immune system – Harmonia Philosophica

Behavior. Molecules. Defining a human…

The immune system affects – and even controls – social behavior, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that blocking a single type of immune molecule made mouse brains go hyperactive and caused abnormal behavior; restoring it fixed both. The discovery could have enormous implications for neurological conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. (1)

It is not our behavior which makes us who we are. It is something else.

Something not controlled by molecules. Something not controlled by us at all. It is our very existence which defines us. And existing means doing nothing. Just Being.

Imagine. Can you hold still?

Fasting. Ancient knowledge. Precious religion.

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as “remarkable”. Although fasting diets have been criticized by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection. (1)

What we laugh at could be wise.

What we detest could be loving.

What seems stupid could have some important things to say.

Revisit religion.

As science.

Brain barrier. Bacteria. Healthy. Illogical.

The microbes that live in your body outnumber your cells 10 to one. Recent studies suggest these tiny organisms help us digest food and maintain our immune system. Now, researchers have discovered yet another way microbes keep us healthy: They are needed for closing the blood-brain barrier, a molecular fence that shuts out pathogens and molecules that could harm the brain.

The findings suggest that a woman’s diet or exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy may influence the development of this barrier. The work could also lead to a better understanding of multiple sclerosis, in which a leaky blood-brain barrier may set the stage for a decline in brain function. (1)

Accept your enemies.
They could be your best friends.
Jesus said it.
And now medicine backs him up.
Open your brain to bacteria.
So as to shield it.
Accept the illogical.
It could be the sanest thing you ever did…