Biology - The Healing Arts & Sciences

Class Reflection for 9/10/20            Date: 9/16/20

This class brought up my thoughts on the intersections of health, science, ethics, and bias. It was interesting to discuss scientific advancements in vaccines and Eastern and Western medicine and how much we know and do not know and how our beliefs and biases impact our views and perceptions of medicine and scientific/technological research and advancements. How much faith we may have in thousands of years old Eastern medicine for example may be negatively impacted by how rooted we are in our Western scientific model. Contrastingly, to what extent of evidence and research do we need in order to believe in Western medical advancements. If someone has no spiritual/religious beliefs or skill set in logical thinking, then how would that also impact their views on such topics that can greatly alter their life? It's my view that having a foundation in both can result in the greatest potential success of both learning and understanding the healing arts and sciences.

Class Quiz –  Our Biological World – and the “Post Pandemic Age”

1. “For Pfizer, the first interim look occurs when 32 trial volunteers get infected.”

(How drugmakers can keep their pledge and still deliver an October vaccine surprise)

What are your thoughts on the prospects of an “emergency vaccine approval process”?I am young, relatively healthy, not immuno-compromised, and live in a safe, comfortable country/area, so I do not believe that scientific methods should be changed in order to expedite the scientific process and expedite a vaccine. I worry about the unknown side effects and negative impacts that a not ready vaccine can cause on the masses. Again, I also worry about people who are in worse situations than me, for example my grandmother in Iran and others in worse health and economic situations. I am also not a scientist or expert on vaccinations and health statistics. If a vaccine has been scientifically and statistically proven to be effective and safe, then I do not see why it should not be made available. It would of course have to stand up to research methods, with statistically significant margin of safety and efficacy. 

2. “…people can..start having imagined side-effects”   

(Side-effects could be all in the mind)  

What is your own view on these “placebo” and “nocebo” effects?

Side effects, like economic externalities, can be negative or positive. The mind/body/spirit connection is an amazing thing, no matter which lens you look at it through. Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine or Prana in Yogic/Ayurveda for example can create a multitude of blessings in one's life and maintain homeostasis in the body - or an unbalance can wreak havoc on one's health. The power of our intention can direct our life force and energetics and facilitate health, and the stronger this mental muscle is, the more it can support directing the body back into a balanced state. An example that came up in conversation today for me was discussing the outcome of acupuncture on an excited and optimistic patient vs. one who grumpily came in because their spouse told them to - [insert obvious outcome here] the first patient was cured after 6 treatments and the other felt like no progress was made. This is also evident in studies on our brain's neuroplasticity and effect it has on our physical state. Two studies come to mind - in short, one that includes a group who regularly watch piano lessons and only practice playing the piano in their mind and another where a group who imagine doing repetitions of a specific exercise. In the former study, it was shown that the consistent mental exercises expand our brains' neural networking and grown neural pathways and connections, and in the latter study, it was proven that imagining an exercise being with an area of the body actually made that body part physically stronger - despite it never actually moving an inch! I believe that there's a lot more to say about this on both sides, however the quotes about how your thoughts become your reality come to mind - these are not just fluffy, hippy ideals, but significantly impactful truths, evident through various scientific and spiritual lenses. So cool!!