The Medpedia Project is planning to create the world’s best and most comprehensive resource about medicine, health, and the body and to make it freely available to the world. It will be launched at the end of 2008. A preview site is now available at www.medpedia.com.

Their goal is “to transform how both medical professionals and the general public acquire and understand information about health. Contributing to Medpedia gives health professionals the chance to become known around the world for their areas of expertise.”

Medpedia is created in association with Harvard Medical School, the Stanford School of Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and health organizations around the world.

Medpedia is intended for anyone with an interest in health, medicine and the body: For medical professionals and organizations, it’s a platform to share the most up-to-date medical knowledge. For the general public, it’s a comprehensive educational resource that provides information related to their bodies, medical questions and health needs.

Anyone who is medically knowledgeable is welcome to become a member of Medpedia’s community. The content is copyright-free or in the public domain and freely editable. Medpedia offers no monetary compensation to any organization for participation.

However, to qualify to edit or contribute to the main content, you must have an M.D. or Ph.D. in a biomedical field. So there is no room for healing practitioners or other non-academic knowers of medicineH however,  I read in an article recently that more  people are willing to pay more money for alternative medicine than for the classical academic kind – will the academicians cedem them their due rights?

When applying to become an editor of Medpedia to contribute content he/she has to disclose if he/she receives any beneficial contribution for expressing his views – probably to prevent the lobbying of the pharma industry, which certainly is highly interested in such a platform.

The difference to Wikipedia is that Medpedia is focused 100% on health, medicine and the body, whereas less than 2% of Wikipedia’s content is related to health and medicine.

Today Switzerland is celebrating its national holiday, at the date supposed to be its establishment in 1291 – though historians doubt it…

What to take pride in as a nation? This topic is stimulating the minds on such occasions, and it is a fertile field of patriotic moods. I yesterday read articles in some newspapers on this theme, discussing the situation of freedom in a time of excessive administrative regulations (NZZ) or if there are really good Swiss jokes (not really, says the Tages-Anzeiger). Other countries seem to celebrate with less intellectual embarrassment, as I saw in India last January: “I love my India”.

Of course, national identity is an important factor for a sound and stable social system, and celebrating the accomplishments of a nation certainly contributes to form a meaningful national identity. Like an individual, nations also have their personality and soul qualities. The personality traits, in their gross forms for example chauvinism, racism or xenophobia, are often supported by economic egotism, which always has an eye to one’s own interests (money, money…), and also the feeling of social or cultural superiority (we are the champions…).

The soul qualities of a nation show in its power of integration, of humanitarianism, of a responsible and committed attitude towards the welfare of the environment without the egotistic eye. In spirituality crises and conflicts are seen as times of growth towards a large scope of consciousness, and this is also true for nations. If they don’t learn to share, crises will teach them.

Many people are feeling the need to celebrate global festivals like the earth day, celebrating the global village or festivals of good will in order to rise the awareness of the oneness of life. They are good ways to install the feeling of unity and inter-connectedness.

So the love for one’s country can expand towards a love of the greater global whole and the readiness to take the related responsibilities of exchanging and sharing. Like Michael Jackson and his crew once sung: “We are the world, we are the children”. Maybe it’s the hymn of a future celebration of global unity. As the refrain says: “We are the world, we are the children. We are the ones who make a  brighter day, so let’s start giving.”

Flags of the Swiss cantons and the national flag in front of the Swiss Federal Building, for today’s celebration

A friend from the States sent me links to a number of sites related with spirituality – feminine, ecological, indigenous, some about film projects. I had a glance through them, some of the topics might be of interest for you.

In March 08 there had been a summit in Jaipur, India, entitled: “Making Way for the Feminine – For the Benefit of the World Community. A Global Reflection with Leaders from Religion, Government, and Civil Society”. Their goal was to explore six themes as avenues for vital, life-giving transformation to create a balance honoring the feminine energy: Visionary Leadership (leadership that can help shift thought and behavior), Oneness (the force that unifies all creation), Ahimsa & Satyagraha (Sanskrit words for “nonviolence” and “holding to Truth”), Self-Evolution, or Education of the Complete Person (to develop in young people more than material and intellectual skills), Creating an Economy of Care (Redefining Progress and Development), and Listening to the Earth (Honoring Earth’s Life Systems to understand the life force that sustains our planet and its inhabitants).

The site “Wiser Earth” wants to serve the people who are transforming the world. The site is a community directory and networking forum that maps and connects non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water, hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights and more. Content is created and edited by the users. There is a database about more than 100,000 organizations.

“Time of the Sixth Sun” is a film in the making, about the shift in global awareness and transformation of consciousness, which many expect for the year 2012. They write: “From the Americas to Africa, from Tibet to Australasia, these times are seen as pivotal in the evolution of mankind. Ancient prophecies speak of massive earth changes and of a huge shift in Planetary Consciousness. According to the Mayan Long Count Calendar, the last date recorded is the winter solstice – 21st December 2012. They call this the time of the Sixth Sun – each sun marking the evolutionary steps of human consciousness. They also refer to this time as the “end days” or the end of time – as we know it. There is a trailer from the film and a call for generous donations needed to fund fund the complete filming / editing.

Another film project is also about 2012: “The Shift of the Ages – The Call of Our Ancestors“, a “look through the indigenous lens to focus on what is transpiring in the world today. It is a shamanic rite of passage and grassroots effort to raise awareness for Mother Earth in her time of need.” You find some short trailers under the link above.

