I subscribe to an email newsletter on "metaphysics/consciousness/quantum physics/law of attraction" that I look forward to receiving each week. The author does a fantastic job of writing highly useful, highly interesting content.

Since I publish a blog, I realize how tough it is to continually provide good content on a regular basis (especially when you have so many other projects/events occurring in your life). As a result, I greatly appreciate people who provide good content because I know it requires a substantial amount of time and energy. So, a very big thank you to this author.

In the most recent issue of this person's newsletter, he included some fascinating studies about plants. These studies demonstrated that—like everything else in the universe—plants are conscious…in effect, they have a "mind" and respond accordingly.

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A series of experiments carried out in 1966 demonstrated conclusively that plants are capable of intelligent thought processes when a researcher, Cleve Backster, an expert with lie detector equipment, connected a lie detector to a Dracaena plant, also known as a "Dragon tree". He wanted to see how long it would take for the leaves to react when he poured water on the plant's roots.

In theory, a plant will increase its conductivity and decrease its resistance after it absorbs water, and the curve recorded on graph paper should have gone upward. But in actuality, the line that was drawn curved downward. When a lie detector is connected to a human body, the pen records different curves according to the changes in the person's mood. The reaction of the dragon tree was just like the undulation of human mood swings. It seemed that it was happy when it drank water.

Cleve Backster also wanted to see if the plant would have any other reactions. According to past experience, Backster knew that a good way to elicit a strong reaction from a person is to threaten that person. He then thought of burning the leaves that were connected to the lie detector. With this thought held in his Mind, and even before he went to fetch a match, a strong positive curve rapidly appeared on the graph paper of the lie detector equipment.

When he arrived back with a match, he saw that yet another peak had appeared on the curve. The plant had perceived that there was a good chance that it could be burned, and through the lie detector exhibited the emotion of fright.

If he showed less inclination to burn the plant, the reactions of the plant as recorded by the lie detector were not so strong. If he merely pretended to take action to burn the leaves, the plant had almost no reactions whatsoever.

The plant was therefore fully capable of distinguishing true intentions from false ones.

In a further experiment, Cleve Backster decided to test how well a plant can recognize things as well as people. To do this he selected six students, blindfolded them and asked them to draw lots. One of the choices was to uproot one of the two plants that were present for the experiment and to destroy it by treading on it. This person was to carry out this alone, and none of the other students knew who had actually drawn this task. By proceeding in this manner only the remaining plant would know the identity of the murderer of the other plant. The murder of the plant was thus perpetrated.

The remaining plant was then connected to a lie detector and each of the students was asked to walk by the remaining plant that had witnessed the murder of the other plant. The plant showed no reactions to the five students who had not been involved with the destruction of the other plant, but when the student who had murdered the other plant walked by, the remaining plant that was connected to the lie detector showed an extreme reaction on the lie detector recording paper.

The plant was able to identify the exact person responsible for the destruction of its friend and show emotions of fear that it might also be subjected to the same fate.

This demonstrates extremely well that plant life, like all life and indeed everything in the Universe is an inseparable aspect of the same infinite Mind, Consciousness and intelligence of The Source, The First Cause, of God.

Human beings, still totally steeped in the material world and personal ego assume that because a plant does not appear to have a physical "brain", or a mouth or any other apparent animal characteristics that they are "unintelligent" or simply "inanimate". Nothing in fact can be further from the truth.

The human brain is not the real Mind any more than physical parts of a plant or a mineral are real Mind even though they share the same Energy and are observable at the level at which they can be perceived.

All Mind is focused within its own Energy plane, in the case of plants the plane of the plant Mind, but at the same time because everything in the Universe is an inseparable aspect of everything else in the Universe at a quantum level, then all aspects of the infinite Mind are capable of instant communication through the individual Mind and the Universal Mind.

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A "sometimes-raw" food restaurant in Ashland, Oregon, called Mana Community Cafe, recently received some publicity in the Mail Tribune (a newspaper targeted towards southern Oregon). Manna Community Cafe serves all raw food on Sundays and Mondays. Article excerpt is below, and was written by Paris Achen…

Manna Community Cafe

If a raw foods diet conjures up images of eating cold, bland vegetables off an austere table, it's time for a visit to the new Manna Community Cafe in Ashland's Lithia Park. The outdoor raw foods cafe — with a few cooked organic, vegetarian offerings — debuted July 26 within view of Ashland Creek. A raw foods novice — except for my daily salad and weekly tub of hummus — I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful Manna's food is. Post-cravings are a sign of well-seasoned food. As we sat on black wrought iron chairs in Manna's garden patio, my friend and I listened to the gurgle of the creek and enjoyed the caress of a sweet mountain breeze as we sipped fresh watermelon juice and pomegranate-colored sun tea, which is a combination of nettle, hibiscus, honey and lemon. Like most, I've visited restaurants where the plates are piled with pallid, overcooked vegetables and starches sealed with a film from lingering under a heat lamp.

Manna defies all that.

The idea behind a raw foods diet is that in nature, animals eat raw food. Raw food has more health benefits as it retains its moisture and nutrients. Manna's cuisine is made with such care and detail even my cynical side could believe Chef John Larson's declaration that the food is infused with "good energy and love." Everything from the watermelon juice to the marinated salad tastes extraordinarily fresh. The living foods platter (living, in this case, is just another term for raw) was a nutritious tour of textures and flavors pleasing to the palate and kind to the body. And the platter was satisfying for the hungry vegan, hot food lover or the occasional carnivore.

