Toxoplasma Parasite Mind Control

[Guest guest]

Half of the world's human population is infected with

Toxoplasma. Parasites in the body - and the brain.

Remember that.

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite found in the

guts of cats; it sheds eggs that are picked up by rats

and other animals that are eaten by cats. Toxoplasma

forms cysts in the bodies of the intermediate rat

hosts, including the brain. Since cats don't want to

eat dead, decaying prey, Toxoplasma takes the

evolutionarily sound course of being a " good "

parasite, leaving the rats perfectly healthy. Or are

they?

(Toxoplasma gondii)

Oxford scientists discovered that the minds of the

infected rats have been subtly altered. In a series of

experiments, they demonstrated that healthy rats will

prudently avoid areas that have been doused with cat

urine. In fact, when scientists test anti-anxiety

drugs on rats, they use a whiff of cat urine to induce

neurochemical panic. However, it turns out that

Toxoplasma-ridden rats show no such reaction. In fact,

some of the infected rats actually seek out the cat

urine-marked areas again and again. The parasite

alters the mind (and thus the behavior) of the rat for

its own benefit.

If the parasite can alter rat behavior, does it have

any effect on humans? Dr. E. Fuller Torrey (Associate

Director for Laboratory Research at the Stanley

Medical Research Institute) noticed links between

Toxoplasma and schizophrenia in human beings,

approximately three billion of whom are infected with

T. gondii:

* Toxoplasma infection is associated with damage

to astrocytes, glial cells which surround and support

neurons. Schizophrenia is also associated with damage

to astrocytes.

* Pregnant women with high levels of antibodies to

Toxoplasma are more likely to give birth to children

who will develop schizophrenia.

* Human cells raised in petri dishes, and infected

with Toxoplasma, will respond to drugs like

haloperidol; the growth of the parasite stops.

Haloperidol is an antipsychotic, used to treat

schizophrenia.

Dr. Torrey got together with the Oxford scientists, to

see if anything could be done about those

parasite-controlled rats who were driven to hang

around cat urine-soaked corners (waiting for cats).

According to a recent press release, it turns out that

haloperidol restores the rat's healthy fear of cat

urine. In fact, antipsychotic drugs were as effective

as pyrimethamine, a drug that specifically eliminates

Toxoplasma.

Are parasites like Toxoplasma subtly altering human

behavior? As it turns out, science fiction writers

have been thinking about whether or not parasites

could alter a human being's behavior, or even take

control of a person. In his 1951 novel The Puppet

Masters, Heinlein wrote about alien parasites

the size of dinner plates that took control of the

minds of their hosts, flooding their brains with

neurochemicals. In this excerpt, a volunteer strapped

to a chair allows a parasite to be introduced; the

parasite rides him, taking over his mind. Under these

conditions, it is possible to interview the parasite;

however, it refuses to answer until zapped with a

cattle prod.

He reached past my shoulders with a rod. I felt a

shocking, unbearable pain. The room blacked out as if

a switch had been thrown.. I was split apart by it;

for the moment I was masterless.

The pain left, leaving only its searing memory

behind. Before I could speak, or even think coherently

for myself, the splitting away had ended and I was

again safe in the arms of my master...

The panic that possessed me washed away; I was

again filled with an unworried sense of well being...

" What are you? "

" We are the people... We have studied you and we

know your ways... We come, " I went on, " to bring you

peace.. and contentment-and the joy of-of surrender. "

I hesitated again; " surrender " was not the right word.

I struggled with it the way one struggles with a

poorly grasped foreign language.

" The joy, " I repeated, " -the joy of . . .nirvana. "

That was it; the word fitted. I felt like a dog being

patted for fetching a stick; I wriggled with pleasure.

Still not sure that parasites can manipulate the

behavior of host organisms? Consider these other

cases:

* The lancet fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum forces

its ant host to attach to the tips of grass blades,

the easier to be eaten. The fluke needs to get into

the gut of a grazing animal to complete its life

cycle.

* The fluke Euhaplorchis californiensis causes

fish to shimmy and jump so wading birds will grab them

and eat them, for the same reason.

* Hairworms, which live inside grasshoppers,

sabotage the grasshopper's central nervous system,

forcing them to jump into pools of water, drowning

themselves. Hairworms then swim away from their

hapless hosts to continue their life cycle.

Not all science-fictional parasites are harmful; read

about the Crosswell tapeworm from Aldiss' 1969

story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, which keeps

people who overeat from becoming obese. Not to mention

robots based on parasites. Read press release on

evidence for link between Toxoplasma and

schizophrenia, Suicidal grasshoppers. Story via

blogger Carl Zimmer and his readers.

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=547

XAN: " I knew. I saw I didn't know what I thought I knew. I gave up knowing for

not knowing with great relief. Through not knowing now I know. "

[Guest guest]

The CDC gives these stats for the USA:

What is toxoplasmosis?

A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease known as

toxoplasmosis. While the parasite is found throughout the world, more than 60

million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma

parasite.

That seems to be about 20% infection rate, a far cry from 50%, but still not

comforting.

Blessings!

Arthur

www.BewstZapper.com

www.BestWithoutDrugs.com

Toxoplasma Parasite Mind Control

Half of the world's human population is infected with

Toxoplasma. Parasites in the body - and the brain.

Remember that.

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify...you're talking US figures and he's

talking world, correct?

Khepri

--- Arthur Doerksen <ad7@...> wrote:

> The CDC gives these stats for the USA:

>

> What is toxoplasmosis?

> A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii

> causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis. While the

> parasite is found throughout the world, more than 60

> million people in the United States may be infected

> with the Toxoplasma parasite.

>

> That seems to be about 20% infection rate, a far cry

> from 50%, but still not comforting.

>

> Blessings!

> Arthur

> www.BewstZapper.com

> www.BestWithoutDrugs.com

>

>

> Toxoplasma Parasite Mind

> Control

>

>

> Half of the world's human population is infected

> with

> Toxoplasma. Parasites in the body - and the brain.

> Remember that.

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

XAN: " I knew. I saw I didn't know what I thought I knew. I gave up knowing for

not knowing with great relief. Through not knowing now I know. "

[Guest guest]

I have been saying that I believe that the pancreatic flukes alter the

body's cravings to get more sweets/fats into the diet, to feed

themselves better, so I wouldn't be surprised if this toxoplasma did

something like that too!

Annette

>

> The CDC gives these stats for the USA:

>

> What is toxoplasmosis?

> A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease

known as toxoplasmosis. While the parasite is found throughout the

world, more than 60 million people in the United States may be

infected with the Toxoplasma parasite.

>

> That seems to be about 20% infection rate, a far cry from 50%, but

still not comforting.

>

> Blessings!

> Arthur

> www.BewstZapper.com

> www.BestWithoutDrugs.com

>

>

> Toxoplasma Parasite Mind Control

>

>

> Half of the world's human population is infected with

> Toxoplasma. Parasites in the body - and the brain.

> Remember that.

>

>

>

>