Wednesday, March 28, 2018

People can teach themselves new skills in dreams


The idea of the surreal Hollywood blockbuster Inception, where people travel through someone's dreams to 'plant' an idea in his head may not be so out-there after all.

Researchers at Yale have found that 'lucid dreamers' - dreamers who have 'waking dreams' that they control - are able to learn new skills in their dreams. A team is now experimenting with the idea of 'training' people by telling them what to dream about.

People who can control their dreams can use the unusual ability to experience a sense of euphoria, as if they have accomplished something. But new research hints that people can actually 'use' dreaming as a tool to learn.

Being in command of dreams opens up opportunities to manipulate them for learning and training - although it may not be quite as precise as learning to play the violin while asleep.

Instead, 'lucid dreamers' can control areas of their brain to open up and 'learn' while they sleep. What's more, it seems that merely being a lucid dreamer seems to give you an advantage.

Researchers from Yale University found that lucid dreamers perform better in a gambling task, designed to test a part of the brain important to emotional decision-making and social interactions, said a report in New Scientist.

Peter Morgan at Yale University and colleagues think that this region can be trained. Him and his team are working on how to train people using dreams. Morgan hopes to be able to improve a person's social control and decision-making abilities. 

'We know that by engaging circuits in the brain we can change its architecture,' he says.

It's already been proven that people who practice tasks in dreams can be better at them in real life. 

One Swiss study, led by Daniel Erlacher of the University of Bern, showed that lucid dreamers who 'practiced throwing a coin into a cup were better at the real thing when they woke up.


Also read:

Monday, March 26, 2018

Jupiter Retrograde – Purify Body & Soul


If you've been feeling like your life is non-stop chaos lately, it's probably because Mercury & Jupiter are both in retrograde. That's right, you heard me. We're experiencing not one, but two retrogrades at the same time. Gather your bearings, take a deep breath, and stay calm. You can survive this, I assure you.

Turn inward for answers as giant Jupiter turns backward.

Giant Jupiter, the planet of expansion, growth and opportunity, became the planet of introversion and spirituality -- at least temporarily! (March 8 - July 10).

Jupiter retrograde happens once a year and lasts 120 days and provides us with the time and reflection to go over a big aspect of our life before jumping in.

Jupiter retrograde represents a time of philosophical or spiritual introspection and reflection. 

Additionally, this retrograde is in the sign of Scorpio, a deep thinking sign that illuminates our own shadows, so we will be able to see our own ugly behaviors and get off our high horse to purify our own actions. You can reflect on what ignites your soul and what makes you feel purposeful during this time.

This year the main theme of Jupiter retrograde is poisoning of your personal value system and morals that affects your physical health. Jupiter retrograde 2018 signals the right time to start detoxifying. It is time to purify your body and soul.

If you have been immoral, hypocritical or deceitful, Jupiter will present opportunities to reform this area of your life. If you need to detox your body because of substance abuse or poor diet, Jupiter proves the motivation and personal power to transform your physical body. 

While Jupiter is retrograde, we'll spend much time looking inward and relying on our own personal wisdom. We'll draw on this to explore the growth and changes we feel we need to transform our lives and put us on the path toward becoming the people we really want to be.

Instead of the happy-go-lucky planet pushing us to go go go, Jupiter will now go slow slow slow -- which means it's the perfect time to take a time out and examine our personal philosophies and reevaluate the beliefs that motivate us on a daily basis.

It's also a time to look at the details that are a part of our larger plan. Because Jupiter in forward-motion promotes activity and going out into the world, Jupiter backwards is all about knowing ourselves and our emotional life. Reconsider truths you previously thought to be self-evident. Are there any lies you've been telling yourself in order to get ahead? Re-examine these, and be more loyal to who you truly are.

Even in retrograde, Jupiter is all about finding the highest version of yourself. Use this time wisely -- it's a gift!


