TV Emanation
Master: Prover Carol Jones
Television Emanation Proving: Altering Perception
“Technological innovations are extensions of human abilities and senses that alter this sensory balance--an alteration that, in turn, inexorably reshapes the society that created the technology.“
“The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan,”Playboy Magazine, March 1969
Marshall McLuhan’s[1] theories revolutionized how society views the impact of media on human perception. He contended that all media (especially Television-TV), regardless of the messages they communicate, exert a compelling and transforming influence on people and society. McLuhan considered TV as an intimate extension of an individual’s central nervous system.
…” The content of the medium is never the message.” Any medium at all creates a new pattern, a new atmosphere, a new environment of human perception which works upon the whole man, it works upon the whole society, that is the message.”
Marshall McLuhan, CBC radio Interview “Other Voices,” June 22, 1965
Television is a force with wide-ranging impact. TV has strongly influenced people around the world, and as a cultural institution it has been debated and analyzed since its inception. In the sixty years since television has become commonplace across the globe, this technology has revolutionized the way people see themselves and the world around them. It has revolutionized the pace of life and connectedness of the world. As Douglas Coupland in his biography of Marshall McLuhan states, “ the global
village" is a way of paraphrasing the fact that electronic technologies are an extension of the human central nervous system, and that our planet’s collective neural wiring would create a single 24-7 blobby, fuzzy, quasi-sentient metacommunity.” [2]
The Developement of Television
[1]Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist. McLuhan's work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media
theory, as well as having practical applications in the advertising and television industries. He is known for coining the expressions "the medium is the message “and the global village" and predicted the World Wide Web almost thirty years before it was invented. (Wikipedia). A podcast interview with McLuhan is available at:
gdn.bi.110721.jd.medium.#26575D
The development of electronic television systems was based on the development of the cathode ray tube (CRT). A cathode ray tube – also known as a picture tube -- was found in all electronic television sets up until the invention of the less bulky LCD screens. A cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube (from which air has been withdrawn) that produces images when its phosphorescent surface is struck by electron beams.
Television emanation travels through the cathode ray tube and projects directly onto the retina of the viewer. In 1927, Philo Farnsworth was the first inventor to transmit a television image comprised of 60 horizontal lines. (Interesting that
the image transmitted was a dollar sign!) In 1934, the US Federal Communications Commission approved advertising as the
economic basis of the country's fledgling radio broadcasting system; this would set the stage for TV advertising a couple of decades later. Television was widely available commercially by the 1950s.
A Wider Vision and Experience
“Television’s future is as expansive as the human mind can comprehend…. [it] holds the key to enlightenment which may
unlock the door to world understanding...”
Jack R. Poppele, president of Television Broadcasters Association, 1948
Television is about vision and perception. When you look at the above diagram of the cathode ray, you can see a similarity to the shape of the human eye. Television has changed human perception, enhancing our field of vision and our ability to perceive.
In television, the stories are told through images, and the images are transmitted by a force, which can make powerful connections, or alienate. It enables us to see what is far away, in other time periods and places. It can literally take us there
and immerse us into other lives and situations that we would never experience, things beyond our reach, transporting us through all of our senses.
McLuhan wrote about TV creating an interdependence in the world, a superimposed co-existence. He stated in 1962 that “since TV has pulled our senses outside us, Big Brother—the TV electronic brain—goes inside. If we are unaware of this supplanting, we will be one big family, a place where humans retribalize through their freedom to bypass time and space.” [3]
Television as a Force
Television involves the transmission and receiving of energy. The transmission – or force – occurs both on the level of light energy and also comes through in the content transmitted. Receiving operates on the same two levels. The literature is replete with scientific and cultural studies about television’s physical, mental, behavioral, economic, and sociological impacts. According to the 2009 Neilson Three Screen Report, the average American watches about five hours of television a day.
Physiological and Behavioural Impact
“Because all media…are extensions ..Such an extension is intensification, an amplification of an organ, sense or function and whenever it takes place, the central nervous system appears to institute a self-protective numbing of the affected area, insulating and anesthetizing it from conscious awareness of what’s happening to it “
“The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan,” Playboy Magazine, March 1969
McLuhan believed that electronic media were extensions of the human nervous system, with TV being the most significant because it invokes multiple senses.[4]
Some medical studies suggest that when a person watches TV, actual brain chemistry is affected and a hypnotic state is induced. “The basal ganglia portion of the brain becomes very active and dopamine is released.” Some scientists believe that the release of high amounts of dopamine “reduces the amount of the neurotransmitter available for other purposes …”. A
2001 study conducted by Dr. Herbert Krugman of GE found that “while viewers are watching television the right side of the brain is twice as active as the left which causes a state of hypnosis.”
Some researchers have attributed various autism spectrum disorders (ADHD, Asperger’s) as a result of exposure to Television.[5] In particular Autism Spectrum features such as obsessive or repetitive routines and behavior patterns, preference for solitary activities, difficulties in social interaction and delayed or impaired language skills have been linked to childhood TV
watching.
“Current research is discovering that individuals can employ television to create what is termed a parasocial or faux
relationship with characters from their favorite television shows and movies as a way of deflecting feelings of loneliness and social deprivation.”[6]
Sociologists and media critics have argued about the impact of watching violent imagery. People are used to viewing things, places and time periods that they would never experience in their lives. The experiential impact that TV provides has resulted
in many TV viewers having a difficult time distinguishing between their own lives and those they experience through TV.
Therefore TV can also act as an alienating force by inspiring a kind of vicarious life through the stories and characters on TV.
Also, a 1995 survey released by the National Health and Nutrition Examination indicated that the use of television is directly linked to the ever-increasing number of overweight children in the United States partially through eating food while
watching and promoting the consumption of food through advertising. In addition, watching television is an extremely sedentary activity!
the image transmitted was a dollar sign!) In 1934, the US Federal Communications Commission approved advertising as the
economic basis of the country's fledgling radio broadcasting system; this would set the stage for TV advertising a couple of decades later. Television was widely available commercially by the 1950s.
A Wider Vision and Experience
“Television’s future is as expansive as the human mind can comprehend…. [it] holds the key to enlightenment which may
unlock the door to world understanding...”
