| An article on the Discover web site and the publisher's | | | | Metaphysically speaking, in a society where members |
| print magazine revealed that the traditional views of | | | | have become largely disengaged from one another at |
| autism as a genetic disorder originating in the brain are | | | | the spiritual and emotional levels, and in which attention |
| changing. New discoveries reveal that autism is | | | | is frequently focused on the negative and the |
| possibly a neuroinflammatory disorder that is also | | | | destructive (which often makes people want to |
| linked to the immune system and "the gut". | | | | disengage), it does not surprise me that a condition like |
| Autism, as you may have heard, is on the rise at an | | | | autism would manifest and be on the rise at this |
| alarming rate. So are many other disorders, including | | | | particular point in time. |
| those no one knows about until commercials for the | | | | Look at this summary of the behavioral characteristics |
| wonder drugs that manage those disorders are aired | | | | of autistic disorder from the Cambridge Center of |
| on television. Is it a coincidence that we are plagued | | | | Behavioral Studies web site: |
| with so many diseases and disorders? No. As we | | | | |
| continue to pollute our bodies (and the planet) with | | | | 1. significant difficulties with social interactions - does |
| increasingly toxic food, air, water, politics, cultural habits, | | | | not pay attention to other people; does not play with |
| etc, I hardly see the great mystery behind our | | | | other children; does not reciprocate |
| exploding health crisis. In a piece I posted some years | | | | 2. significant difficulties in verbal and nonverbal |
| ago on our country's Disorder Disorder - the disorder | | | | communication - grabs what is wanted or leads to get |
| of having many disorders - I touched on the need for | | | | what is wanted; copies or parrots words (echolalia); if |
| us to start addressing the larger health issues (including | | | | has words, does not converse |
| emotional and spiritual health issues) that surely underly | | | | 3. significant difficulties in the development of play - |
| our crises. | | | | uses only parts of toys; lines up or stacks objects; no |
| Interestingly, the new findings on autism may open that | | | | imaginative play |
| door. From a physical perspective, pieces of the | | | | 4. highly restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns |
| autism puzzle could open the health industry's eyes to | | | | of behavior and interests. May talk continuously about |
| the interconnectedness of seemingly unrelated | | | | one topic or repeat the same questions; may spin and |
| disorders and potentially (fingers crossed) take the | | | | stare at objects; may flap fingers or pieces of string; |
| world down a new path and approach to medicine. | | | | mouth or hit self |
| The link between "the gut" and autism in terms of | | | | 5. highly resistant to even slight changes in routines |
| Energy Medicine is a very interesting and revealing bit | | | | If you read that summary with your spiritual eyes, do |
| of information. The subtle or spiritual anatomy of the | | | | you not see in it a description of how our society |
| gut is involved with the processing of emotion. | | | | behaves? I certainly do. |