These are the angels in broken bodies ... also known as Broken Indigos. They either arrive in this world already "broken" or they become "broken" through exposure to harmful substances and/or exposure to rough and insensitive handling.

Using the term "broken" seems appropriate to describe these unique and advanced children: for although it may imply imperfection with downbeat undertones, it nevertheless tells of the condition succinctly in two words: "Broken Indigos" ... "Broken Angels". One immediately gets the point upon hearing it.

Broken Indigos have been over-looked largely because they are unique in a different way. Their special talents are hidden for the most part and have not yet surfaced to impress us with astounding psychic abilities, articulate wisdom-beyond-their-age, astute observations, superior cognitive skills, prodigy-like abilities and so on.

Neither have the Broken Indigos captivated the attention of the spiritual/metaphysical/new age community because - for the most part - they present a far greater challenge. Since the dramatic, rapid rise in numbers of Broken Indigos, many of our long-standing institutions will be forced to change in order to effectively deal with this new epidemic:

improvements within our educational systems will be initiated;
the pharmaceutical industry will be mightily confronted - maybe even sued for billions at some point;
conventional medical practices and policies on disease treatment will come under greater scrutiny;
commercial farming methods and food processing will be reformed
news trends will urge upgrades in family lifestyle, eating habits, health and nutrition;
it will no longer be considered quirky, faddish and fanatical to eat wholesome, healthy, organic foods

The Ugly Duckling

Remember the important moral of the popular fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling?

Broken Indigos don't usually come in pretty "wrappings" and their special talents are obscured. Their appearance and behavior often perplexes and greatly frustrates - even annoys - those who are impatient or repulsed by "imperfections" or "abnormalities" of the human race.

Broken Indigos may seem abnormal at first. However, their highly evolved natures makes them ultra sensitive and most of them suffer sensory overload. Their ultra sensitivities often cause adverse reactions to certain substances - ingredients in foods (additives, chemicals, artificial products, etc), energy vibrations, sounds, thoughts and ill-behavior in our world - often making it difficult for them to be fully inside their bodies.

Imagine a time when you may have been surrounded by a large crowd of noisy people or a deafening rock concert or a nearby noisy construction zone. Remember how disturbed you may have felt at first with all the noise, frenzy, clamber, chaos and confusion and due to the irritation you felt how you may have hurried to leave the area as quickly as possible?

For many autistic children, the normal sounds, normal conversations and other normal activities can seem just as noisy, loud, confusing and chaotic as the above scenario. Heap an additional mega sensitivity to the thoughts and emotional states of those around him or her and you have one traumatized child who has no way to feel safe and loved in overly loud, chaotic and brutal world.

Consequently, the relief they seek may only be found by retreating deep within themselves and avoiding relating to the world around them.

There are Broken Indigos who come with special gifts of superior intelligence and/or athletic abilities; some may have higher psychic, intuitive, healing, telepathic or manifesting skills; others may have an unusual knack for art, music, writing, singing, dancing or other creative expression. Still others among their numbers may have an enormous capacity for extraordinary compassion, wisdom and understanding.

We may not be able to notice the gifts these children hold because we may not be able to recognize it if these abilities look very different from what we are familiar with.

And yet, these wonderful attributes exist nonetheless, and are often hidden beneath a heavy dark cloud of abnormal development that is the direct result of the ills of society and unhealthy lifestyle choices of families.

The unique gifts and abilities of Broken Indigos lay dormant within and become quashed beneath the colossal weight of physical, mental and emotional disorders that are not their fault. This is not speculation, since increasing research is proving my point.

Sadly, for the vast majority of Broken Indigos, we won't see what their special gifts are - nor recognize what they are capable of accomplishing - unless we as a society take action to shift our choices in thinking and behavior - away from beliefs and behavior that inadvertently creates and perpetrates the causes of these disorders in our children - toward awareness and behavior that serves to correct these issues.

Autism - the new epidemic

Once a rare neurological disorder appearing in as few as 1 in 10,000 births, autism is now the number one disability entering the country's developmental services system. In fact, autism is now more prevalent than childhood cancer, diabetes and Down's syndrome. In certain areas of the USA, Autism is now reported to affect one in every 166 children! These are clinical facts, not guesses nor speculation. It is the new epidemic in this country that is also beginning to erupt in other parts of the world.

