Understanding Genetic Trauma (Epigenetics)

By: Rev. Dr. Philippe SHOCK Matthews

Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression that are influenced by environmental factors without alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. 

Genetic trauma, also called transgenerational trauma or intergenerational trauma, refers to trauma that is passed down from one generation to the next through epigenetic changes. 

Traumatic experiences can cause epigenetic changes like DNA methylation and histone modification. These changes can silence or activate certain genes, altering their expression.

DNA methylation and histone modification are two key mechanisms involved in epigenetics, which is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

1. DNA Methylation: 

   - Definition: DNA methylation adds a methyl group (CH3) to the DNA molecule, usually at the 5th carbon atom of the cytosine ring. This typically occurs in a CpG dinucleotide context, where a guanine nucleotide follows a cytosine nucleotide.

   - Function: The main function of DNA methylation is to regulate gene expression. When added to certain gene parts, methyl groups can change the gene's activity. Generally, increased methylation of a gene's promoter region (the area near the start of the gene) leads to decreased gene expression.

   - Impact: DNA methylation is involved in various cellular processes, including embryonic development, genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and preservation of chromosome stability. Abnormal DNA methylation patterns have been associated with several diseases, including cancer.

2. Histone Modification:

   - Definition: Histones are proteins around which DNA winds and play a role in gene regulation. Histone modification refers to adding or removing chemical groups to the histone proteins. Common modifications include methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and sumoylation.

   - Function: These modifications can affect how tightly or loosely DNA is wound around the histones, thereby influencing gene expression. For example, histone acetylation typically loosens DNA winding and promotes gene expression, while deacetylation tightens DNA winding and reduces gene expression.

   - Impact: Histone modifications are crucial for many biological processes, including transcriptional activation/inactivation, chromosome packaging, and DNA repair. Aberrant histone modifications have been linked to various diseases, including neurological disorders and cancer.

DNA methylation and histone modification are crucial for fine-tuning gene expression in various biological processes. They are dynamic in nature, meaning they can change in response to environmental factors and during different stages of a cell’s life cycle.

ELI5 Explanation

Alright, let's simplify it:

1. DNA Methylation: Imagine your DNA as a long string with instructions for everything in your body. Imagine tiny "off switches" attached to certain parts of this string. These "off switches" are what DNA methylation is like. The part of the DNA they're on doesn't work when they're attached. This helps control what each cell in your body does.

2. Histone Modification: Think of your DNA as a thread wrapped around many tiny spools called histones. These spools can be tweaked or adjusted. When we change the spools (histones), the thread (DNA) wraps differently. This changes how easily the instructions on the DNA can be read. If the thread is loose, it's easy to read the instructions; if it's tight, it's hard. These changes help control how cells work and what they become.

Both are like tiny switches and dials on your DNA, helping to control which parts are active and which are silent without changing the DNA itself. It's like having a big instruction manual (your DNA) but using bookmarks and notes (methylation and histone modifications) to know which instructions to follow and which to ignore quickly.

These epigenetic changes can be inherited, meaning the next generation may inherit some of the same gene expression patterns caused by their ancestors' trauma. This can predispose them to specific health conditions or behaviors.

Examples include descendants of the MAAFA (The Black Holocaust), who exhibit altered stress responses. Descendants of trauma survivors are more likely to develop conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Genetic trauma illustrates how lived experiences and environmental exposures can induce biological changes that get passed down transgenerationally. 

Lifestyle and social contexts, such as the accumulative effect of RBF (Racial Battle Fatigue), shape gene expression patterns that can be inherited. Racial battle fatigue is a psychological stress response resulting from prolonged exposure to racial discrimination and hostility.

Genetic or transgenerational trauma refers to the concept that traumatic experiences can reprogram gene expression through epigenetic changes, altering health and behavior in subsequent generations. It highlights the complex interplay between genes and the environment, known as Axiology.

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DID YOU KNOW?

In 1637, at Groton, Connecticut, the Pequot tribe and some European settlers came together to observe the annual Green Corn Festival, their version of Thanksgiving. However, as dawn approached, the village was encircled by English and Dutch mercenaries. These forces violently attacked the Pequots who ventured outside. Meanwhile, those who stayed indoors, mainly women and children, met a tragic fate in a devastating fire. This horrifying incident signaled the start of the Pequot War. Disturbingly, the next day, the Massachusetts Bay Colony's governor declared it "A Day Of Thanksgiving," commemorating not the spirit of community or harvest but the loss of 700 innocent Pequot lives.

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Did You Know Procrastination Is A Trauma Response?

By Rev. Dr. Philippe SHOCK Matthews

Procrastination is a common behavior that occurs when individuals delay or avoid completing tasks that are perceived as aversive or stressful (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013). It is associated with negative outcomes in various areas of life, including mental health, academic performance, and career achievement (Ying & Wang, 2023; Feng et al., 2018; Peixoto et al., 2021). Procrastination can lead to mental illnesses such as guilt, discontent, depression, and self-doubt (Feng et al., 2018). It is also linked to increased stress levels and poorer perceived health (Sirois & Tosti, 2012).

