Death is not an Explosion ??

Good morning, dear reader ?? This week I have struggled to curate the many wonderful themes that have come my way over the past while. Which one goes first? How are they connected? You may remember the previous edition where I talked about the Sun's light reflected by the Moon. Was it the Moon according to the Sun, or the Sun according to the Moon? I'd asked.

It turns out, things get even more convoluted! Not only are things reflecting each other, they also present completely different selves to each other. Exactly like how we act differently around certain people. We simply are different overlapping things.

You may have heard that insects have UV vision. Snakes have infrared vision. Snakes see heat maps instead of "regular" colours. (As we consider the relationship between light and heat, both physically and symbolically, we should remember to check that our growing light becomes a bright & gentle guide and refuge... And not the scorching hell it could be.)

The entire beauty of summer's flowers is just one psychedelic version of itself on an infinite spectrum of identities available to others.

One flower could be a piece of yellow Sun to humans, while providing a red hot map to a bee. What a powerful metaphor for the deepest meaning of identity and relationship.

Above pictured, pollen (nfoto, 2013). Queen bumblebees seek out the plant sperm cells to nourish their developing ovaries as they prepare to initiate their new colony. We are connected in unthinkable ways, yet we are connected.

And so, in light we connect and separate, revealing identities and colours that we seek to see to believe. This time of the year, how I wish for more light. I have my finches and flowers in art as I wait for them to come back.

It's coming. And while I wait, there is plenty of human light, a reflection of human endeavour and hope, and curations and memories of moments of connection. This is the high craft of photographers. The summary of Deep Knowledge Group 's Longevity Christmas Reception at the UK House of Lords has been published to do just that, and you can view it here:

Bonus points if you recognised the narrator. A big thank you to attendees, some of whom I've crossed paths with in times gone by, such as Hugo Villanueva, Ph.D. - I am glad we got caught in conversation.

Here is me and Ian I. again, doubtlessly discussing the latest exciting news and developments on everything-longevity.

I have come across a mouse study widely shared on LinkedIn, that claimed the lifespan of the rodents had been extended by around the human equivalent of 5 years, starting from old age (75-80 years). To paraphrase, the researchers were aiming for longer, healthier lives.

I'm not sure that type of metric can be measured in mice, since the subjective experience of health or even happiness is so evasive in humans. It reminded me of another observation:

They are hoping for longer, healthier lives, and are miserable every step of the way.

I am too young to know of people who have died by heart attacks or cancer, but unfortunately I knew or knew of quite a large number of people who died by suicide. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances. I sometimes bump into pages or pictures that include them, and I remember that they are no longer on Earth, and the reason why. It gives me a lot of pause.

And so it is paramount than whenever we talk of health, we grasp the full weight of its meaning. Health is the horizon of life that encounters us in every feeling, instinct, memory and function. On the outside and within our bodies, and beyond, into our environment. And beyond, into our connections with each other.

Death is not an explosive moment. It is the gentle withdrawal of life.

Or, as Romanians would put it, batranetea nu vine cu surle si trambite.

A psychology article I read mentions the intimate relationship between pain and pleasure. The subtle exchange of signals that colours and defines our experience of living.

When we avoid pain, we are also learning to avoid pleasure. We shut down emotionally as well as physically.

Nan Wise , Ph.D. reveals:

"If you are trapped in pleasure-seeking mode all the time and trying to avoid discomfort or emotional pain, the result will be that your experience of pleasure will also be diluted and numbed. In other words, we need to feel both pain and pleasure to keep our brain and body in balance. The avoidance of feeling pain or pleasure is strikingly obvious when clients first show up for therapy and seem disconnected from the awareness of the sensations in their bodies. It is hard to get them to even respond to the simple question, "What are you noticing in your body as we discuss this issue?" Their blank stares in reaction to my query speak volumes."

Full article is available here.

These insights are important to really understand how our lives unfold over time, and marry what makes them worth living with what we do to enable those healthier, longer lives that healthcare continues to unlock at speed.

I am certain that in the future, when some haphazard ailment takes me into a hospital or to a doctor, I will not expect to be healed. And as I share with the doctor, they will push a button, pass me a pill, and smile as they say it is easily solved. Don't worry. And I will wonder what it is, and where it came from.

I already know that it will have come from the beautiful, tireless, generous intelligence and work that countless souls are engaged in, right now. In our care and connection we succeed. In our care and connection we live.

For an additional set of insights into a greater perspective of life's definition across survival and reproduction, tune into the latest episode of The A Level Biologist Podcasts on your favourite app or at this link.

Have a brighter January, and remember your hopes ??