I'm no 'New Ager' but it seems to me that rather than moving into any so called New Age, where all is sweetness and light, we are nevertheless on the threshold of a new 'integral consciousness'. The human race is certainly capable of wiping itself out & in the last 50 years our treatment of the planet has made massive strides towards this. What with Dubya in the White House things don't look too great right now. But hey, call all me a cockeyed optimist, I just somehow doubt it'll come to that for a few million years or so.
We are at the beginning of a transitional period, which may last several hundreds of years before we truly reach a new mindset and which meantime is likely to be highly disruptive at times as humankind undergoes major shifts in attitude. Better take a long view, in a couple of hundred years it'll be great, but meantime - mind how you go! What we are seeing are ancient polarities coming together rather than one or the other dominating in succeeding ages. The Masculine & the Feminine, East & West, the Ancient & the Modern, these forces are converging and something entirely new is taking shape. The danger comes in the ebb & flow of the reactionary & the progressive forces, and if we hang on to what patently no longer works as we enter uncharted territory - because it is familiar.
Native peoples all over the world who are in touch with that ancient Earth wisdom, and seeing the hash of things we are making, have a large piece of the puzzle for us. They are trying to tell us that we need to rediscover that primordial connection with the Earth, which lives in us still but that we have forgot. Knowing that their world is gone or going they tell us that we need to rediscover this connection within ourselves as we transmute that ancient knowledge into a future way of being. After all we can't all be hunter gatherers, even if we wanted to be. But if any of you do feel the urge to re-connect with your Primordial you're in luck. I learn that a small group is leaving to be with the Aboriginal Elders in the forbidden fastnesses of Arnhem Land's tribal territories. Here you will be in contact with the oldest oral tradition that exists on Earth today & in a landscape that has lain untouched for 250 million years and in the company of the very people who have held that land holy for 40,000 years or more. Powerful! So if you want to get with that ancient Dreamtime wisdom go check it out on <www.balidiscovery.com/misc/rto.htm».
An Old & Familiar Killer
Who is this "Old Killer" of my title then? Talk about an Archetypical Killer! This is a disease that sweeps us away by the million ever since man spread across the face of the earth and it does so still. It is so familiar to us that we hardly consider it at all. It spreads so fast and has so many guises that modern medicine is no nearer to a solution than it was a hundred years ago. In the early 20th Century a particularly virulent epidemic killed over 20 million people in a matter of months. I refer of course to the 'Flu.
Influenza is an acute respiratory infection spread via airborne droplets of infected respiratory fluid and is capable of sweeping through entire communities. The symptoms are fever & chills; weakness & aching in legs, arms & back; headache; nasal congestion; sore throat; dry cough and burning eyes. It almost never causes gastrointestinal problems and is not to be confused with "stomach 'flu" characterised by vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Nor should it be mistaken for the common cold or other airborne viruses. The 'flu is significantly different in both the rapid onset of the illness and in the potentially life-threatening complications that can develop, particularly in the elderly. Although most people recover within a week, serious complications can occur in newborn babies, people with certain chronic diseases & a compromised immune system, and most of all - the elderly.
Primarily affecting children of 5 to 14 years, schools are infamous for the transmission of 'flu viruses. Complications from bacterial infections of the lower respiratory tract producing pneumonia or bronchitis are most common among people with chronic respiratory illnesses and the elderly. The 'Flu could almost be likened to a viral version of the hyena, a most effective means of keeping numbers down by preying on the young, the weak and the elderly. In fact the disease & it's complications have been called "the dying man's friend" since it is what so often brings a quick & merciful death to those who are suffering a long and debilitating terminal illness.
What's new and alarming is the number of young and middle aged adults who now routinely get very nasty bouts of the the 'Flu, sometimes more than once a year and which drag on and on. It's a2 worrying mystery, why? Either more & more people have weak immune systems or the viruses are getting smarter. Or worst of all, BOTH! The improper use of antibiotics, often prescribed for viral conditions where it does no good at all, compounds the problem as they become less & less effective in combating the bacterial complications.
