The Physical Power Of Thought

[Xangsamhua]

All things are possible. Thought, prayer, yogic consciousness, call it what you will ... it really can work!

Scientists in the United States have enabled a paralysed woman to lift a drink to her lips with a thought-controlled robotic arm, boosting hopes quadriplegics may regain their independence.

The robot bypasses damaged nervous systems and restores some mobility.

On April 12 last year, 58-year-old Cathy Hutchinson made history by using only her thoughts to get a robotic arm to grasp a flask of coffee on a table, lift it and hold it to her lips for a sip, the researchers said.

Fourteen years earlier, a stroke had left her paralysed and unable to speak, making her completely dependent on a caregiver.

"This was the first time in nearly 15 years that she has been able to pick up anything solely of her own volition - and the smile on her face when she did this was something that I, and I know our whole research team, will never forget," neurologist Leigh Hochberg said.

More at http://www.abc.net.a....mc_id=newsmail

Mind precedes all knowables,

mind's their chief, mind-made are they.

If with a corrupted mind

one should either speak or act

dukkha follows caused by that,

as does the wheel the ox's hoof.

Mind precedes all knowables,

mind's their chief, mind-made are they.

If with a clear, and confident mind

one should speak and act

as one's shadow ne'er departing.

(Dharmapada, Ch. 1, verses 1-2)

[healthcaretaker]

It's not new. Only the doctors and scientists don't undersatand it. I think I explained before.

For those examples of "thoughts & mind" cure, they have been on for centuries BUT it don't work for everyone and it only works on "nerve system" related sickness.

The principle is the same as in "god-believing-prayers" cure. Some people believe in religiopus mass-healing.

For all these "miracles" it only works on illness related to "nervous system" because both(mind & nervous system) is micro level. If the nervous system is in order, some illnesses related to it can be cured.

It will never work on those with a big unhealed wound like diabetic patients for example. Have we ever heard that someone with a big wound suddenly got healed in a religious mass-healing function ? NEVER

This is a big subject by itself and if anyone wish to understand further, I will be most happy to contribute. I don't post such knowledeg form other forums. It's exclusively for Thai forum. I love Thailand; simply.

[weary]

Thought power/prayer/belief boosts the immune system and can affect the brain's work in healing. So, while large wounds will not heal spontaneously, and limbs will not regrow, results like this ( Alterations and brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12883106 ) suggest there is a decent chance that a reasonably skilled mindfulness meditator can speed up the healing process and make it smoother.

[healthcaretaker]

Thought power/prayer/belief boosts the immune system and can affect the brain's work in healing. So, while large wounds will not heal spontaneously, and limbs will not regrow, results like this ( Alterations and brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/12883106 ) suggest there is a decent chance that a reasonably skilled mindfulness meditator can speed up the healing process and make it smoother.

Meditation, beliefs, prayers etc can effect more than just the immune system but in the case of OP mentioned, it's the nerve system.Nerve system and immune system are different systems although they work together in some ways. Paralzed, stroke cases are more affected by the nerve system while cancer for example by the immune system.

Bear in mind, those who know it already will not get the effect if they go for prayers.

[IMA_FARANG]

Guys:

While I understand and appreciate the "power of thought" concept, this is not an example of that.

In fact, I read this first in a "Science" news letter I subscribe to that covers new developments in various fields of Science.

What this case involves is a computer based system brain monitoring system that first detects her brainwaves and then decodes her thought patterens to her (non-funtioninal) nerves from those brainwaves.

Then the computer having detected the pattern to activate her muscles activates a robotic arm to reach and lift the cup she wants.

While this is an advanced use of high technology....it has nothing to do with any "power of thought"...except that her thought to raise the cup is detected and processed by the computer and robotic arm system.

So, while I do understand and acknowlede the power of human beings and their thoughts to influence their own health and such....this example is more a high-technology based demonstration than any "power of thought" example.

While impressive as what a human can achieve, it requires a lot of technology in order to work.

Yes, the end result is that she thinks about picking up the cup and the robotic arm picks up the cup.

But it's important to remember all the high-technology required to make that happen.

She controls the system with her thoghts, but a lot of high-tecnology and computer processing is required to make it actually work.

[Xangsamhua]

Guys:

While I understand and appreciate the "power of thought" concept, this is not an example of that.

In fact, I read this first in a "Science" news letter I subscribe to that covers new developments in various fields of Science.

What this case involves is a computer based system brain monitoring system that first detects her brainwaves and then decodes her thought patterens to her (non-funtioninal) nerves from those brainwaves.

Then the computer having detected the pattern to activate her muscles activates a robotic arm to reach and lift the cup she wants.

While this is an advanced use of high technology....it has nothing to do with any "power of thought"...except that her thought to raise the cup is detected and processed by the computer and robotic arm system.

So, while I do understand and acknowlede the power of human beings and their thoughts to influence their own health and such....this example is more a high-technology based demonstration than any "power of thought" example.

While impressive as what a human can achieve, it requires a lot of technology in order to work.

Yes, the end result is that she thinks about picking up the cup and the robotic arm picks up the cup.

But it's important to remember all the high-technology required to make that happen.

She controls the system with her thoghts, but a lot of high-tecnology and computer processing is required to make it actually work.

Thanks, IMA. And I guess that's why the report has been received with so little excitement in the scientific community.

I had thought, in light of what the neuro-scientists and neuro-philosophers have been saying about thought as something that resides in and emanates entirely from the physical processes of the brain, that the explanation could well be at the phenomenal and measurable level. Clearly, the essential role of the technology supports that view. However, the fact that mental formation and consciousness, to use Buddhist terminology (the fourth and fifth skandhas) can trigger a physical, robotic process is pretty impressive to me.

With people of normal mental powers, heaps of expensive technology may be required to effect even a simple operation - lifting a cup - but there's plenty of evidence that highly developed Buddhist and Hindu practitioners and yogis can do extraordinary things with the power of the mind and without the technology. In the report above, I thought, maybe naively, that here was an example where modern science and technology provide at least some small evidence of the power of the mind.