Report Preamble 23rd November 2019

 Dear Member, Member Candidate, or Site Explorer,

 My previous report was my 2^nd one on how to safeguard yourself against ever having a stroke or heart attack.

 Today I am publishing my 2^nd report on anti-aging. As you will find, how long you will live, and how healthily, is not only a question of eating the right things and doing the right amount of exercise, but even more a question of mental attitude towards your life situation. In other words of how happy you are with your life, and how meaningful it feels.

Enjoy the report! I hope you will find it useful.

WANT TO STOP AGING?

Then free your mind

from space and time

First, let´s define the meaning of the word aging, and how we value it.  In our contemporary, mainly materialistic society we tend to see it as something negative, that reduces the value and utility of the thing or person who has aged.

Socially, therefore, aging is seen as something to be shunned and covered up at every cost. It means we are idealizing the outer, material, sexual aspect of ourselves, even though it should be obvious that it´s the invisible qualities like knowledge, experience, wisdom, solidarity, helpfulness and love that are the most important aspects of a human being.

However, even in materialistic and monetary terms, aging can take on a positive value. As in aged wine, or in a rare, antique artefact or work of art. When this happens, it´s because it provides a sensual, psychological or emotional satisfaction, not one of practical, material utility. But then, in the last analysis, ALL value finally comes down to a psychological or emotional satisfaction from the ownership, use or enjoyment of an object or service. 

A combination of both ways of measuring value can be seen, when for instance an old, experienced expert can produce material values that a young, inexperienced worker cannot. Then the increased value is derived from immaterial knowledge or information that can be translated into a usable, material value.

In traditional, more spiritually based societies than our present one, age and the resulting experience and wisdom used to be respected, valued and cherished. And this is still the case in some old cultures, such as Asian, Native American and African cultures, in spite of their recent industrialization. Although I have to admit that even there, the influence of the industrialized, European-American cult of money and individual power seems to affect the younger generations into valuing their elders less than before. Even so, for instance in Thailand, people in general treat their elders with much more respect, attention and care, than we see nowadays in Europe and the US.

But let´s now discuss the subject of aging from the personal point of view, meaning that we need to free ourselves from depending on other people´s opinions, values or behavior, and learn to create our own independent reality in terms of aging.

I am totally aware that anything I am telling you here is easier said than done. But that doesn´t mean it´s impossible. Just that it´ll take some enhanced awareness, a different perspective than we are typically taught in school or by our institutions and media, and some individual effort.

86 years old, and with an active, multifaceted international life behind me, I would be ashamed of myself, if I hadn´t accumulated a certain amount and quality of experience. And when I add 40 years of professional involvement with all aspects of health to the equation, I hope I may have some valid and valuable advice to offer on the subject of aging.

I have no need or reason to claim that I appear younger than I am, but it´s a fact that people, who did not know me, consistently guessed me about 20 years younger than I actually was. Ever since I was around 50. And it was not only from my looks. For proof, maybe the photos on this homepage will do? – The one in a raincoat was taken when I was 80, and the one sitting during a video-filmed-interview was filmed in 2016, when I was 82.

Now, to account for that, I have no doubt there must be a combination of several factors. Among them we may find a genetic aspect, an aspect of food quality, of having got enough sleep, etc. BUT, I firmly believe that the principal factor has been my mindset. I have had an optimistic mindset all my life, and I have always lived in the future, engaged in projects of some kind; never got stuck in memories of the past, whether painful or joyful. I have had my emotional traumas, like most everybody, but I have managed to get over them and leave them behind, without lasting damage.

It´s important to understand that emotional traumas and stress are the principal causes of both illness and premature aging. Not material circumstances, like bad food, bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. Obviously all these can cause illness, but very seldom if your immune system is in good order. And the immune system is extremely sensitive to stress and emotional traumas, as well as to lack of sleep and appropriate nutrition.

Perhaps I should first of all, admit that no human being can live forever. Nor would we want to, at the core of our spiritual being.

And, having accepted that inescapable truth, let´s then put into perspective the question of length and quality of life. There is a wise motto attributed to George Meredith, saying “Don´t count the years – let the years count!” – Thus it´s humbling to note that many of Humanity´s greatest minds and benefactors lived very short, yet intensely productive lives, that allowed them to contribute permanently to our progress as a species, and to our most precious cultural, artistic, philosophical and scientific treasures.