My Heartsongs

I don't need a prickling discharge of ions on the back on my neck to remind me that things are OFF in capital letters, to actually feel the urgent, palpable yet inconclusive tinge of peril we now face in the world, an apocryphal yet not dubious menu on display. A filling station of gloom available with the click of a mouse.

There is a tempest abrewing! The Singularity refers to the point at which machines' intelligence and humans will merge, all optimized through ongoing developments in genomics, nanotechnology and robotics. Emergence is specialized lingo for when an AI system shows unpredictable or unintended capabilities. 

I surround myself in general with kind, intelligent, open people, most of whom like me seem at a loss as to how to respond effectively to the policies of the new administration. We can and do “keep lighting up our little corner of the world,” yet there is a nagging sense of tension, anxiety, a call for more significant action than the same old same old.

This time of year marks the 5 year anniversary of the onslaught of the worst pandemic in modern times. The beginning of April 2020 was the peak of lockdowns, with a guesstimate of 4.4 billion people – 57% of the planet – having some movement restriction. I explore some of what we learned during this "Anthropause" and what our habenula might contribute to the inquiry.

While most violence occurs between people who know each other, there is something to be said about mitigating stranger danger. Yes, women are more likely to be assaulted in the home or someplace familiar to them, but abduction by predatory rapists does occur. So it seems worthwhile to review some ideas to stay safe.

When feeling discombobulated, a key principle to stay sane during these turbulent times is to stop arguing with reality, a laudable intention. Think new thoughts, fresh, innovative previously unthought, or at least a good one repackaged into this worthy moment, devoid of any smidge of sophistry.

As a good friend says, these days it feels like one is getting pecked to death with all those little absurdities of daily life. In short, all that does not go easily because of bureaucratic or corporate nonsense can have me running in circles quite easily. You may have heard the term high variance, which is being used as a polite synonym for the chaos of the current administration. That only adds to the sense of WTF bells ringing in the crisp air of winter's waning.

My dad always used to say I'm not complaining, just explaining, but here I am talking about developing a conscious process for whine o'clock to lighten the load in ways that are not destructive to myself or others.

Unlikely I will ever be a great writer or a Famoso musical pop star, so why bother? Yes, I do get some joy from the creative process itself, but the motivation to keep honing the craft? Well, I must admit that comes and goes. Psychologists even have a term for our familiar yet elusive sense of dissatisfaction: the hedonic treadmill.

Things are moving quickly, requiring more focused world attention on H5 N1. While a human pandemic is not inevitable, there are a number of milestones that have recently been achieved that suggest it is no longer just a remote possibility.

It is estimated that 55 million people worldwide have dementia, and according to the CDC, 1 in 9 Americans over age 65 has it. I discuss some really amazing progress that is being made.

I am always amazed at the layers that peel off when I do a vacation—that is to say, vacate my normal life and shift gears to a different pace and reality. It is quite surprising when I observe and discover that in fact I have been in a certain amount of denial about what I have been carrying on my shoulders. 

The AI robotic interplay is currently highly focused on the push to develop spatial intelligence—the ability for machines to correctly interpret and successfully interact with the everyday world. Virtual worlds with virtual robots allow for quicker and inexpensive trial and error training. Incredible implications for all of us!

There are so many essential skills we need to teach our children: self-awareness and sensory processing that supports development of compassion, empathy and emotional fluency; Cultivating inner peace, basics of self-healing and the power of intending; stewardship of the natural world, service to others, and an engagement with creative expression. Link mentioned in the podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/satishnandyala_dr-casey-means-in-senate-yesterday-%3F-%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F-activity-7244700380675088384-0Xve/  

Welcome to the Cosmic blast diner, where economic collapse, ecological meltdown, or your choice of a variety of complex upheavels or apocalyptic catastrophes are on the menu, with uncertainty and disturbance as appetizers. Link mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r2q31xb7hA