A third film with the same focus is already finished: “The White Road. Visions of the Indigenous People of the Americas“. They write: “For the first time people from other cultures were invited to the reunion of elders, indigenous priests and shamans from North and South America. The film is a documentation of this gathering that took place in Merida on the Mexican pensinsula of Yucatán in spring of 2003. In this film we immerse into the Mayan world with their fascinating temple grounds, their unique calendar system und their mysterious crystal skulls. Together with the indigenous people we follow the White Road, the spiritual path of the Mayas, in ceremonies and rituals such as the unification of the condor and the eagle in Mayapan, and the ceremony of the equinox in Chichen Itza.
The documentary shows the messages and wisdom of the ancient precolumbian cultures. In contrast to Western philosophy of life that draws ego limits, these cultures have the gift of confiding in themselves and in the entire creation. They greet each other with „In lak’ech, a lak’en“ meaning „I am in you, and you are in me.“

Iguazu, Brazil, May 08

The US Space agency NASA is celebrating on July 29th its 50th birthday. They are going to launch a website with a tremendous archive about millions of pictures, videos and sound documents. Though it is planned to launch the site  nasaimages.org  officially next days, it is already online. They want to merge 21 collections, which up to now had been dispersed, into this one archive. Have a look at this fantastic site.

Cassiopeia A: Remnants of a supernova. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/O. Krause (Steward Observatory)

My spiritual teacher, Dr. K. P. Kumar, sent me a CC of an e-mail exchange with a group member. The question was:

“Next August 8, 2008, some groups are saying that some gates will open (8-8-8).  Is there some truth to that ?”

He answered: “It is true that the human calendar is valid for the humans in the thought plane. We may therefore dedicate the day to invoke the colour of Blue. And meditate upon the Bliss of Existence.”

I liked the answer: Neither did he enter into the bustle of esoteric speculation nor did he deny the underlying urge for spiritual upliftment, but directed the attention to spiritual aspiration. This is always of importance.

Flower blossoming in the botanic garden of near Palafrugell, Spain – a symbol for spiritual upliftment

Some days ago an American friend sent me a beautiful powerpoint presentation about India. It contains a deluge of overwhelming facts about ancient India being the cradle of knowledge and wisdom. The presentation also shows similarities between Greek and Biblical myths, pictures of different landscapes and of the deities of India, basics of Indian (Vedic) spirituality and more. I have transformed it into a PDF for an easy view – though it doesn’t contain neither the beautiful music nor the animation of the powerpoint.

Today I also came across a YouTube site of a Dr. Ramkumar with a number of videos about Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, mantrams (like Purusha Suktam), illustrated with pictures of deities, with music, or a film about a visit to a sacred cave in the Himalayas. Enjoy.

A statue of Siva Nataraja near Sri Sailam, India, January 07

Of course enjoying the sun, the beach and the free time also got their due…

The beach, reflected in the glasses of our son.

Reading at the beach – Artemis Fowl’s adventures …

… and on the camping site

Beautiful small beaches at the Costa Brava

Boats on the beach …

… and tourists …

… tourists also in the shops, with all kinds of inflatable animals and mattresses

Early morning sunrise on the highway on the way back home

During our holidays in Spain we also stayed for two days with friends in their house near Barcelona. Sighseeing was not our prime interest, but exchange. And this was a very good occasion: A number of other friends from the WTT-Spain group joined us, so we had some interesting talks.

The friend where we stayed is a doctor and a homoeopath. He is the responsible person for the Spanish version of the Paracelsus magazine of the WTT and very open to innovative research in alternative medicine. In his practice he showed us a very modern apparatus for diagnostics and treatments from Russia called Oberon, based on a spectrum analysis of rotating magnetic fields of living organisms. He gave me a diagnostic and a treatment for my chronic ear disease. It was fascinating to observe the process on a flatscreen. The treatment showed certain immediate results, however, they were not long lasting (the treatment would have to go on for a while).

Afterwards we visited the new centre of WTT-Spain in Sabadell which the group had inaugurated about a year ago. It is located in the middle of the city, in the first floor of an old house. The group had renovated the rooms themselves, and they do regular meditation, study and exchange meetings there. It has a serene ambiance, where it is certainly inspiring to do group work.

We also had a tour through Barcelona seeing some touristic spots. The city was bathed in a warm, soft light and there was a certain ease in the air. Here are some impressions, where you feel the city’s striving into space, vertically and horizontally, maybe also inwardly.

View of Barcelona from the Montjuic – a sea of houses.

The Palau Nacional, now a national gallery.

Containers waiting in the harbour

The vastness of the place in front of the Olympic Stadium is intensified through the rows of pillars.

Reaching for the sun – Calatrava’s Olympic telecommunication tower

Or reaching for the divine – Antonio Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, full of catholic fantasies.

After the evening pizza we went to a beautiful spot overlooking the cliffs of the Costa Brava where an old lighthouse is shedding its beacon over the country. I had been at the spot a day before at noon time, so you see some impressions from day and from night. The lighthouse is a beautiful symbol for the light of the soul, or the divine light, which is guiding our path when we submit ourselves to its direction.

The lighthouse is a most beautiful place, and Cancer full moon enchanted the entire atmosphere.

Steep cliffs go down some 50 meters to the sea

The cliffs and a boat in the blue Mediterranean

The beacon is like the jewel in the lotus of the soul, a multi-faceted diamond of light

The beacon in the dusk

View from the lighthouse to the city of La Calella – it seems that the light is more guiding the cars than the ships

The beacon and the full moon

Cancer full moon reflecting on the waters of the Mediterranean

The beacon

In the evening of Cancer Full moon we wanted to have a pizza in some village not far from the camping. We came to Pals. Though we didn’t find any pizzeria there (later in another village…), but the place turned out to be a beautiful medieval town. Here are some evening impressions.

Small passages leading up to the church

Tower of the fortress

The bell tower of the church

A lamp in front of the church waiting to be lit

View from the churchyard over the countryside

Tourists shopping

Tintin waiting for the start of his rocket

Angel dreaming in a shop window