Jack R. Poppele, president of Television Broadcasters Association, 1948
Television is about vision and perception. When you look at the above diagram of the cathode ray, you can see a similarity to the shape of the human eye. Television has changed human perception, enhancing our field of vision and our ability to perceive.
In television, the stories are told through images, and the images are transmitted by a force, which can make powerful connections, or alienate. It enables us to see what is far away, in other time periods and places. It can literally take us there
and immerse us into other lives and situations that we would never experience, things beyond our reach, transporting us through all of our senses.
McLuhan wrote about TV creating an interdependence in the world, a superimposed co-existence. He stated in 1962 that “since TV has pulled our senses outside us, Big Brother—the TV electronic brain—goes inside. If we are unaware of this supplanting, we will be one big family, a place where humans retribalize through their freedom to bypass time and space.” [3]
Television as a Force
Television involves the transmission and receiving of energy. The transmission – or force – occurs both on the level of light energy and also comes through in the content transmitted. Receiving operates on the same two levels. The literature is replete with scientific and cultural studies about television’s physical, mental, behavioral, economic, and sociological impacts. According to the 2009 Neilson Three Screen Report, the average American watches about five hours of television a day.
Physiological and Behavioural Impact
“Because all media…are extensions ..Such an extension is intensification, an amplification of an organ, sense or function and whenever it takes place, the central nervous system appears to institute a self-protective numbing of the affected area, insulating and anesthetizing it from conscious awareness of what’s happening to it “
“The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan,” Playboy Magazine, March 1969
McLuhan believed that electronic media were extensions of the human nervous system, with TV being the most significant because it invokes multiple senses.[4]
Some medical studies suggest that when a person watches TV, actual brain chemistry is affected and a hypnotic state is induced. “The basal ganglia portion of the brain becomes very active and dopamine is released.” Some scientists believe that the release of high amounts of dopamine “reduces the amount of the neurotransmitter available for other purposes …”. A
2001 study conducted by Dr. Herbert Krugman of GE found that “while viewers are watching television the right side of the brain is twice as active as the left which causes a state of hypnosis.”
Some researchers have attributed various autism spectrum disorders (ADHD, Asperger’s) as a result of exposure to Television.[5] In particular Autism Spectrum features such as obsessive or repetitive routines and behavior patterns, preference for solitary activities, difficulties in social interaction and delayed or impaired language skills have been linked to childhood TV
watching.
“Current research is discovering that individuals can employ television to create what is termed a parasocial or faux
relationship with characters from their favorite television shows and movies as a way of deflecting feelings of loneliness and social deprivation.”[6]
Sociologists and media critics have argued about the impact of watching violent imagery. People are used to viewing things, places and time periods that they would never experience in their lives. The experiential impact that TV provides has resulted
in many TV viewers having a difficult time distinguishing between their own lives and those they experience through TV.
Therefore TV can also act as an alienating force by inspiring a kind of vicarious life through the stories and characters on TV.
Also, a 1995 survey released by the National Health and Nutrition Examination indicated that the use of television is directly linked to the ever-increasing number of overweight children in the United States partially through eating food while
watching and promoting the consumption of food through advertising. In addition, watching television is an extremely sedentary activity!
Cultural and Sociological Impact
“We have allowed the most powerful communications tool ever invented to become the command center of a consumer society defining our lives and culture the way family, community and spiritual values once did."[7]
Kalle Lasn, a co-founder of the Canadian media criticism and environmentalist magazine Adbusters.
The mass acceptance of television coincided with the period of the United States' post-World War II economic and political dominance. The “transmitters” of TV information are relatively few in number relative to the numbers affected by TV’s impact. Television was one more way of homogenizing and marketing culture, typically U.S. culture.
Altered perception can result in the alteration of our needs and desires. Sociologists have discussed how television has amplified individuals desire for things and experiences typically not available to them.
The phenomenon of increasing isolation in our culture is another sociological impact that many feel is a result of the introduction of television. The pace of isolation has increased with the explosion of the internet and the 24/7 availability of electronic media- which technology has addressed through the introduction of social networking, e.g. Facebook, where relationships can be totally electronic.
Economic Impact
With the emergency of TV advertising a whole new economic industry was created. It became an extremely powerful tool through which a new model of consumption based economic growth emerged. Kalle Lasn of Adbusters, deconstructs this phenomenon: "In the privacy of our living rooms we made a devil's bargain with the advertising industry: Give us an endless flow of free programs and we'll let you spend 12 minutes of every hour promoting consumption”.[8]
Commentary on the Remedy
Television (TV) Emanation is in the category of “imponderables.” The most striking aspect of this imponderable remedy is the alteration of perception. In the proving we saw perception shift from small to very, very large fields-- a sense of expansion and contraction, like the shape of the cathode ray or an eye.
Imponderables also share a quality of being a “force,” which was very evident during the proving. One of the provers experienced this sense throughout the entire proving “whatever they were going to do [to me], they were going to do forcibly…”.
Extreme experiences ran throughout this remedy, those outside the normal parameters of the prover’s lives. This was especially seen in their dreams. A prover described a sense of something coming over her and preventing her from expressing herself. This limitation of expression was also an aspect of the “force”.
The force aspect was also felt strongly during the collation and write-up of this proving. It was extremely difficult to complete the process. There was a sense of the topic expanding- like an imponderable force. It was difficult to corral the information into a focused structure.
The idea of collective or group experience came through in the proving . Some provers and supervisors talked about group effort and camaraderie (or lack thereof) throughout the proving. They repeatedly mentioned the idea of a common experience, and a sense of responsibility to the group. There was the polarity between the concern for the group and one prover having her own very individual, non-interactive experience.
We saw different aspects of an Asperger’s- like response in the Proving. The lack of emotional attachment, the lack of social interaction, the flatness in communication and speech, the obsessiveness with the fire and specific topics-e.g. jazz, space. One of the Provers sent an e-mail with NASA pictures of the Moon. The Prover collects NASA pictures of Space. We consider this remedy to potentially be a remedy for people who find it difficult to express themselves or connect emotionally.The person needing TV emanation might be focused inward, dull and bored, but with tremendous hope and desire to connect with others and have meaning. As one of the provers said during the trituration: “I feel like this remedy will be good for someone who is a lump on a log or someone who is restless, wanting to move and can’t.”
