Déjàvu: The Past in the Present :: Psychology Psychic Essays

Dà ©jà   vu: The Past in the Present "...parapsychologists think dà ©jà   vu is a glimpse into a past-life. The event did happen similarly before, you just happened to die between the occurrences." (2) The mysterious nature of dà ©jà   vu does not only lie in the experience itself, but in its definition. The sole unity of truth is the direct French translation - 'already seen.' In general, the phenomena can be summed up as experiencing the past in the present. It is "an uncanny feeling or illusion of having already seen or experienced something that is being experienced for the first time." (3) The dà ©jà   vu experience is puzzling because it often leaves people disoriented and searching for explanations. In fact, it is a fairly common occurrence with 70% (a higher rate is reported between the ages of 15 and 25) of the population reporting that they have felt dà ©jà   vu at some point in their lives. (2) The frequency of the experience has left specialists scrounging for information. There is an evident absence of truth, as expressed through varying opinions from psychologists, scientists, neurobiologists and spiritual healers. The nature? The cause? No one seems to be point ing to a definite answer. Some widely discussed causes appear to point to the brain's temporal lobes, past memory, wish fulfillment or temporarily mismatched connections in the brain. Emile Borac who was greatly interested in psychic phenomena first utilized the term dà ©jà   vu. (3) The connotation used refers to the past, while the nature of the experience is clearly positioned in the present reality. It is ambiguities such as these that spark debate over the nature of the actual dà ©jà   vu experience. Hence several definitions of dà ©jà   vu have arose, all emphasizing different aspects of the experience. Arthur Funkhouser, Ph.D. and Vernon Neppe, M.D., Ph. D. have performed extensive research on the various types of dà ©jà   vu. Funkhouser seeks to clarify dà ©jà   vu and remove it from inaccurate associations. He claims that there are three forms of dà ©jà   vu: dà ©jà   vecu, dà ©jà   senti, and dà ©jà   visite. Dà ©jà   vecu is most similar to the widely acknowledged definition of dà ©jà   vu. It is the feeling that the present scenario has been experienced in the past - the details are identical and it is possible to predict what will happen next. While in the midst of dà ©jà   vecu, the detail of the experience is astounding, and the person is conscious that the present scenario conforms to their memory of it.