"The Revenge of the Virus"
If I were a betting man I'd give odds that it's is going to get worse in the intermediate future, not better. The virus is perhaps better able to survive in the world we are creating than we are. The 'Flu virus is hard to treat because not only are there 3 groups, A, B & C, (Type A is the most serious) but they are constantly changing. A global network of WHO co-ordinated labs identifies & monitors new strains around the world and it's they who come up with a 'Flu shot each year, which they hope is the one that's going to hit. But it's an educated guess at best. You can have a 'Flu shot & it'll do you absolutely no good at all. Even so, those concerned for the elderly might be well advised to cut the odds a bit their way.
My mother, now in her 80's and living in the temperate climes of North Island, N.Z., has caught the 'flu for the last 3 winters running. Each time more serious than the year before. Last year it turned into pneumonia & we nearly lost her. Every year for the past 4, she has had the 'Flu shot & I suppose the medical boffins just guessed wrong 3 years in a row. You simply cannot rely on the shot or standard medical care given on a routine basis. We could have lost her unnecessarily because there had been no preventative action to boost her immune system & the attack was not treated quickly enough with the right drugs. Though she has a mild heart condition, which is being successfully treated, she has quite a few more good years left, provided we do what's needed to ensure she's not taken by the 'flu.
Pac-Man Immune System
The best way as always is to avoid getting the illness in the first place and for that what you need is an A-ONE Immune System, ready to zero in on & gobble up the nasty invaders in a trice. Think of it like a kid's computer game & you'll get the picture. So let's take a brief look atwhat'll give you that and then go on to how to treat the 'flu when you've got it.
OK, I've said it before but I'll say it again. Life style. You need good nutrition & exercise and yes, to moderate your favourite vices. You then need to supplement with a good general multi and a good herbal multi in therapeutic doses. Make it good, not the usual nonsense you'll find on the shelves. In particular the herbs: Echinacea, Ginseng & Grape Seed extract. Other positive nutrients for the purpose are soy protein extract, whey extract, L-carnitine and CoQ10. The hormone DHEA also helps a lot. Powerful aids to immune function are Thyroid Extract and a French medication called Biostim.
Now what do we do for the 'Flu itself. Well, we've talked about the 'Flu shot. This should be taken by anyone over 65 and children with respiratory conditions; anybody with chronic medical conditions including respiratory illness, diabetes & cancer; residents of nursing homes as well as doctors and caregivers.
The most common treatment for the 'flu is bed, rest & plenty of fluids with aspirin to relieve fever & discomfort. Rimantadine (derivative of Amantadine) can be used to treat Type A but has no effect on Type B. Ribivarin is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that is especially effective against influenza type viruses. When you first develop the symptoms take 200 mg of Ribivarin every 3 to 4 hours. Ribivarin is well tolerated but you must be careful or not take it if you are anaemic. Get a blood test if you take it for more than 2 weeks. Biostim, already mentioned, both boosts immune function and treats the infection. Research shows it is very effective and results in much faster relief of clinical symptoms. Then the herbal extracts, some mentioned already, that have antiviral effects. When 'Flu symptoms occur take Echinacea liquid extract at a dose of 6 full droppers in a small amount of water followed by 2 droppers every 2 waking hours until a 2-oz bottle is finished. You may also want to consider taking 300 mg of Astralagus extract and 4 caps a day of Sports Ginseng. A new extract from the elderberry called Sambucol has been shown to keep the virus from entering the cells & should be taken in doses of 1 tablespoon 4 x p/day. DHEA is an adrenal hormone that has antiviral & immune boosting benefits. When the 'Flu strikes take 100 mg of DHEA 3 x p/day until symptoms subside. Consider Melatonin, which has immune enhancing effects and probably antiviral properties too. It also helps you get a good nights sleep. Take 10mg before going to sleep for the duration of the attack.
We all tend, it seems to me, to take the 'Flu for granted. It has become familiar. We are prone to forget what a swift and insidious killer it truly is. In fact it is reasonably easily prevented & cured when it strikes, if treated promptly and well. And then finally, it can come as a friend bearing off swiftly and mercifully those whose time has truly come.
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The 'Flu virus is like the hyena, it keeps our numbers down by preying on the young, weak and elderly. But today more & more ostensibly healthy people get the 'Flu regularly. It is as though our immune systems can't cope & the virus is getting smarter."