Also read:

Millionaires Don’t Need Astrologers, Billionaires Do


Astrology has been used over the centuries by kings, Popes such as Leo X and Paul III, and historical figures from Benjamin Franklin to President Reagan, all who have consulted with astrologers. Brilliant mathematicians, astronomers and scientists were also astrologers: Aristotle, Hippocrates, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Nostradamus, Galileo, Johannes Kepler, (considered to be the father of modern astronomy), Sir Isaac Newton and psychologist, Carl Jung. 

They trusted that the practice of astrology could provide valuable information to help them manage their affairs and make important decisions. Astrological interpretation offered them insightful analysis of the past, guidance to the future, and wise counsel they could depend on as being accurate. 

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the more famous people who have used astrology. Then, ask yourself if you think that these were “ignorant” people or just intelligent, practical people, who were a little ahead of their time.

John Pierpont Morgan was a wealthy American financier at the turn of the 20th Century who consulted often with a well-known astrologer, Evangeline Adams. She gave him the best timing to make important investments in such companies as U.S. Steel Corporation and the Great Northern & Pacific Railroad, as well as the Boer War. His use of astrology for business made him a billionaire, back in the early part of that century when a million dollars was a vast fortune. 

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most respected and famous people in colonial America. As history notes, Franklin was a publisher, inventor and statesman. Franklin was also Colonial America’s greatest astrologer. Historical research indicates that both Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, (who was another all-around philosophical, scientific genius, and fellow committee drafter) conspired to have the Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776, rather than on the July 2nd date urged by their fellow committee member, John Adams. Franklin knew the importance of choosing favorable astrological timing; and July 2, 1776 was bad! Instead, he picked a fabulous “astrological day” for America’s Founding Fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence.

President Theodore Roosevelt had strong ties to the world of astrology, too, and often quoted horoscopes. During the 1930’s and 1940’s in American history, astrologers ranked socially equal and as friends to politically and socially influential people. Having an astrologer, or even a psychic/medium consult with you was quite fashionable. Interesting how the times appear to change for collective social consciousness; yet, in the world of politics and government, astrologers and remote viewers are consulted regularly.

Ronald Reagan and his wife, First Lady, Nancy Reagan consulted astrologers regularly. Reagan had two inaugurations. He had his official and privately held on an auspicious astrological time for his entering the Presidency.

Walt Disney was the creative genius who created Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Disneyland and a vast entertainment empire. It was well known that Walt Disney used astrological timing for business purposes to assure successful openings for his movies and theme parks. In the process he made millions of dollars using this information.

You know those Apple product launch events that always seem to be so randomly timed? Those dates are chosen by Astrologers.

Mansa Musa I of Mali is the richest human being in history with a personal net worth of $400 billion! Guess what he used? Astrologers. Yes, Astrologers.

There are many successful companies that use astrology for business- Apple, JP Morgan Chase, in fact there are rumors that the US government also has a few astrologers on payroll.

Astrology is one of the most ancient metaphysical arts. Entire cities were built on the principals of astrology and the planets were once worshipped as gods. In fact, so many ancient civilizations relied on the formation of the planets to execute plans such as wars, planting of seeds and harvests.

The basic principal of astrology is “as above, so below” which means that the planets in our solar system have the ability to mirror what is happening here on earth, almost like they shine their influences on the earth to create certain energetic force fields.

The day you “birth” something, whether it be a business or idea, is very important in astrology as it foretells the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise and reveals the different energies surrounding it.

Because astrology gives us an understanding of the energies around us, we can learn to select days of action that will be more beneficial and more fruitful when it comes to business. Just the same, we can avoid days that perhaps would not be conducive to success.

Learning how to select the best astrological days goes deeper than just picking a lucky day. Choosing the best day also depends on the chart of the people behind the business and what constitution they were born with.

While this can get technical, by understanding your own astrological chart you can begin to learn what types of businesses and projects fall into your strengths and what types fall into your weaknesses.

If you are looking to Launch a Product, a Business or an Enterprise, then here is what you need to know about Astrology:

Full Moon: When the moon is full it signifies a completion of a project or the end of a cycle. During a full moon it’s the perfect time to reap your rewards and enjoy the bountiful harvest that is on offer. Launch products within a few days of the full moon.

