Cochleanthes discolor
Master Prover: Matilde Flores

INTRODUCTION
The remedy was made from a Cochleanthes discolor orchid in bloom, growing at Wild Orchid, a garden of native orchids in the area of Volcán Barú, Boquete, Chiriquí Province, Panama. This area of Panama is very close to the Costa Rican border, and the native orchid species are shared by the two countries in particular but also by the other adjacent countries of Central America and South America.
To honor our host, who helped make our trip to Panama possible and who created the garden when she lived at Wild Orchid, we asked her to choose the first orchid to be proven in Panama. Of the orchids blooming at the time, her favorite was Cochleanthes discolor.
A small sample of the root, leaf, stem, and flower were collected and triturated to a 3c. on March 23, 2012, on site.
A group of five people participated in this proving. Four of the five did the grinding and scraping, while one person took notes. Two people knew the source of the remedy and three did not.
The group consisted of:
Two white females, ages fifty-seven and forty-two
Two white males, ages fifty-seven and forty-eight
One female native of Central America, age sixty-five.
NATURAL HISTORY
Kingdom: Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Cymbidieae
Subtribe: Zygopetainae
Genus: Cochleanthes
Species: C. discolor
Binomial name: Cochleanthes discolor (Lindl.) R.E.Schultes & Garay (1959)
Synonyms:
* Warrea discolor Lindl. (1849)
* Warszewiczella discolor (Lindl.) Rchb.f (1863)
* Zygopetalum discolor (Lndl.) Rchb.f (1863)
* Chondrorhyncha discolor (Lndl.) P.H.Allen (1949)
Cochleanthes,from the Latin word cochlea, shell, and the Greek anthos, flower, an allusion to the shape of the flower’s lip (like a little shell).
Discolor, from the Latin, of another color, from dis- + color color
The genus known as Cochleanthes can be traced back to 1788. Its first species described was Epidendrum flabelliforme by O. Swartz. In 1836, John Lindley first mentioned Zygopetalum cochleare, from the island of Trinidad, as having some affinities with the pseudobulbous Zygopetalums from South America. In the same year Rafinesque transferred Lindley’s Zygopetalum to a new genus Cochleanthes.
In 1954, R.E. Schultes and L.A. Garay recognized the name Cochleanthes and transferred to this genus all the species previously described under Warszewiczella Rchb.f, but Whitten and collaborators (Dressler 2000), based on DNA sequences, concluded that Cochleanthes is only distantly related to Warszewiczella and suggest that it be treated as a distinct genus that includes only two species, distributed from Guatemala to the northern South Americas and the West Indies.
The genus is characterized by non-pseudobulbous and rather large plants with large green conduplicate leaves in a fan shape. Flowers are solitary, spreading with the lip open, not deeply concave and not enfolding the column.
The subject of this proving is a rare natural hybrid known as Warszewiczella (Cochleanthes) discolor Rchb.f and presents with a wide lip varying in color from deep red to purple.
Cochleantes discolor is found in Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador in premontane and lower montane forests on large branches and trunks of trees at elevations of 700 to 1850 meters. The short stem branches at the base and gives rise to a fan of overlapping, articulate, lanceolate, flexible, pointed pale green leaves with an erect, basal, 5-inch [12.5 cm] long inflorescence arising on a newly forming growth, shorter than the leaves and subtended by a basal sheath, with a single, waxy, long-lasting, fragrant flower 3 inches (7.5 cm) long that appears from spring through the fall.
COMMENTARY
The environment in which this proving took place was the lush slope of the Baru Volcano in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. The building where the trituration took place, a round structure of approximately 26 feet in diameter, had large clear glass windows covering most of its circumference. The mountains surrounding the valley of Boquete, the nearest town, were in view to the South, and on the North side we could see the beginning of the orchid garden extending up into a relatively small part of the mountain, where we could observe many species of birds and exotic tropical plants, including some of the many species of orchids that the garden boasts. The day was clear, sunny, breezy and warm.
With this idyllic background, we started to triturate the parts taken from the plant. As I prepared the medicated potency the sweet and slightly fragrant smell of the plant filled the space, and the intensity of the purple color of the flower showing through the lactose was hypnotic.
Considering the subject of our proving was an orchid, there is no wonder that the themes of beauty, pleasure, and perfection were reflected by the environment. Our host kept repeating that the way the garden used to be was “just perfection.” We found it was perfection for all of us, yet she was feeling very upset that it was not kept the way it was when she was the owner of the property.
Food/Food Industry’s Deception/Money
Researchers, poets, and fiction writers alike have used words such as deception, cheating, and pretending when describing orchid behavior in nature.
Part of the proving focused on food, preparing food, and enjoying food.
As the proving progressed, the provers brought up issues regarding the activities of the food industry, specifically the role of Monsanto in manipulating dairy farming, trying to force the use of genetically engineered hormones and putting those farmers who don’t want to use them at a commercial disadvantage. The unknown danger posed by Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in agriculture was also discussed. Of note were the deceptive practices of putting these products on the market without appropriate labeling, keeping the public in the dark, and not giving the public a choice.
The history of Monsanto provides a striking example of deception on a large scale. Formerly the producer of deadly chemicals, the corporation is now portraying itself as an environmentally friendly company dedicated to sustainable agriculture, as we see on their webpage:
“ producing more, conserving more, improving lives – THAT’S SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. AND THAT’S WHAT MONSANTO IS ALL ABOUT. . . .
the Challenge: MEETING THE NEEDS OF TODAY WHILE PRESERVING THE PLANET FOR TOMORROW”
Historically, Monsanto was the producer of the most toxic substances ever manufactured, among them dioxin and PCBs, both human carcinogens according to the EPA, and the company is responsible for creating some of the most polluted areas on the planet.
Monsanto’s practice of intimidation against any farmer not “toeing the line” is well documented. As Monsanto advances its GM agenda, it is systematically buying up conventional seed companies and limiting the availability of regular seeds in the market, so farmers have no other choice than to use GM seeds.
In the late 1990s, a new company called Solutia took over the chemical and fibers aspects of Monsanto Chemical. And in 2002 Monsanto re-incorporated and declared itself an “agricultural company” shedding the “Chemical” off its name and rebranding itself as if its chemical past never existed.
While the company proclaims its dedication to sustainability, farmers are facing the reality that the genetically engineered seeds require intense use of pesticides and herbicides to grow. The consequences are soil depletion, environmental pollution, and farmers’ forced dependency on the biotechnology industry. This makes the case that the biotechnology industry is the opposite of sustainable. And that’s not even considering the unexplored effects of these practices on human health.
The biotechnology industry is the only one profiting from this approach to growing food.
Connections to Washington and certain circles of the media have significantly contributed to the proliferation of this deception.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL1pKlnhvg0
I felt compelled to express during the proving that this and many other issues that the world faces are about the values we hold. Our biggest present value is money. We all want what money can buy. It is not enough to have our piece of land where we can produce our own food and work to raise and educate our children. We want more... We want the Mercedes Benz. To this, Prover 4 responded: “The funny thing is that it is just paper.”
And I continued: It is the biggest of our delusions. Yes, it is just paper and yet we are all going into this frenzy about it, to such a degree that we disconnect from what is important and lose perspective, forgetting that it is our future and our survival on the line. We give a money figure more value than human life.
Genetic Codes
The trail left on the planet by a particular company’s trajectory should be enough warning. Prematurely introducing a technology without carefully measuring the consequences of altering the genetic code of life could be a mistake with consequences far beyond any human control.
In her introduction to Genetic Engineering: The Facts, Sally Morgan states it simply:
What do the terms genetically modified and genetic engineering mean? Every organism, whether it is a microscopic bacterium, a whale, or a human being, carries within it a set of instructions that tell the organism which substances to make, how to grow, and how to reproduce. The instructions are in the form of messages or codes and are stored in genes. These instructions are essential for the day-to-day running of the organism and, without these instructions, life itself would not be possible. Genetic engineering is a deliberate change to an organism’s genes, or instruction codes. The result is an altered organism; one that has lost or gained certain abilities or features.
Bovine Growth Hormone
The gene that is responsible for the production of growth hormones in the pituitary glands of cows was altered and into it E. coli bacteria was inserted, thus creating a factory of bacteria-created hormones. The drug is known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) and it increases milk production in cows. Once injected into cows it boosts their metabolism and milk production goes up. It is important to notice that, when this technology was created, there was no known shortage of milk in the USA.
The milk from treated cows contains more antibiotics (The treated cows get more udder infections and some of the pus also goes into the milk.), as well as more bovine growth hormone, and, most alarming, higher levels of the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is naturally present in cows’ milk and is one of the most powerful growth hormones in the human body. Drinking regular milk contributes to an increase in the level of this hormone in the human body. Drinking milk from treated cows increases these hormone levels up to 10 times.
High IGF-1 levels have been linked to higher risk of lung, colon, prostate and peri-menopausal breast cancers.
GMO in agriculture
Because cells naturally reject foreign DNA, the GMO process uses one of three methods:
1) Soil bacteria that causes tumors in plants is used to ferry the engineered DNA (DNA from e-coli recombined with Round Up-resistant bacteria) into the plant nucleus.
2) Electricity is used to burn minute holes in the plant cells to create the vulnerability that allows for infiltration by foreign DNA.
3) Gene gun: Gold- or tungsten-coated particles with engineered DNA are shot into the plant cells.
