in other words
Intruder Alert: Thinking or Thunking?
By Burt Tschache
I was reading an article recently
in Discover called The End of Morality
by Kristin Ohlson. Oh my goodness.
Must we hype scientific discoveries,
too? I don’t think we are even close to
the end of morality. There’s still plenty
for everybody.
The article was about the work,
last year, of cognitive scientists Joshua
Greene and Firey Cushman at the Har-
vard Moral Cognition Lab and the devel-
opment of nightmarish moral dilemmas
posed to volunteers laying in an fMRI
machine and watching which areas of
the brain lit up prior to the decision.
One of the comments in the arti-
cle was that a good moral dilemma made
people go “Yuck,” as both outcomes are
equally disgusting. It’s like the story
told about Capt. Scott O’ Grady surviv-
ing his crashing the party in Bosnia af-
ter being shot down surviving on grass,
bugs and sponge water. I’ve known kids
to survive on worse.
I question the bearing these dual
answer scenarios have upon our morali-
ty. These studies grew out of the ultimate
moral question is it OK to take another’s
life? Take a life to save more? Is it OK
to take action to do the least amount of
harm in a situation or let it roll? Reli-
gion has answers for these moral dilem-
mas, some of which occasionally seem
contradictory to Scripture. Philosophy
has wrestled with these questions since
the beginning and still does. Science
looks for the mechanisms of the deci-
sion making process. Computer Science
is now an official science as are several
major aspects of it, so I will use a com-
puter-based model.
Computers are based on a lim-
ited model of the brain as they have
limited decision making processes pro-
grammed into them using the Filters I
wrote of last month. But no computer
can even come close to the complex
mental machinations of mankind. The
brain rides herd over all the autonomic
processes of the body, respiration, cir-
culation, digestion, et al, and can also
have several trains of thoughts running,
get out of a chair, scratch where it itches
and go to the fridge to build a Dagwood.
That’s on an easy day.
Computers could likely do all
these things, but not all at the same time.
Computers process one piece of data at
a time extremely fast. The human brain
has multitasking down. Computers now
have several processors on a chip that
can pat their head, rub their stomach
while tap dancing.
My question of the validity of
a dual answer response is that there are
always more than two answers. The
questions always place the questionee
at the apex of the dilemma and they can
predict the outcome of door number one
or door number two. What if there are
Natural Path to Health: Who Am I?
By Dr. Carol McIntyre
Someone asked me once, “What
is the difference between a Naturopathic
doctor and a Medical doctor?” I
thought for a moment and responded,
“Naturopathic doctors hold the patient
responsible for their own health.” It was
a bold statement and I hoped it wasn’t
misunderstood.
Truly, as a Naturopathic
physician, I work with the individual
to optimize their health using herbs,
supplements,
nutritional/dietary
support including detoxification plans,
spinal manipulation, homeopathy,
hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, evaluation
of lab work, minor surgery and
prescription drug therapy when needed.
I focus on all aspects of health and work
to bring the individual to a balanced state
of health, allowing for that individual to
live the healthiest life they can. I even
do house calls!
In addition to being a
Naturopathic doctor, I also hold my
Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine
(MSOM). I studied the science, art and
philosophy of Chinese medicine for 4
years and am a licensed acupuncturist.
This allows me to bring a different form
of medical thought into treatments.
Acupuncture, shiatsu massage, tuina,
moxa, cupping, Qigong and Chinese
herbal formulas are all integrated into an
individual’s treatment plan.
When I began studying to be
a Naturopathic doctor at the National
College of Naturopathic Medicine
(NCNM), I was also required to take
some basic Chinese philosophy classes.
This experience opened up a whole
new world for me. I found that the
philosophy of the two disciplines were
very similar and complementary to each
other. Studying both has allowed me
to use multiple healing techniques in
combination with each other to meet the
individual where they were and address
their concerns from different aspects.
