Hello and welcome to my roundup of the best of mind, body and soul as found by my spending entirely too much time surfing the internets.  Today I have sleep deprivation and madness, power and trust, gratitude in the midst of recession, helpful herpes, failed antioxidants, and the power of peanut flour, to name just a few.  Dig in and enjoy the most excellent posts-

Regarding the Mind-

At the New Scientist, Emma Young turns conventional wisdom on lack of sleep and mental illness on its head, with new evidence that insomnia may cause, rather than stem from mental illness, thus confirming my prediction of a rash of mad scientists in the future.

At Reverse Thinking, John Eaton takes a close look at the idea that you can have too much empathy, and presents an insightful analysis of the subtle difference in focus between good and bad empathy.

At Storied Mind, John takes an introspective look at the thought processes that often cause men to disconnect from family and society in the midst of depression.

Regarding the Soul-

At Mormon Mentality, Jeff Bennion gives new  life to the old “practice what you preach” cliche, with a nice little analogyinvolving chicken feed put to him by a convert during his  Mormon mission in Belgium.

At Online Nursing Degrees, Jeniffer Rottman examines the ultimate source of power for the nursing profession in this time of recession and a public crisis of confidence.  In a brilliantly written post, she explains that the key for nursing, really for all medical professionals, is a matter of trust.

The Normal Mormon Husband draws a powerful spiritual lesson about gratitude from a group of people he would never have expected, as they all faced the loss of their jobs.  Is this Karl Marx’ opiate of the masses or wisdom and truth at work?  I’ll let you decide.

Regarding the Mind and Soul-

The Catatonic Kid shares a humorous vignette about an Obsessive Compulisive student trying to learn from his Buddhist mentor, that reminds me rather a lot of the first time I tried cognitive behavioral therapy in the counsellor’s office.

The Anesthesioboist explains the fundamental and undeniable importance of memorization in enabling us to move on to greater learning and realization, and then moves beyond memorization into the spiritual realm, hoping we all will take the opportunity to learn something by heart.

At the Reconciliation Blog, Edward Gilbreath reviews the lives of an unlikely pair of icons that modeled in their professional life exactly what reconciliation is all about in a tribute to Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

Regarding the Body-

Much to the disappointment of GNC salesmen everywhere, it is now official that antioxidants do not reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke, at least according to  Everything Health and Dr. Toni Brayer’s analysis of the latest research.  The data still remain that fruits and vegetables are good for you.  So I am sure the vitamin industry, has the next big vegetable byproduct waiting around the corner for mass production.  In the meantime, try actual produce.

At Not Exactly Rocket Science, Ed Yong reposts an old report on a fascinating study in mice that provides evidence that Herpes virus infection has an upside in protecting mice, and perhaps us as well, from other, more deadly infections.

In some good news for those suffering from the rising tide of severe peanut allergies, Reuters reports on a British study where researchers were able to soften the effects of peanut allergy by slowly building up tolerance using peanut flour.

or All the Above-

At DNR/DNI, Leo Levy continues where he left off last week with a rather disturbing, yet gripping tale of a code hamstrung by ambiguity about the patient’s wishes, which showed just how difficult the principle of patient autonomy can be in the face of the emotions and perspective of the caregivers.

At Change Therapy, Isabella Mori is jolted by the ugly appearance of gang violence in her hometown and interviews a friend to get a perspective on how to end the cycle of violence that Ghandi or Bishop Desmond Tutu would have been proud of.

At Goodbyes, a blog by Debra Ruder dedicated to the salient perspectives on life that occur facing its end, comes the experience of Joanna Beraued, a hospital Polish interpreter who is awakened in the middle of the night to recieve the dying declaration of a complete stranger.

At Mind Hacks, Vaughan reports the deep and surprising historical relationship between Catholic Sainthood and Epilepsy, noting that while many a simple reductionist has tried to explain away visionaries using siezures, there is at least one fascinating case in which the connection is undeniable.

I will be out of town this next week as I take a crash course in neuropathology.  Hopefully this can tide you over until then.  Check out the Valentine’s edition of Change of shift at the Crazy Miracle callled Life,  if you are still hungry for more, or you might check out the very first medical librarian carnival for something new.  Enjoy.