Category: Brain Parts - Anima Journey

Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security [book]

3/3/2016

by Willow

I recently started reading this book by Michael Savage; it was pretty depressing. Not that much of it was new information, but to have so much of Obama's [as well as some previous presidential administrations] laid bare, the outright hypocrisy, the ridiculous amounts money being wasted [while we are told we've got to 'buckle down'] by trivial and personal items [not only by Obama but the rest of the administration, Congress, etc. etc.], and on and on and on... well, like I said, depressing. This book was published in 2010, so the time has come and gone to prevent Obama from being re-elected [one of Savage's goals in his book], but the information may still be revelatory to some; provocative and idiotic to others; and mind-blowing, to say the least, to many others.

Savage is called a neoconservative, while I am not. However, I still found myself agreeing with many of his statements, opinions, and appreciated the research he conducted in his book. If you are as concerned as I am about the state of affairs of our country, it might be worth reading. There is also a "Rational Wiki" page that discusses the book [I encourage you to read the critiques yourself], along with Savage's follow-up book "Trickle Down Tyranny." I haven't started that one yet, but plan to read it at some point.

And, along with finding the "Rational Wiki" page that critiqued Savage's book, I found a link to another more general Rational Wiki blogs that look interesting, but haven't had time to explore yet.

Savage also hosts a radio/internet talk show called "The Savage Nation" that might be interesting to check out, as well.

What If?

9/21/2015

by Allan

Could it be that Ignorance and Violence are the top Problems in the World?

Violence seems to create more Violence.   People are always fighting this or that. Be it the War on Drugs, the War on poverty, or the War on Cancer.   We seem to just get more of whatever we are fighting.

I like what Buckminster Fuller said:  You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model Obsolete.

What if Left, Right, Liberal, Conservative, Progressive just divides us?

What if it were about good Ideas and bad Ideas. What if we could vote on the Ideas?   What if we apply values to Ideas and discover if an Idea was better or worse?   Does the Idea create more violence or less?     Less Ignorance or more?    More Freedom or less?

How long before we move on to the Psycho-Social Frontier?

The Science of Living Happily Ever After

11/2/2014

Having difficulties maintaining a relationship? Wondering why your relationships donʻt last long? Wondering what to do about finding and keeping your soul mate?

I have wondered about these kinds of things over the years, and have read a variety of relationship books and have tried different things. Of course, there is no magic formula, as much as weʻd like one! But, there are some things that we could do to possibly enhance the possibility that when we do meet someone, we can learn early on whether the person is a good match for a solid, long-lasting relationship. Dr. Tashiro, a psychologist, has written an interesting book entitled The Science of Living Happily Ever After, and discusses some research on the subject, and provides some suggestions, based on research, of determining if someone is a good match for you. Here are some of his ideas:

1. Friends and in-laws matter: get their opinions, and really listen to them, of your new love/partner. How many times have you watched a movie where two people get together, and it is obvious to you from the beginning that one person is a creep and the other is just going to get hurt? According to research, outsiders are pretty good at determining which relationships will last, and which will not!

2. Have a good understanding of your attachment style, and compare those to your new love. If they do not seem to be a good match, then strongly re-consider the relationship. For example, if your love is in the category of being a securely attached individual [in other words, had a good relationship with primary caregivers], then it is much more likely they will be able to stick with a relationship than those who are in the ʻavoidantʻ or ʻinsecureʻ category of attachment. Also, if you grew up as a securely attached child, then you will more likely attract a securely attached partner [roughly 50% of the time].

3. You and your love/partner can take a "Big Five" personality trait questionnaire [you can find one on Dr. Tashiroʻs website] to see where you both rate on openness, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. AND/OR you and a group of friends can get together with your new love interest and you can have your friends rate your love interest on these traits [that seems to provide a fairly accurate picture of these traits, according to research]. With these results, you can compare your personality traits with your dateʻs and assess whether you are likely to be a good match. One area to compare is neuroticism as it appears to be the most important personality predictor of future relationship satisfaction and stability. One of the best ways to find out if your love interest is high on the neuroticism scale is to pay close attention to what they do in stressful situations; if they freak out when you would not, this person is probably not likely to be a good match for you. And, as Dr. Tashiro points out, wishful thinking that this personʻs stress reactions will change will not do you any favors! These types of traits tend to last a lifetime.

Tashiro, Ty 2014. The Science of Living Happily Ever After: What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love.

How to Do What You Love by Paul Graham

10/27/2014

Searching for the next phase or career or opportunity to do what you love? You might be interested in this article written in 2006 by Paul Graham. He discusses topics such as prestige, the opinions of others, and some other contemplative topics. Hope you enjoy!

