Homestead mailing list

["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
wrote in reply to my little bit:
>I wrote:  That is, unless you think that people have conscious control over
>>> what happens to their genes and they are able to direct changes to them. 
>>> If that's your theory, then we've left science and entered NewAge 
>>> mysticism.
>
> Seems to me that to dismiss the power of minds to influence health is
> to say we have reached our full power and no further progress is
> possible.
>
Saying that I need a bit of evidence before I believe that individuals
can change their genes is not quite the same as saying that our minds
have no influence over our health. It is well known that a goat who
thinks she's going to die, will. Few people are quite as susceptible
as goats but some are. Scott Nearing had to starve himself to death
when he was ready to go whereas in an ideal world he could have just
closed his eyes and willed his heart to quit beating. A well-practiced
yogi might have accomplished that.  I'm not saying progress isn't
possible -- I just want a little evidence.

Marie