Higher Perspective

A new study out of Switzerland has confirmed, yet again, that LSD can be used in therapy for people with anxiety and life-threatening illnesses.

It’s technically the first study on LSD’s potential psycho therapeutic uses in forty years that focuses on anxiety. Of the 12 participants experienced major decreases in anxiety levels due to the LSD-assisted therapy. Those decreases lasted for upwards of a year after being administered.

“We had in 30 sessions (22 with full dose 200 μg LSD and 8 with placebo dose 20 μg LSD) no severe side effects such as psychotic experiences or suicidal crisis or flashbacks or severe anxieties (bad trips),” says the study’s lead, Peter Gasser, M.D. “That means that we can show that LSD treatment can be safe when it is done in a carefully controlled clinical setting.”

Ginger is easily one of my favorite spices. I put it in almost every smoothie I make as well as in a ton of different dishes. This makes ginger root quite the commodity in my household. On top of being delicious, you can alleviate stomach trouble, joint inflammation, and even menstrual pain with it.

That’s pretty useful! And it’s also easy to grow. You could realistically grow an endless supply of ginger right in your kitchen. How does that sound?

The ginger you find at the store may be used to make new plants. Select rhizomes, or the root stems, that are thick and smooth. Once you’ve purchased your ginger root, soak it in water overnight and cut into pieces.

A court in Argentina has ruled that Sandra, an Orangutan being held in an Argentine zoo, can be freed and moved to a sanctuary after the court recognized the ape as a ‘non-human person’ being unlawfully deprived of its freedom.

Animal rights activists, seeking to free Sandra, filed a habeas corpus petition, which are traditionally used to challenge the legality of a human being’s imprisonment. The association of Officials and Lawyers for Animal Rights made the case that Sandra had sufficient cognitive functions and that it’s wrong to treat her as an object.

The court agreed that Sandra, who was born into captivity in Germany 20 years ago deserved the basic rights of a non-human person.

It’s no secret that in the fight for environmental protection, nature is losing. But sometimes, I look to great and funny minds for a little inspiration. These are my favorite quotes about the environment. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go plant a tree or two.

“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”
― Henry David Thoreau, Familiar Letters

“Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain’s majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea.”
― George Carlin

“The poetry of the earth is never dead.”
― John Keats

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

A new study published in The Telegraph has found that fasting for as few as 3 days has incredible regenerative effects on the immune system in people of all ages. The study was made by the University of South Carolina.

Researchers found that fasting fires up the stem cells, causing an uptick in white blood cell production. White blood cells are the immune cells responsible for the bulk of fighting off infection. As a result, fasting could potentially bring great benefit to people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as people suffering cancer or elderly people whose immune systems are less effective due to age.

Fasting “flips a regenerative switch,” according to the research, that has stem cells creating brand new white blood cells, thus regenerating the immune system...

I wasn’t always sure that recreational marijuana would be legal in any state in the United States. Colorado and Washington in 2012 was a pleasant surprise. But even after those states legalized, I wasn’t sure that this would be a nation-wide movement, or even that the two states would be allowed to keep their laws on the books in the long term. The one indicator to me that this movement is going to build up steam and fast is seeing more conservative politicians in the United States siding with both medical and recreational marijuana. And this isn’t just anecdotal evidence, the shift can be seen in the demographics that vote for them too.

According to a new poll by Third Way, a moderate think tank, about 50% of Americans are supportive of legalizing marijuana, and almost 80% agree that medicinal marijuana should be available...

I enjoy walking. I live in a pretty neat neighborhood overall, so I experience some interesting sights, run into people I know, and meet new people too! All the while, I’m actually making myself healthier. It turns out, you don’t have to go into “beast mode” or crossfit until you shit yourself in order to make yourself healthier. Walking helps you:

1. Lose weight. 10,000 steps a day sets off a weight loss chain reaction in your body.
2. Reverse the effects of prolonged sitting. Taking a break from work to walk around for five minutes is profoundly helpful.
3. Lower your breast cancer risk, according to research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
4. Boost the immune system. Perfect for cold and flu season!
5. Ease Fibromyalgia pain...