New cellular rejuvenation findings echo our capacity for inner-transformation

While listening to yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s Morning Edition, I was fascinated by Rob Stein’s story about the latest advancement in stem cell research that were recently reported in the journal Nature.

Due to the controversy surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells, scientist Haruko Obokata and her team of Japanese researchers explored an entirely new avenue for generating stem cells that could potentially be used for promising medical treatments in the future.

Extracting cells from young mice in the laboratory, the research team injured the young cells to a point of near death, but not quite to the point of collapse. What they discovered was, upon reaching an extreme stress point, these cells reverted back to a “stem cell state.”  In this stem cell state, all forms of body tissue can be created and repaired, which is what makes stem cells so valuable.  The breakthrough in this research was that scientists had no idea that our bodies could turn back the clock on cells on their own.

These groundbreaking findings excited me — why you might ask? As a transformative therapist who helps people rejuvenate by metabolizing past trauma through their bodies to unlock the power of their youthful selves left behind in those traumatic or stressful moments, I have seen this “cellular” rejuvenation process in action.  I have the gift of being able to watch this transformation take place right before my eyes. . .

The whole process. . .

. . .from starting with an immobilized, stunted aspect of the person,

. . .to activation of the stress contained in the body trauma memory

. . .to amplifying it to its fullest potency,

. . .to seeing the breakthrough occur where the younger, disowned self rejoins with the current-day self to create a new, more powerful, authentic person.

In other words, inner alchemy.

As part scientist, part meta-physicist, I really love it when these two worlds join in their understanding of reality.

As George Daily, a scientist from Harvard who was not involved in the research and was interviewed for his reaction to the findings remarked, “I cannot remember reading a paper and feeling so amazed and perplexed at the same time. Its truly a startling result.”

In Daily’s words. . .these findings usher in “Whole new ways of thinking about cellular alchemy.”