New Moon: This is the time to start new projects or plant new “seeds”. While the full moon is good for endings, the new moon is perfect for beginnings.

Mercury Retrograde: the planet mercury rules communication, technology, moving parts and contracts. For this reason when mercury is in retrograde it is never a good time to launch a new project. Usually when a contract is signed on a mercury retrograde things are fraught with delays, things are not what they seem, or the contract is terminated earlier than expected. Mercury retrograde however, is a good time to reach out to old contacts or clients who you have worked with in the past. It’s also a good time to reconvene on old projects that perhaps were placed by the wayside.


Venus Retrograde: Venus is the goddess of beauty, love and also profits. When she is in retrograde projects launched often do not return as higher profit as expected. The same applies to making investments when Venus is retrograde.

Mars Retrograde: Mars is the god of the divine masculine, action, energy and war. When mars is in retrograde, projects are often delayed, or sluggish and perhaps don’t have the energy to get off the ground.

Jupiter Conjunct Sun: A fantastic and very abundant time for launching projects as long as mercury is not in retrograde. A fantastic day to sign contracts, make deals and to invest.

Saturn Return: This happens to everyone between the ages of 28-31. During this time we feel the urge to put our roots down and to establish ourselves in our chosen careers. The only risk here is that while Saturn gives us the power to create “roots” it also wants to ensure that we take responsibility and follow the law. For this reason, any businesses ventured to in this time that have dodgy or unfair practices could prove problematic or provide a much needed “wake up call”.

Regardless of when you choose to launch your business one thing is always for sure- it’s the energy that you put into it that achieves the results. Why not make things easier for yourself and pick the best day?


What some wise men, seers and other well known names have said about astrology:

It was in Poor Richard’s Almanac that Ben Franklin wrote about astrology, saying: “Oh the wonderful knowledge to be found in the stars. Even the smallest things are written there…if you had but skill to read.” 

President Theodore Roosevelt kept his horoscope mounted on a chess board in the oval office. When asked about it he would reply, “I always keep my weather eye on the opposition of my seventh house Moon to my first house Mars.” 

Donald Reagan, formerly Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff said: “It’s common knowledge that a large percentage of Wall Street brokers use astrology.”

The Philosopher Plato said: “Perhaps there is a pattern set up in the heavens for one who desires to see it, and having seen it, to find one in himself.”

Physicist Albert Einstein said: “Astrology is a science in itself and contains an illuminating body of knowledge. It taught me many things and I am greatly indebted to it.” 

 Physicist Sir Isaac Newton said in defence of astrology, to sceptic Edmund Halley: “I have studied the matter. You sir, have not”. 

 The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Astrology is astronomy brought down to earth and applied toward the affairs of man.” 

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine said: “A physician without the knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician.”

Author DH Lawrence said: “Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time.” 

Scientist Louis Pasteur said: “The controls of life are structured as forms and nuclear arrangements, in relation with the motions of the universe.” 

Mark Twain said: “I was born with Halley’s Comet and I expect to die upon its return,” and he did. 

Mathematician Pythagoras said: “The stars in the heavens sing a music if only we had ears to hear.” 

St. Thomas Aquinas told all who would listen: “The celestial bodies are the cause of all that takes place in the sublunar world.” 

Sir Francis Bacon, the father of modern science told us, “The natures and dispositions of men are, not without truth, distinguished from the predominance of the planets.” 

Confucius taught his followers that, “Heaven sends down its good and evil symbols and wise men act accordingly.” 

Dante called astrology, “The noblest of sciences.” 

Shakespeare said, in the person of King Lear…”The stars above govern our condition.” He follows that with “I was born sir, when the Crab was ascending: all my affairs go backwards.”

Goethe wrote an astrological description of his birth...”These auspicious aspects, which the astrologers subsequently interpreted for me, may have been the causes of my preservation.”

Dr. Carl Jung, one of the founding fathers of psychology said: “Astrology is assured recognition from psychology without further restrictions, because astrology represents the summation of all the knowledge of antiquity. The fact that it is possible to construct, in adequate fashion, a person’s character from the data of his nativity, shows the validity of astrology.” 

