Thank you Roland for drawing inspiration and sharing your thoughts!
I found the point around family members with higher levels of anxiety having taken on much of the work and deserving respect and gratitude very powerful; it illustrates the one-ness we neatly categorize away in our highly structured society. Also your reflection on destroying nature-embodied wisdom hurting us, with old people but no elders in response.. I think we’re seeing a lot of that already. Thank you this refreshing birds-eye perspective on small snippets we’d usually look at in isolation only.
Thank you Roland for sharing important views regarding how we look at dementia.
I particularly like the connection you make between our loss of the old growth (elders) in our ancient forests, having an underlying effect on us. Even though we’re not consciously aware of it.
I think this carries over in to other areas as well, eg: loss of large Chinook Salmon which affects Whale populations, loss of colonies of migrating bird populations and so on. All of this weighs heavily on many of us, as stored trauma.
Lovely to hear these thoughts Roland. I work every week with people who have a variety of types of dementia. I agree with what you are saying – I related a lot through emotions and it is such a rewarding experience. Time is now. All your thoughts also about how to allow ourselves the rest, the time away from business of the mind can help us to keep ourselves in balance. and how a person or persons in a family group will take on the worries etc. and need to be thanked. Perhaps in the future we can help that person not take it all on and we can all be healthier together? Hugs, Laura
Thx Roland – this has given me some new thoughts to ponder. My non-idential twin is in memory care , comfort care only now, as she is in the later stages of Alzheimers. She often still experiences severe anxiety, and tries to organize other residents by saying and thinking she is organizing business meetings. She often cannot rest or meditate in a way that would allow her some calm and healing. She loves nature and does “leaf art” when she is at her best, but with the current cold, is unable in Edmonton to go out enough to benefit enough from its potential gifts. She does love looking out the window at the squirrels and trees, and that can calm and please her for awhile. Sometimes music helps, and sometimes various physical movement activities, but knowing she is loved by family and either to see us or hear our voices has the greatest capacity to calm her.
Good to hear thoughts relating to old growth as a source of information we resonate with… I too am concerned about removing protections on these regions, how this has happened the world over, dislocating our psyches development as well.
Thanks Roland, I hear you speaking to some ways to perhaps ‘avoid’ dementia, slowing down, mindful of poisons, meditation etc. i also heard you say how being with someone with dementia can help us slow down and being with as respect.
My lingering and running question is about the relationship with consciousness when demented. who will i be when in the advanced stage of dementia? i am not alone in fearing dementia. I’ve seen people i love basically disappear from ‘normal’ reality. not knowing me or anyone, being nearly vegitative. From this side of that potential experience, i feel i’d rather not live or certainly linger (as my mom did for 2-3 yrs). what was her ‘life’ in that state’? no apparent knowing or awareness. was her purpose collectively to draw out compassion and grief in her children?
in our society, the really demented are more or less warehoused, spoon feed for as long as they open their mouth to the touch of a spoon. there are prohibitions against stop feeding them as they waste away physically and disappear relationally.
in canada we have MAID as you know. Medical assistance in dying. but no ‘advanced medical directive covers this incredible state of being or non being.
dementia is extremely hard on the ‘surviving’ love ones….time commitments, financially, emotionally and more and becoming a growing part of an already broken medical system. Yes, i know dementia is a symptom of a larger fracture and of the poly crisis…but….. i have these wonderings. i own my fear of becoming this (no signs yet at 78) and the burden on my family and limited resources.
any, this is part of what came up for me while watching and part of my walking question in the past few years of dealing some other life threatening more manageable situations.
Thank you so much Roland for your experience and guidance.
This is fruitful information for discussions with my group that is making preparation for aging and death.
Lovely Video Roland; thanks do much
Thank you Roland for drawing inspiration and sharing your thoughts!
I found the point around family members with higher levels of anxiety having taken on much of the work and deserving respect and gratitude very powerful; it illustrates the one-ness we neatly categorize away in our highly structured society. Also your reflection on destroying nature-embodied wisdom hurting us, with old people but no elders in response.. I think we’re seeing a lot of that already. Thank you this refreshing birds-eye perspective on small snippets we’d usually look at in isolation only.
Thank you Roland for sharing important views regarding how we look at dementia.
I particularly like the connection you make between our loss of the old growth (elders) in our ancient forests, having an underlying effect on us. Even though we’re not consciously aware of it.
I think this carries over in to other areas as well, eg: loss of large Chinook Salmon which affects Whale populations, loss of colonies of migrating bird populations and so on. All of this weighs heavily on many of us, as stored trauma.
Once again, thank you for your insight.
Lovely to hear these thoughts Roland. I work every week with people who have a variety of types of dementia. I agree with what you are saying – I related a lot through emotions and it is such a rewarding experience. Time is now. All your thoughts also about how to allow ourselves the rest, the time away from business of the mind can help us to keep ourselves in balance. and how a person or persons in a family group will take on the worries etc. and need to be thanked. Perhaps in the future we can help that person not take it all on and we can all be healthier together? Hugs, Laura
This is so beautiful, Roland, thank you.
Thx Roland – this has given me some new thoughts to ponder. My non-idential twin is in memory care , comfort care only now, as she is in the later stages of Alzheimers. She often still experiences severe anxiety, and tries to organize other residents by saying and thinking she is organizing business meetings. She often cannot rest or meditate in a way that would allow her some calm and healing. She loves nature and does “leaf art” when she is at her best, but with the current cold, is unable in Edmonton to go out enough to benefit enough from its potential gifts. She does love looking out the window at the squirrels and trees, and that can calm and please her for awhile. Sometimes music helps, and sometimes various physical movement activities, but knowing she is loved by family and either to see us or hear our voices has the greatest capacity to calm her.
Good to hear thoughts relating to old growth as a source of information we resonate with… I too am concerned about removing protections on these regions, how this has happened the world over, dislocating our psyches development as well.
Everything is everything.
Thank you Roland for sharing your thoughts and insights, with wellness … Monika
Thanks Roland, I hear you speaking to some ways to perhaps ‘avoid’ dementia, slowing down, mindful of poisons, meditation etc. i also heard you say how being with someone with dementia can help us slow down and being with as respect.
My lingering and running question is about the relationship with consciousness when demented. who will i be when in the advanced stage of dementia? i am not alone in fearing dementia. I’ve seen people i love basically disappear from ‘normal’ reality. not knowing me or anyone, being nearly vegitative. From this side of that potential experience, i feel i’d rather not live or certainly linger (as my mom did for 2-3 yrs). what was her ‘life’ in that state’? no apparent knowing or awareness. was her purpose collectively to draw out compassion and grief in her children?
in our society, the really demented are more or less warehoused, spoon feed for as long as they open their mouth to the touch of a spoon. there are prohibitions against stop feeding them as they waste away physically and disappear relationally.
in canada we have MAID as you know. Medical assistance in dying. but no ‘advanced medical directive covers this incredible state of being or non being.
dementia is extremely hard on the ‘surviving’ love ones….time commitments, financially, emotionally and more and becoming a growing part of an already broken medical system. Yes, i know dementia is a symptom of a larger fracture and of the poly crisis…but….. i have these wonderings. i own my fear of becoming this (no signs yet at 78) and the burden on my family and limited resources.
any, this is part of what came up for me while watching and part of my walking question in the past few years of dealing some other life threatening more manageable situations.
Roland this was a very helpful video, thank you; your gentleness is a balm in this turbulent time!
Thank you so much Roland for your experience and guidance.
This is fruitful information for discussions with my group that is making preparation for aging and death.