Cellular memory and dummy spits...

[Moochie]

There was an Australian psychiatrist, a devotee of Arthur Janov (of Primal Therapy fame) who was developing a theory along the cellular memory line as a result of his practise of PT. The late Dr Graham Farrant seemed more eager to be published than to help his patients, of whom I was one.

As for Don Lane's dummy spit on Aussie TV a few decades ago, I'm pretty sure it occurred on a show in which English psychic, Doris Stokes, was the featured guest. Lane, an emotional man, took exception to James's dogged insistence on rationality and science, rather than the unproven claptrap being offered by the grandmotherly Ms Stokes. It was very funny to behold, and I hope James doesn't take Lane's opinions as representative. Australians, by and large, have very well developed BS meters.

M.

[RSLancastr]

Okay, I give up. What is a "dummy spit?"

[Terry]

dummy is the UK word for pacifier.

Like, when a baby gets really really upset, and spits out their pacifier... that's "spitting the dummy".

[RSLancastr]

Ah. in Amurrican, that would be a "temper tantrum."

[Terry]

sure, it's a more colorful phrase for "temper tantrum".

[Moochie]

Ah. in Amurrican, that would be a "temper tantrum."


Yep, that's what it was, all right, and why it was funny. James was his unflappable self.

M.

[RSLancastr]

sure, it's a more colorful phrase for "temper tantrum".Everything's more colorful in Strian.

Yep, that's what it was, all right, and why it was funny. James was his unflappable self.I'd love to see that. Is the video online anywhere?

[Moochie]

I'd love to see that. Is the video online anywhere?

I don't know if it's online, Robert, but you may be able to purchase it from the Nine network (GTV-9) here in Australia.

The network does show it every few years in nostalgia programs. Mr Lane, as far as I know, is back in the States.

M.

[aggle-rithm]

Ah. in Amurrican, that would be a "temper tantrum."

Or "hissy fit".

I thought 'dummy spit' was a long pole on which a dummy was pierced to facilitate rotisserie cooking.

[DrMatt]

Well, at least now I know who I would call if I ever got a cell phone. I'd call my cells, and ask them to refresh my memory on a few things.

[Moochie]

Well, at least now I know who I would call if I ever got a cell phone. I'd call my cells, and ask them to refresh my memory on a few things.

If you do a Google on Dr G. Farrant, you may come across what he was researching.

IMO, he was a fraud.

M.

[Mackin_NZ]

I used to be a Jehovah's Witness and for many years this concept of "cellular memory" was part of their official teaching. The heart especially was considered "the seat of motivation and desires" and the core of one's personality. I remember them citing examples of people whose personality had changed after a heart transplant. The JW's have never been too keen on organ transplants in general although they stop short of officially banning them.

They don't say much about the subject now, probably they realised how loony it sounded and decided to quietly drop it. Many of the newer JW's would never even have heard of it, however you will still find many long-time JW's still believe this.

[Zep]

Rob, there's other colourful expressions we use for the same thing. Not only a "dummy spit", but also "doing your nana" (as in banana), "lose your rag", and "toss the teddy".

Idioms are wonderful! :)

[Silly Green Monkey]

I thought it meant a ventriloquist's dummy shooting water from its mouth.

[Zep]

Ok...

[dsm]

Could "cellular memory" be likened to "muscle memory"?

[DrMatt]

The heart especially was considered "the seat of motivation and desires"

University of Michigan Medical Center brought in this doofus to lead hula lines after showing us a slide show full of long obfuscated pseudoscientific words which he called "DATA" proving "THE HEART CAN THINK". He claimed authority to say so because he could relate undocumented anecdotes and because he'd had run-ins with leukemia and had autologous bone marrow transplant after which he went right back to hawking new age nonsense, all the while claiming whatever he said was not new-age. Oh, yeah--his name was Paul Pearsall. Major doofus. The U's embrace of him (along with their embrace of reiki and qigong) is the ultimate triumph of post-modernism over civilization... or something.

[Moochie]

Cells may have memory, as water may have memory. Even I may have memory, but I have yet to see compelling evidence of that.

M.

[Freethinker]

Rob, there's other colourful expressions we use for the same thing. Not only a "dummy spit", but also "doing your nana" (as in banana), "lose your rag", and "toss the teddy".

Idioms are wonderful! :)

I'd watch the "doing your nana" one around US English speakers. Sounds terribly perverted to my ears. Nana being an occasionally used term of endearment for grandmother:eek:

[Jon.]

Rob, there's other colourful expressions we use for the same thing. Not only a "dummy spit", but also "doing your nana" (as in banana), "lose your rag", and "toss the teddy".

Idioms are wonderful! :)

I will always remember watching the Denmark-England match from WC 2002 when one of the Danish players got upset with an official's call (well, they were losing at the time, too:D) and made some rude, rash gesture. The English commentator said "Oh, and now he's gone and tossed his teddy from the pram." I thought it was wonderfully evocative of the little temper tantrum he threw.

[tracer]

Everything's more colorful in Strian.
Wouldn't it be "colourful" in 'stralian?

[rustytunes]

I remember having a squiz at Don Lane and Randi - he fair dinkum blew a gasket an hit the roof, no wuckers!

Hoo Roo:)

[rustytunes]

Wouldn't it be "colourful" in 'stralian?

Too right, "colorful" would be the seppo spelling.

[Piggy]

Southern (US) equivalents of "dummy spit":

Popped a gasket (see also rustytunes' post)
Popped his top
Hit the roof (see also rustytunes' post)
Threw a rod
Had a conniption
Went apes**t
Flew off the handle
Lost it
Got his back up
Threw a hissy fit (see also aggle-rithm's post)
Cut a monkey
Busted a gallus (galluses are suspenders/braces)
Lost his hair
Pitched a fit
Lit out
Broke a spoke
Got the mule lip
Like a chicken with his head cut off

[rustytunes]

"Broke a spoke" is a good one :D