4/13/11  The photo you see to your left is a bisected human brain I had the privilege to hold in my hands about a year ago this time while attending the 2nd Annual Cognitive Science Convention at UC Berkeley by invitation of my daughter, a UC Berkeley student.  Um, the perks of being a "Berkeley Mom".  Holding a human brain (or even a half a brain) is so stupendous, awesome, and very humbling!  I used to like to explore anatomical "parts" of fish & game that my father brought home as a child.  Never, did I imagine that I would ever behold a human brain in my hands!

Hmmm....respectfully, who was the dweller of this brain?  How do we separate sentience, cognitive awareness, spiritual awareness and memory?  What is memory about--not just memory in this lifetime (the kind we interdisciplinary clinicians test for routinely, e.g. short-term & long term memory), but also archetypal memory, inter-generational memory, cellular memory, and even cultural memory?  How are our personalities really developed?  What makes "us" US?  Philosophers, poets, theologins, spiritual masters, scientists & doctors have been asking these questions from the beginning of time.  `T'is great to be alive!  `T'is great to appreciate beauty, art, the senses, relationships and love!