Multi-tasking may make you dumb says more than one study

10/13/2014

Thought this was an interesting article...

By Travis Bradberry

I'm sure this "study" is probably flawed, as most of them are, and it could be that its conclusions are being over-sold by the press.Still, I believe this. I feel dumber myself.You've likely heard that multitasking is problematic, but new studies show that it kills your performance and may even damage your brain.

Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time....Well of course. But you often hear people claim that they're "good at multitasking." Usually they claim this right after they make some error due to not paying attention to a specific task, instead choosing to "multitask." And when you say "Well you probably screwed up because you weren't paying attention to one thing," they'll say "But I'm so good at multitasking." Well, apparently they're not.

But what if some people have a special gift for multitasking? The Stanford researchers compared groups of people based on their tendency to multitask and their belief that it helps their performance. They found that heavy multitaskers—those who multitask a lot and feel that it boosts their performance--were actually worse at multitasking than those who like to do a single thing at a time. The frequent multitaskers performed worse because they had more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information, and they were slower at switching from one task to another. Ouch.

So people who pay attention to one thing at a time are better at multitasking (when they're required to) than people who prefer to "multitask."Oh, and supposedly it makes you dumb.Again, I know this is true. I am dumber now....

Research also shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ. A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8-year-old child.

So, there you go.

For more, see this link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/

Thrive: What On Earth Will It Take?

10/6/2014

You might enjoy and appreciate this documentary/info movie [it's two hours long]:
http://youtu.be/Mt4N9GSBoMI

The Human Connectome Project

9/16/2014

I [Willow] was quite fascinated to learn about this NIH-run project where scientists are using the latest technology to map neural pathways in the human brain! Itʻs just amazing what can be accomplished these days with technology! I hope you check it out! Not only are scientists mapping neural pathways, but they are also sharing the data with others, for free! Very interesting!

http://www.humanconnectomeproject.org/

The 80% Rule: One way to maintain or reduce weight

9/3/2014

by Willow Aureala

About nine or so years ago, I was really struggling to maintain my weight, and not gain weight. Even though I was eating about the same amount and types of foods [mostly raw, fresh fruits and veggies as I was eating about a 99% raw food diet] and doing the same activities as I had been for a while, I was gaining a bit of weight - more than I wanted to, anyway. It seemed that perhaps my metabolism had been shifting or changing, as I was growing older, and I could no longer eat the large salads I was used to eating [yes, I was struggling with eating ʻtoo muchʻ salad!].

I found this weight gain very frustrating and had a very hard time with figuring out how to deal with it. I guess I wanted to keep eating the same amounts, but apparently I couldnʻt and thatʻs where my frustration was [not to mention gaining weight]. I had made great progress, or so I thought, in mostly conquering my overeating - I worked on that issue for about a year or so and was finally able to not overeat most of the time Now, even though I wasnʻt eating until I was overfull, my body was still treating my intake as ʻtoo muchʻ.

The Japanese have a saying that is part of their cultural tradition, and one of the factors that makes them one of the healthiest group of people on the planet. Before eating, they say "Hari hachi bu" which is translated as ʻeat only until 80% fullʻ. I had also read Harvey and Marilyn Diamondʻs book "Fit for Life" many years earlier and I remember on one of their pages they had written "Do Not Overeat" a LOT of times. They certainly were stressing the importance of not stretching oneʻs stomach, as well as keeping portions smaller.

I donʻt consciously think "Hari hachi bu" before I eat, but I did finally learn two things from my struggle with weight gain:

1) sometimes it is biomedical. I went to a doctor who focuses mostly on anti-aging medicine, but who also is very knowledgeable about the issues with thyroid testing [that information could be explored in a lengthy article all in itself!]. She determined that I needed a mixture of T3 and T4 to get my thyroid hormones back into balance, and that this was one contributing factor to my weight gain.

2) I finally learned [I ʻgot itʻ] that I could no longer eat the same portions as just a short time before my weight gain started. I finally ʻgotʻ that I needed to start eating smaller portions. In particular, my salads had to be smaller. When I eat my smoothies, I need to eat/drink less amount of them at one time. This does relate to the concept of the 80% rule that many Japanese follow. I think it is an excellent one for just about anyone to follow, especially as the metabolism changes as we get older [as it does for just about everyone].

The psychological and attitude adjustments were harder for me to make than changing my portion size. For whatever reason, I ʻhadʻ to go through the struggle of finally ʻgettingʻ that I could no longer eat the same amounts. Perhaps if I had known then about the 80% rule, I might have elected to adopt that practice rather than struggle for such a long time [probably about a year] with my portion size. Maybe it would have helped me get to the ʻaha!ʻ moment faster; but then again, maybe not!