A promoter gene is also needed, and it is used with each of these three methods to turn on the desired characteristics. The promoter gene is normally extracted from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus, which is used in all transgenic crops now on the market or undergoing trials.
To test whether the desired genetic changes are being expressed, the next step is to attach an antibiotic marker system, which is a gene naturally resistant to specific antibiotics.
There is no telling how bacteria and viruses will behave once they come in contact with humans or animals. There is a huge concern right now about antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals from the overuse of antibiotics by the medical system and there is no way to predict the consequences of introducing a gene that is naturally resistant to specific antibiotics into the food supply.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ5OxdIq5DY
Cancer
One of the provers had surgery for the removal of basal cell carcinoma before her trip to Panama. The left-over marks of the stitches were showing on her arm. Another prover voiced her concern about a suspicious spot on her husband’s back. Since her husband was among the provers, we all took a look at the spot. She also talked about the death of her father, who was a farmer, to esophageal cancer, and how farmers do not make the correlation between the liberal use of pesticides and herbicides mixed into the soil and the illnesses they get. Turning the soil to prepare it for a new crop exposes them to carcinogens as they breath the dust from the heavily treated soil.
Cancer is the result of mutations in genes all humans carry. Cancer is a genetic disease. It takes an accumulation of exposures to trigger the gene(s) that turn on the chain reaction that leads to the proliferation of abnormal cells. It stands to reason that genetically altering plants for the purpose of introducing a glyphosate-resistant bacteria into the DNA of the plant (not to mention the other questionable organisms that have to be introduced into such DNA for it to work as intended) might alter those genes susceptible to mutation once the plant crops are consumed by humans and animals.
The connection of GMO and cancer brought up by this proving sends shivers up my spine in both the negative and positive aspects of the expression: On the one hand, what a terrifying prospect staring us in the face. On the other hand, the conversations that arose in the proving of this incredibly beautiful plant, suggest we may have found a possible healer for this kind of pathology.
Most revealing to me about the power of these provings was that as I researched the methods used in developing GMO technology, I kept thinking: What kind of Monster is being created with these still crude and barely tested technologies? Later on, as I went through the proving, I realized that the subject of monsters had been brought up by the provers as a seemingly unrelated conversation, which makes perfect sense when you look at the whole context of the proving. That realization confirmed to me that by entering the space of the trituration proving we are able to see the synthesis of the remedy being expressed.
Frankenfood is defined by merriam-webster.com as: genetically engineered food. (Franken (as in Frankenstein) + food)
Other seemingly coincidental occurrences around the proving:
When I came back from Panama, a close friend, who when I left was complaining of severe pain in one hip, had been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer that had metastasized to her bones. Also, the prover who had the basal cell removed came back to the news that her father-in-law had been diagnosed with leukemia, and he was dead within a few weeks.
Extraction Meeting
The trituration was brought to a 3c, the point where we complete the “Trituration Proving.” There was one issue that felt unresolved: A feeling of anxiety had run through the entire proving and was experienced by three out of four provers. A brief Extraction Meeting was added at the end to give people a chance to talk about their experience of the anxiety and bring the proving to a close.
The final assessment was that the anxiety was related to being called out on your skills, especially when someone is assessing your performance. Another aspect of the anxiety was the sense of anticipation when having to call people on their behavior or actions. What is reflected here is the constant human struggle to remain truthful to who we are, proving it to ourselves and to others. We also see the other side of the coin, which is about calling upon others to do the same.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochleanthes_discolor
Accessed: May 4, 2012
Franco Pupulin and Collaborators, Vanishing Beauty: Native Costa Rican Orchids. [Vol.1; Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 2005]
http://www.orchidspecies.com/cochleanthesdiscolor.htm
Accessed: May 4, 2012
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/Pages/default.aspx
Accessed: May 5, 2012
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/effects.htm
Accessed: May 25, 2012
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/CFM/nceaQFind.cfm?keyword=Dioxin
Accessed: May 25, 2012
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805
Accessed: May 15, 2012
http://www.naturalnews.com/031103_Monsanto_public_relations.html#ixzz1uVpwv51C
Accessed May 10, 2012
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/gm-hormones-in-dairy/In-depth-Look-at-rbgh
Accessed May 19, 2012
http://courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/natural.html
Morgan, Sally. Genetic Engineering: The Facts [2nd Ed.; London: Evans Brothers Ltd., 2006]
Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer [New York: Scribner, 2010]
THE PROVING
Proving Code: Trituration Potency (C1, 2, 3), Prover
Extraction, Prover
Mental/Emotional
Food/Food Industry’s Deception/Profit/Monsters
C1:3 I feel as if I drank cheap champagne...The cheap champagne buzz.
C1:3 Something is happening in my mouth (keeps opening and closing his mouth)
Sunday brunch...samosas. Waiting on tables. Taking the cheap champagne.
C1:1 I love champagne. I was working at a Restaurant in Florida that only opened from 6 to 9:30. People came from John’s Island across from Vero Beach and they used this restaurant as their own little club. They came dripping with Jewels.
C1:1 This woman came with an emerald like that (gesture with fingers to show the size: about 2-inch diameter) gargantuan with diamonds all around it.
C1:1 Back to champagne, the guy that managed was the son in law of the owner. He would have lines and lines of cocaine. Huge bottles of Perrier-Jouët and lines of coke.
C1:1 After that R. and I got into drinking “Veuve Clicquot.” I used to love the silhouette of the woman on the foil on the band at the top. Delicious champagne! We used to get it by the case. Then you could get it for $17.00 a bottle. Now it is $100.00. R. would buy a bottle of champagne for the birth of our sons, Mum’s Cordon Bleu.
C1:1 Last night 3. had a steak that big around (gesture with both hands) and that thick (gesture with fingers to measure about 2 inches)
C1:3 It was so good!
C1:1 The trout I had was absolutely amazing. It was cooked perfectly.
C1:4 I had the pork chop and I lost; it was ok, but it was not great. I was thinking of a rack of pork.
C1:1 (to 2) You do not limit your food intake. Nothing makes you fat!
C1:2 I crave potato chips and dark chocolate. I do gain weight. I was heavier. 124 lbs is heavy for me.
C1:4 S. used to be a tiny thing. She was 147 when delivered our sons.
C1:1 I was fat then...I used to weigh 118.
I have been buying low fat yogurt.
C1:4 Scary
C1:1 Do you have a big garden?
C1:2 Yes, about 40 x. 30. Maybe 1, 200 sq.ft.
C1:4 Get Miracle Grow
C1:1 No, I get manure.
C2:5 Shall I get you something?
C2:1 No, but I am hungry, mouth watering, thinking of chocolate.
C2:2 Sweets?
C2:1 You know, as when you are working and feel very tired and then have a piece of chocolate and you come back to life...Just that feeling. I use dark chocolate in the same way a lot of people use coffee.
C2:2 I do that.
C2:1 I like hot pepper in chocolate. In the movie “Chocolat” that is the way she made it with the hot peppers. R. got me the most amazing chocolate for Christmas...mmm! Mouth watering.
C2:1 I only do it twice a week. And you (to #2) do you do it every day?
C2:2 I don’t care how much I have eaten, I like it after a meal. I don’t eat anything else with sugar. I don’t buy processed food.
C2:3 Except for chocolate ice cream.
C2:1 Liar.
C2:2 I do like chocolate ice cream. But it is not in my everyday diet. I don’t eat anything that has sugar added to it. The only time I have vanilla ice cream is with a pie or something.
C2:4 We ate at the hotel last night. It was lovely, wood burning in the fireplace outside. In the menu there was Salmon cooked with peanut butter. It must have been an error in translation but not one of us was brave enough to try it. Peanut oil is used for oriental cooking and I think they meant peanut oil.
C2:2 I never used peanut oil in cooking.
C2:1 Gets up and sets out food for everybody.
C2:1 Too bad we don’t have champagne. That was a good bottle of rum we bought last night. Yum.
C2:4 You are cruel (to 2.)
C2:1 When researching Cerro Azul. I came across the monster of Cerro Azul, this creature that had a little neck, long body and long legs.
The whole article was insisting that it was an alien, but it turned out to be a sloth that had no hair.
C2:2 I read in the paper there was a monster of Silver Lake.
C2:4 The book that we bought is about The Monster of Champlain. It is about Champ the Lake Champlain’s monster that many people, including the lake’s namesake, Samuel LeChamplain, claim to have seen.
C2:1 I think these stories are made by drunk Irishmen. (Everybody laughs)
C3:1 Tonight we are dumbing down to burgers, no more of that frou-frou stuff.
C3:1 R. cooks a great fish taco with Tilapia. Yummy...fish tacos!
C3:4 With Peanut oil.
C3:1 We need to find the recipe to make our tortillas.
C3:4 We don’t know what we would do without Monsanto (sarcasm). My niece came to visit. She is a farmer and her boyfriend is a Dairy Farmer. She was complaining bitterly about the practices of giving growth hormones to the cattle. They would not do that and she feels that these practices are ruining the farmers.
C3:1 People do not know what they are consuming as the final product. There is an increase in food allergies. People cannot tolerate the food, they cannot eat any more. Genetically modified foods are all over and nobody is giving people a choice.
C3:2 There is this farmer around that is saving the seeds to try to conserve what we are losing, which is the natural produced seeds for the food we consume.
Genetically modified food is a threat to people’s health. Genetically modified soy is being used in Infant Formulas.
C3:1 We have lost so much connection and so much understanding. Even when we look at the industrialized world it is not about working with nature...it is going the other way.