We munched on dehydrated crackers dotted with flax seeds, cole slaw bursting with a kaleidoscope of chopped red pepper, carrots and cabbage, spicy gourmet olives, and greens drizzled with tangy ginger tahini dressing. My favorite was the vegetable paté, a complex nutty-flavored spread enlivened with fresh herbs and a delectable substitute for meat. I added it to just about everything on the plate and found it was versatile as well. The platter at $8.95 is the most expensive item on the regular menu. We also tried the tempeh skewers, a cooked finger food with a barbecue-like coating. Fresh juices, smoothies, sparkling beverages, veggie dogs, rice curry and raw soup are some of the other regular menu items.

Larson opened a raw foods restaurant called Luminescence on the second floor of an old house on Water Street about three years ago that survived for less than a year. Manna's location in a structure owned by John and Maya Viknius (Maya Viknius and Larson own the business) will likely draw more patrons during fair weather. But as we enjoyed the delicious food on a warm summer day, we wondered how the cafe would fare in the winter, as there is no indoor seating. Larson said he hopes takeout food and community events at the venue will keep customers trickling in. The cafe also has the advantage of neighboring the ice-skating rink.

Larson said he envisions the cafe becoming a community hub, where local musicians, poets and dancers can perform. Local artists already feature their pieces at Manna's patio. The Lovers Manna, a weekly community event, kicks off Monday, Aug. 7 at the cafe. The cafe will serve raw food with aphrodisiac properties and hold games from 7 to 11 p.m. on Mondays. Raw foods only are served on Sundays and Mondays. Both cooked and raw dishes are available on other days.

A video of Paul Nison giving a presentation on raw foods. The video quality is kind of blurry/spotty, but the content is great.

Take-aways from Paul's presentation

1.) Strive to eat a majority of "high quality foods." High quality foods possess these 4 characteristics…

Raw – Uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Ripe – Fully ripened fruits and vegetables contain more vitamins and minerals than unripe or partially ripened produce.

Fresh – Produce that is eaten close to the time it has been harvested is more beneficial than produce that has been sitting on a grocery shelf for 1-2 weeks before being sold. This is why local produce and local agriculture is highly favored. Local produce is fresher because it hasn't been shipped from halfway around the country/world, before making its way to your grocery/health food store.

Organic – Free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic poisons.

2.) Sleep is another word for "healing." The blood goes through dialysis at night; the cleaner your blood, the less sleep you need (usually).

What you put on your skin, face, and scalp is *just* as important as the food you put into your mouth. Be sure to read the label on all skin care and body care products.

Women need to consider eliminating makeup, which contains enormous amounts of synthetic chemicals, surfectants and "chemical cocktails." If you need makeup, be sure to buy all-natural, organic makeup without synthetic ingredients.

According to The Organic Makeup Company…

"The human skin wraps and protects our bodies. It constitutes a living, dynamic tissue system. It has the remarkable ability to absorb applied products, partially or completely, into the bloodstream."

• Up to 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system.
• The average woman absorbs 30 pounds of the ingredients contained in moisturizers over sixty years.

Whatever food you ingest passes through your liver. Your liver functions to detoxify and neutralize harmful ingredients. However, body care products applied to the skin are absorbed *directly* through the skin. Since they don't pass through your liver, you want the highest purity level.

Both men and women need to re-evaluate the ingredients in the following household products…

toothpaste
shampoos & conditioners
deodorants
hairsprays, perfumes
lotions
chapstick
soap
sunscreen
nail polish & nail polish remover
houseshold cleaning products
dishwashing soap (which goes on your hands, into your skin, and into your bloodstream)

Here is a list of harmful ingredients to avoid when choosing skin care and body care products.

Another excellent list can be found at Aubrey Organics. Aubrey Organics has been creating natural hair and skin care products for almost 40 years. Here is their list of
10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid

Print this list, and take it with you when go shopping for shampoo, dish soap, lotion, etc. After 3 or 4 trips to the health food store, you'll have the list memorized.

Here's a tip: If the ingredient list contains very long words, and you don't know what the words mean, then it's probably synthetically manufactured in a laboratory and should be avoided. Only buy products with ingredients that you understand. If you don't know what the word means, don't buy the product. For example, can you explain what Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is? How about Butylphenyl Methylpropional? Most people do not know what these ingredients are–aside from knowing that they're synthetically manufactured in a laboratory. They both sound artificial, and in fact they *ARE* artificial. These ingredients have Methyl, Propyl, and Butyl in their names, and should therefore be avoided.

What I Use & Recommend:

Toothpaste–> I use Tooth Soap which helps re-enamelize the teeth. Fantastic, great. Love it.

Shampoo & Conditioner –> Aubrey Organics

Deodorant –> Crystal Stick. This is a natural body deodorant for men & women that is non-sticky, non-staining, and guaranteed to last one year. It contains 100% natural mineral salts, and is completely free of perfumes and chemicals. And yes, it works.

Hairsprays, Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover & Perfumes–> I don't use nail polish remover or perfumes. I have found a chemical-free nail polish called "No Miss."

Soap–> I use 100% pure olive oil soap. The soap is green (from the crushed olives).

Lotion–> Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions

Chapstick–> Beeswax Lip Balm from Burt's Bees.

Sunscreen–> Aubrey Organics

Dishwashing Soap–> The brands "7th Generation" and "Earth Friendly Products" both sell dishwashing soap that does not contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS), artificial colors, phosphates, dyes, or Cocamide DEA. You can find many more natural brands at Whole Foods or your local health food store.

Where to Buy
I buy all of the products listed above from Whole Foods—except for Toothsoap and coconut oil, which I purchase online.

Unfortunately, many products that advertise themselves as "all natural" are not truly all-natural. The next time you go shopping for a bottle of shampoo, take the list of "10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid." You'll be amazed at how many so-called "natural" products contain parabens, cocoamide DEA/MEA, and some type of SLS or SMS (Sodium Myreth Sulfate). Start reading ingredient labels for all products you put on your body.

If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin.