The Virus, Memory, Mandela Effect connection

Human memory came from an ancient virus

We can glean amazing insights from viewing the way memories and viruses work–and the extraordinary relationship between viruses, memory, and miracles–at this time when neurologists say that our memories come from an ancient virus.

An international collaboration of researchers from the University of Utah, the University of Copenhagen, and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the UK discovered something surprising about a protein called Arc, which is essential to long-term memory formation.  It seems that some 350-400 million years ago, an ancestor to the retrovirus, the retrotransposon, injected its genetic material into a land-based, four-limbed creature, leading to the development of the Arc protein.  Scientists have been amazed to discover that it has very similar properties to how a virus infects its host  stating in their article in Cell,

“The neuronal gene Arc is essential for long-lasting information storage in the mammalian brain, mediates various forms of synaptic plasticity, and has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders,” and, “little is known about Arc’s molecular function and evolutionary origins.”  [Pastuzyn 2018]

Using electro-microscopy, scientists realized that the way Arc assembles itself appears very similar to the way the HIV retrovirus operates.

The Arc protein behaves like a virus and serves as the platform allowing neurons to communicate with one another.  Scientists found that mice lacking the Arc protein had difficulty remembering things they had learned within one day’s time, and their brains lacked plasticity–where the brain can easily absorb new knowledge and skills.  Arc behaves like a viral capsid–like a hard, outer shell which is hollow inside and carries a virus’s genetic information from one cell to another.  Arc mimics viral capsids by encapsulating its RNA in order to transfer it from one neuron to another.

 

Evolving with viruses

Virologists are noticing how the original novel coronavirus, covid-19, almost immediately mutated into three different strains, and within a few weeks was observed by scientists in Iceland to have over 400 mutated versions, eight strains of which have been found to be infecting humans globally at this time.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like the SARS and MERS coronavirus, with a structure that is recognized by cell biologists as being 80% similar.  While coronaviruses had once been considered to only affect birds and mammals, the SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 epidemics have demonstrated that this virus family can jump species barriers, and spread to humans.

Author William S. Burroughs theorized that words and language represent a type of virus that transformed the throats of humans who spoke those words.  Author Philip K. Dick commented in “The Selected Letters of PKD, 1980-1982” on William S. Burroughs consideration of the existence of some kind of information virus:

“I cannot accept Burroughs’ view that we have been invaded by an alien virus, an information virus, yet on the other hand I cannot readily dismiss this bizarre theory as mere paranoia on his part.  I think he is onto something real and important, and that his statements do more good–far more good–than harm (that is, he states the problem correctly, although perhaps his analysis of the cause is faulty; still, merely to be aware of the problem is to achieve a great deal).  Now, I have been able to find accounts in ancient times of what seems to be a thinking or perceptual dysfunction or perhaps the thinking or perceptual dysfunction.
…Burroughs may have indeed detected an “information virus” or something like an information virus, but my supposition is that, if you grant its existence, it is of long-standing.  World mythology supports this.  Not just Christian.
Where Burroughs and I sharply disagree is that my supposition is that if–if–and information life form exists (and this is indeed a bizarre and wild supposition), it is benign; it does not occlude us; on the contrary: it informs us (or perhaps it has no interest in doing either, but simply rides our own information traffic, using our media as a carrier; that is entirely possible.  That I myself saw this living information in the spring of 1974 is not something I wish to claim; on the other hand, I will not deny it. The issue is important, vital, and also elusive.  If you grant an occluding information virus, are you not then yourself occluded in your very analysis of it, as well as your perception of its existence?  There is a paradox involved.  I’m sure you can see that.”

 

Mandela Effect-affected memories

Much of who we see ourselves to be comes from our memories of who we think we are, and the stories we believe we are living in.  Without long-term memories, we’d eternally be in the moment, free from expectations of ourselves or others, and likely devoid of much in the way of long-term plans.