C3:4. Its about money...The funny thing is that it is just paper.
C3:1. Singing:
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
Everybody!
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
That’s it!
Cancer
C3:1 Pointing at prover 2’s arm that shows stitching from recent surgery. Is that the only basal cell you had or did you have two. R. has this suspicious looking spot on his back.
C3:2 (to 3) The one I had in the arm was driving you crazy for a while.
C3:1 She has everybody check the spot on Prover 4’s back.
(to 4) You don’t have cancer in your family, right? It is in my family. My father had esophageal cancer. I used to talk to him about the environmental thing. In agriculture they put all the insecticide and herbicides on the land, then they till the soil and mix lime and go ahead and plant a new crop on it. They do not think twice about the exposure. They think all will be ok.
C3:1 Why do you think that all the stuff that we do against nature creates Cancer? Is that what we are creating, a doppelgänger? Are we creating that doppelgänger effect? Why does everything that we do that is unnatural or poisonous or whatever turns to Cancer? Why is it not creating some other imbalance besides Cancer?
C3:1 When you talk about GMO causing cancer...The whole thing is about perfectionism. The perfect kernel of corn that rejects insects and does not rot.
Beauty/Perfection/Pleasure/Lightheartedness/Fun
C1:2 laughing
C1:4 Funny with the cocaine.
C1:3 My hearing is not good after twenty or twenty-five years of listening to bands.
C1:4 What are you doing?
C1:3 Messing up the study (joking)
C1:1 This used to be the orchid house and it was all open to fresh air. The new owner did a nice job converting it into a living space. The woodwork is beautiful.
C1:2 When I was renovating the bathroom I had somebody come and paint it. We agreed on the paint and all, but when I came home and saw it I did not like it. The paint was not what I wanted and I started repainting the whole thing at 11 pm. and did not finish until 3 am. Once it was beautiful I could go to sleep.
C1:2 The curtain would fall every time A went in the shower. So, we got the right rod but when we removed the old one the old paint was showing and it was horrible. So, we painted that wall again.
C1:2 I like being self-sufficient. Here in Panama you go out and pick up the bananas, the oranges and the berries to have with your breakfast. Having the stuff right here is great and it all looks so amazing!
C1:4 It is the end of C 1 as we know it and I feel fine. He sings a tune.
C1:3 Imitating the Supremes he murmurs:
“Stop in the name of love before you break my heart”
C2:4 There should be a new super prover group called “Mortar and Pestle”
C2:1 We could not have picked a better place. This is so beautiful! It’s perfect!
C2:4 let’s buy the place.
C2:2 I was going to say that I cannot buy it. Could you buy it?
C2:4 Let us pull our resources together. And each of us can take a building.
C2:2 I want to do the canopy tour...The tree-trekking.
C3:1. Did I ever tell you about my friend S who has a condo where the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers converge? She can see the confluence of the two rivers from her apartment’s all-glass wall. She sees the eagles flying in front of her glass window.
C3:1 (To 2) Your ring is a family ring, isn’t it?
C3:2 It was my aunt’s. I still take care of her and helped her clean and sell her house. There was so much stuff there. A lot was donated to the Red Cross and Goodwill.
C3:1 When we talk about GMO causing cancer...The whole thing is about perfectionism in their view. It is about producing the perfect kernel of corn that rejects insects and does not rot.
Anxiety
C1:1 Feeling Anxious. I need to take deep heavy breaths. I am feeling very nervous.
C1:4 I feel anxious.
C1:4 Me too, just a little bit.
C1:3 Thinking about being anxious (takes a deep breath). Something is going on that I feel like taking a deep breath. It is a mild anxiety that causes me to take deep breaths occasionally.
C1:1 (Laughs) Feeling really nerved out. My heart is not racing, but it feels as if it is, but it is not.
C1:3 Wanting to choose the word to describe it, not racing...but....
C1:1 Feeling nerved out.
C1:4 (setting the IPhone alarm) Let us see if it rings if I let the screen go black.
C1:1 Nooo!
C1:4 Why not.
C1:1 Because I am anxious.
It will still go off when I get a message, you know?
C3:4 I feel anxious. It’s a sense of nervous unease at the pit of the stomach, that is what I am feeling now. The chest feels heavy. Nervous energy, Nervous sensation in the stomach. Lightheadedness.
C3:1 Butterflies?
C3:4 No, not butterflies, but nervous energy...It’s disconcerting.
C3:1 Something bad?
C3:4 Fight or flight response. I feel triggered, not panicky.
C3:1 Are you afraid?
C3:4 Not afraid, just nervous. There is no reason for it, no sense for it at all.
C3:1 Free floating anxiety?
C3:4 I suppose.
Dumbing Down
C1:1 How old were you then?
C1:3 mumbles and has a hard time coming up with how old he was 20 years ago.
C1:1 Laughing at 3 because he cannot make a simple calculation.
C1:4 Setting the IPhone alarm. Let us see if it rings if I let the screen go black.
C1:1 Nooo!
C1:4 Why not.
C1:1 Because I am anxious.
It will still go off when I get a message, you know?
C1:4 I think I do.
We are all dumbing down really fast.
Moving the arms. Everybody laughing.
C1:4 Laughing to himself--He is extremely red in the face.
C3:1 Did I start this? (IPhone timer)
C2:1 Have you seen the dog video where the camera is on the dog and the dog is talking. The guy is talking to the dog and he is going: ‘So, I went to the fridge and you know, you know what I saw? The dog mouth is moving and he is timing the words to the movement of the dog’s mouth.
Dog: What?
Guy: I saw a big piece of beef.
Dog: Yeah?
Guy: And You know what I did with it?
Dog: What?
Guy: I ate it.
Dog: Crying. The dog is actually yawning but it looks as if he is crying. (Laughing)
C2:4 What is the Spanish name for Ham?
C2:1 Jambone
C2:MP No, it is Jamón.
C2:1 No, no, it says Jambone on the package.
C2:MP: So, That has to be the brand name then, because Ham is Jamón in Spanish.
C2:4 No, it is the name of the meat. It is ham.
C2:2 (To 3) What is the Spanish name for Ham?
C2:3 Jamon.
C2:MP I am the Spanish-speaking person in the group, you know?
Laughter.
C2:1 What are you saying that we are wrong? or something?
More laughter
C2:4 It is the dumbing down effect.
C3:1 Tonight we are dumbing down to burgers, no more of that frou-frou stuff.
C3:4 (About prover 1) She got up at 5:30 am. He starts to play with the IPhone alarm.
C3:1 We got to the hotel yesterday and the electricity came on and I set the clock on the microwave. We went to bed early. I woke up and went to the bathroom and came back to bed and the clock next to bed said 7:26 am or something like that and I am “we have to get up.”
C3:4 I am “but it is dark out”
C3:1 Yeah, but the clock said 7:25 am.
C3:4 My internal clock is not responding. Why would it be dark and be 7:25 am?
C3:1 Finally I get up and check the clock in the kitchen in the microwave and it was 5:10 am. I came back to bed and R was very snotty.
The clock was 2.5 hours off. I forgot the electricity had been off during the day. I said to him why are you not responding to me?
C3:3 What is your instrument? I mean, what is this thing? (trouble finding the words)
C3:1 An IPhone.
Animals
All provers were outstretching the arms and bending the arms at the elbow, rotating forward from the shoulder and flexing the wrists, resembling a bird.
C2:2 I want to see monkeys and Sloths.
C2:2 When researching Cerro Azul. I came across the monster of Cerro Azul, this creature that had a little neck, long body and long legs. The whole article was insisting that it was an alien, but it turned out to be a sloth that had no hair.
C2:1 I read in the paper there was a monster of Silver Lake.
C2:4 The book that we bought is about The Monster of Lake Champlain. It is about Champ the Lake Champlain’s monster that many people, including the lake’s namesake, Samuel LeChamplain, claim to have seen.
C2:1 I think these stories are made by drunk Irishmen. (Everybody laughs)
C3:1 Our birdfeeders get these loud and raucous crazy, crazy, crows. There is a herd living at the Cemetery where there are big trees and stuff. The crows love hanging out there. The traffic starts in the morning and they get going so loud. In October the sky is black with these crows.
C3:1 A colleague of ours sent a video of a crow sliding on a snowy roof using a plastic device that looked like a Frisbee, but smaller. The crow looks for the most snowy path extending from the top part of the roof down to the edge of the roof and gets on the thing and slides away. Then he picks it up with his beak and flies to the top and does it again. Then he flew away with the thing in his mouth to look for other places.
C3:2 We put food out for the birds.
C3:1 If we do the squirrels would eat it.
C3:4 Or the rats.
We all look at the blue bird on a branch outside. It is a blue tanager.
Miscellaneous:
C2:2 I cannot focus; I cannot concentrate.
C2:3 Feeling mildly stoned as if smoked low grade homegrown dope or something. The kind that gives you a slight buzz.
C2:4 I feel trippy.
C3 Everybody gets very quiet.
C3:2 I don’t like silence.
Physical
Generalities
C1:1 Jittery.
C1:1 Shaky, very shaky, jittery.
C1:2 I am usually cold blooded but I feel warm.
C1:1 I am so hot! It is really hot in here.
C1:2 It is hot.
C1:3 I don’t think it is warm.
C1:2 Feeling less warm after grinding and scraping.
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C2:1 I am very shaky and it has been on going from the beginning of C1
C2:1 (She had a visible involuntary contraction that made her head and shoulder come together forcefully once. She got flushed and let out a loud laugh)
That is very weird! I don’t know what happened.
