The Toronto Blessing and the Kundalini Experience: a Comparative Perspective

Hedendaags word die korrekte benadering jeens ander godsdienste gepropageer as dié van verdraagsaamheid. Daarmee word gepoog om aan elke godsdiens bestaansreg te verleen. Verder word gepoog om elke godsdiens in eie reg te verstaan, dus sonder vooroordele. Die benadering het egter ’n ander moontlik onverwagte aspek na die voorgrond gebring, naamlik dat daar ook ooreenkomste tussen verskillende godsdienste bestaan. Wat die saak meer interessant maak is dat van hierdie ooreenkomste sake is wat vroeër as eksklusief behorende tot die Christendom beskou is. Een so ’n interessante ooreenkoms word aangetref wanneer die sogenaamde geestelike ervarings wat gepaard gaan met die ‘Toronto Blessing’ in die Charismatiese beweging vergelyk word met die gepaardgaande ervarings van die ‘Kundalini Awakening’ in Hinduïsme. Hierdie ooreenkoms bring onvermydelik ’n skaduwee oor die aanspraak van sommige van die Charismate dat die ervarings van die ‘Toronto Blessing’ verklaar kan word as uitsluitlik die werk van die Heilige Gees binne ’n Christelike konteks. In hierdie studie word dit ondersoek of hierdie ervaringe wat deel vorm van die Toronto Blessing, beskou kan word as eksklusief behorende tot die Christendom, of is dit ervarings wat aangebring word deur die toepassing van sekere menslike tegnieke. Die konklusie waartoe in hierdie artikel gekom word, is dat die ervaringe van die Toronto Blessing nie eenvoudig allesinsluitend toegeskryf kan word aan die werk van die Heilige Gees nie

All-d-Enantiomer of β-Amyloid Peptide Forms Ion Channels in Lipid Bilayers

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of senile dementia in aging populations. Amyloid β (Aβ)-mediated dysregulation of ionic homeostasis is the prevailing underlying mechanism leading to synaptic degeneration and neuronal death. Aβ-dependent ionic dysregulation most likely occurs either directly via unregulated ionic transport through the membrane or indirectly via Aβ binding to cell membrane receptors and subsequent opening of existing ion channels or transporters. Receptor binding is expected to involve a high degree of stereospecificity. Here, we investigated whether an Aβ peptide enantiomer, whose entire sequence consists of d-amino acids, can form ion-conducting channels; these channels can directly mediate Aβ effects even in the absence of receptor–peptide interactions. Using complementary approaches of planar lipid bilayer (PLB) electrophysiological recordings and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that the d-Aβ isomer exhibits ion conductance behavior in the bilayer indistinguishable from that described earlier for the l-Aβ isomer. The d isomer forms channel-like pores with heterogeneous ionic conductance similar to the l-Aβ isomer channels, and the d-isomer channel conductance is blocked by Zn2+, a known blocker of l-Aβ isomer channels. MD simulations further verify formation of β-barrel-like Aβ channels with d- and l-isomers, illustrating that both d- and l-Aβ barrels can conduct cations. The calculated values of the single-channel conductance are approximately in the range of the experimental values. These findings are in agreement with amyloids forming Ca2+ leaking, unregulated channels in AD, and suggest that Aβ toxicity is mediated through a receptor-independent, nonstereoselective mechanism

Mysticism: a way of unknowing

The phenomenon of mysticism has been a cause of intense debate for philosophers, religionists, and theologians for centuries. Interest in mysticism is particularly vibrant in the 21st century, not only among the afore-mentioned, but also from other diverse sectors of society. This is evidenced in the plethora of material dealing with various aspects of mysticism. Negative or apophatic mysticism is eliciting greater attention, both in the academy and in society in general and many of the misconceptions surrounding this concept are currently under scrutiny. It is clear that apophatic mysticism — the “way of unknowing” or “nothingness” — belongs to the essence of the spiritual path. A short survey of this concept in some of the major religious traditions, together with an analysis of the place of apophasis in Christianity, brings this pertinent area of study into greater focus