We believe this remedy would be associated with Stage 4 (“all senses are wide-open”) of the Periodic Table, according to Jan Scholten’s presentation of his stages.
Trituration Dynamics
The Provers sat like four lumps on the couch, moving very little, looking bored and blank. They only rose to tend the fire or eat, obsessively rearranging the logs. The fireplace captured a lot of their focus and attention. They were largely uncommunicative and had to be prodded to share their experience. To the observers the scene appeared to be Mom and Dad and their two kids watching TV in their living room. All four sat staring, quietly, not engaging in conversation. When conversation occurred, it was limited and somewhat superficial. One prover was very captivated by her iPhone throughout.
Source of TV Emanation
Louis Klein suggested the proving of this substance in December of 2009 in response to a need he saw in his practice.
In December 2009 milk sugar was placed in a porcelain bowl two feet away from a television that was left on for 48 hours, on a stool at the level of the TV picture. The television was a Sony Trinitron manufactured in 1985.
The proving was conducted in Boston on November 6, 2010. There were four provers – one male, three female; one lesbian; three whites and one African American. There were three observer/supervisors. The full Great Lakes Protocol was followed.
“We have allowed the most powerful communications tool ever invented to become the command center of a consumer society defining our lives and culture the way family, community and spiritual values once did."[7]
Kalle Lasn, a co-founder of the Canadian media criticism and environmentalist magazine Adbusters.
The mass acceptance of television coincided with the period of the United States' post-World War II economic and political dominance. The “transmitters” of TV information are relatively few in number relative to the numbers affected by TV’s impact. Television was one more way of homogenizing and marketing culture, typically U.S. culture.
Altered perception can result in the alteration of our needs and desires. Sociologists have discussed how television has amplified individuals desire for things and experiences typically not available to them.
The phenomenon of increasing isolation in our culture is another sociological impact that many feel is a result of the introduction of television. The pace of isolation has increased with the explosion of the internet and the 24/7 availability of electronic media- which technology has addressed through the introduction of social networking, e.g. Facebook, where relationships can be totally electronic.
Economic Impact
With the emergency of TV advertising a whole new economic industry was created. It became an extremely powerful tool through which a new model of consumption based economic growth emerged. Kalle Lasn of Adbusters, deconstructs this phenomenon: "In the privacy of our living rooms we made a devil's bargain with the advertising industry: Give us an endless flow of free programs and we'll let you spend 12 minutes of every hour promoting consumption”.[8]
Commentary on the Remedy
Television (TV) Emanation is in the category of “imponderables.” The most striking aspect of this imponderable remedy is the alteration of perception. In the proving we saw perception shift from small to very, very large fields-- a sense of expansion and contraction, like the shape of the cathode ray or an eye.
Imponderables also share a quality of being a “force,” which was very evident during the proving. One of the provers experienced this sense throughout the entire proving “whatever they were going to do [to me], they were going to do forcibly…”.
Extreme experiences ran throughout this remedy, those outside the normal parameters of the prover’s lives. This was especially seen in their dreams. A prover described a sense of something coming over her and preventing her from expressing herself. This limitation of expression was also an aspect of the “force”.
The force aspect was also felt strongly during the collation and write-up of this proving. It was extremely difficult to complete the process. There was a sense of the topic expanding- like an imponderable force. It was difficult to corral the information into a focused structure.
The idea of collective or group experience came through in the proving . Some provers and supervisors talked about group effort and camaraderie (or lack thereof) throughout the proving. They repeatedly mentioned the idea of a common experience, and a sense of responsibility to the group. There was the polarity between the concern for the group and one prover having her own very individual, non-interactive experience.
We saw different aspects of an Asperger’s- like response in the Proving. The lack of emotional attachment, the lack of social interaction, the flatness in communication and speech, the obsessiveness with the fire and specific topics-e.g. jazz, space. One of the Provers sent an e-mail with NASA pictures of the Moon. The Prover collects NASA pictures of Space. We consider this remedy to potentially be a remedy for people who find it difficult to express themselves or connect emotionally.The person needing TV emanation might be focused inward, dull and bored, but with tremendous hope and desire to connect with others and have meaning. As one of the provers said during the trituration: “I feel like this remedy will be good for someone who is a lump on a log or someone who is restless, wanting to move and can’t.”
We believe this remedy would be associated with Stage 4 (“all senses are wide-open”) of the Periodic Table, according to Jan Scholten’s presentation of his stages.
Trituration Dynamics
The Provers sat like four lumps on the couch, moving very little, looking bored and blank. They only rose to tend the fire or eat, obsessively rearranging the logs. The fireplace captured a lot of their focus and attention. They were largely uncommunicative and had to be prodded to share their experience. To the observers the scene appeared to be Mom and Dad and their two kids watching TV in their living room. All four sat staring, quietly, not engaging in conversation. When conversation occurred, it was limited and somewhat superficial. One prover was very captivated by her iPhone throughout.
Source of TV Emanation
Louis Klein suggested the proving of this substance in December of 2009 in response to a need he saw in his practice.
In December 2009 milk sugar was placed in a porcelain bowl two feet away from a television that was left on for 48 hours, on a stool at the level of the TV picture. The television was a Sony Trinitron manufactured in 1985.
The proving was conducted in Boston on November 6, 2010. There were four provers – one male, three female; one lesbian; three whites and one African American. There were three observer/supervisors. The full Great Lakes Protocol was followed.
This is a picture of the Sony TV used as the source for
TV Emanation. The picture on the TV is of the HBO Series "The Wire"
where Omar Little the main protagonist is testifying.
References
[1] Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist. McLuhan's work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory, as well as having practical applications in the advertising and television industries. He is known for coining the expressions
"the medium is the message “and the global village" and predicted the World Wide Web almost thirty years before it was invented. (Wikipedia). A podcast interview with McLuhan is available at:
gdn.bi.110721.jd.medium.#26575D
[2] p.19, “Marshall McLuhan”, Douglas Coupland, (Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2009
[3] p.165, ibid
[4] p.172, ibid
[5] Internet article, “Development and Cultural Factors in the Prevalence of Autistic Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder”, Dr. Mark Germine, Psycoscience.net
[6] Moore, W. (2004). Television: Opiate of the Masses. Familyresources.com
[7] Center for Media Literacy, Rise of the Image Culture: re-imagining the American Dream, Elizabeth Thoman
[8] Center for Media Literacy, Rise of the Image Culture: re-imagining the American Dream, Elizabeth Thoman
where Omar Little the main protagonist is testifying.