C2:3 Weird and fun?
C2:1 It was like a spasm, a Tourette’s-like movement that came out of nowhere. My shoulder and head contracted towards each other involuntarily.
C2:2 And you found it really funny?
C2:1 It was surprising and it felt very weird (She laughs hysterically). It reminded me of that movie Boondock Saints. They are Irish and killing Russian mafia.
This guy at the Pub got Tourette’s Syndrome and is constantly going ‘fuck ass’ as he twitches. (laughing)
C3:2 (Keeps rolling the right shoulder) All sensations are on the right side as if there is a line in the middle of my body. Right eye pain, behind the eye. Right side of the nose blocked and runny. Pain in right cheek, right jaw, right neck and right shoulder.
C3:2 Pain right side of neck, extending up to right occiput. Pressure pain in right ear. Achy pain in right shoulder joint and scapula. Pressure-type pain in the whole right side. Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
C3:4 I am hot-flushing again. It comes on boom! so suddenly.
C3:1 (Scraping the bowl frantically and laughing) My headache is gone and I am really, really hot, like crazy! It is like having a hot flash.
Vertigo
C1:1 Dizzy
C1:1 Getting a lot of vertigo, a little nausea with the vertigo, feeling really oozy.
C1:1 I was starting to spin a little bit. Not vertigo, very slight
C1:1 I am spinning.
C1:3 I feel the same
C2:2 I feel floaty, not dizzy.
C2:2 It feels as if my head is spinning to the left.
C2:4 Dizziness. Ears feel plugged and feeling trippy.
Head/Head Pain
C1:1 The pain in the orbit is stabbing straight through from the eye to the back of the head.
C1:4 Slight headache over left eye.
C1:4 I definitely feel a buzzy thing in the head. Left side headache too. Everybody has right-sided pains.
C1:4 Headache in temples.
C2:4 I am getting the buzz that I was feeling before. High frequency vibration kind of thing, mainly in my head (his face is very flushed.)
C2:2 Pain, not a bad pain, a tight feeling that you want to stretch out on the edge of the scapula.
C2:2 It feels as if my head is spinning to the left.
C2:1 Still Shaky and have a headache.
C2:2 Pain in the right occipital area, at the base of the skull.
C2:2 Pain on the right side of forehead above the eye.
C3:1 Temple to temple strong headache. The eyes very much involved in this head thing. The top of the head is throbbing and goes from across the forehead to the middle top of the head.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye to over the right ear.
C3:1 I have a very bad headache. It has been coming and going, this one lasting for the last 40 minutes.
C3:2 Pain right side of neck, extending up to right occiput. Achy pain in right shoulder joint and scapula. Pressure-type pain in the whole right side. Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Eyes
C1:1 Stabbing pain inside orbit or right eye, very strong stabbing straight through from the eye to the back of the head.
C2:2 Right eye is watery and irritated. It is a sleepy feeling too.
C3:1 Strong headache with eye involvement.
C3:2 Right eye pain and pain behind the eyes.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye to over the right Ear.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Ear/Hearing
C1:2 Right ear itchy inside
C1:3 Tinnitus not as bad as a while ago, but still present, unless I really focus on hearing it. My hearing is not good after twenty or twenty-five years of listening to bands.
C2:4 My ears are doing strange things.
C2:3 The ringing in my ears is always there, not as much of a problem; if I do not focus on it I do not notice it.
C2:4 Ears feel plugged and I feel trippy.
C2:2 Pressure pain in both ears.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye extending to over the right Ear.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheek bones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Nose
C2:3 Mild muscle spasm across the bridge of the nose, happened twice.
Face
C1:1 I am so hot! (red in the face)
C1:3 (to 4) Your face is red.
C1:4 My face is very sweaty (looking flushed in the face)
C1:1 Strong pain in right jaw and lower teeth on right side. Very achy at the TMJ. The jaw joint feels sore, as if have been clenching my teeth for a long time.
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C2:3 Mild muscle spasm across the bridge of the nose, happened twice.
C2:4 Numb ache in the jaw hinges.
C3:1 Pain in the jaws.
C3:2 Pain in right cheek, right jaw.
C3:2 Left side sinus very open.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Mouth/Taste
C1:1 Metallic taste. Film in the mouth
C1:3 Metallic taste in the mouth.
C1:4 Metallic taste in the mouth. Cotton mouth.
C1:2 I feel a tingling in the upper lip.
C1:3 Something is happening in my mouth (keeps opening and closing his mouth)
Very mild numbness in lips
C1:1 Tongue and tips of the fingers fuzzy feeling.
C1:3 It is the end of C1 I still have a slight metallic taste.
C1:4 Sense that the roof of my mouth is coated.
C2:3 The chalky taste in the mouth was somewhat subsided.
C2:2 Dry mouth and lips— typical for me.
Throat
C1:4 I get the kind of drip that you get from snorting cocaine...that numbing drip. (points to the left of the throat).
C1:2 Lump in the throat at the level of the Adam’s apple, I want to keep swallowing.
C1:4 Indigestion felt in the upper throat.
C2:4 The thing in the back of the throat is a poking sensation, a numbness, and a kind of weird drip (described before as cocaine drip)
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in chest. It starts at the sternum and rises to the throat.
Stomach
C1:1 Nausea, really slight, not much.
C2:1 Jittery and I am starving.
C2:1 Extraordinarily thirsty.
C2:3 Thirsty, but not outside of normal.
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in the chest. My stomach is starting to growl at the sight of food.
C3:1 Feeling jittery in my stomach.
C3:1 It is interesting that as much as I have been drinking, 7 glasses of water, I only urinated once. That amount of drinking is unusual for me.
C3:3 We are at 3000’ elevation vs. sea level.
C3:2 I am drinking a lot and it keeps coming down.
Abdomen
C1:2 Stabbing pain in lower medial side of abdomen and a bit to the left.
C2:2 Stabbing pain in the lower abdomen right side.
Bladder
C3:1 It is interesting that as much as I have been drinking, 7 glasses of water, I only urinated once. That amount of drinking is unusual for me.
C3:2 I am drinking a lot and it keeps coming down.
Chest
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest...
C2:2 Tightness in a spot on right side of the chest.
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in chest. It starts at the sternum and rises to the throat.
Back
C2:2 Still getting the pain in the scapula now lower to the right of the scapula. It is stabbing, but not bad.
C2:2 Pain and tightness on top of the right scapula.
C3:3 A focused pressure point pain behind the right shoulder joint towards the end of scapula. It did not last long.
C3:2 Right shoulder achy feeling , right in the joint.
C3:2 Pain in right side of neck and shoulder. Achy pain in the right shoulder joint and scapula.
Extremities
C1:1 Fuzzy feeling at the tips of the fingers.
C1:1 Real sense of fuzzyness, tingling in hands (Making fists, opening and closing hands and shaking them.)
C1:2 Tingly, numb toes--right foot. It is a strong tingly feeling, even under the ball of my foot.
C1:4 My hands are very sweaty.
C1:3 Takes his shoes off. My hands are sweaty too, but I thought it was due to holding the mortar and pestle.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest and have sweaty fingers.
C2:2 Right elbow pain right at the bend of the elbow.
C2:2 Hands getting sweaty again.
C2:2 Toes of right foot tingly and numb again.
C2:4 I am feeling very hot overall, sweaty hands and sweaty on the outside of the elbow.
C3:2 Toes tingly and numb again on right foot
Sleep
C2:4 My eyes are heavy and cannot stop yawning. Feeling very sleepy.
C2:2 Sleepy feeling.
C3:1 I am getting sleepy.
Perspiration
C1:4 My face is very sweaty and my hands are very sweaty.
C1:3 My hands are sweaty too, but I thought it was due to holding the mortar and pestle.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest and have sweaty fingers.
C2:4 I am feeling very hot overall, sweaty hands and sweaty on the outside of the elbow.
C2:2 Hands getting sweaty again.
Extraction Meeting:
Ext:4 Just a feeling of anxiety. It is not really fear; it is an exciting anxiousness, or a nervous anxiousness.
Ext:4 It reminds me of the feeling when I have played music for a big audience, or when playing something new and/or relatively difficult. Or maybe when there was somebody in the audience that was a respected musician as when I played for Chick Corea in Buffalo, or the music Jury in College.
Ext:1 Yes, I agree with the feeling of excited nervousness, but for me was not anticipatory. It is a nervous excitement that had a sense of worry...There was a worry.
It is not a dread and it was not doom. It was lighter than that.
Ext:3 Not a fear that you are too anxious about. An example would be when speaking in front of a class, or performing; when getting up in front of the public to do something. You know what to say and what to do, but you are a little anxious. Not afraid of messing up, but anxious.
Ext:4 The energy of the moment.
Ext:1 Maybe it was a little anticipatory. As when I have needed to talk to people and call them on something. That kind of feeling of having to speak about something important that is uncomfortable to bring up. You are excited because you want this to be resolved, but it is nerve wracking. I call it ‘nerved out.’ When I am going to do something that is uncomfortable but needs to be done. Anxiety about how it will revolve. How will I be received? Will it end in a good resolution?
CLOSING
All held hands and thanked the plant for its wisdom and for allowing us to further the healing we are here to do.
