Suchergebnisse

Ancestral consciousness, reverence, beliefs, and practices, forms an essential foundation for religion and healing. African religion and healing are based on the interconnectedness of all life, including ancestral heritage linked to an original creative Source, usually known through dreams via the extended family, community and collective unconscious. People only exist because of their ancestors' gift of life and nurturance. Zulu people traditionally recognize and honour ancestors as the existential foundation for all humanization and socialization. Motivation for this study arose because of the popularity of a previous Zululand study on the role of the ancestors in healing, as well as the more recent one on coping with COVID-19. A convenience sample of twelve participants was asked to describe their understanding of the role of the ancestors in healing. Respondents indicated that although ancestors are typically not healers, unless they occupied healing roles in life such as Shembe, in their closer connection to the Creator/God, they play various roles in healing. The most important roles were of guidance, protection, direction, advice, warning, presence, communication, mediation, and intervention. The implications of these healing roles are discussed with special reference to Zulu indigenous healers. In addition to common components of healing found throughout the planet, Zulu healing is holistically interconnected with everyday life and death, as facilitated by indigenous healers through ancestors (amadlozi) breath/soul (umphefumulo), spiritual energy (umoya), humanity (ubuntu) and coherent communication (masihambisana).

Mystical, panentheistic lines from Wordsworth's poem, Tintern Abbey, constitute inductive case study material to introduce HeartMath science's Global Consciousness Project (GCP). This case study provides a temporal dimension along which to view the cosmic significance of Wordsworth's "felt sense", Teilhard de Chardin's "noosphere" and the GCP. A heuristic phenomenological method is employed. This method facilitates discussion of previous South African research with traditional healers that led to collaboration with the HeartMath Institute, based in California, and establishment of an African Global Coherence Initiative Magnetometer. This latter magnetometer is one of six GCI planetary magnetometers, with the other five currently operating in in California, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, Canada and New Zealand. The present study introduces GCP2, an update, expanded version of the Global Consciousness Project, which complments GCI. Previously operating from the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), GCP2 is now harmoniously housed by the HeartMath Institute, where its data complements both GCI and Tree Rhythm projects in amplifying interconnectedness science and global healing practices. Contemporary, endemic, planetary contexts of chaos, pollution, mindless destructiveness and war, provide urgent argument for GCP2.

The HeartMath Tree Rhythm project is a citizen science interconnectivity initiative. Interconnectivity refers to the hypothesis that all life forms are interconnected via intersecting magnetic energy fields. HeartMath tree rhythm research complements the HeartMath Global Coherence Initiative (GCI) and Global Consciousness Project (GCI). Related websites are as follows: https://treerhythms.net/ https://www.heartmath.org/gci/gcms/live-data/ and https://gcp2.net
The present contribution employs a narrative methodology to introduce the iBhubesi Tree Rhythm project at Umhlanga Rocks South Africa. The isiZulu term "iBhubesi" denotes an African lion. Ubuntu connotes humanity. Its deeper meaning is that we only become human through others (umuntu umuntu ngabantu), especially, ancestors, family and friends. African dialogue is epitomized by respectful greeting and openness in human relationships.
Umhlanga Rocks iBhubhesi Mango has a unique ecological ancestry and eco-spiritual story. Mango trees are originally indigenous to India, its people and continent. They are also connected to everything else - nature, people, continents, planets and cosmos. The following contribution intends to unpack some universal, differential and unique aspects of this interconnectedness.

"The accelerating destructive effects of pollution threaten the existence of all inhabitants of planet earth. Health promotion interventions inevitably include a dynamic harmony of various interacting planetary components and contexts, bio-psycho-social as well as spiritual, cultural and ecological. This study was based on a broad research question as to what would best heal polluted planet earth. As with most countries, South Africa is slowly recovering from the effects of COVID-19. It seemed timeous to investigate a local sample of knowledgeable and experienced persons with regard to their views on pollution prevention and health promotion. Sixteen local KwaZulu-Natal persons responded to an online google questionnaire. There were 5 men and 11 women, with a mean age of 55 and age range from 25 to 73 years. Data analysis using NVivo12 software indicated that participants' responses generally coalesced into a coherent health promotion theme including subthemes of awareness, education, regulation, and action to prevent human destructiveness, promote healing and the holistic integrity of nature. Unique local findings as well as those similar to other studies are discussed. Further research could include formal scales with larger local and international samples in interconnected, ecological and health promotion initiatives."

"The great wisdom traditions typically emphasize various forms of love, especially cosmic, agape type love. The African value of Ubuntu implies essential humanity, developed through the ongoing evolutionary event of humanization, socialization, enculturation, and communal spirituality. In addition to cosmic love and everyday caring practices, Ubuntu includes human essentials such as compassion, empathy, and respect. This contribution adopts a narrative approach. The authors tell a story of their involvement in the HeartMath system, with special reference to HeartMath related research before and after the establishment of the African Global Coherence Magnetometer at Bonamanzi Game Reserve. Their studies indicate the effectiveness of the Global Coherence Application (app). This electronic app, developed along scientific biofeedback principles, can be downloaded free of charge. It is highly recommended for persons interested in amplifying the effect of their meditation, contemplation and prayer."

This contribution is founded on a forty-year friendship between two university psychology professors, for whom dialogue on science and religion has been a perennial theme. At a previous conference they collaborated on a paper on the psychology of religion. The present paper attempts to further this conversation with a dialogue on truth, science, pseudoscience, and faith. The dialogue is structured around a theme from Denis Diderot that the basis of philosophy is incredulity. The ensuing conversation, which interrogates the meaning of science and truth, includes various questions and answers

This article constitutes a short report on HeartMath meditation explorations with a longer breath cycle. Five HeartMath practitioners unanimously reported significant and meaningful increases in coherence and performance data using longer breath cycles. This finding is discussed in relation to the HeartMath coherence model, and other heart rate variability based models, with special reference to meditation phenomena and practices.