"When we observe our thoughts, who is the observer behind the observer?"

"Our reality as we perceive it is an illusion. It's like a virtual computer game where we create a character to have certain experiences that in turn enriches our essences who created that character".

"Weather Therapy, or Psy-meteorology might be a breakthrough therapy for children who have gone through trauma, as well as children such as autistic children who otherwise might not communicate"

"The material world and the spiritual world are two elements of the very same thing"

" We act from one of three places: Inspiration, Obligation or Desperation"

These are some of the thoughts that flew around the Conference on Science and Non-duality that took place from 10/22-10/26 in Marin County, California.

During those 5 days, I felt like I was living inside the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know". The energy level was so high that sometimes it was hard for me to sleep at night; I would wake up - or go to bed buzzing as if high on too much coffee.

It was awesome to meet so many people with fascinating stories to share, or who are researching so many cosmic things.

I met and attended a talk by an African Shaman who, dressed in his native costume, and initiated by thirty some tribal nations across the world - spoke eloquently about consciousness as well as various rituals of indigenous peoples around the world. He shared fascinating stories of his own journey as well as deeply spiritual concepts behind rituals that many of us Westerners would likely consider brutal.

From this I learned how conditioned our minds could be from the society that we live in. This in turn offered a deep invitation to me to be willing to drop pre-conditions and be willing to leap into even greater possibilities of thought and action.

The Psy-meteorology poster presentation that I gave was fun, and I had the opportunity to talk with about 20 people who stopped by during the three hour time slot we were given.

In short it was an amazing conference and it inspired within me the affirmation that seeds planted within my being during my experience there will continue to grow inside of me and blossom an ever expanded consciousness within me as well as openness to greater possibilities in life - - that I may also then inspire in those who I meet and serve.

Photos of conference and my general journey follow...

Enroute, flying west over Eastern AZ, I behold an amazing landscape of many colors including blood red stains.

A short 10 minute walk from our hotel offers this experience of a beautiful local park with hills, pond and lots of ducks. The weather during this conference is carbon copy days of bright warm sunshine, upper 70's highs and wispy cirrus clouds splashed in deep blue sky - perfect weather for a conference. We are located in San Rafael, Marin Co. California.

Here is another view from the park; my hotel room also afforded a more distant view of the same area. I made sure to get out in nature every day; with the profoundly high energy and stimulus from the conference, personal integration time served to balance and ground the experience.

Nearby Mt. Talalpius reminds me of photos from Central America that depict ancient, beautiful volcanoes.

Hotel lobby and conference sign. There were times that our conference filled the entire downstairs lobby.

My poster, Saturday October 24th

Yours truly, greeting the visitors.

The day after our conference, I engage in delightful sightseeing, and visit with dear friends in the South Bay.   My first goal is to walk the Golden Gate Bridge, and the weather cooperates, bringing unusually clear conditions. This is looking NE across the Bay.

At the highest point on the bridge, looking north towards Sausalito.

Looking South towards San Francisco.

Looking NW towards the Pacific Ocean and a distant bank of fog.

Looking W-SW into the Pacific and distant fog bank now coming closer.

Driving south through San Francisco, I note this beautiful gold trimmed dome that reminds me of photos from St. Petersburg, Russia.

For me, this is one of the most fascinating weather patterns that the Bay area offers. Here is a scene of fog pouring like a waterfall over the mountains. Just north of the Golden Gate, you can actually drive into this, and see rapidly descending wisps of fog wisk across your car and spill into the valley below you. I am very grateful to capture this on film today.

Dramatic fog up the road as I drive south towards San Bruno.

It's very rare that I enter into what is typically defined as a political conversation on this blog site devoted to personal growth and well-being.

This is one of those times, as I believe very strongly that universal access to both preventive and interventive health care is everyone's right, and part of my life dream is to see this manifest in America.

I will not enter the debate about what type of format would best make this happen (i.e. single payer, government competition, "insurance coops", etc. 

