As one observes the many devious processes peculiar to the National Convention of either major political party, he cannot help but wonder how much, if any, of the sound and fury of political maneuver can have anything whatever to do with the welfare of this country, or of its people. There is, of course, nothing new in this situation, it has existed for as long as there have been political conventions in the United States.

Since the Democratic Convention debacle in Chicago, however, there has been a great deal of talk about improving the mechanics of political conventions and even, perhaps, of establishing some sort of contact between the would-be government and the people it hopes to govern.

To this end, the Democratic Party altered certain rules and methods of procedure to permit a somewhat larger number of ordinary citizens, and even a few from minority groups, to become delegates to their national convention. The risk involved in this wider distribution of political power was minimized by impressing upon the new delegates that a great honor had been bestowed upon them by the leaders of the party, and in appreciation of this honor it was, of course, incumbent upon them to vote on every question exactly as they were told by their leaders. As the Convention proceeded, it became very obvious that the entire mass of delegates were doing precisely that.

2 UNDERSTANDING

On only one occasion did it seem, for a moment, that some of the delegates might actually be voting according to their own convictions. This hopeful moment came during the vote on a proposal to add five additional women to the roll of delegates. The proposal was outwardly favored by Senator McGovern, yet it was voted down by some of his own delegates. The brief illusion of independent voting created by the defeat of this proposal was rudely shattered however, by the subsequent ad-mission of the party leaders that they had instructed their delegates to vote down the proposal, for fear that its passage might open the door to a successful challenge as to the arbitrary decisions and procedure of the temporary chairman. (A hazard which had nothing, whatever to do with the merits of the proposal upon which they were voting.)

At the close of the Convention, there was a certain amount of mild boasting on the part of the leaders, as to the skillful manner in which they had guided it to its final goals, (which had, quite obviously, been decided upon some time before the Convention began).

The Republican National Convention is yet to be held and, since there is only one conceivable candidate, very little of such skill and maneuver are likely to be required. It would seem, however, that a great deal of time, money and effort could be saved if the convention itself were can-celled entirely, and its 'results' were given to the public in the form of an 'announcement'.

(As the temporary chairman of the Democratic Convention repeatedly pointed out - there is no provision for the appeal, or even the discussion of an announcement!) ■

A REMARKABLE COMMUNICATION!

Mr. L. G. Lawrence is a research engineer, born and educated in Europe, who has written 46 articles and books, including a German language textbook on lasers. The Ecola Institute, in Mr. Lawrence's words is "essentially a non-profit activity devoted to selected elements of the natural and physical sciences". He further notes that "most of our work is of an advanced and exploratory nature. Our publications programs have been keyed toward general public education in certain scientific fields."

Here, then is the letter:

Dear Dr. Fry:

We recently stumbled across something new in the astronomical

SEPTEMBER 1972 3

sector. Because of the implications generated by our apparent discovery, we would appreciate your cooperation in publishing the following announcement and request in UNDERSTANDING.

We perform developmental research in remote ecological/biological sensing for agricultural purposes. New Type II organic transducers are used in our work, a profile of which was given in the June 2, 1972 issue of the British engineering journal ELECTRICAL REVIEW, London, pp. 780-81. We need interpretive assistance...

On October 29, 1971, 20:30 PDT, while conducting range experiments in ecological sensing in Riverside County, California, our field equipment's organic transducer complex intercepted a train of apparently intelligent signals (tight spacing and discrete pulse intervals) while accidentally allowed to remain pointed at the constellation Ursa Major during a short rest period. The phenomenon prevailed for somewhat over 33 minutes, 30 minutes of which were recorded on tape when the audio monitor drew our attention. A somewhat similar phenomenon was observed on April 10, 1972, 22:30 PDT, while conducting follow-up experiments in the Mojave Desert.

To permit a more critical analysis of such and other data, we would appreciate hearing from readers who have a private or institutional capability in interstellar communications research and/or have observed similar phenomena. Of particular interest to us is whether any unusual activity is or has been observed at celestial coordinates 10h 40m, +56˚.