Astronomer Johannes Kepler, the author of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion wrote, “An unfailing experience of mundane events in harmony with the changes occurring in the heavens, has instructed and compelled my unwilling belief.”


Also read:

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Plant your own magical moon garden


The fact that flowers and certain plants can bloom at night is unknown to a lot of people. A moon garden is a good way to develop a deeper relationship with nature, and it provides a beautiful and fragrant backdrop for your moonlight rituals in the summer. If you plant these lovelies close to your house, you can open the windows and take advantage of their aromas as you sleep.

Many night-blooming plants are white, and give a luminous appearance in the moonlight. There are a number of plants that open at night, mix them in with silver foliage day bloomers.

Night Blooming Plants

Moonflower: Yes, it should be painfully obvious, but the Moonflower really does bloom at night. It releases a slightly lemony scent when it opens up, and during the day the white flowers are tightly shut. Some species of this climbing plant, a cousin of the Morning Glory, can get up to eight feet long. The flowers, when open, are around 5 - 6" in diameter.


Evening Primrose: This perennial spreads rapidly, and can cover a lot of ground for you. The pale pinkish-white flowers open at dusk, and release a sweet aroma.


Night Phlox: these pretties open up at dusk, and have a fragrance reminiscent of honey or vanilla.


Evening Stock: the tiny purple and pink flowers aren't very fancy, but they smell divine when they open at night.


Angel's Trumpet: Another vine, this annual spreads like crazy. Its trumpet-shaped, white flowers have a bell-like appearance when open.


Dutchman’s Pipe Cactus: These flowers do not last very long, a couple days at most, but they are beautiful and would be a great addition to your moon garden. These beauties are also called Queen of the Night.


Night Gladiolus: This plant isn't actually nocturnal, but that's when the creamy yellow flowers smell the strongest -- it's a very spicy scent that's a glorious addition to any night garden.


Four o’ Clock: These flowers are named thusly owing to their blooming at 4 and then closing when morning approaches. These bell shaped flowers come in a range of hues- blue, pink, yellow and so on.


Casablanca Lily: These hybrids of Oriental lilies are beautiful, big and have the sweetest smell.


Night Bloom Water Lily: This is one of the most beautiful flowers in existence. They are brilliantly coloured and big. They are summer bloomers and open at dusk.


Night Blooming Jessamine: These are green flowers that smell heavenly.


Dragonfuit Cactus: beautiful, exotic dragonfruit comes from a night-blooming cactus. But be on the lookout: its flower only opens up for a single night before withering the next morning. 


Gardenia Augusta: This Southern charmer releases its sweet scent on late summer evenings.


Rain Lilies: known primarily for opening up its fragrant blooms after a summer rain, a particular rain lily variety—Zephyranthes drummondii—is also nocturnal.


Tuberose: this fragrant summer bulb is said to hail from Mexico. Polianthes tuberosa shows tall spikes of white flowers that open at night, increasing its sweet fragrance. This richly fragrant bulb was a Victorian favorite.


Night Scented Orchid: The night scented orchid or epidemdrum nocturnum is a beautiful night blooming orchid native to tropical regions of Central and South America.  This orchid grow best in cool to warm conditions. It blooms from summer to fall.



Day Blooming White and Silver Plants

  • Dusty Millers
  • Silver Thyme
  • Lamb's Ears
  • Mugwort (Artemesia)
  • Silver Sage
  • White vegetables such as Alba eggplants or Baby Boo or Lumina pumpkins

Herbs and Flowers with Lunar Connections

  • Camphor
  • Eucalyptus
  • Gardenia
  • Jasmine
  • Moonwort
  • Sandalwood
  • Willow
  • Water Lily
  • Sleepwort

What to do With Your Moon Garden Plants
When you have plants that have blossomed under the powerful energy of a full moon, the possibilities are just about endless. Harvest the flowers and dry them to use in talismans or charms. Use them to dress a Moon Candle or as part of a purification bath. Include them in incense blends to help enhance your intuition and wisdom.