The Mind-Body Issue in Science

Neuroscience is the study of the brain and psychology is†¦well, the answer to that question is not exactly clear.   A direct interpretation of the word â€Å"psychology† boils down to â€Å"the study of the psyche† or â€Å"the knowledge of the psyche†, but psychology does not have a definition of the psyche and, in general, they do not believe in it.   Psyche comes from the Greek word meaning soul, so the psyche is actually the study of the soul, and yet psychology today has more or less become a study of the mind, and ironic situation since neither psychologists nor neuroscientists believe in the existence of the mind. The generally held accepted view of the mind is that the mind arises from the activity of the brain.   Thus, a major philosophical concern of neuroscience is, â€Å"Does the mind exist separate and independent of the brain?†Ã‚   The generally accepted answer to this question is, â€Å"No.   The mind is an epiphenomenon that arises from brain activity.†Ã‚   In the past, efforts were made to resolve this problem with philosophical arguments such as Fredric Weizmann's ideas about genetics and embryology (Forsdyke, 1999) and Michael M. Sokal ideas about phrenology. Today, we can conclude that the mind/body problem of science has been successfully resolved despite the obvious fact that the resolution has yet to be recognized or acknowledged!   We can now take pride that the resolution to this dilemma did not result in confirming the â€Å"pervasive† 19th-century fear humans might ultimately be viewed as â€Å"mere machines† lacking souls. (Jacyna, 1994) Despite the generally accepted view that the mind is merely an epiphenomenon that arises from brain activity, more or less superimposed over brain activity, there is actually no evidence to support the idea.   To date, all of the available data, without exception, suggests that the mind and the brain are two separate but interacting ‘things'.   Whatever evidence that does not suggest this is neutral.   The evidence is sufficiently strong to have swayed diehard monists (who believe that the mind is the brain) into becoming dualists (who believe that the mind and the brain are separate). Upon a review of the available data at the end of his life, the late neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield, MD (1891 – 1976), a former monist, concluded the evidence, â€Å"†¦it comes as a surprise now to discover, during this final examination of the evidence, that the dualist hypothesis seems the more reasonable of the two possible explanations.† (Penfield, 1975)   Although the available data may support Penfield's conclusion, there are still some interesting, intriguing and difficult questions to answer such as, â€Å"What is the realm of consciousness and the mind,† â€Å"How does consciousness and the mind and the realm of mind relate to the brain and the physical body,† and â€Å"Does a mind exist independent of the brain and the physical body?†Ã‚   We can briefly address each of these questions separately. The central problem with the dualist point of view is that the mind exists as an abstraction unless it arises from brain activity.   If the mind exists separate and independent of the brain, the answer to our first question is that the mind exists as an abstract field as proposed around the 1920s by developmental biologist Paul Weiss. (Weiss, 1926)   Then, in the mid and late 1930s, Dr. Harold Saxton Burr and his associates discovered just such a field. (Burr and Lane, 1935; Burr and Northrop, 1939) Dr. Burr discovered that all living things are molded and controlled by invisible and intangible electro-dynamic fields, that he called â€Å"L-fields† for the â€Å"fields of life†.   John White and Stanley Krippner call the L-field the â€Å"‘bridge' or intermediate link between the mental and the physical†¦they offer evidence that the mind and body are quite separate†¦.† (White and Krippner, 1977) If Burr's findings are correct, it seems apparent that consciousness and the mind are electrodynamic fields that interact with the physical body.   Burr was able to make a definitive connection between the L-field and wound healing and between the L-field and the mental functions and mental states of individuals. Burr and his colleagues found that they could make impersonal, objective measurements of the mental and emotional states of psychiatric patients and that their electrical measurements generally agreed closely with psychiatric diagnoses.   Consciousness and the mind somehow relate to the brain and the physical body through an electrical connection or bridge of sorts, forces associated with and coupled to cells. (Jerndal, 1982) Finally, although the preferred view of the mind-body/mind-brain issue in neuroscience and psychology is the monistic view which states that the mind is merely an epiphenomenon that arises from brain activity, it is apparent that the mind transcends physical functions of the body, but there are concerns such as can more detailed studies be provided to determine if the mind can be associated with the L-field?   Burr, Ravitz and their colleagues provided evidence that established a relationship between nerve and other tissue and that made useful neurological and psychiatric measurements that were associated with mental functions. Therefore, they succeeded in establishing a firm connection between an abstract but very real field and the tangible nervous system.   This data provides concrete evidence for the existence of an independent mind that transcends the functions of the physical body.   Thus, it appears that the mind-brain and mind-body issue can be laid to rest.   Now, the problem is, â€Å"How to get the word out.†Ã‚   Perhaps that leaves us right back where we started, at least for now. References Becker, Robert O. and Gary Selden (1985).   THE BODY ELECTRIC.   Electromagnetism and The Foundation of Life.   New York, NY: Quill, William Morrow. Burr, H. S. (1952).   Electrometrics of Atypical Growth.   Yale J. Biol. Med., 25, 67-75. Burr, H. S. (1972).   The Fields of Life:   Our Links with the Universe.   New York, NY:   Ballantine Books. Burr, H. S., and Lane, C. T. (1935).   Electrical Characteristics of Living Systems.   Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 8, 31-35. Burr, H. S., and Northrop, F. S. C. (1939).   Evidence for the Existence of An Electrodynamic Field in the Living Organisms.   Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, U.S.A., 25, 284-288. Eccles, Sir John C. (1951).   Hypotheses Relating To The Brain-Mind Problem.   Nature, 168(4263), 53-57. Forsdyke, D. R. (1999). Two levels of information in DNA: Relationship of Romanes' â€Å"intrinsic† variability of the reproductive system, and Bateson's â€Å"residue† to the species-dependent component of the base composition, (C + G) %. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 201, 47-61 Jacyna, L. S. (1994). Philosophic whigs: Medicine, science and citizenship in Edinburgh 1789-1848. London: Routledge. Jerndal, Jens (1982).   The Field Resonance Approaching Medicine.   Text of a Paper presented at the 3rd World Congress of Alternative Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka 22nd October, 1982. Penfield, Wilder (1975).  Ã‚   The Mystery of the Mind:   A Critical Study of Consciousness and the Human Brain.   Princeton, NJ:   Princeton University Press. Weiss, P. A. (1926)   â€Å"Morphodynamik:   Ein Einblick in die Gesetzte der organischen Gestaltung an Hand von experimentellen Ergebnissen,† in Abhandlungen zur theoretischen Biologie, (J. Schaxel, ed.), Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin. White, John, and Krippner, Stanley (1977).   Future Science.   Life Energies and the Physics of Paranormal Phenomena.   Garden City, NY:   Anchor Books.      