Because our apparatus employs biological-type sensors that are inherently impervious to electromagnetic-wave incidence, the tentative conclusion has emerged that interstellar communications signals, as presumably are emanated by advanced societies in space, might be propagated in a biological - rather than electromagnetic - mode of transmission. Such could explain, perhaps, the 40-year-long and continuous failure of traditional radio astronomy to detect modulated, non-Gaussian signals from inhabited stellar worlds.

Our viewpoint necessarily remains speculative at this time, since data obtained thus far was incidental to other work and not sought for. However, the profound implications generated by these experiments have suggested additional verification tests.

An information sheet is available, Please send data and/or requests

4 UNDERSTANDING

to:

L. G. Lawrence ECOLA Institute P.O. Box 3284

San Bernardino, Calif. 92413

Our correspondence with the Ecola Institute further stressed their need for corroborative evidence from others. "Such will help in revision and possible updating of our instrumentation for conducting a new series of verification tests".

In addition to supplying us with scientific data, Mr. Lawrence sent us a half-hour cassette recording of the signals mentioned. A copy has also been sent to the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., "in an effort to preserve physical evidence of what might well be an important historical event for generations yet to be born".

If you have any data that could be useful to the research of the Ecola Institute, please do get in touch with Mr. Lawrence as soon as possible. ■

KNOCK. KNOCK - WHO'S THERE?

"Knock, knock . . "

"Who's there?"

Remember those old rib-ticklers? Pure nonsense of course, but nevertheless, psychological evidence that the human mind dotes on making sense out of nonsense.

A similar mental trick is the basis for an ancient means of divination, officially dubbed, Psychometry, by Dr. J. R. Buchanan in 1842, as "a faculty whereby an object when held by a sensitive person, produces a community of sensations conveying the nature and history of the object."

However, the sensitives referred to were Mediums, Clairvoyants, Fortune Tellers, and similar exotic sounding persons. Certainly not the satchel carrying man on the street or the apple pie maker in the kitchen. For such marvels required closed draperies, a bit of moaning and swooning, muttering and faraway staring - a downright spooky atmosphere. Hence, Mr. Peabody disregarded the unfamiliar snatches of bawdy sea tunes that tip-toed across his mind when he found Grandpa's old bosun's whistle up in the attic. And Mrs. Peabody ignored the smatterings of tatting terminology when she discovered Grandma's old perfume vial in the back of the drawer.

SEPTEMBER 1972 5

Psychometry? What nonsense. What blither!

But today, in sunny kitchens, in well-lighted living rooms, in austere offices, exciting discoveries are being made. Almost everyone has the wherewithal) to practice Psychometry, and those who fail, do so simply because they insist upon editing their thoughts and sensations before revealing them.

I myself, made a similar error while reading an enclosed snapshot for Dr. Thelma Moss, psychic researcher working out of U.C.L.A. I described a chest of drawers which did prove to be relevant, but the thing I failed to say was that the chest was in a house that reminded me of the movie, "The Haunting". Dr. Moss could not scientifically accept my belated statement when we opened the envelope to discover the snap had been taken in an alleged "haunted" house.

So, the trick is to say everything one thinks, hears, or feels -- no matter how silly or disconnected.

For instance, during another session composed of varied personalities, none of whom considered themselves anything near psychic, a bracelet was handed to a young housewife.

Cuddling the bracelet to her cheek she said, "Oh, oh -- I just love this. But now I want to put it on my head like a crown. I feel like I'm a senile old lady."

In essence she was right, for the owner of the bracelet later confirmed that it had belonged to a female relative who lived to a ripe age in a home for the severely retarded. The bracelet had been a cherished gift from the retardee's father.

Various things happen during Psychometry sessions when the objects are enclosed photos, papers, etc. -- sometimes the object itself is described, but most often the reader seems to jump into the time and place, and the emotional history of the people involved. For instance, a wedding photo was the catalyst for a detailed description of a farmhouse and its occupant's unhappy marriage in the State of Washington by a person who had never been West of the Rockies.

In another case, a blinded bill of sale for a man's first auto drew a nonsensical response from a reader, snatches of "over the hills and dales" and feelings of whoop-de-do, and then a very real pain in the third knuckle of the right hand. It was later revealed that the car had been driven with youthful abandon across rolling hill country, and being a crank-up auto, every time it was started, the owner bruised the exact

6 UNDERSTANDING

knuckle described by the reader.