How fascinating, now, to realize that our very sense of self, and ability to have long-term memories comes thanks to an ancient virus.  Scientists note that:

“Eukaryotic genomes are littered with DNA of viral or transposon origin, which compose about half of most mammalian genomes.”  [Smit, 1999]

When it comes to the Mandela Effect, many of us recall different historical events as well as differences in just about everything in existence including:  human physiology, plants, animals, books, foods, movies, music, names, places, buildings, aircraft, cars, and more.  Clearly we are still finding fundamental processes by which information storage in the brain operates, and we have yet to discover biological mechanisms supporting our ability to witness reality shifts, Mandela Effects, quantum jumps, and miraculous changes.  When we look at Nature through a quantum lens, we can see evidence that natural systems are capable of such seemingly impossible achievements such as:  organism mutations within a single generation of bacteria; astonishingly high efficiencies of operation seen in photosynthesis; amazingly accurate navigation of robins; and perfect synchronization of starlings in flight.  We can gain from such observation insights into the rich mystery of mind-matter interaction, guiding further investigations with my favorite question:  “How good can it get?”

 

I invite you to watch the companion video to this blog post at:

 

SOURCES:

Pastuzyn, Elissa D., Cameron E. Day, Rachel B. Kearns, Madeleine Kyrke-Smith, Andrew V. Taibi, John McCormick, Nathan Yoder et al. “The neuronal gene arc encodes a repurposed retrotransposon gag protein that mediates intercellular RNA transfer.” Cell 172, no. 1-2 (2018): 275-288.

Smit A.F.  “Interspersed repeats and other mementos of transposable elements in mammalian genomes.”  Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 1999; 9: 657-663

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Cynthia Sue Larson is the best-selling author of six books, including Quantum Jumps.  Cynthia has a degree in Physics from UC Berkeley, and discusses consciousness and quantum physics on numerous shows including the History Channel, Gaia TV, Coast to Coast AM, the BBC and One World with Deepak Chopra and on the Living the Quantum Dream show she hosts.  You can subscribe to Cynthia’s free monthly ezine at: http://www.RealityShifters.com

RealityShifters®

Thriving in the time of coronavirus

How to thrive in the time of coronavirus

This current coronavirus situation has changed many aspects of daily life overnight, and at times has looked like a war zone, in terms of casualties–yet even the time of coronavirus, it can be possible to thrive.

Never before have so many humans been doing the same thing at the same time–ceasing regular daily work commutes, and staying confined to home for the foreseeable future.  People on every continent and country now share a common intention to slow, stop, and reverse the rapid spread of a novel coronavirus around the globe.  Thanks to the internet, it is possible for most of us to stay in communication with others, and succeed in rapidly modifying our social behaviors and lives.

Humanity has survived similar pandemics that have arisen almost like clockwork once every hundred years.  Our most recent was the Spanish flu, prevalent around 1920.  During this pandemic, we are better able to try a variety of approaches to dealing with the challenge, including washing hands, wearing face masks, working from home via the internet, bolstering our immune systems with good nutrition, and practicing social distancing.

Perhaps most remarkably, we are now living in an extraordinary time of collaboration–for sharing resources, ideas, and ingenuity.  We humans are all in this together, coming up with our best way to get through this pandemic together, even though we may be physically isolated.  We can still brainstorm and collaborate, side-by-side.  We can notice what is working well in each region and nation, and learn how we can make use of all aspects of what seems to be working well–both for our physical health and financial well-being.  This is a time to share information, share ideas, share resources, and think about how good things can get–rather than getting hung up on aspects of other cultures that don’t work for us.  There is much to be learned here–and there is much we can share.

Why is this happening?

I don’t know that any of us can say with absolute certainty why we are experiencing this, but that doesn’t stop us from wondering.

This year, 2020, feels to me like an especially interesting year of communication between Nature and humanity.  Some point out it feels like Nature has sent us to our rooms, to think about what we’ve done.  Others point out this is an opportunity for humanity to move into more harmonious balance with Nature–to move more into receptive, Yin/feminine ways of being, and out of such dynamic Yang/masculine ways of being.

Henry Stapp & Cynthia Sue Larson

Some suggest we are receiving an answer to some kind of unspoken question.  Physicists such as John Archibald Wheeler and Henry Stapp remind us that when we ask questions, Nature answers.  And if the answer we are collectively receiving is this novel coronavirus, we might well now wonder, “What was the question?”  When we view this as a year of experiencing  “an act of communicating divine truth”–which is the definition of ‘revelation,’ according to Miriam Webster–we gain a sense that something new is being revealed to humanity at this time.We are experiencing a time when natural forces are slowing human busy-ness and business, resulting in people spending more time at home with families and in nature.  We are experiencing a shared sense of solidarity and community across great distances and time zones, thanks to availability of the internet.  We are being given an opportunity to better appreciate everyone and everything we truly love in this collective “time out.”  And perhaps most importantly, we’re being given an opportunity to experience a Great Awakening.