References
[1] Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist. McLuhan's work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory, as well as having practical applications in the advertising and television industries. He is known for coining the expressions
"the medium is the message “and the global village" and predicted the World Wide Web almost thirty years before it was invented. (Wikipedia). A podcast interview with McLuhan is available at:
gdn.bi.110721.jd.medium.#26575D
[2] p.19, “Marshall McLuhan”, Douglas Coupland, (Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2009
[3] p.165, ibid
[4] p.172, ibid
[5] Internet article, “Development and Cultural Factors in the Prevalence of Autistic Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder”, Dr. Mark Germine, Psycoscience.net
[6] Moore, W. (2004). Television: Opiate of the Masses. Familyresources.com
[7] Center for Media Literacy, Rise of the Image Culture: re-imagining the American Dream, Elizabeth Thoman
[8] Center for Media Literacy, Rise of the Image Culture: re-imagining the American Dream, Elizabeth Thoman
TV Emanation Proving:
M/E
Affected by Energy, a Force
2:T Remedy initially ground to powder and felt vibration drift across table to my black tea (and burped).
2:T Burping. Sometimes I would not be burping. I think it is the energy. The energy came right into our tea. I think you need to cover the sugar pills. I was surprised. I have never done this before.
2:T These are imponderables.
2:T This is the alchemy part.
2:T Energy of mortar going to the Heart Center of each of the provers. Mortar& Pestle; Dispersion-out to the Universe Scraping with spoon: consolidating the sugar, from the universe back to the mortar; yo-yo like.
4:T I feel quite present, despite all this. I’m paying attention, I’m aware, I do feel here but like there is something preventing me from engaging, But I do feel like I am part of all this…. But there’s just something quasi-physical that’s come over me…. Physical/energetic, some force that is affecting me….
4:T Am I hallucinating? Spinning off into some other place/state…. Having spells of something coming over me, and all I
can do is sit and stare into space….
4:T Been feeling for a while like I want to reach out, connect, engage but I can’t. Something has definitely come over me…. Really strange. Like it is difficult to respond, to engage. I have things to share, questions I want to ask, But I am so spun off into this other state that it is nearly impossible for me to initiate, let alone respond.
4:T Not sad or otherwise emotional but I feel like there is a pressure building up in my head and there is a feeling of wanting/needing some sort of release. Deep breaths help.
4:T I am feeling something around my eyes not sure how to explain it. I am feeling something in my chest. It is not
totally physical.
4:T Feel this whole time like I need to rest -- with trituration process as well, feeling like I was wanting/trying to take care of myself but I was being told to perform differently. Why am I the only one who seemed to have issues with the trituration process?
2:3 I awake feeling back to my normal self, unaffected by the storm of physical symptoms, that I’ve attributed to the remedy proving. Symptoms felt like a cleansing of tension.
4:5 I actually had an "episode" yesterday evening: I got to class, walked in the room, sat down, and was overcome by . . . something. My heart began to beat very quickly, and all this energy went up to my head. I went to sit on the floor, against the wall, and tried to ground. I could feel my heart pounding in my head, like there was all this energy that wanted to spill out. I even cried a little bit. It was really intense. I felt very shaky, not dizzy, exactly, but like there was too much energy up in my head. Eventually I got a headache, around my 3rd eye. I have no explanation for it . . . I ate plenty yesterday, and was pretty well hydrated. But whatever happened yesterday was so bad that I couldn't even work in class. Better when I went outside to get air.
4:9 Dream: I was hanging out with my bass teacher. He wanted to take a nap, so I tried to take a nap too, but I wasn't really tired and I kept waking up. Then, these three women came in. They were adherents of this woman I know "in real life," a
self-proclaimed "spiritual healer and teacher, " but I've had enough experiences with her to know that she is actually pretty creepy. I warned my bass teacher against her/them. He wasn't really convinced by me, but he wasn't really convinced by
them, either. Still, he decided to go with them and check it out. I stayed behind. At some point I realized that they were going to come back for me, and whatever they were going to do, they were going to do it forcibly, and so I tried to lock myself in ~ I locked every door in the place, but the locks were unreliable, and the ladies found me eventually. When they did, I told them something to the effect of, "you know, you would probably be a whole lot more successful if you didn't force people and just let people come to you voluntarily,” then I woke up .
Expand, Contract
2:T Dispersion-out to the Universe Scraping with spoon: consolidating the sugar, from the universe back to the mortar; yo-yo like.
2:T You get hot with the trituration. With the trituration is expansive and the scraping is putting it all back together.
4:T Feel inward, whereas before I felt expansive.
4:T I feel super – serious, like I can’t smile, like I physically can’t smile. I don’t feel sad per se, just very serious . And internal and withdrawn.
4:T Just feeling really in my own little world.
4:T Energy crash, like coming down, post-high. Feeling shy about describing to the group that I’m experiencing things reminiscent of an acid trip – or drug trip-- like I’ve already peaked and have been in a post-high state for a while, just more contemplative and inward but at the same time really wanting to engage and connect with these folks but lacking the energy.
4:T Powerful evening – alone, creating, praying, playing music, communing with my soul. Feeling into deep fears, moving through them, reconnecting with my core self, feeling inspiration, laughing, crying, healing… reconnecting with my dreams.
Experiencing deep soul confusion about who I am in this world…(something I’ve been working on lately), trying to connect with my animus.
4: T Was high triturating and now I am coming down. Crashing. A different stage of the trip. More expansive and now inward. A little sleepy.
Uneventful/Nothing is Happening/Routine
1:T Nothing is coming up for me. I think I have to get hit over the head. Some one has to bowl me over with a remedy.
3:T Nothing going on for me. I am in a meditative state. I am lost.
4:T Not sad or otherwise emotional but I feel like there is a pressure building up in my head and there is a feeling of wanting/needing some sort of release. Deep breaths help.