Another interesting aspect was discovered by shutting one's eyes and holding palms over a page in a magazine selected by another person. + There was much confusion over the contradictory colors and moods until someone thought to turn the page over. The reader had picked up impressions from both sides.

But like all psychic and E.S.P. games, once we have discovered our ability, we should begin to wonder how it may be constructively used. Knowing the Future or the Past is not nearly as important as discovering how to help ourselves in the Present. Psychometry used as a mental exercise, can be an invaluable pipe line to the subconscious mind, which if listened to, has profound answers to daily problems.

So, next time you hear a "Knock, knock" in the back of your mind, don't be like Mr. and Mrs. Peabody. Turn your mental eyes around and say, "Who's there?"

Mrs. Marjorie Hyslop

CONSIDER THE CONCEPT

Strange and wonderful things surround us. Everything is a miracle. We know not how they came to be, but they live even as you and I, and are content. A higher Reality has touched all, and is a part of all. Thus we should feel close, have an affection for every living thing. Is the flower asking for love when it puts forth a blossom; is the bird alone happy with its song; is the little worm content with the pleasant soil? Each is living out its destiny. That destiny may be temporary, as we conceive it, but a Higher Mind may have determined otherwise. What we view as temporary today may be a step in a climb through eternity.

So much we do not sense - life so minute we cannot see it. Powerful rays come through the dense wall, and yet that wall is not compact, as we think it to be. It is full of "lives", and every little particle has space in which to move and live.

God is not dead. The world is living, expanding, escalating. If God could die, the universe would cease. God is life-form: in, around and above all things. God is being a part of God - there is no death. Death is an illusion. Rather it is a new birth. What man has been will be the mold for the new life. Again he has opportunity to enlarge. There are no limitations - for the Infinite is our Father.

George E. Davis

SEPTEMBER 1972 7

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

Mortimer J. Adler on ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP) is one of the two branches of parapsychology, the study of alleged paranormal human ability. The other branch, psycho-kinesis (PK), studies mind-over-matter, the influence (if any) of the mind alone on the movement of objects. ESP studies those kinds of perception that are beyond the known sensory processes: telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.

An example of telepathy is my thinking of a specific great book and your then being able to give me the book's title. Clairvoyance: I am able to tell which great book you were reading last night although I, far from your household, am not in a position to know. Precognition: Your neighbor strolls to the bookshelf and picks out the book you had predicted in advance.

In the ancient world, contra-sensory perception was accepted as a fact, a demonstrated human mental capacity. The Old Testament attributed such psychic powers to the Jewish prophets as well as to the diviners among the gentile peoples.

Homer's epics and the Greek tragedies reflect the key role of prophecy in the religion and life of Greece. The medieval philosopher Maimonides constructed an Aristotelian theory of prophecy in order to prove that divination was a natural human faculty even in those cases where the prophet was the medium of divine revelation.

In modern times, societies for psychic research have been formed and professorships of parapsychology have been established in some universities. However, the scientific community as a whole looks upon their experiments with indifference or scorn. The great majority of psychologists in this country do not accept the psychic phenomenon as factual.

Some parapsychologists reply that such criticism is prejudiced and arises from a vested interest. They recall William James who noted that the success of telepathy would "undo the uniformity of nature and all sorts of other things without which scientists cannot carry on their pursuits."

But the Para-psychological movement itself cannot agree on the criteria for establishing the validity of paranormal phenomena. Gardner Murphy admits that his field will not begin to be a science until the discovery of the first repeatable experiment. ■

8 UNDERSTANDING

THE POLITICS OF REALITY

Reading news of today’s world, a person is strongly tempted to crawl into bed, pull up the covers, and shut out reality. Wars, riots, pollution, nuclear explosions . . . Why? Who is doing this to us? The answer, of course, is we are doing this to us. This realization is paramount in solving our dilemma. A problem must first be defined, then solved. The reason man abuses himself today is his utter ignorance of the true concept of reality.