I have some salient suggestions for the coming year, as a new beginning awaits us in just a few days as we enter 2025 full of HOPES: homage, oasis, perseverance, exultation and schmick. Link mentioned in the podcast to UNM Med School commencement: https://myheartsongs.org/press-and-media/  

The spiritual journey takes one down a rabbit hole of mysterious occurrences and unknown destinations, a quest initiated by the big what's it all about Alfie questions, married to an unwillingness to blindly accept the cookie cutter explanations of the powers that be. Primatologist short video mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg 

Consensual reality: those agreements humans collectively make in order to be flexible and create webs of cooperation. In fact, that trait is likely what has enabled us to dominate the planet. Money and laws, for example, those myths and stories that are woven into the fabric of daily life.

As we dance our way through holiday doings, here are some suggestions to perhaps make that journey more pleasant. Connecting with supportive family and friends is more meaningful to my mental health than the endless commercial consumer onslaught of the season.

For millennia, what killed humans were variations on the unholy triad of famine, pestilence and war. That has now changed. The effects of our disregard for our planetary home contribute to a host of chronic ailments.

The reality is that we often can't keep up with baby, infant, toddler and early childhood energy, and so we are failing them on some level from the beginning, even with a support village behind us. Their endless curiosity and boundless explorations once mobile can be exhausting.

As I continue the slow recovery from my mystery virus, I am deeply reminded that the health care system, despite its many flaws, continues to produce miracles

So if, in these unfolding moments, words can't express the turmoil and transcendence within, then perhaps creating something beautiful can. I simply must reconfigure and expand my imagination of the possible.

I also have finally admitted that I have been experiencing some election anxiety. Anxious is not a normal state for me, especially mid-night or when waking up. My default is more a dark Sicilian down mood. Yet I have been stoking the fires so to speak by regularly checking in about polls and headlines in the latest verbal battles between candidates.

Some adventuring in the Cruces Basin on a horseback muzzle loader elk hunt. Will it be my last?

It seems that one of the songs we must learn to dance to as we age is some degree of memory loss.  Paying attention to good sleep, exercise habits, stress levels, diet, and other essentials of nurturing the mind-body connection can mitigate the memory marbles dissipation. I explore some other tips to keep the memory muscle toned.

I have few regrets in my life, but one of them is clearly having spent so much time indoors, somewhat divorced from the planet and all the gifts that its wild generate within me, just by being a witness to their incredible magnificence.

I have been blessed with many wild encounters and wish to share a few of them today. I am left wondering about the tales you might tell, dear listener, of your encounters with the wild, and how they inspired, nourished and spoke to your deepest yearnings. What a magical planet we inhabit!

I Am The Sum Of My Experiences. I am wondering if this is really true or just a very lovely compelling phrase. I guess I don't believe it is a simple sum game. Certain experiences seem to have much more impact on us as humans, especially those during critical periods of development.

Last week I offered 5 external aspects of crafting a good life, including where one lives, discover one's passions, find a compatible mate, engage with one's tribe, and finally, travel to broaden and deepen oneself in many diverse ways. Today I want to share the complementary five inner domains to develop and embody for a good life. They are gratitude, forgiveness, mourning, joy and healthy boundaries.

What constitutes a good life? What choice points, and perhaps the use of intuition in decision making as described last week, might get one there?

In our age of bewilderment, is human intuition merely an advanced form of pattern recognition? A biochemical collection of perceptive algorithms? What might stimulate and enhance its development?

VUCA characterizes and reflects upon the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions, and how enterprises might flourish despite those challenges. The military also found the term useful, and incorporated it into their training as well. Here I attempt to make it relevant to personal challenges.

My body is a good messenger, inviting me to grow in ways that are not always pleasant but on some spiritual cosmic level, most necessary. Freedom appears when I can embrace that truth, no matter what unpleasant feedback my body might be offering.