1:1 Took the remedy, felt no difference.
1:1 Made biscuits in the morning, raked leaves in my mom’s yard.
1:1 Went to the dump, did chores. Made dinner.
1:2 I feel like not much is happening.
3:3 Up at 6 am, at work by 8 am. Had breakfast and started working at 8:30 am. Typical workday. We’ve had cold rain on and off for the past couple of days, but it hasn’t been heavy enough to stop me from walking at lunch. I have a hard time spending all day confined to a desk in a cubicle in a climate-controlled building, so being able to get outside even in less than perfect weather is important to me.
3:3 Left work at 5 pm and headed to XX to teach a dog training class at 7:30 p.m. Arrived home at 10 pm, showered and was in bed by 11 pm.
1:4 Not much else is happening.
1:5 I don’t want to work today or tomorrow. I am thinking I would benefit from time away from my office-sort of a vacation. Just some time off.
1:5 Today I just don’t feel like doing this and it is not the weather as the sun is finally out today and it nice. Windy, too.
1:5 My emotional state is good, fairly even.
3:5 Up at 6 am, at work by 8 am, My energy was good – didn’t feel tired like I did yesterday....Went straight home and had an uneventful evening. Went to bed around 11 pm.
3:6 Up at 6 am, at work at 8 am. Another typical work day. No nasal sensations and energy was good all day. Went straight home after work. Uneventful, relaxing evening.
4:6 I feel fine today, have been going about everything really well . . .
1:9 Not much of anything to report. Went to work, feel OK.
1: 2 I notice that my emotional state has been even. But my mental state is even, seemingly uncomplicated. I’m not having conversations in my head with people, no stray thoughts rambling on about situations.
Common Experiences /Camaraderie/Group Effort
1:T Cool, it is about time. Finally it is my turn. This is hard. The pills are shooting all over the place. I feel like I have a responsibility to the group to do a good job.
1:T Phew. It is so cool. Yes it is such a great thing to do. It is so fabulous. It was just so good to do that. We are doing something good for all of us. There is no doubt about it. It is energizing it really is.
1:T Oh my god it was good to do that. You think I am strange don’t you??
1:T This is labor intensive. We have a job to do.
2:T This is a group effort.
2:T It is like a camp fire and a circle the 4 of us and ………um it is like a circle that is linking the 4 of us. I feel very close to these other people. I would not normally think that way.
2:T I was at a wedding and my 2 nieces were in the car and I said I have to play this song for you it will blow you away and they did not listen they just talked to each other.
3:T There is generally feeling of…you know camaraderie. The participation in all this.
3:T Sense of camaraderie.
3:T I feel like I cannot physically talk. But I am taking good notes for you all.
3:T (Looking at her iPhone.) Two planes crashed today. One in Stowe Mass. and another one in a national river. Were people hurt? Planes are falling out of the sky.
4:T What is happening with me is different from every one else. I feel weird about that.
4:T I am intrigued and wondering about the commonality of our experiences.
4:1 Not long after taking remedy I bumped into some folks that I would like to get to know better; we kept attracting other folks, part of the same wider circle…One of them was the guy I’ve been seeing – we have sort of fizzled out romantically but didn’t have any closure around it, although we’ve been connecting as friends. We ended up having a discussion that I initiated -- every clarifying and healing – had to be cut short because I had to go somewhere, and we might continue the discussion tonight . But I am amazed at all this. The folks I bumped into are folks in my neighborhood who have a community house and play music -- and musical community is a core thing that I am working on cultivating.
2: 2 Feeling“connection” to trituration circle and participants, as if we were a tribe sitting in circle around afire.
1:7 Very tired. Wanted to take a nap but couldn’t. My brother in law and niece and nephew were coming to dinner-last minute decision on their part. I thought it would be good to be together as tomorrow is the anniversary of my sister’s death. I was near tears throughout parts of the day, but never cried. And wasn’t particularly grieving her loss.
2:9 During late night dinner at a Toronto restaurant I notice with surprise that the Toronto bar was showing a US NFL
football game (it was N.E. Patriots) with my home team and didn’t realize that Canadians would be interested in U.S sports.
2:11 I mentioned this to a janitor friend in my office building (he’s always talking sports) and he said the Canadians are
definitely interested to watch our football.
Being Entertained, Fame, Special
1:T I always think music sounds better at someone else’s house. It sounds great here. Do not laugh at me. When it is here
in the background it sounds better. You are in a different situation and you are relaxed. (listening to bass and piano jazz).
1:T I have a designer dog. A Portuguese water dog. I did not want him because I knew I would be taking care of him. If my children give me permission--well no I would not give him away. I do not want to take care of a dog.
1:T The funniest thing was a friend said go to this web site and they will tell you what kind of dog you want. It came back we are sorry we have no dog for you. No dog that matches your requirements. I was like, yahoo! He is like afraid of water and he
is a wuss dog.
1:T There is always something to do. I have to do the laundry and then at 8 pm I should sit and watch TV but I don’t
there is always something to do.
1:T Can we have more music? Any thing, surprise me.
1:T I want my name in the proving. Prover number 4, that is me.
1:T My dog howls during the full moon. I can get my name in the Materia Medica., X’s dog.
2:T Am I being video taped and recorded? P states; We thought about it. We are making a movie. The Homeopathic Blair Witch Project.
2:T Did you see the song ended with the C1 round.
2:T You can go onto NPR and it is fascinating how they talked about how they made the CD. The things that happen
at this level. That is the nice thing about the internet is it makes things accessible.
2:T These are jazz standards and they are playing it as they were written. If you listen to it too much you can get bored.
They said that in the interview on NPR. Then they were talking and there was an assistant that did not know much about music and she said it is like Charlie playing the way you would play the bass and he said and if you played piano it would be like he played bass. You never told me that.
2:T Do you like Keith Jarrett?. This guy makes time stop for me. Do you have the case of the CD?
2:T Fiddling and diddling. Johnny Most, he was a radio announcer. It was when the Celtics were in their championship. It
goes way back.
3:T (Looking at her iPhone.) Two planes crashed today. One in Stowe Mass. and another one in a national river. Were people hurt? Planes are falling out of the sky.