Perspective of reality then, is the key to our salvation in these troubled times. But what is reality? The definitions of great philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Locke and Plato have differed in transference of idea to words; one thing they all agreed upon: man does not live in a real world. For although man perceives the real world through conscience, he rarely chooses to adhere to the realistic guides he encounters. Rather the superficial illusion of material dictated value become his measuring standards. The great moral leaders of history have tirelessly instructed mankind in the pursuit of reality. The crux of instruction of our most gifted prophets has been the lesson that man must reflect upon inner truths to achieve solutions to external ills.

Jesus Christ urged men to answer their own inner convictions and con-science, rather than answer to artificial, unrealistic doctrine that had been formed through unrealistic guidance.

Gautama Buddha expressed the quest for realism through inner inspection. His karmic law is the logical expression of a conscience dictated theorem- "From good must come good, and from evil must come evil." Buddha believed that the good, or realistic action, could be precipitated by a chain reaction of good or realistic thought.

Mohandas Gandhi, our modern saint, taught that no good could come from issues decided by the artificial and unrealistic tool of violence. In our great history of wars, this basic truth or reality has never been learned.

Edgar Cayce, gifted seer, whose predictions now fill bookstores, ex-pressed his solution for the ills of the United States, Cayce said the country could not hope to achieve a perfect union until each of the components of that union reflected on individual duty and responsibility. Mr. Cayce believed, as most gifted thinkers do, that problems are not solved nationally by policies sifted down from fount heads. Problems and doctrine are solved by the conscious will of the masses.

SEPTEMBER 1972 9

How then, can the individual search for truth to remedy our ills? In our propaganda glutted world, the answer is the same as it was in the time of Christ, Buddha, Gandhi or Edgar Cayce. Time does not affect this answer, for the key to reality is found in inner search, within one's own conscience. Guides can lead only to the point of helping one recognize the road; Man must strive alone in the quest for reality that lies within himself. There is a simple and gratifying manner in which to instigate the search. This manner of searching is meditation.

Through the years, meditation has become associated with a foreign manner of behavior. In today's industry-motivated world, man seeks to find answers through machines, political promises, and monetary escapes. A man meditating is wasting time. What can be gained by sitting by one-self, taking leave of conscious thought? The gain to be made is perspective on reality. Any man who sincerely adopts the magic of meditation will achieve an enlightened attitude.

Yoga, mind control, and other sciences of the mind utilize this device for the attunement of self with the universal consciousness. This form of search will be rewarded with a contact of the goal, at least in part.

The conquest of self realization is not made by conscious thought, nor is concentration utilized. Conversely, the absence of thought is the key to reality. Our thought patterns are riddles with propaganda from birth. Man perceives reality not through these thought patterns, but through the universal truth of conscience. Conscience is man's manifestation of reality. To achieve peace, inner and world wide, man must acknowledge the universal reality of conscience.

This acknowledgement is at once an enlightening and a difficult thing. Enlightenment glows in the knowledge of self respect and purpose of existence. Difficulty is encountered in the conflict of realism with the superficial and unreal society that man has created. This conflict is no easy thing to face. It is a conflict, however, that must be faced if we wish to improve the world and construct a society founded in realism.

Meditation is a wonderful thing, a powerful thing, and a healing thing. Through the power of conscience, gained by meditation, the world be-comes a new and wonderful place to live. Life becomes a period of meaning and fulfillment.

There is a way to world peace, but it is not through external channels we have traveled much, much too long. It is through attunement of the masses to truth through meditation, in which each man battles superficial

10 UNDERSTANDING

barriers that keep him from happiness. Attunement to universal truth and reality leads man to recognize the guidelines of conscience. From this recognition, world wide, can come the blessing of world peace.

Gary H. Moore

Poet’s corner

THE TWO-SIDED COIN

It seems like everyone today

Is so busy trying to correct what's wrong with the world

That they've stopped noticing the good side of this place.

If every time you let the wind toss your hair,

You think of air pollution;

And every time you see a young child playing,

You think of the population explosion;

If when you're walking through the country

And see the fields of grain

You despair because of all the starving people in Asia;

And if you find a shiny, new penny in the street,

You think only of how little it will buy,

Then every time you see someone happy

You'll wonder if they're stoned out of their minds

Or high on drugs.

And all the things that made you happy before

SEPTEMBER 1972 11

Won't be there.

