To Begin!

  Hello!  I'm Michael Rivera, and I have a lot to say.  Recently, I haven't had anyone to talk to, so I decided to create SIZ! (Sharing InspirationZ).  I love learning, and sharing the things I learn and find of all and any kind, and for anyone interested, that's what this is about.  To begin, this is going to be a lot like a journal, so there will probably be a lot of random things you don't care about.  But my hope is that I'll have something to say that might be of some sort of inspiration to you.  I understand the proceeding is lengthy, but it may be of interest to you, and I feel needs to be heard.

    To begin, I'll start with the primary subject I want to share in this blog.  The effects our thoughts and actions have within ourselves, and the world around us.  A huge inspiration to me, is Dr. Masaru Emoto, who has been studying the animate, alive nature of water.  For about 10 years, he's observed when specific and concentrated thoughts are directed towards water, and the water frozen, the more positive the stimuli, the water crystals would from very brilliant, complex and colorful snowflake patterns.  But water exposed to negative stimuli, they would form incomplete, asymmetrical and dull colored snowflakes.  This was true with positive and uplifting music vs. negative and angry music, or photos of beautiful and inspiring photographs vs. that of industry, or violence (Masaru Emoto, The Hidden Messages in Water. 2004).

    Now leaving that for a moment.  There were experiments done beginning in 1968 by a Dorothy Retallack, where she studied the effects of music on plants.  Spotlighting one experiment, she held two separate chambers of similar plants on the same watering schedule of once per week.  In one chamber, she played semi pop, soothing music, and in another, rock music, both at the same volume.  Within the first week, Retallack had to adjust the watering patterns to the rock chamber to twice a week due to dry soil conditions.  By the 9th day 80% of the stems, leaves and blooms of the semi pop chamber were leaning and turned at least 10 degrees towards the radio, whereas in the rock chamber, the plants were twisting and bending grotesquely, and the leaves had begun yellowing.  Both chambers kept progressing in this way until the 16th day, where the semi pop chamber had grown very lush, abundant and green, all the plants and blooms leaning towards the radio, having a thick and uncountable roots 2 to 5 inches long.  In the rock chamber, the tall plants were drooping, on the brink of death, leaves had fallen and the stems bent very grotesquely in various directions away from the radio.  Their roots were only ½ to 2 inches long, with so sparse roots they could be counted (Dorothy Retallack, The Sound of Music and Plants. 1970).  

   Considering these 2 studies, you find my obsession.  Are these studies only applicable to plants and water?  Of course not!  Human beings are around ¾ water, and like plants, we are alive.  Every tidbit of information we bring in effects us, and likewise, I believe we do effect the world around us to a greater extend then we can imagine.  A friend of mine (Jeremy Johns) and his little sister (Eliza Johns), after being exposed to Masaru Emoto would joking say "Ouch, you hurt my water!" when someone would call them names, or simple things like this.  I don't believe that this is an understatement!  Quoting the first couple pages in the Hidden Messages in Water:

           ...I'd like you to ask yourself if you are happy.  

    Of course, your definition of happiness will depend upon who you are---but do you have a sense of peace in your heart, a feeling of security about your future, and a feeling of anticipation when you wake up in the morning?  

    I think I can safely say that not many people will be able to reply with a resounding yes.  Most people are unable to say that their life is everything they had hoped it would be.  What is it that causes us so much pain?  What is going on in the world that prevents so many people from simply being happy?  

    It seems to me that we are living in an age of chaos.  Chaos describes a condition of confusion, indicative of the unorganized matter that existed before the creation of the cosmos.  

    Simply by going about our lives, we find ourselves worn out and fatigued.  Newspapers and television bombard us with information, and at work we face problems and misunderstandings.  The sources of our problems seem numerous and overwhelming.      

    ...This tiny planet of ours is covered with economic conflict, domestic discord, ethnic prejudice, environmental distress, religious wars, and every other type of problem imaginable.  And all the bad news about people suffering, people enjoying the suffering, people getting richer, people getting poorer, the oppressed and the oppressors, reaches us within a matter of seconds from the other side of the globe.

    He then goes on to explain that is a well known scientific fact that when you feel happy and are living an enjoyable live, your body feels great and physical health improves.  And when you are filled with struggles and sorrows, your body knows it.  

    [Click here to listen to a fantastic inspiring interview with Dr. Emoto]

    So what can you do about all of these negative things?  From a physical perspective, humans are water.  With this in mind, Masaru Emoto is on a mission to teach the world the universal way to live, is to purify your water.  In the podcast I've included above, Emoto's translator explains that the water within us is a reflection of our state of being.  

   Retallack's studies are also thus relevant.  The plants listening to soothing music were drawn to the source, as the plants listening to rock were unhealthy and trying to get away.  They grew beautiful, tall, strong and colorful, or dull, ill, and grotesque.  I haven't finished the book yet, but I will share anything else I find on her studies.  

    To top off all, I've been reading a book written by my final hero, Robert Sapolsky.  The book is called Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, and it's about the effects of stress on the body.  Stress is critically damaging to our bodies, and the psychoneuroimmunological (how thinking and feelings effect the nervous system and the immune system) world is only learning more and more things stress damages daily.  The importance of keeping our bodies at peace, in harmony with one another, living by joy and happiness is crucial to ourselves and others.  But to what extent?  How crucial?  Everything you're saying is ludicrous Michael!  I know.  I know this is a lot, and sort of overwhelming and confusing, but I feel I've found my vocation in life to be the studies of a mixture between Music Therapy, Psychoneuroimmunology, Quantum Physics, Psychology, Physiology, the LDS religion, and the many branches off of these.  These are the types of things I will be sharing.  Ta-ta for today!

If you're curious about Robert Sapolsky's findings on stress 

here is a fantastic compilation of videos and seminars Sapolsky has done.

(I highly recommend it, it's very intriguing and highly informative.)

Click here!