Breakthrough Periodicals

Once upon a time before there was any need for the term "junk mail," the closing clunk of the mailbox at home was occasion for an enthusiastic rush to the front hall. Now we haul in inches of paper every day . . . but a few diamonds not automatically tabbed for recycling do arrive from time to time. The periodicals that follow have to do with body, mind and spirit. They quicken the pulse and brighten the eyes, and are worth while penciling in an appointment to curl up with on the recliner.

Intuition - A Magazine for the Higher Potential of the Mind explores the many forms taken by intuition and the creative process. A 60-page glossy bi-monthly published in association with The Intuition Network, Intuition keeps to its remarkably broad theme with articles, interviews, book reviews and news of people in situations that are examples of intuition and creativity. This is a great companion to The Monthly Aspectarian to acquaint you with who is doing what in these fields. Single copies are $4.95 in the U.S.; subscriptions are $19.95 for a year. Send your request to 2570 West El Camino Real, Suite 308, Mountain View, CA 94040; phone (415) 949-4240; fax (415) 917-8905.

Consider all the good things offered with a membership to The Institute for the Noetic Sciences! ("Noetic: derived from the Greek word nous, meaning mind, intelligence or ways of knowing. Therefore, 'noetic sciences' span the scholarly, scientific study of consciousness, the mind and human potential as well as knowledge that is received intuitively, instinctively and spiritually. The noetic sciences are interdisciplinary, focused especially on the fields of science, mind-body health, psychology, the healing arts and sciences, the social sciences and spirituality.") An inspiration of astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the Institute has for almost a quarter century been a leader in the field of consciousness studies.

Becoming a member for $35 or more "will enable you to support pioneering research that seeks a better understanding of mind-body health, the role of spirit in healing, and what it means to live in a healthy society."

To further that end, you'll receive a year's subscription to three publications not available on the newsstands. One is the enthralling, never-long-enough quarterly Noetic Sciences Review, a 52-page journal with in-depth articles covering a broad spectrum of consciousness concerns that "helps to provide consciously aware people with tools for personal growth and transformation and ways to link personal transformation to the transformation of society." The quarterly Noetic Sciences Bulletin provides a forum for members to stay current on the latest Institute news and communicate with each other. (In the Chicago area and all over the world, groups convene to discuss recent issues.) Then there's ReSource, an well-annotated catalog of books and tapes on noetic subjects. As of this date, membership will bring you a free bonus of the bestselling book, The Life We Are Given by George Leonard and Michael Murphy. Other splendid books, audios and videos are offered as a bonus for varied membership levels.

To learn more about The Institute for the Noetic Sciences, call (415) 331-5650, fax (415) 331-5673 or write to 475 Gate Five Road, Suite 300, Sausalito, CA 94965-0909.

If you're a woman or care about one, here's a holistic health perspective you've been waiting to read. The monthly newsletter, Health Wisdom for Women, is written by Christiane Northrup, M.D. (author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom), and for good reason is on my list of especially anticipated subscriptions. Dr. Chris, who has a thriving practice as an OB/GYN, comes across caring, creative and confidential as she discusses women's health issues (interlaced body, emotions, mind, spirit). A perk: subscribers receive a special phone number that brings a monthly high consciousness message you probably haven't heard before. (Her approach is always new to me, and I've had my ear to the ground for a long time.) I'm a fan of Christiane Northrup -- and I'll bet you will be, too. New subscriber rate is $39.95 or two years for $78.95.

Add to this a delightful to listen to six-cassette kit, Creating Health, recorded live at one of her well-attended conferences. Since Dr. Northrup, a wise and good-natured mentor, is convinced that "every woman can create the health she wants by connecting with her body's inner wisdom," this set -- like her other offerings -- is a guide for doing just that. To order the newsletter and/or the cassette kit, or for information about them, call Phillips Publishing at 1-800-777-5005.

Nutrition Action Healthletter comes from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent nonprofit consumer health group that "advocates honest food labeling and advertising, healthier foods in restaurants, pro-health alcohol policies, safer food additives, and sustainable agriculture." This 16-page monthly is from the people who first brought us news of restaurant "ethnic" food; under the guise of Mexican, Chinese and fast-food American menus, the public had been taken for a sat fat ride unawares before CSPI blew the whistle. CSPI took to task the use of BST (hormone additive fed to milk cows); continues to chronicle concern about olestra (subscribers have donated many dollars to oppose its use); recently, they've given us the latest word on research into such fads as popping DHEA and other substances on which the media jumped the gun -- and for which the public, like eager sheep, ran to stoke up.

Printed in color on glossy paper, laid out for fun and generally written with good humor, Nutrition Action Healthletter also features charts comparing calories, total fat, sat fat, sodium, sugar, etc. of similar, name brand foods. On the back page, a thumbs up column -- The Right Stuff -- with kudos for some widely distributed yummy, healthful offering from a food company and Food Porn, a thumbs down exposé of the bottom line shenanigans of some other commercially successful ingestible. Here's a periodical with surprising news and food for conversation for those who care about health and nutrition.

Nutrition Action Healthletter doesn't accept government or industry funding and accepts no advertising. The work of the Center for Science in the Public Interest is supported by its 850,000 subscribers. Membership/Subscription costs $24.00 a year, payable by credit card, check or Money Order to CSPI; 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009-5728.

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