This remedy is available at Helios Pharmacy www.helios.co.uk
The remedy was made from a Cochleanthes discolor orchid in bloom, growing at Wild Orchid, a garden of native orchids in the area of Volcán Barú, Boquete, Chiriquí Province, Panama. This area of Panama is very close to the Costa Rican border, and the native orchid species are shared by the two countries in particular but also by the other adjacent countries of Central America and South America.
To honor our host, who helped make our trip to Panama possible and who created the garden when she lived at Wild Orchid, we asked her to choose the first orchid to be proven in Panama. Of the orchids blooming at the time, her favorite was Cochleanthes discolor.
A small sample of the root, leaf, stem, and flower were collected and triturated to a 3c. on March 23, 2012, on site.
A group of five people participated in this proving. Four of the five did the grinding and scraping, while one person took notes. Two people knew the source of the remedy and three did not.
The group consisted of:
Two white females, ages fifty-seven and forty-two
Two white males, ages fifty-seven and forty-eight
One female native of Central America, age sixty-five.
NATURAL HISTORY
Kingdom: Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Cymbidieae
Subtribe: Zygopetainae
Genus: Cochleanthes
Species: C. discolor
Binomial name: Cochleanthes discolor (Lindl.) R.E.Schultes & Garay (1959)
Synonyms:
* Warrea discolor Lindl. (1849)
* Warszewiczella discolor (Lindl.) Rchb.f (1863)
* Zygopetalum discolor (Lndl.) Rchb.f (1863)
* Chondrorhyncha discolor (Lndl.) P.H.Allen (1949)
Cochleanthes,from the Latin word cochlea, shell, and the Greek anthos, flower, an allusion to the shape of the flower’s lip (like a little shell).
Discolor, from the Latin, of another color, from dis- + color color
The genus known as Cochleanthes can be traced back to 1788. Its first species described was Epidendrum flabelliforme by O. Swartz. In 1836, John Lindley first mentioned Zygopetalum cochleare, from the island of Trinidad, as having some affinities with the pseudobulbous Zygopetalums from South America. In the same year Rafinesque transferred Lindley’s Zygopetalum to a new genus Cochleanthes.
In 1954, R.E. Schultes and L.A. Garay recognized the name Cochleanthes and transferred to this genus all the species previously described under Warszewiczella Rchb.f, but Whitten and collaborators (Dressler 2000), based on DNA sequences, concluded that Cochleanthes is only distantly related to Warszewiczella and suggest that it be treated as a distinct genus that includes only two species, distributed from Guatemala to the northern South Americas and the West Indies.
The genus is characterized by non-pseudobulbous and rather large plants with large green conduplicate leaves in a fan shape. Flowers are solitary, spreading with the lip open, not deeply concave and not enfolding the column.
The subject of this proving is a rare natural hybrid known as Warszewiczella (Cochleanthes) discolor Rchb.f and presents with a wide lip varying in color from deep red to purple.
Cochleantes discolor is found in Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador in premontane and lower montane forests on large branches and trunks of trees at elevations of 700 to 1850 meters. The short stem branches at the base and gives rise to a fan of overlapping, articulate, lanceolate, flexible, pointed pale green leaves with an erect, basal, 5-inch [12.5 cm] long inflorescence arising on a newly forming growth, shorter than the leaves and subtended by a basal sheath, with a single, waxy, long-lasting, fragrant flower 3 inches (7.5 cm) long that appears from spring through the fall.
COMMENTARY
The environment in which this proving took place was the lush slope of the Baru Volcano in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. The building where the trituration took place, a round structure of approximately 26 feet in diameter, had large clear glass windows covering most of its circumference. The mountains surrounding the valley of Boquete, the nearest town, were in view to the South, and on the North side we could see the beginning of the orchid garden extending up into a relatively small part of the mountain, where we could observe many species of birds and exotic tropical plants, including some of the many species of orchids that the garden boasts. The day was clear, sunny, breezy and warm.
With this idyllic background, we started to triturate the parts taken from the plant. As I prepared the medicated potency the sweet and slightly fragrant smell of the plant filled the space, and the intensity of the purple color of the flower showing through the lactose was hypnotic.
Considering the subject of our proving was an orchid, there is no wonder that the themes of beauty, pleasure, and perfection were reflected by the environment. Our host kept repeating that the way the garden used to be was “just perfection.” We found it was perfection for all of us, yet she was feeling very upset that it was not kept the way it was when she was the owner of the property.
Food/Food Industry’s Deception/Money
Researchers, poets, and fiction writers alike have used words such as deception, cheating, and pretending when describing orchid behavior in nature.
Part of the proving focused on food, preparing food, and enjoying food.
As the proving progressed, the provers brought up issues regarding the activities of the food industry, specifically the role of Monsanto in manipulating dairy farming, trying to force the use of genetically engineered hormones and putting those farmers who don’t want to use them at a commercial disadvantage. The unknown danger posed by Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in agriculture was also discussed. Of note were the deceptive practices of putting these products on the market without appropriate labeling, keeping the public in the dark, and not giving the public a choice.
The history of Monsanto provides a striking example of deception on a large scale. Formerly the producer of deadly chemicals, the corporation is now portraying itself as an environmentally friendly company dedicated to sustainable agriculture, as we see on their webpage:
“ producing more, conserving more, improving lives – THAT’S SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. AND THAT’S WHAT MONSANTO IS ALL ABOUT. . . .
the Challenge: MEETING THE NEEDS OF TODAY WHILE PRESERVING THE PLANET FOR TOMORROW”
Historically, Monsanto was the producer of the most toxic substances ever manufactured, among them dioxin and PCBs, both human carcinogens according to the EPA, and the company is responsible for creating some of the most polluted areas on the planet.
Monsanto’s practice of intimidation against any farmer not “toeing the line” is well documented. As Monsanto advances its GM agenda, it is systematically buying up conventional seed companies and limiting the availability of regular seeds in the market, so farmers have no other choice than to use GM seeds.
In the late 1990s, a new company called Solutia took over the chemical and fibers aspects of Monsanto Chemical. And in 2002 Monsanto re-incorporated and declared itself an “agricultural company” shedding the “Chemical” off its name and rebranding itself as if its chemical past never existed.
While the company proclaims its dedication to sustainability, farmers are facing the reality that the genetically engineered seeds require intense use of pesticides and herbicides to grow. The consequences are soil depletion, environmental pollution, and farmers’ forced dependency on the biotechnology industry. This makes the case that the biotechnology industry is the opposite of sustainable. And that’s not even considering the unexplored effects of these practices on human health.
The biotechnology industry is the only one profiting from this approach to growing food.
Connections to Washington and certain circles of the media have significantly contributed to the proliferation of this deception.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL1pKlnhvg0
I felt compelled to express during the proving that this and many other issues that the world faces are about the values we hold. Our biggest present value is money. We all want what money can buy. It is not enough to have our piece of land where we can produce our own food and work to raise and educate our children. We want more... We want the Mercedes Benz. To this, Prover 4 responded: “The funny thing is that it is just paper.”
And I continued: It is the biggest of our delusions. Yes, it is just paper and yet we are all going into this frenzy about it, to such a degree that we disconnect from what is important and lose perspective, forgetting that it is our future and our survival on the line. We give a money figure more value than human life.
Genetic Codes
The trail left on the planet by a particular company’s trajectory should be enough warning. Prematurely introducing a technology without carefully measuring the consequences of altering the genetic code of life could be a mistake with consequences far beyond any human control.
In her introduction to Genetic Engineering: The Facts, Sally Morgan states it simply:
What do the terms genetically modified and genetic engineering mean? Every organism, whether it is a microscopic bacterium, a whale, or a human being, carries within it a set of instructions that tell the organism which substances to make, how to grow, and how to reproduce. The instructions are in the form of messages or codes and are stored in genes. These instructions are essential for the day-to-day running of the organism and, without these instructions, life itself would not be possible. Genetic engineering is a deliberate change to an organism’s genes, or instruction codes. The result is an altered organism; one that has lost or gained certain abilities or features.
Bovine Growth Hormone
The gene that is responsible for the production of growth hormones in the pituitary glands of cows was altered and into it E. coli bacteria was inserted, thus creating a factory of bacteria-created hormones. The drug is known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) and it increases milk production in cows. Once injected into cows it boosts their metabolism and milk production goes up. It is important to notice that, when this technology was created, there was no known shortage of milk in the USA.
The milk from treated cows contains more antibiotics (The treated cows get more udder infections and some of the pus also goes into the milk.), as well as more bovine growth hormone, and, most alarming, higher levels of the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is naturally present in cows’ milk and is one of the most powerful growth hormones in the human body. Drinking regular milk contributes to an increase in the level of this hormone in the human body. Drinking milk from treated cows increases these hormone levels up to 10 times.
High IGF-1 levels have been linked to higher risk of lung, colon, prostate and peri-menopausal breast cancers.
GMO in agriculture
Because cells naturally reject foreign DNA, the GMO process uses one of three methods:
1) Soil bacteria that causes tumors in plants is used to ferry the engineered DNA (DNA from e-coli recombined with Round Up-resistant bacteria) into the plant nucleus.
2) Electricity is used to burn minute holes in the plant cells to create the vulnerability that allows for infiltration by foreign DNA.
3) Gene gun: Gold- or tungsten-coated particles with engineered DNA are shot into the plant cells.
A promoter gene is also needed, and it is used with each of these three methods to turn on the desired characteristics. The promoter gene is normally extracted from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus, which is used in all transgenic crops now on the market or undergoing trials.
To test whether the desired genetic changes are being expressed, the next step is to attach an antibiotic marker system, which is a gene naturally resistant to specific antibiotics.
