Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER: 

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

Lifelong Learning in Your Later Years… 

A Health Club for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit!

Let’s continue our discussion of the Mind/Body Connection or PNI from last week –

Today, one of the most widely recognized authorities on the study of PNI is neurobiologist Dr. David Felton, who heads up the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Dr. Felton has been awarded several prestigious grants including a “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation for his work in the growing field of PNI.

In 1981, Dr. Felton and his team of researchers made an important discovery. They found a hard-wire connection between the body’s immune system and the central nervous system, which is controlled by the brain.

Simply put, using special stains the team was able to trace nerves to various locations throughout the body. They then discovered a network of nerves leading from the brain to cells in the immune system. This was the long elusive scientific proof that the Mind/Body Connection was real! Hard evidence showed that the brain has the ability to send signals to immune system cells.

Thanks to that discovery, we now know that the immune system, instead of hanging around waiting to kill bacteria, is working all the time. It’s critical to every function in our bodies.

Dr. Felton says about his discovery, “Our Grandmothers knew all along that our minds and our bodies were connected, even if the scientific community didn’t. We’ve simply provided irrefutable data showing that it’s true.”

Today, the study of PNI is important; scientists, medical and mental health practitioners, and consumers are all actively exploring the possibilities associated with PNI. In fact, Harvard University established a Mind/Body clinic in Boston in the 1970s and more have been founded around the world since then.

The National Institutes of Health allocate research money on a regular basis to fund PNI study. In FY1999, $10 million was directed to conducting research in the behavioral sciences and establishing more Mind/Body medical centers.

Next week, we’ll wrap-up our discussion of PNI…

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…

All this is irrefutable proof that the Mind/Body Connection is real, that it works, and that it can play a large part in how we live our After-50 years. So now that we have this knowledge, we each need to look at our own lives, and decide what we have to do to make that connection even stronger. Lifelong learning can help.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit www.learninglater.com

You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at www.amazon.com

Till Next Time…

Nancy Merz Nordstrom is Director of the Lifelong Learning Department at Computer School for Seniors (www.cs4seniors.com)