Warning. Some plants can be toxic and poisonous if you eat them. Be careful with your children and pets. Always do your reseach first. 

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Occultist: Alexandra David-NĂ©el (1868 – 1969)


Alexandra David-NĂ©el, born Louise EugĂ©nie Alexandrine Marie David (1868 – 1969), was a Belgian–French explorer, spiritualist, Buddhist, anarchist and writer. 

She is most known for her 1924 visit to Lhasa, Tibet when it was forbidden to foreigners. David-NĂ©el wrote over 30 books about Eastern religion, philosophy, and her travels, including Magic and Mystery in Tibet which was published in 1929. 

Her teachings influenced the beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, the populariser of Eastern philosophy Alan Watts, and the esotericist Benjamin Creme.

Like Blavatsky, Frenchwoman Alexandra David-NĂ©el had a colorful life—and might have had a promising career as an opera singer had she not injured her voice. Fortunately for us, she invested that same energy into her forays into mysticism, often going against the the will of the British government, consequently pushing further than any other Westerner before her. 

She became fluent in Sanskrit and Tibetan, traveled extensively in the Himalayas and gained unprecedented access to the Dalai Lama himself. 

Though she was already a Freemason and practitioner of various yoga techniques, she spent two years training in a remote cave in Sikkim, where she developed high-level psychic techniques such as the body-warming art of tummo. After her spartan training, she became the first white woman to enter the Forbidden City of Lhasa. 

David-NĂ©el’s life is a prime example of the importance of going beyond a particular school or system of methodology. To truly become a master, you’ve got to push yourself to the limits of what is mentally and physically possible.

"Suffering raises up those souls that are truly great; it is only small souls that are made mean-spirited by it".  -Alexandra David-Neel


Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Love, Melancholy, and Darkness - Poetry by Nichole McElhaney



You wanted me to be strong so I grew claws and fangs and learned to howl. You told me I was too wild; a thing that needed to be broken, tamed. You wanted me to be strong. 
You did not want me to be stronger than you.

When I was born my mother placed a gorgon inside my chest and whispered “turn all your passions to stone and you may keep them forever, but beware: an anchor can both save and sink its vessel”.

An old wives tale says if you can’t sleep it’s because you’re in someone else’s dream. 
You must be an insomniac by now.

My heart is a dark, romantic thing stitched together from velvet and honey.

Please don’t hate me for demonizing you;
I only know how to love wicked things.

She emerges from the gloom under the protection of a blood moon, secrets etched upon her palms, spells brewing in her rosebud mouth.

Her tangles are not a halo.
Her scars are not divine scripture.
Her screams are not hymns.
Loving her does not make her holy.

You are buried here like a seed waiting patiently to burst through these hollow bones. You have always been my ruin; you have always been my rebirth.

How many times have the fates bound us by needle and thread?
I’ve lost count, but the blades of my scissors have grown quite dull.

These summer months have dissolved on my tongue like the body of a God I never chose to worship.

I am a house without ghosts and I cannot think of anything more tragic.

Be a witch they cannot burn.

The loneliness echoes within me like an incantation; a summoning of something dark and desperate.

I keep trying to uproot you; pulling at your memory until my hands bleed. You grow back in the night, blooming in the hidden chambers of my heart.

{ important questions no one asks }
What is the life span of a ghost?
Is there an expiration date on revenge?

I am more than a place for you to store your sadness.

God is a dying beast and we are all guilty of having too much blood in our mouths.

How many bridges can I burn before I choke on all the ashes?

No one ever told you that nothing blooms in blood.

In my heart - a heavy ache. On my lips - the softest spoken spells.

Tell your daughter that they were given claws for a reason and, when they are afraid, show them why the power of women has been feared by millennia.

These days I feel like a forgotten opera house:
beautiful in my decay and full of music no one can hear.

Treat me as you would a cemetery: respectfully and with the knowledge that dead things dwell here.