Down mood most of the time.                                                          Energy decrease, fatigue, and a slowed-down feeling. Pleasurable activities are no longer enjoyed.                Remembering, concentrating, and decision making are more difficult.                                                                                                          Eating problems.                                                                                        Sleep problems.                                                                                            Sense of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt. Ever recurrent aches/pains don't respond to treatment.      Death thoughts, or a suicide plan. Symptoms of depression in young men may manifest as aggressive acting-out, irritability, low impulse control with inability to tolerate stress, and a greater willingness to take risk.

Drugs –most often seen in this culture as hedonism, escape, or dulling the senses thru self-medication – are viewed in many cultures as “doorways of perception” to borrow from the excellent work of Aldous Huxley. There has been a significant resurgence in the use of psychedelics to treat a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and PTSD, often with excellent research results.

So this is my formula for listening to the body: continue to move naturally, pay attention and be curious about early warning feedback, occasionally do a habit inventory, remember the body feels better when grateful and mindful, and find your tribe and connect regularly.

It is a challenge to face a lifetime mountain of clutter. I haven't moved in 24 years, and doing a deep dive and really sifting through stuff to keep what is useful, retain important memories, and yet let go of some material things seems daunting and a bit overwhelming.

Paying attention to “favorite things” in some ways is a prayer, full of gratitude and appreciation rather than asking for more or something different. The lists are different every time I engage with this little exploration. I wonder what your list might include?

Time for some good news: Gene treatment for sickle cell disease, a new antibody for the fight against malaria and new hope for reducing pain in fibromyalgia.

The 5 a day campaign to get folks to eat more fruits and vegetables has been around for some time. Here is my own 5 a day prescription for optimal moodality.

Here comes H5N1! The current bird flu epidemic, which most believe began in 2020, has successfully globetrotted very quickly. Millions of poultry – 90 million and counting in the US alone – have been culled in a futile attempt to limit spread of the virus. While Avian flu viruses tend to be wild bird specific, the current strain is more egalitarian and has quickly infiltrated a wide array of flocks, as well as squirrels, skunks, dolphins, polar bears and now dairy cows. 

The breakthrough that is now about to explode is that roboticists have started using deep learning and neural networks to create “software” for mobile machines that enable them to learn from their environs, as they navigate and adjust their behaviors on the fly.

The guesstimate is that currently about 55 million people worldwide have dementia, by 2050 that number is expected to be 2 ½ times higher. This represents an enormous emotional and financial toll for society, and those directly caring for such individuals.

Although the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends adults sleep at least 7 hours a night, more than one-quarter of adults simply do not meet this recommendation. Getting refreshing sleep is good medicine, an essential aspect of wellness, that we ignore at our own peril.

A biotech company is progressing with testing of a canine life extension drug—the company's name is LOYAL. From dog hotels to fancy pet urns, to cremation jewelry and glass art, perhaps we are going too far for our beloved companions. Have they become a substitute for human interactions for some lonely people?

It is undoubtedly true that any animal with whom we form an intimate relationship has much to teach us. There is a mystical sacred connection that evolves over time, somehow different than a surprise spotting of a special bird, or a brief encounter in the wild with a bear or herd of elk.

A recent survey of teens revealed that 72% of them felt they were happier and more peaceful to be phone-less, with 1/3 acknowledging they spend too much time on social media and their smartphones. A smaller percentage felt anxious, lonely and upset without their devices.

I acknowledge I remain a Prisoner of Time, with some moments when I manage to escape, only to fall again into her clutches, like a wild animal caught by falling suddenly into a carefully disguised pit trap.

Some amazing wonders of our current capabilities as humans to create initiatives for the common good: a pop-up hospital, brain computer interface implants, AI skin cancer detection, the largest solar energy project in the US, and deep sea explorations.

Resistance to doing what I say I want to do often manifests as negative mindtalk, self-defeating behaviors, avoidance and procrastination. I want to consistently choose “yes” to what nurtures, and drop the “shoulds.” I have learned that success begets success, and to be satisfied with starting small and sticking with it.