There is no telling how bacteria and viruses will behave once they come in contact with humans or animals. There is a huge concern right now about antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals from the overuse of antibiotics by the medical system and there is no way to predict the consequences of introducing a gene that is naturally resistant to specific antibiotics into the food supply.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ5OxdIq5DY
Cancer
One of the provers had surgery for the removal of basal cell carcinoma before her trip to Panama. The left-over marks of the stitches were showing on her arm. Another prover voiced her concern about a suspicious spot on her husband’s back. Since her husband was among the provers, we all took a look at the spot. She also talked about the death of her father, who was a farmer, to esophageal cancer, and how farmers do not make the correlation between the liberal use of pesticides and herbicides mixed into the soil and the illnesses they get. Turning the soil to prepare it for a new crop exposes them to carcinogens as they breath the dust from the heavily treated soil.
Cancer is the result of mutations in genes all humans carry. Cancer is a genetic disease. It takes an accumulation of exposures to trigger the gene(s) that turn on the chain reaction that leads to the proliferation of abnormal cells. It stands to reason that genetically altering plants for the purpose of introducing a glyphosate-resistant bacteria into the DNA of the plant (not to mention the other questionable organisms that have to be introduced into such DNA for it to work as intended) might alter those genes susceptible to mutation once the plant crops are consumed by humans and animals.
The connection of GMO and cancer brought up by this proving sends shivers up my spine in both the negative and positive aspects of the expression: On the one hand, what a terrifying prospect staring us in the face. On the other hand, the conversations that arose in the proving of this incredibly beautiful plant, suggest we may have found a possible healer for this kind of pathology.
Most revealing to me about the power of these provings was that as I researched the methods used in developing GMO technology, I kept thinking: What kind of Monster is being created with these still crude and barely tested technologies? Later on, as I went through the proving, I realized that the subject of monsters had been brought up by the provers as a seemingly unrelated conversation, which makes perfect sense when you look at the whole context of the proving. That realization confirmed to me that by entering the space of the trituration proving we are able to see the synthesis of the remedy being expressed.
Frankenfood is defined by merriam-webster.com as: genetically engineered food. (Franken (as in Frankenstein) + food)
Other seemingly coincidental occurrences around the proving:
When I came back from Panama, a close friend, who when I left was complaining of severe pain in one hip, had been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer that had metastasized to her bones. Also, the prover who had the basal cell removed came back to the news that her father-in-law had been diagnosed with leukemia, and he was dead within a few weeks.
Extraction Meeting
The trituration was brought to a 3c, the point where we complete the “Trituration Proving.” There was one issue that felt unresolved: A feeling of anxiety had run through the entire proving and was experienced by three out of four provers. A brief Extraction Meeting was added at the end to give people a chance to talk about their experience of the anxiety and bring the proving to a close.
The final assessment was that the anxiety was related to being called out on your skills, especially when someone is assessing your performance. Another aspect of the anxiety was the sense of anticipation when having to call people on their behavior or actions. What is reflected here is the constant human struggle to remain truthful to who we are, proving it to ourselves and to others. We also see the other side of the coin, which is about calling upon others to do the same.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochleanthes_discolor
Accessed: May 4, 2012
Franco Pupulin and Collaborators, Vanishing Beauty: Native Costa Rican Orchids. [Vol.1; Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 2005]
http://www.orchidspecies.com/cochleanthesdiscolor.htm
Accessed: May 4, 2012
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/Pages/default.aspx
Accessed: May 5, 2012
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/effects.htm
Accessed: May 25, 2012
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/CFM/nceaQFind.cfm?keyword=Dioxin
Accessed: May 25, 2012
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805
Accessed: May 15, 2012
http://www.naturalnews.com/031103_Monsanto_public_relations.html#ixzz1uVpwv51C
Accessed May 10, 2012
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/gm-hormones-in-dairy/In-depth-Look-at-rbgh
Accessed May 19, 2012
http://courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/natural.html
Morgan, Sally. Genetic Engineering: The Facts [2nd Ed.; London: Evans Brothers Ltd., 2006]
Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer [New York: Scribner, 2010]
THE PROVING
Proving Code: Trituration Potency (C1, 2, 3), Prover
Extraction, Prover
Mental/Emotional
Food/Food Industry’s Deception/Profit/Monsters
C1:3 I feel as if I drank cheap champagne...The cheap champagne buzz.
C1:3 Something is happening in my mouth (keeps opening and closing his mouth)
Sunday brunch...samosas. Waiting on tables. Taking the cheap champagne.
C1:1 I love champagne. I was working at a Restaurant in Florida that only opened from 6 to 9:30. People came from John’s Island across from Vero Beach and they used this restaurant as their own little club. They came dripping with Jewels.
C1:1 This woman came with an emerald like that (gesture with fingers to show the size: about 2-inch diameter) gargantuan with diamonds all around it.
C1:1 Back to champagne, the guy that managed was the son in law of the owner. He would have lines and lines of cocaine. Huge bottles of Perrier-Jouët and lines of coke.
C1:1 After that R. and I got into drinking “Veuve Clicquot.” I used to love the silhouette of the woman on the foil on the band at the top. Delicious champagne! We used to get it by the case. Then you could get it for $17.00 a bottle. Now it is $100.00. R. would buy a bottle of champagne for the birth of our sons, Mum’s Cordon Bleu.
C1:1 Last night 3. had a steak that big around (gesture with both hands) and that thick (gesture with fingers to measure about 2 inches)
C1:3 It was so good!
C1:1 The trout I had was absolutely amazing. It was cooked perfectly.
C1:4 I had the pork chop and I lost; it was ok, but it was not great. I was thinking of a rack of pork.
C1:1 (to 2) You do not limit your food intake. Nothing makes you fat!
C1:2 I crave potato chips and dark chocolate. I do gain weight. I was heavier. 124 lbs is heavy for me.
C1:4 S. used to be a tiny thing. She was 147 when delivered our sons.
C1:1 I was fat then...I used to weigh 118.
I have been buying low fat yogurt.
C1:4 Scary
C1:1 Do you have a big garden?
C1:2 Yes, about 40 x. 30. Maybe 1, 200 sq.ft.
C1:4 Get Miracle Grow
C1:1 No, I get manure.
C2:5 Shall I get you something?
C2:1 No, but I am hungry, mouth watering, thinking of chocolate.
C2:2 Sweets?
C2:1 You know, as when you are working and feel very tired and then have a piece of chocolate and you come back to life...Just that feeling. I use dark chocolate in the same way a lot of people use coffee.
C2:2 I do that.
C2:1 I like hot pepper in chocolate. In the movie “Chocolat” that is the way she made it with the hot peppers. R. got me the most amazing chocolate for Christmas...mmm! Mouth watering.
C2:1 I only do it twice a week. And you (to #2) do you do it every day?
C2:2 I don’t care how much I have eaten, I like it after a meal. I don’t eat anything else with sugar. I don’t buy processed food.
C2:3 Except for chocolate ice cream.
C2:1 Liar.
C2:2 I do like chocolate ice cream. But it is not in my everyday diet. I don’t eat anything that has sugar added to it. The only time I have vanilla ice cream is with a pie or something.
C2:4 We ate at the hotel last night. It was lovely, wood burning in the fireplace outside. In the menu there was Salmon cooked with peanut butter. It must have been an error in translation but not one of us was brave enough to try it. Peanut oil is used for oriental cooking and I think they meant peanut oil.
C2:2 I never used peanut oil in cooking.
C2:1 Gets up and sets out food for everybody.
C2:1 Too bad we don’t have champagne. That was a good bottle of rum we bought last night. Yum.
C2:4 You are cruel (to 2.)
C2:1 When researching Cerro Azul. I came across the monster of Cerro Azul, this creature that had a little neck, long body and long legs.
The whole article was insisting that it was an alien, but it turned out to be a sloth that had no hair.
C2:2 I read in the paper there was a monster of Silver Lake.
C2:4 The book that we bought is about The Monster of Champlain. It is about Champ the Lake Champlain’s monster that many people, including the lake’s namesake, Samuel LeChamplain, claim to have seen.
C2:1 I think these stories are made by drunk Irishmen. (Everybody laughs)
C3:1 Tonight we are dumbing down to burgers, no more of that frou-frou stuff.
C3:1 R. cooks a great fish taco with Tilapia. Yummy...fish tacos!
C3:4 With Peanut oil.
C3:1 We need to find the recipe to make our tortillas.
C3:4 We don’t know what we would do without Monsanto (sarcasm). My niece came to visit. She is a farmer and her boyfriend is a Dairy Farmer. She was complaining bitterly about the practices of giving growth hormones to the cattle. They would not do that and she feels that these practices are ruining the farmers.
C3:1 People do not know what they are consuming as the final product. There is an increase in food allergies. People cannot tolerate the food, they cannot eat any more. Genetically modified foods are all over and nobody is giving people a choice.
C3:2 There is this farmer around that is saving the seeds to try to conserve what we are losing, which is the natural produced seeds for the food we consume.
Genetically modified food is a threat to people’s health. Genetically modified soy is being used in Infant Formulas.
C3:1 We have lost so much connection and so much understanding. Even when we look at the industrialized world it is not about working with nature...it is going the other way.
C3:4. Its about money...The funny thing is that it is just paper.
C3:1. Singing:
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
Everybody!
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
That’s it!
Cancer
C3:1 Pointing at prover 2’s arm that shows stitching from recent surgery. Is that the only basal cell you had or did you have two. R. has this suspicious looking spot on his back.