Now that I am free of you I am burning brighter than ever, and believe me when I say,  I will
illuminate all those things you did in the dark.
{ be afraid, be very very afraid }

Maybe my heart is a garden of thorns, a forest of dark beasts,
a cathedral of shattered glass, a graveyard of rot;
maybe my heart is a lonesome and feral thing,
but it is mine, and it is strong.

All I have left is nostalgia dressed in heartache.

Your savior will not be a soft little thing made of light with a lullaby tongue; your savior will be an archaic tapestry of blazing eyes with a banshee’s wail. Sometimes the things that save us are monstrous.

You could spend your whole life hiding from the sun, but keep in mind that the moon loves to gossip.

I have wanted. I have needed. I will not apologize for this vessel, for this heart, for this hunger.

Do not let anyone tell you that you must make a choice between your softness and your sharp edges; A wise witch knows that in order to survive you must be both petal and thorn.

Winter is here and the wind is howling your name again.


Do not worry about your contradictions - Persephone is both floral maiden and queen of death.
You, too, can be both.

It’s becoming difficult to sing your praises with your hands around my throat.
{ a caged birds song is a cry for help }

Athena’s jealously made a monster of fair Medusa.
I often wonder what beauty my own demons have destroyed.

My wild heart craves shadows. Like a bat unfurling its wings. I open myself to darkness; I open myself to truth.

Take note of the girls who run with wolves:
they know the value of their wildness.

And the moon said to me - my darling daughter, you do not have to be whole in order to shine.

I may be full of darkness but I am also full of hope, and like Pandora, you’ll find I am impossible to resist.


The past is a prison and I refuse to be captive any longer.
{ it’s time to rescue yourself, princess }

My soul is in a state of perpetual Autumn.

My body is not a temple, for temple turn to ruin and rubble.
My body is a forest of bramble and thorn and hemlock.
I will not fade; I will devour.

Not everybody will know how to handle you, but you were not made for others.
Never be afraid to be your own kind of storm.

I no longer apologize for all the parts of myself that you didn’t know how to love.

I wanted to be the sacred grove where you worshipped;
what I became was the burial ground for the things you wished to leave behind.

Dark, tangled; the haunting scent of funeral roses, the sharpness of thorns, the despair that slumbers deep in the bones.

I am tired of carrying these ashes around from the flame that used to burn between us.

Even Atlas wasn’t burdened with as heavy a weight as the one you laid upon my shoulders.

I bloom and I rage and I weep; I am a garden of grief and glory.

{ alchemistress }
There is no greater power than that of a woman who has learned to turn salt water into flame.

I’ve written of you so often I think I’ve made you immortal.

Don’t spill your blood for someone who never learned how to appreciate the color red.


Do not judge others for how they choose to wear their crown.
There is no wrong way to be a queen.

I built my throne from the wreckage you left behind and now it’s your turn to get on bruised knees and beg.

A floral tomb for a dark queen; an underworld of whispers and ruin; this is where I dwell - this is where I burn.

I keep the ghost of my former self tucked away in a drawer.
She waits (im)patiently for the day you’ll return to mourn her.

I am drawn to things that glitter in the dark. Like a magpie, I collect them and keep them close to my heart.

The snow melts, taking your memory with it.
There is no room for you here in my blossoming Spring.

I still find you in the corners of my mouth, hidden, like a prayer.


Mother, how do I explain that he is softer than any petal growing in your garden?
Mother, how do I show you that I can make Spring bloom in the darkest parts of him?
Mother, how can I convince you to let me go?
- Persephone

Moth wing, fang, and thorn - I wear my darkness like a suit of armor.

Be careful with my tender heart;
it contains a hidden chamber of thorns.

You may have reduced me to embers,
but the smallest spark can start a wildfire.
{ handle me at your own risk }

I find solace in books and silence and flowers.
Always, always flowers.

Is this temple where lovers weep and ghosts chant forbidden hymns, I reside with my tender heart; palms clasped in a prayer only drowned gods dare answer.

I am a girl enchanted - a fairytale made flesh and bone.

I whisper all my secrets to the moon;
she understands the magic of living in shadows.

