I listened to a beautiful interview between Marie Forleo and Brene Brown on YouTube the other day. It has inspired me to speak about something that has been on my heart lately because I have noticed it a lot, while also experiencing it myself... and that is the act of online verbal violence. This is a form of dehumanisation. > Dehumanise: the process of undermining individuality of and in others; to remove from a person the special human qualities of independent thought, positive human qualities, and overall, seeing the other person as inferior. We can dehumanise others mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I see so much of this done verbally on social media… I guess because it’s easy to sit behind a screen and say nasty words. (Face to face would be a different story…) > Honestly, I am not innocent. Although I am not one to attack someone first, I find myself replying with a sarcastic comment to someone who was nasty to me. It usually happens so quickly, before I even think about what I’m typing. I notice I might feel good for 10 seconds, but then I ALWAYS end up feeling really sad and disheartened afterwards. Like I’ve hurt a part of me. You might be able to relate. Why is this? > It is human nature to act with love and kindness towards others, so when we dehumanise others, we are acting inhumanely and against our true nature. To overcome dehumanisation, we must instead help to restore humanity and focus on rehumanisation. This is the process of rekindling a sense of empathy. Remember we are all one, we are all equals, and we all deserve to express our truths. This is a basic human right. By practicing the art of rehumanisation we can then recover our natural sense of identity with one another in the process. > It’s not always easy. It takes being present, patience, and an open heart to see everyone as fully human, even while resisting what you believe to be unjust behaviour. > If you want to enter a conversation or topic with someone you disagree with, there is a way to approach the situation in a way that retains your dignity and the humanity of the person you disagree with. CONTINUED IN COMMENTS 👇🏻

A post shared by OLIVIA BUDGEN ♡ (@oliviabudgen) on

Brisbane blogger Olivia Budgen has faced a wave of criticism for a controversial Instagarm post about cancer and disease. In an caption she asserted that diseases weren't "bad at all" and that "cancer is your body trying to save you".

She asked: "What if they were created by the body to help save you? What if disease is your body's survival mechanism?"

Read more

Social media users responded with a host of negative comments including "you have no idea what you are talking about. This is dangerous and misleading. Delete it" and "Should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for talking so much ill informed nonsense on what is an important and emotional subject."

Social media users have compared her to Belle Gibson – the Australian-based blogger who gained notoriety after she falsely claimed that diet changes cured her of multiple cancers.

Gibson was fined more than £240,000 (€270,000) after she released a bestselling app and cookbook off the back of her claims.

Budgen has since deleted her original post but people have taken screenshots and shared it via Twitter.

REACH YOUR POTENTIAL WITH RAW LIVING FOODS 🍉🍇🥑🍌 My goal has always been to inspire people to get a revelation that what you eat effects every single part of your life. I want that revelation to then empower people to take control of their health, realising that those changes are going to be key in keeping you on track and living your life’s purpose. What you eat effects how you show up every day and helps you unlock your full potential. > PHYSICAL — Everything in the universe has a signature vibration. Life feeds off of life by incorporating vibrations into itself in order to live, reproduce and evolve. One way we do this is via the food we eat. Raw food has the highest life-force energy and is obviously more life-giving than food which has had the life taken out of it via cooking and processing. • We are electrical beings and raw food provides us with the minerals and water to conduct electricity through our cells. Living foods enhance the electrical potential in every being of our cells. They literally transfer life to your cells. When our cells have the proper electrical potential, they can effectively rid themselves of stored up toxins and utilise nutrients and oxygen which helps repair and activate our DNA. Raw food is harmonious and less taxing on the body’s organs. This allows the body to provide you with abundant energy and optimum health with less obstruction. Our health depends on the ability to attract, store, and conduct electron energy. The greater our store of light energy, the greater the power of our overall electromagnetic field, and consequently the more energy available for healing and maintenance of optimal health. > EMOTIONAL — The way you eat indirectly alters your life’s path. Food plays a role in the decisions you make because it effects the way you think, the way you talk to others, and the way you act. What goes on in the stomach affects the blood which then affects the brain. The purity of living foods brings life to your thoughts and helps you to live a life that is clear, bright and on purpose. Raw foods help to calm and purify the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential. • CONTINUED IN COMMENTS 👇🏻

A post shared by OLIVIA BUDGEN ♡ (@oliviabudgen) on

More of her post included: "The immune system will not attack those particular types of cancer cells. The body turns over billions of cells every day, some of which are cancer cells, that keep the immune system activated. A healthy immune system will kill those cancer cells, but once there is a toxic overload in the body and the cells begin to suffocate, the immune system will be informed by the cancer cell via a particular protein on its surface not to attack the cancer. Did you know 60% of cells in a tumour are white blood cells?"

Twitter Instagram