3:T I feel like I am hanging out in a jazz club.
3:T What are the choices? More Jazz.
3:T Can I play with the fire?
3: T I want to go down in history.
4:T Can we have some music?
2:15 Realized when lying in bed that my dulcimer had been on my bedside table and it was unusual that I hadn’t played
it at all during the 2 week proving period. As if I had no creative interest, because I love making up chords and finger picking rhythms. (note after the proving I started playing my dulcimer again).
Bored, Restless/Active, Calm
1:T Bored while waiting for my turn.
1:T I am feeling restless and silly.
1: T I feel like this remedy will be good for someone who is a lump on a log or someone who is restless, wanting to move and
can’t.
1:T Nothing is coming up for me. I think I have to get hit over the head. Some one has to boll me over with a remedy.
1:T I am bored to tears just absolutely bored to tears. Laughing. You called me here to do what?? I should have brought my knitting. Giggling. Yes it is historical but…
1:T I want another log. Let me do it. I am curious to see what happens over the next few weeks. To see if I remember
dreams.
1:T Doing the grinding scraping , I feel such a sense of accomplishment . A job well done.
1:T This is labour intensive. I am, we have a job to do.
1:T I have to do a good job, doing my job. I was consumed by the grinding and scraping. Totally into it.
1:T No good deed goes unrewarded.
1:T Wonderful a job well done! Phew! Yes it is. I feel like such a contribution. Very satisfying.
1: T There is always something to do. I have to do the laundry and then at 8 pm I should sit and watch TV but I don’t
there is always something to do.
2:T Quiet, meditative space.
3:T Focused and calm, attuned to my physical movements.
1:4 Felt completely disconnected from and bored with a patient in my office. Someone who has been coming in for awhile. She just talked too much and I had to try really hard to pay attention and be present.
1:6 Networking mtg @9:00 am. I found myself very focused and outspoken-wanting to get results. But I am still not as
motivated for myself as I would like to be.
1:10 Feeling very productive getting a little organized. Started tossing stuff out, putting things away.
1:11 Still want some time off from work. Now almost 10 days later, I don’t want to put the effort in even though I’m not still doing this. It’s not as interesting, gratifying or anything else to do this.
1:12 The more I think about doing this for 14 days, the more I want OUT of it. I want a cup of coffee; I’m sort of bored with this or maybe because not a lot is happening. No more dreams. No nothing.
1:12 I do think about what I need to get done and sometimes get concerned that I’m not getting everything done. But this is a bit different. All I can think of to describe it is that it’s a simple uncomplicated mental state (this probably makes no sense) I’m concerned that I’m not getting my stuff done, it’s not that I know it will all be ok; maybe it’s that it doesn’t take up so much space in my mind.
1:13 As a final thought, while doing this proving, more towards the end of it, I felt a strong desire or need-to undertake something to discipline myself: take on something I had to work hard at.
1:13 I thought about getting up religiously each morning to work out or do yoga or mediate. I thought I would really like to put this into practice. It doesn’t materialize. Instead, I decided to reserve my coffee drinking to weekends only and my wine drinking to weekends only as well. It felt pretty gratifying to put this into practice and actually work at it.
3:7 Up at 8 am and had breakfast. Watched a little TV, then started cleaning the house around 10 am. Finished cleaning around 11 and noticed itchiness at the roof of my mouth and throat -- another signal of a possible cold but I thought it may have been stirred up during cleaning it didn’t go away but it also didn’t get worse during the rest of the day and night, Did some more organizing around the house, watched some sports on TV. Went to bed around 11 pm.
Want to Open Eyes Wide
1:T And my eyes they are like …..and I want to open them really wide. My eyebrows keep going up.
1:T I have this thing that I have to open my eyes very wide.
1:T I just want to open my eyes really wide.
1:T My eyes want to open wide like my eyebrows want to keep going up. Makes me think this substance is some type of
bug.
2:T I think it definitely affects the eyes.
Sensitivity, Irritation
4:T Also feeling mildly “nervy”/hypersensitive….noises feel intense.
4:T I am feeling irritated. It is really hot with the new fire. I want fresh air. It is the noise. I do not like the scraping.
2:2 Feeling irritated if I had to do anything HA < motion, light.
Disoriented
2:7 Directions mis-orientation: getting off a subway train in Toronto (which has easy reference north-south/east/west point) I travel from the northbound tracks and wind through a shopping mall area to go up a single escalator to the street level. On
coming out to the city street to get re-oriented (to know which way to walk to the seminar location 3 blocks away) I think I’m facing north –the same direction the subway train was going. I later find out that I was facing south. I even remain disoriented for the next 2 days, when I try to reconcile my mistaken orientation with a map. Normally I have a good sense of direction and map
reading.
2: 14 Driving to work I had a momentary loss of direction-orientation on coming to a traffic rotary that I have been through many times. I was entering from the south spoke and as I got 100 yds before the traffic rotary, I “imagined” I was approaching from the east spoke. There was then confusion in my mind to know which spoke to exit the rotary from and I just as instantly got re-oriented –clearing the confusion.
Numbers, Number 8
1:T I like odd numbers. I like even numbers. I wanted to be 8. I think it is a power number.
1:T Yes it is time. C1 20 20 20. Like the show 20 20.
1:T There is always something to do. I have to do the laundry and then at 8 I should sit and watch TV but I don’t there is always something to do.
2:T Did you see the song ended with the C1 round.
Dreams
2:5 At a city park and I’m in a group of men (athletic teams waiting on park lawn to compete with other teams who are also lounging on the lawn-like a summer basketball tournament) The strange part was that each team was sitting amongst new and decomposing large piles of animal excrement; as each group eyed the other group-sizing up the competition. The groups are friendly to each other, but stay in their territorial space. I look down occasionally and marvel at the insects breaking down the shit which is in different stages of decomposition. Then the teams would move to different area, away from the shit-still waiting to compete (basketball teams?-possibly because the men were NBA size)!
2:6 I was giving a ride to a woman and her children in my car, and other cars were offering car-pooling to other neighbours. The whole neighbourhood seemed to be meeting at a church/synagogue for last minute directions. Then I got back to my car and I had twice as many people to take as passengers –everyone had to“double up” for the journey and I, the driver had to sit with 1/3 of my bottom off the seat. Feeling It was ok to sacrifice for the group.
