Alise from Chicago messaged me to ask, courteously, how I could be sympathetic to Donald Trump. Lying is not courage; it’s the very opposite. Here is why I pray for him – and us – sometimes in my daily meditation:

Alters Brain Chemistry: Brain-imaging research from University College London shows that telling a lie triggers a burst of activity in the amygdala, producing guilt and anxiety. With repeated lies, emotional response decreases. The brain adapts to dishonesty, creating a “slippery slope” where larger lies become easier to tell and much more difficult to hide. Lying is harmful, as it damages personal health, erodes social trust,  creates intense stress, and severely alters brain function. Even the small “white lies” damage the neural system.

It’s not a natural emotion. It’s an illness.

So I’m serious. I can’t imagine what Mr. Trump is doing to his body. Active deception, say neurologists, elevates heart rate and blood pressure. It’s no fun. I feel for him, as well as for the people he harms because of it. He is very visibly losing the ability to see reality. The brain adapts to dishonesty. People who are lied to are damaged as well, neurologically and emotionally. People who can’t distinguish between lies and the truth can hurt themselves. They often lose their ability to trust other people for the rest of their lives.

The photos below were all taken in pouring rain. It was challenging and fun. Nature never lies.

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When Zip wants a belly scratch, he lets me know.