C3:2 (to 3) The one I had in the arm was driving you crazy for a while.
C3:1 She has everybody check the spot on Prover 4’s back.
(to 4) You don’t have cancer in your family, right? It is in my family. My father had esophageal cancer. I used to talk to him about the environmental thing. In agriculture they put all the insecticide and herbicides on the land, then they till the soil and mix lime and go ahead and plant a new crop on it. They do not think twice about the exposure. They think all will be ok.
C3:1 Why do you think that all the stuff that we do against nature creates Cancer? Is that what we are creating, a doppelgänger? Are we creating that doppelgänger effect? Why does everything that we do that is unnatural or poisonous or whatever turns to Cancer? Why is it not creating some other imbalance besides Cancer?
C3:1 When you talk about GMO causing cancer...The whole thing is about perfectionism. The perfect kernel of corn that rejects insects and does not rot.
Beauty/Perfection/Pleasure/Lightheartedness/Fun
C1:2 laughing
C1:4 Funny with the cocaine.
C1:3 My hearing is not good after twenty or twenty-five years of listening to bands.
C1:4 What are you doing?
C1:3 Messing up the study (joking)
C1:1 This used to be the orchid house and it was all open to fresh air. The new owner did a nice job converting it into a living space. The woodwork is beautiful.
C1:2 When I was renovating the bathroom I had somebody come and paint it. We agreed on the paint and all, but when I came home and saw it I did not like it. The paint was not what I wanted and I started repainting the whole thing at 11 pm. and did not finish until 3 am. Once it was beautiful I could go to sleep.
C1:2 The curtain would fall every time A went in the shower. So, we got the right rod but when we removed the old one the old paint was showing and it was horrible. So, we painted that wall again.
C1:2 I like being self-sufficient. Here in Panama you go out and pick up the bananas, the oranges and the berries to have with your breakfast. Having the stuff right here is great and it all looks so amazing!
C1:4 It is the end of C 1 as we know it and I feel fine. He sings a tune.
C1:3 Imitating the Supremes he murmurs:
“Stop in the name of love before you break my heart”
C2:4 There should be a new super prover group called “Mortar and Pestle”
C2:1 We could not have picked a better place. This is so beautiful! It’s perfect!
C2:4 let’s buy the place.
C2:2 I was going to say that I cannot buy it. Could you buy it?
C2:4 Let us pull our resources together. And each of us can take a building.
C2:2 I want to do the canopy tour...The tree-trekking.
C3:1. Did I ever tell you about my friend S who has a condo where the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers converge? She can see the confluence of the two rivers from her apartment’s all-glass wall. She sees the eagles flying in front of her glass window.
C3:1 (To 2) Your ring is a family ring, isn’t it?
C3:2 It was my aunt’s. I still take care of her and helped her clean and sell her house. There was so much stuff there. A lot was donated to the Red Cross and Goodwill.
C3:1 When we talk about GMO causing cancer...The whole thing is about perfectionism in their view. It is about producing the perfect kernel of corn that rejects insects and does not rot.
Anxiety
C1:1 Feeling Anxious. I need to take deep heavy breaths. I am feeling very nervous.
C1:4 I feel anxious.
C1:4 Me too, just a little bit.
C1:3 Thinking about being anxious (takes a deep breath). Something is going on that I feel like taking a deep breath. It is a mild anxiety that causes me to take deep breaths occasionally.
C1:1 (Laughs) Feeling really nerved out. My heart is not racing, but it feels as if it is, but it is not.
C1:3 Wanting to choose the word to describe it, not racing...but....
C1:1 Feeling nerved out.
C1:4 (setting the IPhone alarm) Let us see if it rings if I let the screen go black.
C1:1 Nooo!
C1:4 Why not.
C1:1 Because I am anxious.
It will still go off when I get a message, you know?
C3:4 I feel anxious. It’s a sense of nervous unease at the pit of the stomach, that is what I am feeling now. The chest feels heavy. Nervous energy, Nervous sensation in the stomach. Lightheadedness.
C3:1 Butterflies?
C3:4 No, not butterflies, but nervous energy...It’s disconcerting.
C3:1 Something bad?
C3:4 Fight or flight response. I feel triggered, not panicky.
C3:1 Are you afraid?
C3:4 Not afraid, just nervous. There is no reason for it, no sense for it at all.
C3:1 Free floating anxiety?
C3:4 I suppose.
Dumbing Down
C1:1 How old were you then?
C1:3 mumbles and has a hard time coming up with how old he was 20 years ago.
C1:1 Laughing at 3 because he cannot make a simple calculation.
C1:4 Setting the IPhone alarm. Let us see if it rings if I let the screen go black.
C1:1 Nooo!
C1:4 Why not.
C1:1 Because I am anxious.
It will still go off when I get a message, you know?
C1:4 I think I do.
We are all dumbing down really fast.
Moving the arms. Everybody laughing.
C1:4 Laughing to himself--He is extremely red in the face.
C3:1 Did I start this? (IPhone timer)
C2:1 Have you seen the dog video where the camera is on the dog and the dog is talking. The guy is talking to the dog and he is going: ‘So, I went to the fridge and you know, you know what I saw? The dog mouth is moving and he is timing the words to the movement of the dog’s mouth.
Dog: What?
Guy: I saw a big piece of beef.
Dog: Yeah?
Guy: And You know what I did with it?
Dog: What?
Guy: I ate it.
Dog: Crying. The dog is actually yawning but it looks as if he is crying. (Laughing)
C2:4 What is the Spanish name for Ham?
C2:1 Jambone
C2:MP No, it is Jamón.
C2:1 No, no, it says Jambone on the package.
C2:MP: So, That has to be the brand name then, because Ham is Jamón in Spanish.
C2:4 No, it is the name of the meat. It is ham.
C2:2 (To 3) What is the Spanish name for Ham?
C2:3 Jamon.
C2:MP I am the Spanish-speaking person in the group, you know?
Laughter.
C2:1 What are you saying that we are wrong? or something?
More laughter
C2:4 It is the dumbing down effect.
C3:1 Tonight we are dumbing down to burgers, no more of that frou-frou stuff.
C3:4 (About prover 1) She got up at 5:30 am. He starts to play with the IPhone alarm.
C3:1 We got to the hotel yesterday and the electricity came on and I set the clock on the microwave. We went to bed early. I woke up and went to the bathroom and came back to bed and the clock next to bed said 7:26 am or something like that and I am “we have to get up.”
C3:4 I am “but it is dark out”
C3:1 Yeah, but the clock said 7:25 am.
C3:4 My internal clock is not responding. Why would it be dark and be 7:25 am?
C3:1 Finally I get up and check the clock in the kitchen in the microwave and it was 5:10 am. I came back to bed and R was very snotty.
The clock was 2.5 hours off. I forgot the electricity had been off during the day. I said to him why are you not responding to me?
C3:3 What is your instrument? I mean, what is this thing? (trouble finding the words)
C3:1 An IPhone.
Animals
All provers were outstretching the arms and bending the arms at the elbow, rotating forward from the shoulder and flexing the wrists, resembling a bird.
C2:2 I want to see monkeys and Sloths.
C2:2 When researching Cerro Azul. I came across the monster of Cerro Azul, this creature that had a little neck, long body and long legs. The whole article was insisting that it was an alien, but it turned out to be a sloth that had no hair.
C2:1 I read in the paper there was a monster of Silver Lake.
C2:4 The book that we bought is about The Monster of Lake Champlain. It is about Champ the Lake Champlain’s monster that many people, including the lake’s namesake, Samuel LeChamplain, claim to have seen.
C2:1 I think these stories are made by drunk Irishmen. (Everybody laughs)
C3:1 Our birdfeeders get these loud and raucous crazy, crazy, crows. There is a herd living at the Cemetery where there are big trees and stuff. The crows love hanging out there. The traffic starts in the morning and they get going so loud. In October the sky is black with these crows.
C3:1 A colleague of ours sent a video of a crow sliding on a snowy roof using a plastic device that looked like a Frisbee, but smaller. The crow looks for the most snowy path extending from the top part of the roof down to the edge of the roof and gets on the thing and slides away. Then he picks it up with his beak and flies to the top and does it again. Then he flew away with the thing in his mouth to look for other places.
C3:2 We put food out for the birds.
C3:1 If we do the squirrels would eat it.
C3:4 Or the rats.
We all look at the blue bird on a branch outside. It is a blue tanager.
Miscellaneous:
C2:2 I cannot focus; I cannot concentrate.
C2:3 Feeling mildly stoned as if smoked low grade homegrown dope or something. The kind that gives you a slight buzz.
C2:4 I feel trippy.
C3 Everybody gets very quiet.
C3:2 I don’t like silence.
Physical
Generalities
C1:1 Jittery.
C1:1 Shaky, very shaky, jittery.
C1:2 I am usually cold blooded but I feel warm.
C1:1 I am so hot! It is really hot in here.
C1:2 It is hot.
C1:3 I don’t think it is warm.
C1:2 Feeling less warm after grinding and scraping.
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C2:1 I am very shaky and it has been on going from the beginning of C1
C2:1 (She had a visible involuntary contraction that made her head and shoulder come together forcefully once. She got flushed and let out a loud laugh)
That is very weird! I don’t know what happened.
C2:3 Weird and fun?
C2:1 It was like a spasm, a Tourette’s-like movement that came out of nowhere. My shoulder and head contracted towards each other involuntarily.