In the context of trauma response, procrastination can be seen as a coping mechanism to regulate short-term mood (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013). When faced with tasks that trigger negative emotions or reminders of past traumatic experiences, individuals may engage in procrastination as a way to avoid or delay confronting those emotions. This can be particularly relevant for individuals who have experienced trauma, including Black people who may have experienced racial trauma or discrimination.

The impact of procrastination on Black people specifically can be understood within the broader context of systemic racism and the unique stressors and challenges they face. Black individuals may experience higher levels of stress due to racial discrimination, which can contribute to procrastination as a maladaptive coping strategy (Sirois, 2015). Procrastination may serve as a way to temporarily alleviate stress or avoid confronting the additional challenges and pressures they face.

Furthermore, the negative consequences of procrastination, such as lower academic performance and increased stress, can disproportionately affect Black individuals due to systemic barriers and inequalities in education and employment opportunities (Johansson et al., 2023). The combination of racial stressors and the negative outcomes associated with procrastination can create a cycle of increased stress, lower achievement, and further procrastination.

It is important to note that not all procrastination behaviors are harmful or lead to negative consequences (Chu & Choi, 2005). Some forms of procrastination, known as "active" procrastination, can positively affect attitudes and performance (Chu & Choi, 2005). However, in the context of trauma response and its specific impact on Black individuals, procrastination is more likely to be maladaptive and associated with negative outcomes.

Procrastination can be understood as a trauma response and can have specific effects on Black individuals. It can serve as a coping mechanism to regulate short-term mood, but it is associated with negative outcomes in various areas of life, including mental health and academic performance. The unique stressors and challenges faced by Black individuals, such as racial discrimination and systemic inequalities, can contribute to higher levels of stress and the use of procrastination as a maladaptive coping strategy. Addressing procrastination in this context requires a comprehensive approach that considers the underlying trauma and systemic factors that contribute to its occurrence.

References:

Chu, A. and Choi, J. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: positive effects of "active" procrastination behavior on attitudes and performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245-264. https://doi.org/10.3200/socp.145.3.245-264

Feng, Y., Huang, X., & Liu, S. (2018). Research on academic procrastination among oec students.. https://doi.org/10.2991/meici-18.2018.168

Johansson, F., Edlund, K., Côté, P., Sundberg, T., Onell, C., Rudman, A., … & Skillgate, E. (2023). Associations between procrastination and subsequent health outcomes among university students in sweden. Jama Network Open, 6(1), e2249346. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.49346

Peixoto, E., Pallini, A., Rahimi, S., & Silva, M. (2021). The role of passion for studies on academic procrastination and mental health during the covid-19 pandemic. Social Psychology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09636-9

Sirois, F. (2015). Is procrastination a vulnerability factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease? testing an extension of the procrastination–health model. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(3), 578-589. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9629-2

Sirois, F. and Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short‐term mood regulation: consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115-127. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12011

Sirois, F. and Tosti, N. (2012). Lost in the moment? an investigation of procrastination, mindfulness, and well-being. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 30(4), 237-248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-012-0151-y

Ying, Z. and Wang, J. (2023). Internet-based self-help intervention for procrastination: randomized control group trial protocol. Trials, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07112-7

Stay Alive: Why Black People Will Die In Mass Over the Next 50 Years

 By Rev. Dr. Philippe SHOCK Matthews

The reason so many of us are dying and will die is because we lost our connection to our 1st Frequency spiritual system. What’s now called voodoo or vodun is a sacred ritual we learned from observing nature: the animals, the stars, the Earth, and the Moon. We developed, learned, and perfected these rituals because our sages knew a time of great loss and shame for Amma’s 1st frequency people would come.

We developed these sacred, spiritual rituals so that we may survive the as-above plain and the as-below plain. There is nothing that nature or unnatural nature can throw at us that we cannot absorb, metabolize, and quarantine ourselves from. We are Amma’s in full expression. 

Most Black people today are the walking dead, living corpses waiting to be laid to rest. We have been proselytized to go against our axiology or nature as person to person/people to people. Most of us can’t stand to see another Black person do well or do better than us. There was a time when one person's success meant success for all.

We are mental, emotional, and psychological victims of what is now known as generational amnesia and social amnesia. These two factors are part of the web of deception that 2nd frequency mafic systems have placed on and over Black people worldwide. We have been taught to love the color and culture of Black but not the ancestry of Black. This is due to the powerful magic system of propaganda that 2nd frequency created and perfected, known as “media”. 

The term "media" is the plural form of the Latin word "medium," which initially meant "middle" or "center." The root word "med-" is of Indo-European origin and is associated with taking a middle position or serving as an intermediary.

