Angels of Empathy
May 8, 2019
When many people think of Reno, they think of quickie divorces, Johnny Cash, gambling, or Comedy Central cop mockumentaries. Arguably the last thing they think of is mind-body regeneration.
Well, this last weekend proved that when it comes to the alternative wellness scene, this city is really coming into its own. World-renowned health experts gathered here for the BioRegenesis Conference to talk all things holistic healing, detoxification, regenerative agriculture, marine therapy, deuterium depletion, morphogenetic fields, etc. I couldn’t believe the headliners when I first saw the list of speakers. Two of them had helped me immensely in my own healing journey.
What are the odds that I would meet two of my health heroes, Dr. Chris Shade and Dr. Zach Bush, in the course of fifteen minutes and that Kelly Gallagher, a mover and shaker in the alternative wellness world, would witness my emotional interactions with them? Kelly happened to be standing next to me when I approached Dr. Chris Shade and explained to him that his heavy metal detoxification concepts had helped me regain control of my mind three years ago.
How do you begin to thank someone who helped give your life back? Words are forever insufficient. Moved by my gratitude to Dr. Shade and to the description of my transformation, Kelly would invite me to the “big kids’ table” where Dr. Zach Bush and Dr. William Lee Cowden were seated, and where I would get the opportunity to tell more of my story.
“I’ve come to believe that schizophrenics are ‘angels of empathy,’” Zach would tell me, after I thanked him for his formula, Restore, which had helped me repair my gut lining, and told him about my project whose aim is to completely overhaul our understanding of schizophrenia. I told him about how “schizophrenia” is a dead word that needs replacing.
Zach couldn’t agree more, having witnessed the transformation of a nineteen-year old who first came to his office schizophrenic and months later returned “sacredphrenic.” In other words, he had stabilized mentally and emotionally to the point where what I call the “gifts” started streaming in. Dr. Bush witnessed a spiritual download in that young man like few he has ever seen, an electrifying monologue on the topic of empathy.
It was a goose bump-inducing weekend, in more ways than I can say in this post. I can’t tell you how good it feels to have your ideas confirmed by a public figure whose mind you greatly respect, and who assisted you in your own recovery. Thirty minutes previously, Zach Bush had brought down the house with his speech. It was one of the greatest calls to action I have ever seen. Now here he was telling me that he believed in what I’m doing, and that he would love to help me in some capacity.
At the end of the conference, while the final panel was being conducted, Kelly Gallagher went to the microphone and said she had met someone inspiring during the conference. Much to my surprise, she asked if I would come up to the front and tell a little about my story, as well as speak a little about my interactions with Dr. Shade and Dr. Bush. As nervous as I was, it ended up being a decent little speech. Part of it was captured on video. If I could go back, I would only fix my poor posture! We live and we learn.
The events of this last weekend are a further reminder to me that we have some seriously daunting work cut out for us, but that an unbelievably huge-hearted and intelligent guiding force exists in this universe that will show us where we need to go if we simply allow it to take the reins. Thank you, Reno tribe, for bringing your A-game to this conference. Thank you, Dr. Jery, for creating it or “manifesting it,” as you put it. Thank you, Marla Richardson, for your hard work organizing the event. Thank you, Angela Perry, for encouraging me to volunteer so I could attend it for free. Thank you, Ashley Ahmadzai, for the video and the group shot. Thank you, Erica Eng, for the enjoyable dinner after the conference. Thank you, Kelly Gallagher, for seeing me. Thank you, Dr. Chris Shade and Dr. Zach Bush, for your game-changing contributions to the field. Thank you to the rest of the speakers for enlightening us regarding many of the dilemmas we face, and some ways forward.
I’m continually learning how true that old saying really is: it’s always darkest just before the dawn.