety. Over 130 countries voted in favor of the precautionary principle and regulations for movements of new GM foods. The US was one of the few countries that did not support the Biosafety Protocols, publicly voicing their opposition to and subverting the protocols (Hart, 2002, p. 193). Senator Barbara Boxer introduced a bill in the Senate in February of 2000 requiring that all genetically engineered foods be labeled. “The health and environmental effects of geneticallyengineered foods are not yet known,” she wrote in a press statement introducing the bill. “The bill authorizes long-term studies on the safety of these foods. Such studies simply do not exist today.” According to Boxer, over 92 percent of consumers favor mandatory labels on GM foods. In spite of the overwhelming public support, the bill did not pass (Hart, 2002, p. 233).

The battle over the labeling of GM foods is escalating. The US has recently openly attacked the EU’s ban on unlabeled GM foods. On August 17th, 2003 President Bush asked the World Trade Organization to force the EU to lift the ban on GM food products. The EU responded immediately by exercising its one opportunity to legally block the request. The EU insists that the five-year-ban on GM foods is necessary to provide the EU with time to finalize strict new rules on the authorization and labeling of these new products for their markets. Members of the EU feel that decisions about the food eaten in Europe should be made in Europe and not in the White House (Guardian Newspapers, August 18, 2003). To date, the ban has not been lifted in spite of the US’s efforts to open up the global marketplace to unlabeled GM products.

GM foods have entered the global food chain and global public policy is struggling to keep pace with its advance. There are distinct positions developing in the public debate. There are scientists doing what they’ve been trained to do, multi-national corporations competing to create, control, and profit from new markets, governments striving to serve the conflicting needs of the citizens, environmentalists struggling to maintain a balanced and sustainable ecosystem, and consumers demanding information on a universally shared basic necessity, the global food supply. The future relationship between people and food is what is truly at stake in this frantic struggle over how to label GM foods. Up to this point in human history the Earth has provided food for the people of the planet. If we as a global society allow for the food of the earth to be manipulated, patented, legislated, and sold back to us – especially without our knowledge of such - then we become nothing more than slaves onthe planet with no place to escape to. If this experiment with GM food turns out to be a bad experiment, what’s at stake here is the future sustainability of humans on the planet. The people have a right to know what is in their food supply and must be given the opportunity to choose whether or not to support this new genetically modified food industry through every individual food transaction and every bite of food eaten! Genetically modified foods throughout the world must be labeled.

Copyright 2003 by Karen T. Saura

Karen Saura MEd, MH, is a master herbalist, science teacher, and holistic nutritional counselor. She emphasizes the use of whole, organic foods, nutritive herbs and supplements to promote optimal health, prevent disease, manage chronic illness and to rediscover the joy of healthy eating. Phone consultations are available.
e-mail: ksaura@gmail.com .


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