The oath I took as a Naturopathic
physician is this:
Naturopathic Physician’s Oath-
I dedicate myself to the service of
humanity as a practitioner of the art and
science of Naturopathic medicine. I will
honor my teachers and all who have
preserved and developed this knowledge
and dedicate myself to supporting the
growth and evolution of Naturopathic
medicine. I will endeavor to continually
improve my abilities as a healer through
study, reflection and genuine concern
for humanity. I will impart knowledge
of the advanced healing arts to dedicated
colleagues and students. Through
precept, lecture and example, I will
assist and encourage others to strengthen
their health, reduce risks for disease
and preserve the health of our planet
for ourselves, our families and future
generations. According to the best of my
ability and judgment, I will use methods
of treatment which follow the principles
of Naturopathic medicine: First, do no
harm, To act in cooperation with the
Healing Power of Nature, To address the
fundamental causes of disease, To heal
the whole person through individualized
treatment, To teach the principles of
healthy living and preventive medicine.
I will conduct my life and the practice of
Naturopathic medicine with vigilance,
integrity and freedom from prejudice.
I will abstain from voluntary acts of
injustice and corruption. I will keep
confidential whatever I am privileged
to witness, whether professionally or
privately, that should not be divulged.
The oath I took as a Chinese
medicine practitioner is as follows:
Oath Of Sun Simiao- I promise to
follow the way of the Great Physician. I
will strive to live in harmony with
nature, and teach my patients to do the
same. I will stay calm, and completely
committed when treating disease. I
will not give way to personal wishes
and desire, but above all else, hold and
nurture a deep feeling of compassion. I
will be devoted to the task of saving the
sacred spark of life, in every creature
that still carries it. I will strive to
maintain a clear mind and am willing to
hold myself to the highest standards. It
will be my duty to diagnose suffering
and treat disease. I will not be boastful
about my skills, nor driven by greed for
material things. Above all, I will keep
an open heart. As I move on the right
path, I will receive great happiness as
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7
more answers than just the two? What if
the bi-outcome moral dilemma concept
constricts the cognitive consciousness,
by not letting all possibilities play out?
There is a new type of comput-
ing that has been looked at for quite
a while, Quantum Computing. That
should be quite a show if all the diver-
gent parts can be interfaced into a cohe-
sive non-structure. The human brain is a
Quantum Computer.
I believe there is a form of think-
ing called Quantum Thinking and it al-
lows for all possibilities to play out with
no restriction. I view this as a form of
Free Will as when the filters are dropped,
data flows freely and new decisions arise
spontaneously.
More to come . . .
Be Safe Out There . . .
Burt Tschache is the owner of B&B Com-
puting in Vernonia. He can be reached
at bnb998@msn.com or 503-429-0817.
a reward without asking for anything in
return.
This may still leave you to
wonder what exactly it is I do… in short;
I promote wellness by using every skill
and technique I have learned through
my study of Naturopathic and Chinese
medicine. As many of you know, I have
an office at 786 Bridge Street. I have been
building my practice slowly and I feel so
blessed to say that it is growing by leaps
and bounds! New patients are continuing
to knock on my door (literally!) or call to
schedule appointments. Currently, I am
treating patients from age 4 to age 80.
I treat all types of health concerns from
shoulder pain to cardiovascular disease
and beyond. Soon my office will be
equipped so I can do blood draws and I
hope in the near future I will be set up to
perform minor surgery.
The biggest question I am asked
is, “do you take insurance?”. YES. I
bill out to insurance companies as an
‘out of network’ provider. Just call your
insurance provider and ask if you have
coverage for out of network Naturopathic
doctors or Licensed Acupuncturists. I
also have a cash fee for those who do not
have insurance coverage and will provide
a ‘super bill’ for you to submit to your
insurance company for reimbursement if
requested.
My goal is to be Vernonia’s
“small town doc” and provide healthcare
to this community for many years to
come. So far, it’s working out nicely.
Thank you!
Be Well~
Vernonia
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