After reading recent media reports such as The Seattle Times series, “Methadone and the politics of pain,” I’ve been saddened to learn of the overwhelming number of Washington residents living in chronic pain and/or addicted to painkillers. Also, the near universal frustration of both patients and providers for solutions is alarming. I’m ...
Recent Blog Posts
Wim Hof surprises scientists by controlling his body with his thoughts
If you’ve ever wanted to see an example of the mind-body connection or the ability of thoughts to influence health, consider Wim Hof. A Dutchman who regulates his body temperature mentally, Hof, 52, has set numerous world records including: swimming long distances under ice, running half marathons barefoot in ice and snow and being immersed [...]
Book Review: “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine” – Part 2
Is love good medicine? When it comes to maintaining health, how does love compare to hygiene or diet? In “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine,” author Anne Harrington provides some interesting answers. In her chapter, “Healing Ties,” she highlights the famous 1945 studies of psychiatrist Rene Spitz whose data proved love to be [...]
For those who dare to be different
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Israel’s Dan Shechtman knows how difficult it can be to think differently from a consensus of scientists. In 1982, Shechtman discovered the patterned but nonrepeating atomic structures of quasicrystals. Members of the scientific community ridiculed Schectman, calling his discovery nonsense, a physical impossibility and denouncing [...]
Prohibition’s Roy Olmstead: The Man Who No Longer Exists
Did you catch the PBS series on Prohibition this week? As the “King of the Puget Sound Bootleggers,” Seattle’s legendary Roy Olmstead made an appearance in the second episode of the three-part series. I’m writing to add more to his story after he was arrested and convicted of bootlegging. When Olmstead was sent to prison [...]
Book Review: “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine” – Part 1
Do our thoughts impact our health? Dr. Anne Harrington, chair of the history of science department at Harvard University, has been researching this question for many years. Convinced that there is a connection between mind and body, in 2008 she authored, “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine.” In a favorable review, The New [...]
10 years later: recognizing the power of Love
I met Chloe Berta in 1994 when she arrived one morning to start a summer internship. Chloe had an interest in architecture and I had helped her to secure an internship where I was employed in Seattle. Until recently, I had no idea how close she would later be to the tragedy of 9/11. Chloe [...]
Overcoming pain: lessons from World War II
Have you noticed the number of reports on pain relief recently? From The Seattle Times to The Wall Street Journal, the topic is getting lots of media attention. It’s made me ponder the options for someone facing pain and adversity. This reminded me of talks I had with Wally Zergman, my uncle who lived in [...]
Has genetics become a new version of ‘predestination’?
Do our genetic makeup and hereditary background predetermine our longevity and health, regardless of how we live our lives? If so, isn’t this a contemporary version of John Calvin’s doctrine of predestination? Calvin said, among other things, that some individuals are set apart by God to be saved, while others are predestined to suffer. Although [...]