And you'll forget what it's like to laugh.

Joy will be something you destroyed.

And without that you really haven't created a better world;

In trying to combat misery you've destroyed happiness

And left nothing at all in its place.

Don't stop improving this world But don't destroy it either.

All coins have two sides.

Jane Wolter

World report

City Alters Climate

Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., 6-10-72

Chicago (UPI) - Building a city can change a climate. Except for atmospheric pressure, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, every single climate element is appreciably altered when a country-side becomes urbanized.

The change in surface conditions from the sponge like structure of the natural soil to well-drained concrete and asphalt creates an effect similar to that found in a desert. Buildings in a city cause a decrease in wind speed comparable to conditions in a forest.

The most striking change occurs when heat and combustion products are added to the air, and this in itself can change climate. Fume particles act as centers for condensation of vapor, making fog 10 times more frequent in cities.

An obvious difference between the city and the nearby countryside is temperature, Cities average 2 to 3 degrees higher in nightly minimums, and sometimes the variance is as much as 10 degrees.

A Glimpse of Labs in Space

San Francisco Examiner, 6-1-72

Vaccines and crystals far superior to any now known will be manufactured

12 UNDERSTANDING

under zero-gravity conditions in outer space, scientists and technologists predict.

Particularly important will be vaccines for the prevention of human cancer caused by viruses, now suspected to be the principal agents of certain leading forms of cancer.

The crystals will be those used in electricity.

These glimpses of an approaching space industry were presented at the Euro space (U.S.-European Space) Conference in San Francisco by experts engaged in developing the new beyond-the-earth technology.

Absolutely pure vaccines for the prevention of virus-caused diseases are expected to be made in satellites orbiting around the earth, said Dr. Benjamin A. Rubin, chief of biological product development of Wyeth Laboratories, Radnor, Pa.

The virtual absence of gravity and the existence of vacuum in space make the manufacture of new "vaccines of absolute purity" possible. The prepared vaccines will then be brought to earth by space shuttles.

Words Not Necessary

Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, Neb., 5-13-72

People talk with their mouths but humans also have other means of communicating, a professor of communications at the University of Pennsylvania said Friday.

He has the research to prove it.

Dr. Ray Birdwhistell said studies have shown that members of Pennsylvania Dutch families Spend only 2-1/2 to five minutes a day in conversation with each other. "Middle-Class families from Ohio, Indiana, northern Kentucky and western Pennsylvania were found to engage in from 18 to 30 minutes of talk," he said, while sample Jewish and Italian American families from eastern Pennsylvania conversed from two to five hours daily.

"Yet the children of those families grew up to be good youngsters. That seems to prove different classes of people, different ethnic groups and people from different geographical sections have developed their own methods of communicating that help a child become a useful member of a community."

A hug, a pat or a kiss, he said, can convey love, just as other expressions and gestures can indicate approval, disapproval or anger.

People of different cultures and backgrounds have their own way of communicating, he said.

SEPTEMBER 1972 13

Plan to Harness Solar Energy

New Zealand Herald, 5-15-72

A breakthrough by scientists of Port of Spain in harnessing solar energy could lead to the widespread use of cheap domestic water heaters on rooftops.

It could also contribute to more desalination plants - desalting water to make it drinkable - in the world's dry areas.

Scientists at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies have assembled a new solar still to produce distilled water at less than half the cost of that produced by other solar stills.

The men behind the project are Dr. Oliver Headley, a lecturer in chemistry, and Dr. Basil Spriner, a biometrician.

Dr. Headley said there was the immediate possibility of using solar energy for the setting up of desalination plants in dry areas.

Now that a higher level of efficiency had been achieved in harnessing energy from the sun, domestic water heating units could be set up on housetops relatively economically.

Hynek Recommends UFO Study

Denver Post, Denver, Colo., 7-5-72

One of America's foremost authorities on UFOs (unidentified flying objects), Dr. J. Allen Hynek, believes the phenomenon is finally achieving a long overdue respectability in the scientific world.

But if the truth about UFOs is ever to come out, it won't be through any further efforts by the government, he insists, but from "a few private individuals getting together and funding a small, quiet, effective study or research center."