Because of its rarity, Autism was greatly misunderstood and poorly handled by the medical field only a few decades ago. The standard treatment for this condition was almost always a grim prognosis along with use of drugs - which never improved the condition and often made it worse through drug side effects.

The belief at that time - which continues to this day even among medical and mental health professionals - is that there is no method that improves or cures autism. Thankfully - because of continuing studies in the field of brain-research, dietary relationship to mental and physical disease, and advances in therapeutic modalities - this is no longer true.

Its interesting that many folks had their first exposure to the condition of autism through the movie "Rain Main" which is based on a true story. Dustin Hoffman plays the role of an autistic savant who - even though he cannot take care of himself and lives in a special home for the mentally challenged - has a remarkable ability to memorize names and numbers and can solve complex math problems instantly in his head.

The movie unfolds into a warm and rather humorous odyssey as his brother - played by Tom Cruise - takes him to a Las Vegas casino where the gifts of autistic savant skills pays off very well.

Another well-known autistic savant is Albert Einstein. Believe it or not, Einstein did poorly in school and was thought to be retarded in his early childhood. He had great difficulty performing certain motor skills - like tying his shoes. He even had difficulty taking care of himself as an adult (remember that famous wild, uncombed hair?) and never learned to drive a car. He had poor social skills.

Thankfully, he was married to a devoted, caring wife who understood him and made sure he had clothes on before he left the house!

An autistic brain has a cerebrum (abstract and creative thought, reason) larger than normal, and a cerebellum (motor coordination, balance) smaller than normal. An autopsy of Einstein's brain showed that the cerebrum was indeed larger than normal (like an autistic brain). Unfortunately, they did not reveal the size of his cerebellum. Einstein was also a visual thinker - like those with autism.

He was a strong advocate for vegetarianism, which may have been one of the healthy lifestyle choices that contributed to improving his autistic symptoms to the point of enabling him to function well enough in spite of his "handicap".

Bill Gates - multi-billionaire creator of Microsoft - is also diagnosed with autism (the Aspergers variety). That is why its been said that you will rarely - if ever - see Bill Gates in an interview. Along with poor social skills and extreme shyness, he also exhibits other autistic characteristics. Yet, obviously, this man is brilliant in his field.

Now ... this does not mean that all autistic children have the potential to be famous or brilliantly inventive. Its only fair to these kids to appreciate them at whatever level of functioning they are able to achieve. I mention well-known autistic people to demonstrate that in spite of their struggles with a "disability" they made great contributions to society precisely because they were very different ... even to the point of being described by others as being retarded or broken.

To think differently than the rest is what initially set well-known autistic people apart from "normal" society. Even so, their difference brought long-lasting advancement and positive change to the lives they touched.


Currently Known causes of Autism

Autism is a condition that impairs healthy functioning of specific areas of the brain which - besides affecting cognitive skills - can also affect certain bodily functions: like muscle coordination, speech, and eye-sight. Symptoms can range from mild (called high functioning autism) to severe enough to include epileptic seizures.

Currently, one or more of the following are known factors that contribute to autism and predisposes a developing fetus or growing infant to this condition:

weakened genetics (due to poor nutrition/chemicals/drugs) - weaknesses are passed onto the children;
mandatory childhood vaccines - specific viruses and mercury used in vaccines;
candida albicans/fungus overgrowth - damage to organs/interference with proper brain function;
dysfunctional family behavior - lack of essential warmth, sensitivity and loving spiritual foundation;
unwholesome diet - eating habits and food choices that lack crucial nutrients and life-force energy;


Personal Observation - the deeper soul issues

As a part time aide/assistant with over six years experience with children with developmental and behavioral disorders, I became intrigued with the condition of autism when most of my assignments included children with this disorder. Passionately motivated to do a colossal amount of autism research, I have become quite knowledgeable about the topic through my studies and through direct, "hands on" experience with autistic children.

