martes, 30 de julio de 2013

Self-awareness


"Self-awareness"

Watercolor on paper, 4 July 2004




  Different medical studies have concluded that absolute life span expectative for man is 120 years. Interesting enough, this bold scientific statement was already found in ancient Hebrew scripts, as we can read in Genesis 6:3. This "coincidence" brought me to think that perhaps there were other paragraphs in ancient Hebrew writings that could contain facts that Science has not yet confirmed.

  Most of the scarce systematic and statistical information found in old Hebraic writings is related with genealogy. Specifically the list of Adam's descendants found in chapter 5 of Genesis is a good example of detailed systematic notes, which transmit a sense of importance rarely found in other verses. 

I decided to chart the figures.



  
  The green sections show the reported lifespan for each individual. Starting with Adam, the series is coherent with an early period described in Genesis as of peaceful progress, followed by a period of constant decline of social and spiritual conditions just before and after the time of the Flood (red line). 

  The figures show something interesting: After the Flood man's life span reduced gradually to become 120 years, while before the Flood the life expectancy seemed to be a quite regular 900-year figure for almost 2,000 years. The age in which they generated their siblings seems also affected.

  Besides other connotations, it seems to be a relationship between the development of cultural societies and the decline of life expectancy, at least in a rare self-aware lineage that realized this connection and left a clear message for future generations: "Beware of your mind".



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viernes, 19 de julio de 2013

Millennial or just centennial?




  

"Mutation" 

Watercolor on paper, 18 Sept. 2005



  More than a decade ago it was discovered that DNA strands have in their ends groups of apparently inactive molecules called telomeres. These telomeres protect the genuine, acting DNA molecules from changes or mutations that could alter the correct duplication of the DNA strands and thus give way to malformations, aging and diseases.

  Every time a cell divides, a portion of the hundreds of telomeres available in each strand are lost, which means that after approx. 50 divisions the DNA strands suffer alterations, the cell cannot divide exactly as it should, deteriorates and finally dies. This is how the aging process begins.

  Now, there is a enzyme that replicates telomeres: Telomerase. While we are young we produce enough of it to keep our telomeres in good shape. However, our body also stops producing telomerase when adulthood is reached.

  Telomerase allows, then, cells to live for a indefinite period of time. An interesting fact is that cancer cells are associated to a high level of telomerase in the blood, which explains why cancer cells are so difficult to fight, they regenerate fast and multiply even faster. A high level of telomerase is a good, high-probability indicator of cancer cells presence, even if these have not been detected yet.

  It has been assessed that telomeres can decay and be destroyed more rapidly on highly stressed people. (See study)

  Can we infer that low levels of stress can help to keep telomeres intact for longer periods of time, and thus extend our life span? Studies confirm this point... Succesful experiments have been conducted with mice, increasing their life span about 30%. 

  It is possible that non-stressed individuals may have existed that could live much longer than us. Did centennial, or even millenial individuals exist? We will look into that in the next blog entries. Keep tuned!




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viernes, 12 de julio de 2013

Synchronicity




"Synchronicity"

Watercolor on paper, 24 Jun. 2004






  We read in Wikipedia:  

     "Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated...  yet are experienced as ocurring together in a meaningful manner. The concept of synchronicity was first described by Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychologist, in the 1920s."

     "...The concept does not question, or compete with, the notion of causality. Instead, it maintains that just as events may be grouped by cause, they may be also grouped by meaning. A grouping of events by meaning need not (to) have an explanation in terms of cause and effect..."

    "...Following discussions with both Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Pauli, Jung believed that there were parallels between synchronicity and aspects of the Relativity Theory and Quantum Mechanics. Jung was transfixed by the idea that life was not a series of random events but rather an expression of a deeper order, which he and Pauli referred as 'Unus Mundus'. This deeper order led to the insights that a person was embedded in an orderly framework and that he/she was its focus. The realization of this was more than an intellectual exercise, having also elements of a spiritual awakening." 


    "...From the religious perspective, synchronicity shares similar characteristics of an 'intervention of grace'. Jung also believed that in a person's life, synchronicity served a role similar to that of dreams, with the purpose of shifting a person's egocentric conscious thinking to greater wholeness."





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domingo, 7 de julio de 2013

Toxic intelligence


   







Untitled, May 2006



  Rational intelligence is the virtual organ developed in human beings to solve specific problems or situations. 

  Its activity is associated with Gamma-type brainwaves (<30 mV) and Beta-type brainwaves (15<>30 mV). These waves are much more energetic than comparatively longer and weaker Alpha or Theta waves, present in resting or less-active periods.


  A long and intense neuronal activity means a considerable amount of highly reactive neurotransmitters which need to be metabolized. People can develop addictions to neurotransmitters, thus making possible to become addict to almost any behavior in which there's an intense brain activity (workaholics or compulsive gamblers are just two examples).









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