How can we thrive amidst a global pandemic?

We cannot bend Nature to our demands in this time of Great Awakening.  The single most important thing we can do is view unfolding events through the eyes of love, not fear.  We can recognize that we choose when and how and what we pay attention to, and that we can (and do) have the ability to literally change the world.  Those of us who have been meditating regularly can share calm compassion through our every word and action.  Those of us who have faith can share our awareness that there exists something bigger than each of us, and that by finding ways to best serve others, we can feel the greatest sense of joy imaginable.

Some people wonder what best to do while waiting for the storm of contagion to swirl through our communities.  As a matter of fact, there is.  Focus your attention on whatever news you can find that is positive and uplifting.  And if you can’t find any positive news, go out and make some of your own.  Find some way to help someone else, and even the smallest positive act can serve to help pull you up by your proverbial bootstraps.

The world appears very different to caterpillars than butterflies

Some of the concerns voiced by various authors sound off to me, when they emphasize the significance of dark forces and such.  I view “the powers that be” to be divine God and angelic forces, which I view as always being in charge.  I view this time of Great Awakening to be a time of discernment with regard to our true sovereign nature–to acknowledge within each of ourselves that we are divine beings, and that all our gifts always come from God.  Discernment brings us an unfolding awareness and sense that our true selves are much bigger than we typically realize.  We are capable, through meditation, for example, to begin to notice that we can observe our thoughts and feelings, and that therefore we are the Observer of those thoughts and feelings–one level higher–and not our thoughts and feelings (just automatons, on autopilot).

And during this time of coronavirus-coccooning, sheltering inside and staying ‘healthy at home,’ many who are accustomed to living lives on autopilot are experiencing a bit of rest from mindless consumption–with possibility for meditative contemplation.  And much like caterpillars transforming into butterflies, many now have new opportunities to rise above old assumptions of limitations and constraints.

Master our minds

Everything can be viewed as a lesson; every experience can be considered as presenting an opportunity. Challenging times provide us with opportunities to master our mind, and envision the possibility that the Universe is with us every step of the way.

Most of those of use who are M.E.-affected are aware of multiple timelines. Just as the parable about “which wolf do you feed,” we now can choose which timeline(s) we support. In quantum physics language, we are aware that there is not just one ‘objective’ reality, but rather subjective reality (“Physics experiment challenges objective reality“). So different observers can literally be at the same place and same time and witness different events. That’s how Nature is showing us she works.

This time of the coronavirus presents us with a unique opportunity to listen deeply to our authentic gut feelings, heart-felt emotions, and where our ‘random’ thoughts may go–since how we integrate between these various levels of being makes a tremendous difference in how we channel universal energies through us, and what we subsequently physically realize.  When we are integrated, and choosing to observe the world through the lens of love, not fear, we can rise above victim consciousness and master creator consciousness.

Victim / Regular Dreaming Consciousness

Victim/Regular Dreaming Consciousness corresponds to such beliefs as, “I have limited resources and limited personal power.  Things happen to me beyond my control.  I must fight for control at all costs, while fixing blame externally, in order to survive.  I can prove that wrongdoing has occurred and that I have been unfairly injured by unfolding events.  There exists real and present danger and great potential future threats that I am fearful of.”

Creator / Lucid Dreaming Consciousness

Creator/Lucid Dreaming Consciousness corresponds to such beliefs as, “I am intrinsically connected to others in ways that cannot be measured, yet which are the basis for meaning, value, and purpose in my life.  I can cross the threshold from Egoic fearfulness into my greater identity, when acknowledging that I am not my thoughts and feelings–I am the Observer of thoughts and feelings.  And as the Observer, I can choose in every experience how I respond.”

 

I invite you to watch the companion video to this blog post at:

 

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Cynthia Sue Larson is the best-selling author of six books, including Quantum Jumps. Cynthia has a degree in Physics from UC Berkeley, and discusses consciousness and quantum physics on numerous shows including the History Channel, Gaia TV, Coast to Coast AM, the BBC and One World with Deepak Chopra and on the Living the Quantum Dream show she hosts. You can subscribe to Cynthia’s free monthly ezine at: http://www.RealityShifters.com

RealityShifters®