Works of Love Newsletter
Stephen G. Post
Lucidity in Deeply Forgetful People
Dear Friends:
Happy Holidays. Please enjoy this brief clip from NBC TV news on love for deeply forgetful people, aired on Dec. 18, 2024, NBC.
It was stimulated by our national Gallop-assisted survey on how caregivers respond to unexpected episodes of lucidity entitled "Lucidity in deeply forgetful people: A national U.S. survey of caregivers' reactions," in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, November 2024 (Stephen G Post , John Paul Ross, Rebecca Bonhag and Wei-Hsin Lu). Despite the prevalence and challenge of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, important glimmers of hope arise during lucid moments. Caregivers, often burdened, can be inspired by such moments. The study explored emotional responses to the episodes of unexpected lucidity in deeply forgetful people that about half of the primary caregivers witness in striking ways. It aims to highlight the significance and varying reactions to these episodes, and how they uplift caregivers. Most of caregivers find moments of lucidity essential to their having meaning and hope in their activities. This is a holiday theme in that most family members visit their loved ones during these sacred days, and need to realize that to a significant degree, "grandma is still there." This study is evidence that even though "deeply forgetful," these people have much to offer and should be included rather than excluded. But we have to notice them.
Nice article on why noticing continuity of a self deep into dementia matters to caregivers.
Please Donate
Also, please donate to us if you can. Read our annual appeals letter, which summarizes the many very successful activities of the Institute. We have stayed in touch with you because of a shared enthusiasm for the mix of spiritual and scientific questions around such love for which the Institute has become known internationally. Our seven themes have not changed since inception, and I will express them here in the form of a mantra meditation, Pure Unlimited Love: Seven Everyday Ways for You to Heal the World.
May you give and glow
May you heal with kindness
May you raise kind children
May you follow your calling
May you know the Inner Peace
May you cherish nature as a Gift
May you honor the spirit of freedom.
Your help in the past has enabled us to help plan and participate in a research project at NYU Langone on positive emotions and spiritual transformation in patients in the U.S. and U.K. after resuscitation. This was published by the Annals of the New York Academy Of Sciences, with a follow-up event at the New York Academy of Sciences. This was recognized as the top cited article for 2022-2023. In a somewhat related article to appear in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease which is about to appear, we consider the impact that witnessed experiences of unexpected lucidity have on the meaning that family caregivers find in their important sacrifice.
To preserve its unique mission long term, the Institute is a completely free-standing and unaffiliated 501c3 non-profit public charity. All gifts are used to carry out our mission. Not a penny goes to salary support. Please send a donation that befits the value of our unique work. Donations can be in any amount. Please enclose a check if you are able to. Make your check payable to: Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and mail to Institute at PO Box 1516 - Stony Brook, NY 11790.
As an alternative, you can also give securely via Pay Pal online, 24/7 at unlimitedloveinsititute.org.
Thanks and enjoy the holidays.
Stephen G. Post, PhD, Founder and President (2001-current)
The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love
unlimitedloveinstitute.org
stephengpost.com
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