Later: art of the dream-it morphed into my car was ferrying a small group of adults with packages/boxes, 2 of the 6 or so passengers were oldfriends: A and D who live in California now. When we got to the destination-the boxes were opened
and inside were toy, soft rubber helicopters that we took out and started winding up and letting them fly up 30 feet into the sky. They were so cool, flying into the night sky, beyond the street lamps, that I wanted to buy one. But A said they haven’t priced them and he could tell me tomorrow.
1: 6 K was getting chemo (for some reason) and he was getting it via some long metal instrument attached to a plastic tube. He was supposed to do it himself afterwards and I found the device in his closet. He wasn’t sick in bed with whatever he was getting chemo for. He was just normal everyday K. Weird.
1:8 Another dream last night K fell down and banged his head. By the time I got to him, there was a small slice across and above his left eyebrow and it was slightly bleeding and slightly swollen. There were LOTS of people-friends/family around- and we sat him in a chair to wait while I went to get ice. Well I forgot him. And then I woke up feeling just awful that I forgot my son.
Felt slightly ashamed and stupid and very irresponsible.
2:9 On high bluff 100 yds above 40 foot ocean swells crashing on beach day after a tremendous storm, I’m with a few
friends and many other on-lookers some people are getting too close and unsafely going to the beach. People are being
swept into the swells on crashing surg. Then it turns circus-like and from the beach, rising up to our vantage point, there are a gymnastics like totem pole of naked young women standing with feet on the shoulders of the one below-making a stack of eight. The woman on top is weaving way beyond the center of gravity of the stack, and I fear they will fall over. As she swings toward
our perch, I pull her off to safety. Danger- rescue. Then my nephew age ? appeared at same level and he was on stilts, the
height of the stacked 8 women gymnast. I wave to my nephew and he continues to walk about the carnival-energy atmosphere, entertaining all who have come to watch the crashing ocean waves below the bluff.
4:9 I was hanging out with my bass teacher. He wanted to take a nap, so I tried to take a nap too, but I wasn't really tired and I kept waking up, these three women came in. they were adherents of this woman I know "in real life," a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer and teacher," but I've had enough experiences with her to know that she is actually pretty creepy. I warned my bass teacher against her/them. he wasn't really convinced by me, but he wasn't really convinced by them, either. Still, he decided to go with them and check it out. I stayed behind. At some point I realized that they were going to come back for me, and whatever they were going to do, they were going to do it forcibly, and so I tried to lock myself in ~ I locked every door in the
place, but the locks were unreliable, and the ladies found me eventually. When they did, I told them something to the effect of, "you know, you would probably be a whole lot more successful if you didn't force people and just let people come to you voluntarily." then I woke up.
2:11 I am on a crew of 3 construction workers and with many others we are building an immense subway train station project where there will be two levels of tracks. My sister is one of the 3 workers. She is operating a construction crane on the end car of the work train. She errantly is allowing the train to get too close to the end of a track that is unfinished. I warn her to not get so far out (on a limb) because the tracks are unfinished and not able to support the weight of the crane car. She responds that everything will be okay. Just as my sister tries to reassure me, the end car becomes unstable and on rolling further to the
end of the tracks, it crashes 3-4 stories to the floor below. We are in the second car, which does not fall over the edge. I’m in disbelief of her daring carelessness, and the needless wasteful loss of the million dollar construction car. Next, another crew of emergency construction workers arrive to pull the fallen subway car up from its wrecked position. The dream morphs: Next scene, I am a child of 9-10 yrs old. I and two friends are riding our bikes on a city street. We are going faster than we should, weaving in bike tricks as we return near our house. The bike tricks are to impress others of our riding ability. It is also to claim our independence, riding far off, to feel free of adult supervision.
2:12 I’m participating at a Buddhist meditation centre (contemporary center) There is confusion about who in our community group was going to meditate first and if everyone would have a spot with a meditation mat. I had to go around the meditation hall and close the windows to keep out the cold air streaming in.
2:13 I was visiting an old girlfriend W. that I knew from my Freshman year in college (1970). But we are both in our adult present age. I go to the floor of her condo building and before I knock on her door I go into a common bathroom on her floor. When I am about to leave I notice someone has left rings and necklaces on the sink area, and thinking they are unsafe I pick them up to give to W. On approaching Wendy’s door I notice personal belongings, notebook, a laptop and woman’s clothing on a communal hallway bench and the door to another condo is a jar. I put the jewelry on the bench an then tell W about someone personal belonging left unattended. She seems to figure out whose belonging they are and goes to the open door to tell the condo neighbour. Then I woke up.
2:15 I was one of many citizens of a large group-like families in a small town. The dream theme had something to do with keeping the integrity of this group together. It felt like a group mission and there was safety factor in keeping the group together.
2: 15 Woke from an amorous dream (felt real) of making love with my partner who in reality was out of town at a course in NYC Chinatown. What was strange in the dream was that there were a few other people in the room, and no one seemed to care to give us privacy, neither these people nor us.
GENERALS
Fatigue/energized
1:T I felt so energized by grinding/scraping, was way into it, exhausted, energized.
1:1 Tired, but good.
1:4 My energy is good.
3:4 At around 4 pm started feeling tingling nasals sensation that can signal the start of a cold. Better after fresh air. Very
tired.
3:5 Better fresh air. My energy was good.
3: 6 Energy level good.
1: 7 Very tired. Wanted to take a nap but couldn’t. My brother in law and niece and nephew were coming to dinner-last minute decision on their part. I thought it would be good to be together as tomorrow is the anniversary of my sister’s death. I was near tears throughout parts of the day, but never cried. And wasn’t particularly grieving her loss.
Hunger/appetite
2:T I love the cheese. With apricots. It is so good we were devouring it. I can eat it with a fork.
4:T No appetite.
4:T Have been thinking about the food, but also have no appetite and feel like it might be impossible for me to eat.
1:4 Still constipated. So I don’t feel like eating at all.
1: 5 Not so much constipated. Just sluggish today. So I feel like I could eat a horse or keep eating all day long-nonstop.