C2:2 And you found it really funny?
C2:1 It was surprising and it felt very weird (She laughs hysterically). It reminded me of that movie Boondock Saints. They are Irish and killing Russian mafia.
This guy at the Pub got Tourette’s Syndrome and is constantly going ‘fuck ass’ as he twitches. (laughing)
C3:2 (Keeps rolling the right shoulder) All sensations are on the right side as if there is a line in the middle of my body. Right eye pain, behind the eye. Right side of the nose blocked and runny. Pain in right cheek, right jaw, right neck and right shoulder.
C3:2 Pain right side of neck, extending up to right occiput. Pressure pain in right ear. Achy pain in right shoulder joint and scapula. Pressure-type pain in the whole right side. Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
C3:4 I am hot-flushing again. It comes on boom! so suddenly.
C3:1 (Scraping the bowl frantically and laughing) My headache is gone and I am really, really hot, like crazy! It is like having a hot flash.
Vertigo
C1:1 Dizzy
C1:1 Getting a lot of vertigo, a little nausea with the vertigo, feeling really oozy.
C1:1 I was starting to spin a little bit. Not vertigo, very slight
C1:1 I am spinning.
C1:3 I feel the same
C2:2 I feel floaty, not dizzy.
C2:2 It feels as if my head is spinning to the left.
C2:4 Dizziness. Ears feel plugged and feeling trippy.
Head/Head Pain
C1:1 The pain in the orbit is stabbing straight through from the eye to the back of the head.
C1:4 Slight headache over left eye.
C1:4 I definitely feel a buzzy thing in the head. Left side headache too. Everybody has right-sided pains.
C1:4 Headache in temples.
C2:4 I am getting the buzz that I was feeling before. High frequency vibration kind of thing, mainly in my head (his face is very flushed.)
C2:2 Pain, not a bad pain, a tight feeling that you want to stretch out on the edge of the scapula.
C2:2 It feels as if my head is spinning to the left.
C2:1 Still Shaky and have a headache.
C2:2 Pain in the right occipital area, at the base of the skull.
C2:2 Pain on the right side of forehead above the eye.
C3:1 Temple to temple strong headache. The eyes very much involved in this head thing. The top of the head is throbbing and goes from across the forehead to the middle top of the head.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye to over the right ear.
C3:1 I have a very bad headache. It has been coming and going, this one lasting for the last 40 minutes.
C3:2 Pain right side of neck, extending up to right occiput. Achy pain in right shoulder joint and scapula. Pressure-type pain in the whole right side. Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Eyes
C1:1 Stabbing pain inside orbit or right eye, very strong stabbing straight through from the eye to the back of the head.
C2:2 Right eye is watery and irritated. It is a sleepy feeling too.
C3:1 Strong headache with eye involvement.
C3:2 Right eye pain and pain behind the eyes.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye to over the right Ear.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Ear/Hearing
C1:2 Right ear itchy inside
C1:3 Tinnitus not as bad as a while ago, but still present, unless I really focus on hearing it. My hearing is not good after twenty or twenty-five years of listening to bands.
C2:4 My ears are doing strange things.
C2:3 The ringing in my ears is always there, not as much of a problem; if I do not focus on it I do not notice it.
C2:4 Ears feel plugged and I feel trippy.
C2:2 Pressure pain in both ears.
C3:4 Shooting pain over the right eye extending to over the right Ear.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheek bones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Nose
C2:3 Mild muscle spasm across the bridge of the nose, happened twice.
Face
C1:1 I am so hot! (red in the face)
C1:3 (to 4) Your face is red.
C1:4 My face is very sweaty (looking flushed in the face)
C1:1 Strong pain in right jaw and lower teeth on right side. Very achy at the TMJ. The jaw joint feels sore, as if have been clenching my teeth for a long time.
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C2:3 Mild muscle spasm across the bridge of the nose, happened twice.
C2:4 Numb ache in the jaw hinges.
C3:1 Pain in the jaws.
C3:2 Pain in right cheek, right jaw.
C3:2 Left side sinus very open.
C3:2 Achy feeling, tight and knotty behind the right eye to the right ear, over the cheekbones and along the neck and the back of the head.
Mouth/Taste
C1:1 Metallic taste. Film in the mouth
C1:3 Metallic taste in the mouth.
C1:4 Metallic taste in the mouth. Cotton mouth.
C1:2 I feel a tingling in the upper lip.
C1:3 Something is happening in my mouth (keeps opening and closing his mouth)
Very mild numbness in lips
C1:1 Tongue and tips of the fingers fuzzy feeling.
C1:3 It is the end of C1 I still have a slight metallic taste.
C1:4 Sense that the roof of my mouth is coated.
C2:3 The chalky taste in the mouth was somewhat subsided.
C2:2 Dry mouth and lips— typical for me.
Throat
C1:4 I get the kind of drip that you get from snorting cocaine...that numbing drip. (points to the left of the throat).
C1:2 Lump in the throat at the level of the Adam’s apple, I want to keep swallowing.
C1:4 Indigestion felt in the upper throat.
C2:4 The thing in the back of the throat is a poking sensation, a numbness, and a kind of weird drip (described before as cocaine drip)
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in chest. It starts at the sternum and rises to the throat.
Stomach
C1:1 Nausea, really slight, not much.
C2:1 Jittery and I am starving.
C2:1 Extraordinarily thirsty.
C2:3 Thirsty, but not outside of normal.
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in the chest. My stomach is starting to growl at the sight of food.
C3:1 Feeling jittery in my stomach.
C3:1 It is interesting that as much as I have been drinking, 7 glasses of water, I only urinated once. That amount of drinking is unusual for me.
C3:3 We are at 3000’ elevation vs. sea level.
C3:2 I am drinking a lot and it keeps coming down.
Abdomen
C1:2 Stabbing pain in lower medial side of abdomen and a bit to the left.
C2:2 Stabbing pain in the lower abdomen right side.
Bladder
C3:1 It is interesting that as much as I have been drinking, 7 glasses of water, I only urinated once. That amount of drinking is unusual for me.
C3:2 I am drinking a lot and it keeps coming down.
Chest
C1:3 Feeling flushed and noticing that all provers have red cheeks, face and chest.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest...
C2:2 Tightness in a spot on right side of the chest.
C2:2 Nauseous feeling rising in chest. It starts at the sternum and rises to the throat.
Back
C2:2 Still getting the pain in the scapula now lower to the right of the scapula. It is stabbing, but not bad.
C2:2 Pain and tightness on top of the right scapula.
C3:3 A focused pressure point pain behind the right shoulder joint towards the end of scapula. It did not last long.
C3:2 Right shoulder achy feeling , right in the joint.
C3:2 Pain in right side of neck and shoulder. Achy pain in the right shoulder joint and scapula.
Extremities
C1:1 Fuzzy feeling at the tips of the fingers.
C1:1 Real sense of fuzzyness, tingling in hands (Making fists, opening and closing hands and shaking them.)
C1:2 Tingly, numb toes--right foot. It is a strong tingly feeling, even under the ball of my foot.
C1:4 My hands are very sweaty.
C1:3 Takes his shoes off. My hands are sweaty too, but I thought it was due to holding the mortar and pestle.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest and have sweaty fingers.
C2:2 Right elbow pain right at the bend of the elbow.
C2:2 Hands getting sweaty again.
C2:2 Toes of right foot tingly and numb again.
C2:4 I am feeling very hot overall, sweaty hands and sweaty on the outside of the elbow.
C3:2 Toes tingly and numb again on right foot
Sleep
C2:4 My eyes are heavy and cannot stop yawning. Feeling very sleepy.
C2:2 Sleepy feeling.
C3:1 I am getting sleepy.
Perspiration
C1:4 My face is very sweaty and my hands are very sweaty.
C1:3 My hands are sweaty too, but I thought it was due to holding the mortar and pestle.
C1:2 I am hot and sweaty too. I feel flushed in the face and chest and have sweaty fingers.
C2:4 I am feeling very hot overall, sweaty hands and sweaty on the outside of the elbow.
C2:2 Hands getting sweaty again.
Extraction Meeting:
Ext:4 Just a feeling of anxiety. It is not really fear; it is an exciting anxiousness, or a nervous anxiousness.
Ext:4 It reminds me of the feeling when I have played music for a big audience, or when playing something new and/or relatively difficult. Or maybe when there was somebody in the audience that was a respected musician as when I played for Chick Corea in Buffalo, or the music Jury in College.
Ext:1 Yes, I agree with the feeling of excited nervousness, but for me was not anticipatory. It is a nervous excitement that had a sense of worry...There was a worry.
It is not a dread and it was not doom. It was lighter than that.
Ext:3 Not a fear that you are too anxious about. An example would be when speaking in front of a class, or performing; when getting up in front of the public to do something. You know what to say and what to do, but you are a little anxious. Not afraid of messing up, but anxious.
Ext:4 The energy of the moment.
Ext:1 Maybe it was a little anticipatory. As when I have needed to talk to people and call them on something. That kind of feeling of having to speak about something important that is uncomfortable to bring up. You are excited because you want this to be resolved, but it is nerve wracking. I call it ‘nerved out.’ When I am going to do something that is uncomfortable but needs to be done. Anxiety about how it will revolve. How will I be received? Will it end in a good resolution?
CLOSING
All held hands and thanked the plant for its wisdom and for allowing us to further the healing we are here to do.
This remedy is available at Helios Pharmacy www.helios.co.uk