Hynek believes the phenomenon is worthy of further study and he has continued to do just that in his spare time. The results of that study, including reports he looked into while with Blue Book, are the subject of a book, "The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry," he has written.

The book details only those reports with which he has had personal acquaintance, reports that remained unexplained after the Blue Book files were closed.

Hynek admits he would have been as skeptical of UFOs as most other scientists had he not been practically forced to look into them because of his consultant status with the air force.

He recognized, he said, that 80 per cent of the reports could be explained

14 UNDERSTANDING

away "as perfectly normal things," but it was the residue "that began to interest me."

The phenomenon hasn't been taken seriously up to now, Hynek feels, because "it's been mixed up so much with the crackpot element and the ding-a-Iings.

"But it isn't the crackpots who make the reports," he said. "You don't get articulate, coherent reports several pages long from crackpots. The best reports come from intelligent people who haven't had any particular interest in UFOs and who sometimes have been militantly hostile to the idea of UFOs."

Meanwhile, though not admitting that UFOs might be examples of extraterrestrial visitation, he concedes that the possibility of intelligent life on other planets and that it might be more advanced than earth's is not unlikely.

What remains, then, is that man doesn't have enough information on the UFO phenomenon and that the first real step toward acquiring it is to conduct a proper scientific investigation.

"When the long-awaited solution to the UFO problem comes, "Hynek maintains in his book, "I believe it will prove to be not merely the next small step in the march of science, but a mighty and totally unexpected quantum jump."

Thunder on Sun

The Daily Oklahoman, 4-6-72

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - Following up the chance observation of a student assistant, solar astronomers have discovered what they believe is thunder on the sun.

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology have observed gigantic waves undulating outward at speeds up to 25,000 miles per hour from the center of sunspots, the puzzling dark blobs on the sun's surface that often are larger than the earth.

The waves are 1,600 miles from crest to crest and act like sound waves as they move through the sun's gaseous atmosphere.

They seem associated with flashes of light observed in sunspots regularly every 2-1/2 minutes. One wave is observed for every two flashes.

The waves have been informally named Stein waves after Alan Stein, 22, a student assistant who spotted them by accident in some motion pictures Caltech scientists had taken of the sun through a telescope.

The rumblings of the solar thunder would be too low in frequency for

SEPTEMBER 1972 15

a human observer to hear - if he could get close enough. But they could be recorded and the recording speeded up to produce an audible sound.

The discovery could have great significance for solar astronomy, Zirin said.

"We now have a regular, recurrent natural phenomenon on the sun and that phenomenon takes place under certain circumstances," he said. "This gives us a new handle on the physics of sunspots, a whole new picture of their energy production."

'Other Worlds' Studies

Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore., 6-5-72

WASHINGTON (UPI) - Discovery of other civilizations in the far reaches of space may "occur in the lifetime of many of us," according to a prestigious group of astronomers.

"In the relatively near future, we foresee the construction of major facilities, such as a giant radio receiving array, and the operation of a project that will have as its goal the detection of intelligent life else-where," the astronomers said.

"In the long run this may be one of science's most important and most profound contributions to mankind and our civilization."

A proposal for "devoting major resources to a search for other intelligent beings" in the universe was made in a report by the National Academy of Sciences' astronomy committee after a three-year study of needed astronomical research.

The committee, headed by Jesse L. Greenstein of the California Institute of Technology, recommended programs calling for additional tools for plumbing space, seeking to answer such questions as:

-Does intelligent life exist elsewhere in the universe?

-Whether we live in a closed universe or an open one that will expand forever.

-Whether there are other solar systems. -How planets form.

The report said technology is available to detect the radio emissions normal to Earth's civilizations. In recommending a sustained attempt to establish contact with other worlds, the report said:

"The promise is now too great either to turn away from it or to wait much longer before devoting major resources to a search for other intelligent beings."

16 UNDERSTANDING

China Exercises

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Dr. Martin Lee, a Stanford University physicist, makes a 60-mile round trip to San Francisco several times a week to practice ancient Chinese exercises.

Before, dawn in downtown Portsmouth Square, Lee and dozens of other persons perform the exercises, which they say can cure illnesses and give mental peace through harmony with nature.