I wanted to be the girl with roses blooming on her tongue, and that is when I learned that speaking in flowers means having to choke down thorns.

I twist and turn within these bones - a changeling walking a tightrope of spider’s silk woven between this world and the next.

Buried sorrows blossom into toxic flora and I have been tending to a garden both beautiful and deadly.

I delight in this heavy silence of your absence. Here in the dark, we do not mourn monsters.

{ Hades }
I was crafted from this darkness - this ancient womb. I do not fear silence, emptiness: it is from these sacred seeds that life, and light, are born.



Nichole McElhaney is a poetess whose work is heavily influenced by mythology, witchcraft, love, loss, female empowerment, and her peculiar obsession with melancholy.

For more poetry check Nichole McElhaney's books on Amazon
Follow her on Facebook at @nicholemcelhaneypoetry
and Instagram at softspokenspells

Friday, March 2, 2018

Phobias may be memories passed down in genes from ancestors


Memories may be passed down through generations in DNA in a process that may be the underlying cause of phobias.

Memories can be passed down to later generations through genetic switches that allow offspring to inherit the experience of their ancestors, according to new research that may explain how phobias can develop.

Scientists have long assumed that memories and learned experiences built up during a lifetime must be passed on by teaching later generations or through personal experience.

However, a research has shown that it is possible for some information to be inherited biologically through chemical changes that occur in DNA.

Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, found that mice can pass on learned information about traumatic or stressful experiences – in this case a fear of the smell of cherry blossom – to subsequent generations.

The results may help to explain why people suffer from seemingly irrational phobias – it may be based on the inherited experiences of their ancestors.

So a fear of spiders may in fact be an inherited defence mechanism laid down in a families genes by an ancestors' frightening encounter with an arachnid.

Dr Brian Dias, from the department of psychiatry at Emory University, said: "We have begun to explore an underappreciated influence on adult behaviour – ancestral experience before conception.

"From a translational perspective, our results allow us to appreciate how the experiences of a parent, before even conceiving offspring, markedly influence both structure and function in the nervous system of subsequent generations.

"Such a phenomenon may contribute to the etiology and potential intergenerational transmission of risk for neuropsychiatric disorders such as phobias, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder."

In the study, which is published in the journal of Nature Neuroscience, the researchers trained mice to fear the smell of cherry blossom using electric shocks before allowing them to breed.

The offspring produced showed fearful responses to the odour of cherry blossom compared to a neutral odour, despite never having encountered them before.

The following generation also showed the same behaviour. This effect continued even if the mice had been fathered through artificial insemination.

The researchers found the brains of the trained mice and their offspring showed structural changes in areas used to detect the odour.

The DNA of the animals also carried chemical changes, known as epigenetic methylation, on the gene responsible for detecting the odour.

This suggests that experiences are somehow transferred from the brain into the genome, allowing them to be passed on to later generations.

The researchers now hope to carry out further work to understand how the information comes to be stored on the DNA in the first place.

They also want to explore whether similar effects can be seen in the genes of humans.

Professor Marcus Pembrey, a paediatric geneticist at University College London, said the work provided "compelling evidence" for the biological transmission of memory.

He added: "It addresses constitutional fearfulness that is highly relevant to phobias, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders, plus the controversial subject of transmission of the ‘memory’ of ancestral experience down the generations.

"It is high time public health researchers took human transgenerational responses seriously.

"I suspect we will not understand the rise in neuropsychiatric disorders or obesity, diabetes and metabolic disruptions generally without taking a multigenerational approach.”

Professor Wolf Reik, head of epigenetics at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, said, however, further work was needed before such results could be applied to humans.

He said: "These types of results are encouraging as they suggest that transgenerational inheritance exists and is mediated by epigenetics, but more careful mechanistic study of animal models is needed before extrapolating such findings to humans.”

It comes as another study in mice has shown that their ability to remember can be effected by the presence of immune system factors in their mother's milk Dr Miklos Toth, from Weill Cornell Medical College, found that chemokines carried in a mother's milk caused changes in the brains of their offspring, affecting their memory in later life.

[telegraph]