1:5 I could eat from one end of this day to the next.
2:16 Reflections of other things to add: 3 days I worked straight through my lunch hour with client schedule and felt fine without having to eat lunch or satisfy my hunger.
Better Fresh Air
4:T I am feeling irritated. It is really hot with the new fire. I want fresh air. It is the noise. I do not like the scraping.
2: 2 Wanted fresh air-walked on beach by ocean in stiff breeze, looking down to avoid the wind.
3:4 At around 4 pm started feeling tingling nasals sensation that can signal the start of a cold. Better after fresh air. Very
tired.
3:5 Better fresh air. My energy was good.
4: 5 …Eventually I got a headache, around my 3rd eye. I have no explanation for it . . . I ate plenty yesterday, and was pretty well hydrated. but whatever happened yesterday was so bad that I couldn't even work in class. Better when I went outside to get air.
Ear
4:T My left ear is itching.
Nose
1:T My nose is running. My nose runs a lot.
3:T Tip of nose itches.
3:T My nose is tickling like I have to sneeze.
3:T Nose itches.
2:1 Midnight- nose had watery coryza, twice had to blow nose.
2:2 Woke and sneezed and had clear nasal discharge-one Kleenex only.
3:4 At around 4 pm started feeling tingling nasals sensation that can signal the start of a cold. Better after fresh air. Very
tired.
3:5 Started feeling nasal sensations again but I’m not as tired.
3:8 Congested, runny nose. Sneezing on and off.
Smell
1:T I am smelling the cheese and the bread right now.
1:T I had that too and the bread. It was like it was in my nose.
2: T I smell the cheese. Increase sense of smell.
3:T I am smelling the cheese while I am grinding.
1:3 Heightened sense of smell again. Felt like the chicken soup that I made at home and could still smell three hours later.
Face
4:T Can’t smile anymore because I need to rest my facial muscles.
4:T Facial – not twitching, not shaking, maybe quivering.
4:T Aching in my jaw.
Mouth
4:T With each sip of water my lips feel tingly and I get a metallic taste in mouth.
4:T Lips feel cold.
4:T Yawning feels good, like it is helping me release.
3:7 Itchiness on roof of mouth and throat, another signal of possible cold.
Speech
4:T I really feel like I can’t speak right now… or even smile.
4:T I feel like I cannot physically talk. But I am taking good notes for you all.
Teeth
1:2 Brushed my teeth today-this morning, flossed and picked. Noticed no plaque where there is usually something to scrape
off. What is this? The remedy or the suggestion from X during our Sat. conversation?
External Throat
4:T Discomfort around my trachea, on right side. Hurts to palpate but hurts resting.
Stomach- Nausea
4:T I am feeling nausea. The noise of the scraping is making me nauseous.
Stool, Constipation
1:3 Uncomfortably constipated.
1:4 Still constipated. So I don’t feel like eating at all.
2:4 Larger than my normal stool with feeling of more complete evacuation.
1:5 Not so much constipated. Just sluggish today. So I feel like I could eat a horse or keep eating all day long-nonstop.
1:10 Still constipated/very sluggish not fun.
1:12 Bowels are still not moving too well. Have taken some senna capsules to help the problem.
Urination
2:1 5pm- peed three times water element.
2:13 Woke to pee once.
2:15 Wake for urination.
Respiration
2:T My breathing is getting deeper. It is a meditative sort of thing.
3:T I feel that too. My nose is tickling like I have to sneeze. Giggling, did I inhale some dust.
3:T Breathing deepens like in meditation.
4:T Not sad or otherwise emotional but I feel like there is a pressure building up in my head and there is a feeling of wanting/needing some sort of release. Deep breaths help.
3:1 10 pm breathing slowing and deepening, with anxiety. Spacey and a little dizzy with urge to close my eyes and not move. By 1045 the anxious feeling was gone and my breathing was still slow and deep when I went to bed.
3:9 Woke up feeling horrible – didn’t sleep well, couldn’t breathe because of intense congestion, Dozed for short periods. Congestion never subsided. No sneezing. Chills on and off. Slight headache and then migraine.
1:11 Still have that eye thing happening. And I’ve noticed that I want to take a lot of deep breaths. It feels like my breathing is incredibly shallow and every so often I need to take a big gulp of air.
Chest
4:T I am feeling something around my eyes not sure how to explain it. I am feeling something in my chest. It is not
totally physical.
4:5 My heart began to beat very quickly, and all this energy went up to my head. I went to sit on the floor, against the wall, and tried to ground. I could feel my heart pounding in my head.
Back
1:T Neck: came with it today, feels like its out of whack and needs to be readjusted.
1:T My neck hurts right here( behind neck).
2:T Releasing tension between upper thoracic vertebrae AND cervical/neck area.
2:T Lu10 press (acupuncture point) causes burp (right side).
2:T I am loosening up from this. The upper thoracic to my neck is loosening up. I am sure it is this. I carry stuff there. Belch.
4:T Itchiness around head and neck and left leg, crown chakra.
2:2 Feeling eyes relax and energy behind bridge of nose relaxing neck and jaw.
4:6 I strained something in right shoulder.
Back, Pain
3:T Pain across lower back.
Extremities
4:T Itching knee.
2:1 Left inguinal crease-sense of swollen, vulnerable, sensitive to touch.
3:4 Line of bruises on upper right thigh: a quarter –sized bruise followed by several dime-sized bruises, within a space
about 2 inches long. I don’t remember bumping into anything.
3:5 Bruises still on thigh.
3:6 Bruises still there, unchanged.
Sleep
4:T Sleepy, eyes feel heavy.
1:1 Slept well, only one minor night sweat. No dreams-is this having an effect on me?
1:3 Had a FABULOUS night sleep, uninterrupted, slept very well, No night sweats, it was great!
3:9 Woke up feeling horrible – didn’t sleep well, couldn’t breathe because of intense congestion, Dozed for short periods.
Congestion never subsided. No sneezing. Chills on and off. Slight headache and then migraine.
Skin
4:T I am itchy. All over my head and my leg.
4:T I am so itchy. My arm pits my knees and my neck. All around my face. Moving around.
This remedy is available from Helios Pharmacy; www.helios.co.uk
Carol Jones: [email protected]