I encourage folks to give the 80% rule a try, especially if you are struggling with weight gain. Instead of eating until you feel full [it takes a little while for your body to recognize that you have had enough, and at that point, youʻve probably eaten ʻtoo muchʻ], eat until you feel 80% full. It also helps to make the portions on your plate, or in your bowl, smaller. America has become the land of ʻsupersizeʻ so this, too [smaller portions], may take some practice and mindfulness. But, if I can do it, you can too! For most of the last decade, I can say that probably 90% to 95% of the time, I do not overeat [potlucks are one of the hardest places to not overeat for me, so I tend to avoid them, although not all of the time]. I also prefer to eat my last meal as early in the evening as I can so that I do not go to bed full. Going to bed full now feels very uncomfortable to me, and makes it harder to fall asleep. My weight has also been pretty steady in the last eight or nine years. I usually get my thyroid hormones tested annually, to see if any adjustments are needed in the compounded prescription I take.

These practices take time, patience and perseverance to put into place and make them regular habits. Build in some rewards and motivators for yourself. I know that one practice that some use to remind them of their developing new habits is to wear a wristband, which serves as a reminder to continue working on their new habit or habits. I have been thinking about this wristband idea to develop more of an ʻattitude of gratitudeʻ as I think I could use more of that in my life. So, I plan to get one and test it out. Some people really like apps on their mobile phones. Use whatever works!

What about you? What methods do you employ to eat more healthily? Do you struggle with weight gain? Does it seem that your metabolism is changing? If so, perhaps some of the above will be helpful to you. And, sometimes seeing a doctor and having some blood tests done is also very beneficial. When I found out that part of my struggle included biochemistry that was out of my control [and therefore, I could stop feeling ʻbadʻ about it], that really helped me get to a new level with my portion size. Share your stories on this topic if youʻd like!

Optimism and denial

9/2/2014

by Willow Aureala

Iʻve been reading Counterclockwise by Ellen Langer. Her main topic is the concept of mindfulness. For whatever reason, that word ʻmindfulnessʻ bugs me; I think because it sounds ʻnew age-yʻ or something and some new age concepts just bug me. However, I do agree with many things she writes about, and I appreciate the research studies she has included in her book to support some of her statements [of course, most people donʻt discuss any contrary research studies in their books, so that needs to be taken into consideration].

Anyway, one thing she wrote about is the correlation between optimism and recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery, and other studies about attitudes affecting recovery. She wrote "This improvement is not a function of a patientʻs tendency to deny that he was ill. Those who hold optimistic beliefs actually pay greater attention to their recovery, and in so doing they aid the recovery process and help anticipate complications. This optimism is highly correlated with mindfulness (and also may be causally related)" (p. 64). Mindfulness means to be aware, to focus slightly more attention on something that one may do otherwise. So, if someone is paying greater attention to their recovery, what might they be doing differently than those who donʻt? I would suggest that attention also means that a person could have more of a will or drive to recover, and perhaps those who donʻt place as much attention on their recovery are less inclined to get better, for whatever reasons. These could be familial, environmental [yucky surroundings], not really having much to look forward to when one has recovered, or other things. Langer doesnʻt really address these things. Does optimism follow from personality and/or environmental factors, or the reverse - do environmental factors and personality lead to more optimism, and thus, better recovery?

I donʻt think it is a one-to-one relationship; there are likely to be other variables involved than simply being optimistic means more will recover from something. I think mindfulness, or attention, is very important to oneʻs health and well-being, but to attribute optimism and attention as directly or as primary contributors to recovery from surgery seems inaccurate. How much ʻmindfulnessʻ is necessary to show better recovery? How much optimism? Where is the line on the continuum for those concepts? Certainly, our psychology is very important in our lives; mind & body, after all, do impact each other. But, other variables are important, as well.

Langer also discussed that when someone is told that they have cancer and are given a low prognosis for recovery [you have X months to live], then many people accept that and this can lead to a doctor-fulfilling prophecy [she calls it a self-fulfilling prophecy, but I wonder; doctors words influence many people]. She wrote "When we learn the correlational finding - say, that cancer kills - and mindlessly accept as necessarily true, then a diagnosis of cancer may unwittingly lead us to see ourselves as victims of self-fulfilling prophecies" (p. 65).