I will merely make my declaration of what I believe is just, fair and 100% appropriate to us human beings living in a civilized society:

• When someone needs medical attention, be it due to illness or injury, that their health care is paid for completely and totally and that any co-pay not exceed a range from $0- $50 based upon income, for any and all conditions. Nobody will be turned away based upon ability to pay.
• Preventive medicine including annual checkups, dental work such as teeth cleaning and maintenance, eye care, etc be completely covered with zero fees.
• Complimentary therapies such as chiropractic, accupuncture, etc be included and completely covered.
• If someone suffers the unfortunate occurance of cancer, or other debilitating diseases, that they are assured of long term care and guaranteed that they will not be dropped from medical coverage.
• That nursing home employees receive the same scrutiny and back ground check as well as on-going monitoring as teachers do in public schools, and that any violations of compassionate care principles be met with the same sort of disciplinary procedures as teachers are held to in public schools.
• If someone loses a job, whether it be through lay-offs, desire to find other work, or being fired that their access to health care remains 100% covered at all times.
• That entities rather than businesses be responsible for taking care of their employees and employee's families regarding health care costs.
• Everyone is covered regardless of "pre-existing conditions".
• Mental health be considered a benefit covered as health care. Stress is a leading cause of disease, as well as addictive behaviors and anyone seeking treatment from stress and/or addiction is completely able to receive services for little or no cost.
• Everyone is entitled to exactly the same coverage, regardless of income.

Some examples from other countries:

• One of my co-workers hails from Iraq. Her husband had three root canals in Iraq at an expense of $82.00 each.  Here it costs well over $1000 and there are no dental plans that cover more than a fraction of this type expense.  The same goes for dental crowns.  My co-worker finds it less expensive to buy a round trip plane ticket home and visit family and receive dental care there than she does to simply see a dentist here.
• Despite paying nearly $700  per month off her salary to include me in medical and dental insurance, my wife and I have spent several thousands of dollars on basic medical and dental care, spent on teeth preservation -not cosmetics- within one year.
• I personally know someone in Canada, whose medical system our mainstream media has portrayed as horrible - who had the unfortunate experience of developing fast moving breast cancer as a young adult. She received a team of 12 doctors - all specialists who monitored and coordinated her care. In addition she had 80% of her expenses covered by her government's plan and the other 20% covered by her employers plan. This included several sessions of expensive chemotherapy.

What about the Money Necessary to make this happen?

America is just one of two "first world" countries (South Africa is the 2nd) who does not offer universal health care.  In Europe and Canada as well as countries such as Cuba,  universal health care is considered a basic human right. Somehow even poor countries such as Cuba are able to come up with the funds to cover their populations.

Somehow in America, when it comes to things such as funding things such as wars there always seems to be unquestioned funds. A few months ago I read that we have been and continue to spend about $ 2 billion per month in Iraq. This war has gone on for six years. I believe that if we can afford adventures such as this war - which included non-bid corporate contracts- then we can find the funds to cover our population on what most of our planet considers to be a fundamental human right.

Ultimately whether we have universal health care or not, we all pay for it anyhow. Our current system puts a strain on hospitals whose emergency rooms are filled with customers who have no insurance and can not pay for basic services - or due to not being able to afford preventive medicine such as colonoscopy and now have acute and severe symptoms that might have been prevented.  Those of us who have insurance policies through our jobs must pay higher and higher annual premiums to cover those who have no insurance and the impact on our health care system.

In addition, the hospitals that are set aside to cover "indigent" patients are swamped so severely that 16 hour waits in the emergency rooms are not uncommon.

Elderly and other low income patients are being forced to choose between paying rent, buying adequate food and paying for medicine. And this is in one of the very wealthiest countries in the world.

And horror stories abound such as the policeman from Dallas who in his early 20's attended a training conference in Colorado this Summer. He had a heat stroke and was in the hospital for weeks due to surgery on brain blood clots and recoup time. His employer based health insurance company refused to pay for his transportation back home. Finally after this was reported on the news, a car salesman offered to pay the $7000 fees charged to bring him back to Texas from Colorado.  In addition, his Workmans Compensation policy refused to pay his other medical expenses as well, and he is currently appealing.

My wife tells me of an acquaintence who has worked for years in a major health insurance company.  The acquaintence told her that her company hires workers whose sole job is to see how little they can get the company to pay out in claims and that these employees are rewarded for amount of claims denied.  I believe that this attitude has no place in a world where people lose their homes due to having paid into an insurance company for coverage then being dropped due to illness.

So my dream and prayer is that we will come to justice in this situation. I believe that the Vision I set out above will go deeply towards manifesting the justice that I dream of.

Apparently so, in Mobile Alabama where I took this photo during a recent trip. However the catfish were taking vacation time when we stopped by the restaurant to check things out.