Consciousness and Awareness

When we consider the consciousness and awareness we develop while inside the womb, the pro-abortion claims that babies are just a clump of cells or that they have no rights unless their mother says so are further exposed for having no merit. [Those positions already have no merit based on the truths from God, but Miscarriage Moms For Life encourages publishing experiential and scientific verification of God’s truths.]

The various Pain Capable legislations under consideration suggest that fetuses are capable of feeling pain by week 20 and should not be aborted after that point. Miscarriage Moms For Life believes human babies can feel pain—especially the pain of their death—in less than eight weeks from the time their new strand of DNA was formed. It was this discussion that afforded M.P. the opportunity to provide scientific research (such as Tridimensional Visualization…) that puts their capacity to feel pain before the end of the first trimester and other research that speaks to the potential for their consciousness and awareness (read Personhood Stories).

To consider the implications of this topic as related to grief, read our book, Other Side Of Grief.

Our “primitive brain” or

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what may be considered as a brain stem begins forming in us very early in our gestational lives. It is hypothesized that if our brain stem does support consciousness, then we have awareness and the capacity to feel pain much earlier than the 20 weeks touted by Pain Capable legislations. This concept that our cortex is not the only brain part supporting consciousness has potentially far-reaching consequences not only for gestational children but for those on life support or in a vegetative state, but we are focused on the unborn.

Swedish neuroscientist Bjorn Merker, in his studies of the origination of consciousness, noted several children with hydranencephaly (having brain stems but no cerebral cortex) in a social setting appearing to be aware and alert, reacting to their environment with tears, fussiness, smiles, and laughter. (See Article Review-The First Ache.)  While it is easy for us to confirm the consciousness and awareness of those whom we see and interact with, it may be more difficult for most people to accept that embryos have an awareness about them. Perhaps science will one day be advanced enough to validate this, but not everything that is yet to be validated is untrue. (See Mysteries Miracles and Faith.)

Scientific knowledge is expanding, and there are doubtless additional sources available.

Miscarriage Moms For Life believes that the murder of children is wrong—whether or not they feel the pain of their executions, whether or not they have consciousness or awareness, and whether or not they are still in the womb. We welcome both scientific AND experiential evidence of the personhood of gestational children and encourage you to share either of them with us. (M.P., we will gladly put your name in this article if you choose.)

 

For more on this subject, read the book, When Unborn Babies Speak, available in print and ebook on Amazon or Amazon Smile, where you may designate Miscarriage Moms For Life as the charity to receive funds from Amazon with each purchase.

To honor the life of your child and find comfort, read our book, Other Side Of Grief.

 

Article Review – The Three Faces of Adoptees

Seminar for 2013 AAC – Cleveland, http://nancyverrier.com/the-three-faces-of-adoptees/, By Nancy Verrier, MFT, Author of The Primal Wound

The book, The Primal Wound, by Nancy Verrier was listed as “required” reading by those involved in adoptions (adoptees, adopters, birth parents, etc.) While reading the book, I noticed the author’s uncanny way of pinpointing several issues I had been dealing with as an adoptee. Though I may not agree with everything in the book, I highly recommend those interested in this topic (personally or professionally) to buy her book.

Anyway, when I noticed she was a presenter at an American Adoption Congress conference, I couldn’t resist reading her article, The Three Faces of Adoptees. I encourage you to read the entire article for the context. Here are some of my favorite quotes from her seminar article:

Children who are separated from their mothers early in life have different issues to deal with than those who are kept and cared for by their mothers. The relationship with the mother is the cornerstone for all future relationships. We are. . .meant to be close to our mothers in our early years.

“All mammals know their own mothers through all their senses. Therefore when a baby is immediately taken from the bio mom and handed over to another mom, the baby is confused and disoriented. ‘Where is mom?’ The new mom doesn’t pass the ‘sensory test.’ She doesn’t sound right, or smell right, or feel right, or have the right resonance or energy. The infant becomes disregulated. This is no one’s fault except that we continue to ignore it and therefore don’t address it. What does the child do?” [Read Consciousness and Awareness]

The child goes immediately into coping mode. Something devastating happened…

Baby beliefs are imprinted into the neurological system and therefore, difficult to overcome. [Read Article Review_7 Ways to Bond With Preborn Baby]

Last but not least:
“In order to become more authentic, then, you might. . .have to take a few risks. Just baby ones at first. Order first at a restaurant. . .. Notice what kind of art work your friends and relatives have on their walls. Do you like it, dislike it, or are you neutral about it? You don’t have to tell them your opinion, but you have to tell yourself. Now I know that many of you can already do this. But I also believe that there are some areas of your life where you might not be so honest with yourself. Or you may not be honest with those you care about (the “people pleaser” syndrome). First of all, learn to be honest with yourself. Look within to find the answers to what you like, dislike, your opinions about politics or religion. And don’t just react to what you were taught. Maybe there are many things you actually do have in common with your adoptive family. Really ask yourself about these things and be HONEST in [y]our answer to yourself.”