Currently, I am also being trained by the only Applied Behavioral Analyst in the entire state of Arizona. She offers the only proven therapeutic program which can greatly improve - even cure in some instances - the condition of autism.

The first and only pilot program for the Arizona State educational system is being launched right here in Sedona where I live. How's that for synchronicity ... that I ended up moving here at the perfect time for this to occur!

In getting on with the topic of Broken Indigos ....

These unique children do not use their brains like "normal" children and process information differently. They are often poles apart in their interpretation of the world and life situations. They are usually visual thinkers.

Many parents - as well as teachers, doctors and therapists - may think of these kids as strange or even retarded since Broken Indigos don't develop "normally" like other kids. Gargantuan efforts are often applied to force these kids to conform and become like other children their age, instead of drawing out their unique styles and natural inclinations. However, doing so often proves both frustrating for parents and teachers, as well as the child.

Along with that, when their highly sensitive natures are assaulted with harmful substances - like certain types of vaccines, an unhealthy and unwholesome diet, pharmaceutical drugs/medications, unloving home environment, etc - they will withdraw into themselves until they all but disappear- or they will lash out in fury and aggression in the attempt to gain some kind of control over their confusing and painful world.

If you've ever spent time in the presence of an autistic child, some of the most common traits you will likely see are that they often avoid eye contact or appear to be in a trance; they can become fixated on certain objects, or obsessed with repeated motions; there is often hand-flapping, rocking, walking on tip-toes, repeatedly snapping fingers, staring at lights or other objects along with a myriad of other stimming habits; they may not play with other children and prefer to be with adults; they often play with unusual items instead of regular toys like other children.

They are often fascinated with things that spin: like windmills, motor parts, etc. One boy under my care was fascinated with fans of all sizes. He preferred to play with fans and feel the wind they produced instead of playing with toy cars, games or building blocks.

Autistic children - usually the Asperger's variety - often have a prodigy-style knack for understanding math and using computers. Another boy under my care - only eight years of age - had extremely difficult aggressive behavior and - sadly - was on medication to control his hostile outbursts. Yet, put him in front of a computer and the kid transformed. He was suddenly an amazingly knowledgeable computer operator who could explain its inner and outer workings with the articulate precision of a skillful adult.

Other autistic children - sometimes labled with William's Syndrome - have natural inclinations toward the arts: like music, painting, singing, dancing or other creative skills.

Still others - like those with Angelman Syndrome - may be gifted healers, empaths, comedians, or telepaths. These are probably the least recognizable in our society. Another boy under my care was one of the funniest, friendliest and most empathic kids I have ever encountered. Not able to care for himself, unable to speak and seeming to be in a trance-like state most of the time, he would suddenly come alive with an observable compassion in his face and eyes whenever another was exhibiting sadness or pain. In those moments, he became fully present and aware, eyes riveted on the sufferer. He would often reach out to touch the hurting one on the shoulder or arm in a reassuring manner. It was, indeed, healing to be in this kids presence on such occasions. At other times, he would suddenly become the slap-stick clown and make everyone laugh. Afterward, he would retreat into his own little world again.

All in all, autistic children seem to have an uncanny knack for achieving unusual focus. Unlike children their own age who are often quite scattered and uncontrolled when it comes to attention and focus, autistic children are quite intense when they are focused on something in which they place their attention. They can also be uncannily perceptive at assessing other people and will react accordingly.

Without proper training in understanding and handling children with autism, parents often mistakenly succumb to the manipulative and controlling conduct of their unique child - a behavior which is a common characteristic of these children who fall into negative habit patterns of relating only because their special gifts of sensitivity, exceptional intelligence and intense focus become channeled into bad habits without educated and wise guidance.

There is much more to the story of autism - as well as other developmental disorders - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Because of the tremendous impact these children will have on our world, society will be forced to awaken from the fog of ignorance and lies.

The healing of our world and the resurrection of our deepest spiritual natures are showing up in forms and situations that we would not at first recognize. In truth, crisis represents the opportunity for growth and change. Broken Indigos - the angels in broken bodies - may represent an unprecedented crisis; nevertheless, the positive growth and change initiated by their presence is helping to shape a much healthier and happier world to come.

by Paula Peterson