Certainly, unwittingly believing what anyone says could have a negative impact on us. A curious question comes out of this ʻcancer is a killerʻ issue, too: why do so many people ask the doctor "How long do I have?" Langer also discussed how many doctors are asked this question, and yet, they really are reporting statistics, and there are always outliers on statistics. Perhaps some people have a ʻdeath wishʻ and thatʻs why they ask the question "How long do I have?" That would be an interesting study to me: to learn more about why people ask that question.

So, yes, mindfullness, or attention, is very important. There is an old saying, you get what you focus on. But, I think, too, that there are other variables or factors that Langer doesnʻt address in her story about cancer or recovery from surgery. If someone is of older age, and all they have to look forward to is returning to a nursing home where they have little to say about their world [Langer also discussed control for nursing home residents and how much that can impact their lives and longevity], then there probably is a good reason why they may not recover well... They may be focusing on what they donʻt have to look forward to, and thus, are not that interested in ʻrecoveryʻ.

Our brains and minds are so fascinating, and researchers are attempting to tease out the different components of what makes us tick [or not]. I appreciate many of Langerʻs observations and the value that mindfulness has in our lives, but itʻs not always mindfulness that is relevant in a given situation.

Reference:

Langer, Ellen 2009. Counterclockwise: Mindful health and the power of possibility.

Priming - itʻs powerful!

8/29/2014

by Willow Aureala

I saw a video a few years ago showing a psychological research study on priming. The researchers had participants come into a building and an associate of the study greeted the participants and had them follow the associate to an elevator. Some participants were then asked to hold a hot beverage in their hand while the associate bent down to [ostensibly] tie their shoes while another group of participants were asked to hold a cold beverage. This was the actual key or focus of the study, the hot or cold beverages.

After getting off the elevator, the participants were led to a room where they were present while someone was supposedly being interviewed for a job. The participants were then asked after the ʻintervieweeʻ had left whether or not they would hire the person just interviewed. Those participants who had held the cold beverage in the elevator overwhelmingly said they would not hire the interviewee, while those who held the hot beverage overwhelmingly said they would hire the interviewee. The differences were statistically significant. This means that we are subconsciously [or whatever the term would be] affected by something so seemingly insubstantial as holding a hot or cold beverage. [I can imagine all sorts of scenarios where this small thing could have a big impact, such performance reviews or customer satisfaction surveys and the like.]

Elizabeth Langer also discussed priming in her book Counterclockwise: "Primes often tell us what is expected of us, and too often we mindlessly comply" (p. 85). Langer discusses priming in regards to people being subtly influenced by aging priming cues. In an experiment, participants were randomly put into either a group to solve anagrams that had been formed from words reflecting stereotypes about old age (e.g. felorguft from forgetful), while the control group solved anagrams that were formed from more neutral words. After the participants finished solving the anagrams, the researchers timed their short walk to the elevator to leave and discovered that those in the experimental group walked to the elevator more slowly than the control group.

The reverse is also true; mindless priming can be "reversed." In another study that Langer and colleagues performed, they had people sort a hundred photographs of young and old people. They found that "if young people sort mixed photos of old and young people, the photos primed old age. Those in the control group were asked to put the photos into two groups, "old" or "young", thus priming them for old age, and thus replicated the slow walking noted in the above experimented after they finished the sorting project. The experimental group sorted the photos in a non-age-related category, such as sex, while a second experimental group generated their own non-age-related sorting categories" (p. 86). So, did the experimental group participants, who sorted the photos according to non-age-related categories walk slower or faster? You guessed it; they walked faster than the group who sorted according to age. Langer calls this "mindful sorting" and believes that "being mindful allowed them to overcome the effects of the ʻold ageʻ prime" (p. 87).

What about you? Do you use age-related phrases or thoughts, such as "Iʻm too old for this" or "Iʻm getting to old to do that" or "Youʻre too old to do that"? In our "Immortality Cult" discussions, we talk about the words and phrases that people all-too-often use about themselves as they age, as well as others who are ʻold.ʻ Perhaps it is way past time to get rid of these ʻmindlessʻ notions and words about aging? We can start today by noticing the words and thoughts we use or have about aging, and start re-framing them for a more positive attitude about aging. What kind of words or phrases would you eliminate, and what would you use to replace them? And, an even bigger question is: do we have to believe the changes we are making in order for them to have an effect? Where does belief come into play? For example, if someone really does believe that a person at X age shouldnʻt be doing something, does changing the wording make any difference? From the studies and research Iʻve read about, the changes likely can make a difference, even if belief may not be present. And, it could well be that belief might follow as we change our words!

Reference:

Langer, Elizabeth 2009. Counterclockwise: Mindful health and the power of possibility.