Under direction of Shi Fu, a 78-year-old Mandarin, the participants practice such drills as Shing-Yee, in which the body writhes like a snake, and Shao-Lin, in which rapid chopping movements are combined with jumping and kicking.

"I had asthma for 15 years . . . After nine months work with Shi Fu, my allergy was gone," Lee said.

UNDERSTANDING UNDERSTANDING

I would appreciate an opportunity of clearing up some misunderstandings regarding the organization of Understanding, Inc.

I n recent weeks I have had occasions to refute various ideas regarding it and its aims and purposes.

The persons to whom the explanations were given were of various occupations, including a housewife, car salesman, realtor, cosmetic distributor, etc., all of whom I met casually. The subject came up because of the fact that I live in the close vicinity of the International Cultural Center of Understanding, 2200 Merlin-Galice Road.

Each of the aforesaid persons had a different opinion as to the nature of the Understanding organization. I explained that it is not a church, not a cult, not a religion but it is non-denominational, non-political and non-profit.

It is "dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of earth so they may live in harmony and be better pre-pared psychologically and sociologically for the space age". It seeks to promote a comprehensible understanding of the many and diversified aspects of all life - physical, mental and spiritual, as well as Eternal.

The qualified persons who are sponsored as lecturers and teachers include those who have specialized in the varied areas of health, religion, science, UFOs, ESP - ad infinitium -which will aid an individual in eventually finding the real purpose for existing as a soul on Planet Earth

SEPTEMBER 1972 17

and so eliminate any aimless wandering.

Freedom of thought is the Divine birthright of every human being and one of the purposes of Understanding, Inc. is to educate people to that fact thereby breaking the bonds of dogma, which are the limitations of traditions.

Many of the friendly members and people who attend the meetings are those who believe there is something more and other than that which they have learned thus far through traditional ways. So, they are endeavoring to expand their mental and spiritual horizons to encompass more areas of knowledge and to include the Universal Laws of Life. UNDERSTANDING is just different. Why not investigate it?

Mrs. Aleta Johnston

Merlin Unit #1

ACUPUNCTURE

Recent news media coverage of Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese science of placing needles at specific points in the body to cure ailments, has been considerable. However, we have discovered some additional data not so well publicized.

From a friend in Helsinki, Finland, has come a small booklet, 26 pages, with photographs, entitled: ACUPUNCTURE ANAESTHESIA. It is printed by the Foreign Language Press of Peking, dated 1972. (Sorry, we have no further address for you.)

Though most Western Medical men are still skeptical of this ancient technique, originally used for healing and more lately for surgical anaesthesia, the Chinese, under Chairman Mao, are applying modern scientific knowledge and research to improve upon this traditional practice of stopping pain and curing disease. In the United States only one major Medical School, at the University of Illinois, plans a large program to evaluate acupuncture with western practice of drug injections.

The Chinese have found the practice of "needling" to be safe, simple, widely applicable, giving quick results, and costing very little. No complicated apparatus is needed; patients are fully conscious during treatment or surgery and thus able to cooperate with the doctor; no harmful after effects are experienced; and recovery is faster because the total body functions are not effected as with general anaesthesia or drugs.

The booklet offers a brief history of Acupuncture in China, by Fu Wei-kang.

The most primitive use of acupuncture, before metallurgy was known,

18 UNDERSTANDING

according to Fu Wei-kang, was by the insertion of a sharp stone called it "pien". As time passed stone was replaced by needles of bone or bamboo, and when metals were discovered, by needles of copper, iron and silver, and today, with needles of stainless steel.

The earliest record of an effective cure is dated over 2000 years ago. Other old texts give details of the "channels" and "points" on the body, needles, ways of applying them, diseases and ailments curable by acupuncture, as well as prohibitions of its use. In a book, written during the Tsin Dynasty (A.D. 265-420), 349 basic puncture points were listed, with a total of 649 indicated. This text exerted a considerable influence in China and abroad for over 1000 years. Later years produced other medical texts on the subject, and in 1027 A.D. two bronze figures were cast, locating the points on the body, for teaching and examinations.