The etymology of "medium" as a communication-related term is connected to its original Latin meaning. By the 16th century, "medium" was used in English to refer to an intervening substance through which something is transmitted or carried on. From the 19th century onwards, it became a communication channel, such as newspapers, radio, and television, collectively referred to as "media."

Over time, "media" has come to encompass a wide range of platforms for mass communication, including digital and social media in the contemporary context.

You see, my beloved, they are using this “Intervening Substance” called media along with AI systems to calculate how to destroy Black people and further capture, corral, and control us. Our resources so that we never wake up, figure it out, and fight for what has been stolen and taken away from us. We have been taught within 2nd frequency’s magic media system to strive to achieve a Bentley and to look down on those who merely have a Benz, and the Benz people look down on those in a Buick.

We are operating within their madness, and it must stop if we are to survive and thrive and take back our original throne in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Knowing the Difference Between Voodoo and Vodun

"Voodoo" and "Vodun" refer to similar religious practices but have different geographical and cultural origins.

1. Vodun:

- Vodun (or Vodoun) is a West African religion that originated in what is now Benin, Ghana, and Togo. 

- It centers around the worship of spirits known as "loa" or "orishas" and involves rituals, ceremonies, and offerings to these spirits. 

- Vodun has a complex cosmology and greatly emphasizes the connection between the spiritual and the material world, with ancestors playing a significant role in daily life.

- It is an organized religion with established priesthoods and temples.

2. Voodoo:

- Voodoo, often spelled "Vodou" or "Voudoou," is a religion developed in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, among enslaved West Africans and their descendants.

- Vodun heavily influences it but also incorporates elements from Roman Catholicism and other religious practices that enslaved Africans were exposed to in the New World. This syncretism was partly a response to the suppression of African religions by European colonizers and slaveholders.

- Like Vodun, Voodoo involves the worship of spirits, but it also includes the veneration of Catholic saints, reflecting its syncretic nature.

- It has also been popularized and often sensationalized in Western media, sometimes leading to misconceptions and stereotypes about its practices.

In summary, Vodun is the original West African religious practice, while Voodoo is its syncretic descendant that evolved among the African diaspora in the Caribbean, notably in Haiti. Both share similar practices and beliefs but have developed distinct traditions and identities due to their different historical and cultural contexts.

If we applied the prompt knowledge of ELI5, the aforementioned would be:

Vodun is like the original recipe for a special family dish from West Africa. It's a religion with its way of doing things, like praying to spirits and having special parties to talk to those spirits.

Voodoo is like if that family moved to a new country, let's say Haiti in the Caribbean. There, they still make their special dish, but they start adding new ingredients they find in their new home like ideas from another religion called Catholicism. The dish is still the same but a bit different because of the new place and ingredients.

So, Vodun is the original from Africa, and Voodoo is the mixed-up version from the Caribbean. Both are about talking to spirits and having special ceremonies, but they have their own special ways of doing it.

Black People Must First Apply the Principles of Ma’at

Ma'at is like the ancient Egyptian rule book for how to be a good person and make the world nice. It's not a book you can read; it's more like a big idea everyone knew about.

Ma'at is about truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. The ancient Egyptians thought that if they followed Ma'at, they would keep the world balanced and stop it from falling into chaos. They also believed that after they died, their hearts would be weighed against a feather that represented Ma'at. If their heart were as light as the feather because they were good and fair, they would get to go to a nice place after death. But if their heart was heavy because they did bad things, a monster might eat it!

Also, Ma'at was a Goddess, often shown as a lady with a feather on her head. She was a big deal because she helped the sun to rise, the Nile to flood, and crops to grow, making sure everything in the world worked as it should.

The Frequency Of Linguistics 

Notice how the text above refers to the 1st Frequency Black people as ancient Egyptians? Part of 2nd frequency’s magic system of the media to keep our social and generational amnesia in place is teaching us to become complicit in our demise by repeating and acknowledging their misSPELLings. There is no such thing or place as Egypt or the Middle East.  It IS and has ALWAYS been Kemet, Kemetic people, Kemetians, or Kemeteru (Land of the Black People) or (The Black Land). Black people must adjust our axiology, look at the English language as a lingua franc, and learn to speak and know the meaning of our original language. A lingua franca is like a bridge language that helps people who speak different native languages talk to each other. It's like when friends from different countries use English to chat because it's a language they all know a bit of, even if it's not their first language. A lingua franca can help people do business, make friends, or just get around in a place where their language isn't spoken much.

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• Keenan Booker’s 6-Week Webinar Series: VooDoo Edition https://t.ly/NEDY
• http://aioverai.com - AI Over AI: Understanding Amma Intelligence Over Artificial (god) Intelligence 
• https://solo.to/revshock - Rev. Dr. SHOCK Flying Solo