Epigenetics & Circuit 7
I learned a little about epigenetics a little under a year ago. 2 days ago I got a bit more information, and I can't stop thinking about it. It's so rad! What I saw 2 days ago was about the use of epigenetic therapy to kind of manipulate cancer cells back into normal cells.
I'm giddy about taking this Physiological Psychology class. I was wondering if perhaps, being more aware of the actual biochemical processes influencing my body & behavior, could help me consciously manipulate those processes for some neurogenetic exercises.
So epigenetics & the 7th circuit seem to go hand-in-hand for me. I like ways of consciously genetically engineering ourselves rather than doing it in laboratories. The study should create more consideration for the possibilities of neurogenetic play . . . Hooray!
I like this website - http://www.epigenome.eu/
I also recommend the book Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem all about diseases that have evolved us over time.
Class is going awesome! My brain is just whirring in the fun of it all. I'm also in Botany class and love the connections. We were studying plant evolution & brain evolution at the same time. So much room for isomorphisms!
Just got that book out of the library today.
I have just placed a Hold on the library's copy, and unless it got mislaid or stolen I should be able to get my hands on it tomorrow.
Thanks!
Awesome! I hope you both love the book! I can't wait to discuss it. I LOVED it so much. It inspired me to go back to school.
Since most of our DNA is comprised of what's labeled as "junk dna/info" left there by viruses & bacteria that infected our ancestors over the generations, I think it's valuable to be more open-minded about the information diseases are depositing into our genetic makeup.
One man's junk, may be my Jumping Jesus gene!
"Survival of the sickest", thanks for the recommendation! I thought the information was very interesting and I enjoyed the style the book is written in. Now to say a few things while I still remember.
The bit in about acclimatising to very cold temperatures was cool and I hadn't heard about "brown fat" before either. The wood frog that freezes solid and revives later was fascinating.
The idea that some diseases are around as they are "better" to have than deadlier ones people might get at an earlier age was new too, but makes sense.
Host manipulation sounds very devious, good to read the examples.
Learning to evolve harmful bacteria downward in virulence to co-exist rather than be harmful and keep trying to find new ways to fight them sounds excellent.
Noncoding DNA sounds awesome, I had heard of "junk" DNA a little before, and it sounded to me like the scientists debunking it just hadn't found out what it's useful yet for and seemed to dismiss it out of hand.
I think it took until chapter 7 for any direct mention of Epigenetics, I especially enjoyed reading about that and how the first big breakthrough happened in 2003. All this switching "on" and "off" of gene expression sounds interesting, I hope alot is invested in this so that we can have more of an idea and specifics of what affect these and learn to manipulate the body in ways we choose, rather than partly be held ransom by "random" factors triggered by ancestral behaviours.
The aquatic ape theory sounds very plausible to me too from reading this.
Here's the website for the company Epigenomcs he mentioned:
www.epigenomics.de/en/company
"Survival of the sickest", thanks for the recommendation! I thought the information was very interesting and I enjoyed the style the book is written in. Now to say a few things while I still remember.
The bit in about acclimatising to very cold temperatures was cool and I hadn't heard about "brown fat" before either. The wood frog that freezes solid and revives later was fascinating.
The idea that some diseases are around as they are "better" to have than deadlier ones people might get at an earlier age was new too, but makes sense.
Host manipulation sounds very devious, good to read the examples.
Learning to evolve harmful bacteria downward in virulence to co-exist rather than be harmful and keep trying to find new ways to fight them sounds excellent.
Noncoding DNA sounds awesome, I had heard of "junk" DNA a little before, and it sounded to me like the scientists debunking it just hadn't found out what it's useful yet for and seemed to dismiss it out of hand.
I think it took until chapter 7 for any direct mention of Epigenetics, I especially enjoyed reading about that and how the first big breakthrough happened in 2003. All this switching "on" and "off" of gene expression sounds interesting, I hope alot is invested in this so that we can have more of an idea and specifics of what affect these and learn to manipulate the body in ways we choose, rather than partly be held ransom by "random" factors triggered by ancestral behaviours and old environmental factors.
The aquatic ape theory sounds very plausible to me too from reading this.
Here's the website for the company Epigenomics he mentioned:
www.epigenomics.de/en/company
So yeah Adaptogenie, I reckon you're onto something...using circuit 7 etc. with epigenetics for fun and life enhancement.
The book is still sitting on my living room table, and each time I browse it I like the tone, but I haven't got around to reading it all.
Thanks, Fuzz, I didn't notice that the Aquatic Ape theory got touched upon.
I read Elaine Morgan a long time ago, and I thought she really had something, but she appears to have found herself dismissed by straight science, and shoved into the 'crank book' shelves. It doesn't help to try to remind people of the importance of the female in human reproduction and evolution, I guess.
Hunting (mostly males) brings in maybe 20% of nutrition at best.
Gathering (women, children and old folks) covers 80% or more.
So why don't we call ourselves Gatherer/Hunters?
Watch just about any show (try Walking with Cavemen) and note how much seems to be about fighting and hunting, rather than about shelter, food, health, community, etc.
It does seem as though those Victorian models didn't quite go away yet.
Ever since I started thinking for myself, I continued to believe in a God, but had a hard time believing in a Devil or hell. The God I chose to believe in would not have a nemesis. I couldn't buy the idea of evil. SO, I LOVED this book because I believe that even diseases are just misunderstood information. I loved the idea that a book was dedicated to illuminating all the ways diseases have evolved us over time.
This is my personal index for the book:
Fuzzbuddy, I also LOVED the part about parasites manipulating hosts brains - Bogus if you want to read that part it's around page 105.
I FUCKING LOVE that he wrote on page 123 (I think - don't have the book with me, just my index if you could believe that logic, or lack thereof) "Everything wants to survive & reproduce . . . We know it." This is where I see us evolving our consciousness to harmonize with this simple unity all species share.
Pages 132 & 134 talk about evolution & he brings up Lamarck. On one of the mla boards long ago someone said my ideas about evolution seemed kinda Lamarckian, and his theories were disproved. Epigenetics is showing that Lamarck could've been correct on some ideas afterall!
Pages 141-149 he continues about evolution, mutations, jumping genees & the like.
158 - 178 some mentions of epigenetics & the BIGGY THAT i LOVE ON 178 TALKS ABOUT MISCARRIAGES OF MALES & 9/11. That might fit niceley with the gatherer/hunter concepts you're considering. What would make women's bodies somehow abort their male fetuses in response to 9/11??
He also introduced me to psychoneuroimmunology in this book, which is what I want to REALLY study deeply.
In other news, I went to a beekeeping class last Saturday & learned that bees have LOTS to teach us about epigenetics. They turn genes on & off all the time by changing job positions within the hive. And of course, the quantity of royal jelly the Queen eats is what flips her genes to be SO very fertile. God I love all this fun shit!
...is a chapter in "Food of the Gods" by Terence McKenna I am currently reading. He briefly touches on epigenetics on page 21:
"Thinking about human evolution ultimately means thinking about the evolution of human consciousness. What, then, are the origins of the human mind? In their explanations, some investigators have adopted a primarily cultural emphasis. They point to our unique linguistic and symbolical capabilities, our use of tools, and our ability to store information epigenetically as songs, art, books, computers, thereby creating not only culture, but also history."
This reminds me of the brothers McKenna experiences written about in "True Hallucinations", and seems to me to link to your idea Adapto of integrating Circuit 7 for willed body changes.
Can you recommend any particular websites that would be a good place to start reading about epigenetics? It sounds really interesting. How's class going? (if its started)