However, history notes an interesting fact. The Ching Dynasty (1644-1911) discriminated against the practice, and in 1822 banned its use. Then, again, in 1922, the Kuomintang Government banned the practice, but because of its simplicity it continued to be practiced by ordinary people. Now, Chairman Mao, who attaches much importance to traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology, has fostered its practice and encouraged research to improve its procedures. In October of 1944 he instructed that it be used by the Red Army in the revolutionary bases, and in April of 1945, a acupuncture clinic was set up at the Peace Hospital in Yenan.

Since then training classes have been instituted and the technique applied in the treatment of diseases such as malaria, dysentery, respiratory infections, arthritis, etc. Many different techniques have been and are being developed, with research centers in Peking and elsewhere. Using the knowledge of the ancient art in conjunction with modern western medicine, new discoveries of the uses of acupuncture are being made and imperfections eliminated. Now fewer body points are listed for the desired effects, particularly as to anesthesia. In China the practice is currently used in many medical institutions in over 200 types of major and minor surgery, mild and serious. Although the underlying principles may not yet be understood completely, the results justify the means.

According to a report in Time Magazine (June 12, 1972) several theories, attempting to explain the "mystery" of acupuncture, are presented. Some researchers report that "the skin's electrical resistance seem to follow the twelve pathways or meridians of the acupuncture

SEPTEMBER 1972 19

charts", while others claim that the skin at acupuncture spots is less sense than elsewhere on the body. Another explanation advanced is that of the

"gate control theory" which holds that certain nerve cells of the spinal chord can inhibit or intensify the flow of pain impulses to the brain, and "since various nerve circuits control the organs, acupuncture relieves pain even when needles are inserted into other areas than those under treatment".

While medical science continues to research as to "how" acupuncture works, the sufferer of pain and disease is simply pleased that it work!

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Understanding - New Horizons

Mrs. Angela Kilsby announces that she is once again presenting a Metaphysical Convention - UNDERSTANDING - NEW HORIZONS-in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Convention will be held on October 7th, at Rickey's Hyatt House, Palo Alto, Calif., and on October 8th, the Leamington Hotel, Oakland, Calif.

Confirmed speakers (at press time July) include Damien Simpson, Col. Arthur J. Burks, Rev. Daniel Bleise, Dr. B. Jensen, Riley Crabb and Chris Phelan.

For additional information write: Mrs. Angela Kilsby, 1265 Monterey Blvd., San Francisco, Calif., 94127.

LIBRARY ADDITIONS

We acknowledge with thanks and appreciation books received for our

20 UNDERSTANDING

Understanding Libraries, among which are:

MANUAL FOR NORMAL LIFE, by Gospel Christian, Hagersville, Ontario, Canada;

REVELATION - THE BIRTH OF A NEW AGE, by David Spangler, Findhorn Publications, Forres, Moray, Scotland; and

BIOLOGICAL TRANSMUTATIONS, by Louis C. Kervran, Bingham-ton, New York, (see Book Review).

A New Unit - San Francisco #82

We welcome to the Understanding Family another Unit - Univ No. 82 of San Francisco, the membership of which comes from a wide area in and around the Bay area.

At the organizational meeting in June the following were chosen as officers:

President: Mrs. Angela Kilsby

Vice President: Mrs. Beth Gary

Secretary: Miss Sylvia Shollenberger

Treasurer: Miss Elanor Lawrence

May your efforts "to promote a better understanding among all peoples of earth, and of those not on earth" be well received!

Charters Presented

During our June Convention it was a pleasant privilege for Dr. Daniel W. Fry, Founder and President of Understanding, Inc., to present charters to our latest units.

The charter for Canada # 1, Vancouver, B.C., was accepted by Herbert D. Clark in the absence of the Unit President: William Mitchell.

The charter for San Francisco #82 was accepted by its President, Mrs. Angela Kilsby.

These charters, we trust, are indicative of a new surge of interest in the goals of Understanding. Our good wishes are extended to the officers and members.

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SUNRISE

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refers to the rising Sun of the Aquarius dispensation.

This fascinating story of Eternal Love and Life is an excellent introduction to the Cosmic Laws of Karma and Reincarnation, as well as a springboard to deeper conscious unfolding of the reader's own divinity.

The story recounts several incarnations and gives deep insight into life beyond death.

SUNRISE is an outstanding gift-book.

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