Personal Imaginative Coursework – Conflict

Conflict Marion had always got on with Sinead, but I'd noticed that recently things hadn't been as peachy. She was in a room, her room, flicking through old magazines. It was starting to get dark and she hadn't yet shut the curtains. ‘Knock knock'. Silence. ‘Knock knock'. â€Å"Mum?† Creak. â€Å"Why's it so dark in here? I'm going out, I'll be back later.† â€Å"I said I'd meet Mary at seven.† Sinead went over and pulled the curtains shut, tutting as she did so. â€Å"Well you can't, I'm going out.† â€Å"I told you earlier, I can still go, we're seeing ‘The Fruit Picker', you know, the one with Bobby Clampton.† Marion sat down, tucking her skirt under her as she always did. â€Å"I don't think so, fruitcake. I don't want you to OK?† Sinead said, facing her daughter. â€Å"But you didn't tell me you were going out and I've already made plans.† â€Å"Enough. I've said no.† Sinead made an annoying emphasis on the word no with her hands like she usually did before she lost her temper. â€Å"Then tell me why.† Marion was starting to get impatient but didn't want Sinead to go into one, so tried to be rational. â€Å"Because I've said so.† â€Å"I have no problem in doing what you say as long as you give me a good reason, and so far I haven't seen one so I assume I'm still going out.† As she said this, Marion went over to Sinead, noticing a helicopter circling the sky outside. â€Å"The reason is that I want you to stay home in case your father rings.† â€Å"No it's not, you made that up. I'll be back around ten.† â€Å"You'll be here at ten because you won't be going out. Ever.† â€Å"What, even school?† she said sarkily. â€Å"Don't be a smart little cow. Yeah, even school.† â€Å"Don't be stupid. You can't be serious?† The worried expression on her face showed that calm composure wasn't the first thing on her mind at the moment. â€Å"I'm deadly serious. See you later.† Sinead left the door open as she left the room and a few seconds later let the front door slam. I knew she'd be OK, so I stayed with Marion. Marion punched the bed with anger and let out a few reluctant sobs. She stood up jerkily and banged her head against the wall a few times to gather her thoughts. She stood for a moment then I followed her out of the room. I waited at the top of the stairs while she went down. She came back up with a knife from the kitchen. We went back into her room. She sat down on the bed. As I stayed by the door I watched her pull up her sleeve. She put the knife to her wrist and winced. I wanted to do something but I was only there to watch. â€Å"That'll show her.† she muttered. She reached over to get a tissue and smeared some of the blood over the rest of her arm. â€Å"Run† BANG. BANG. â€Å"Now† BANG. The light was making him see in flashes, like strobing. The night was closing in on him but everything else was breaking up. As he turned the corner he tripped on a dustbin. Him and Mark had gone in opposite directions. â€Å"The Brits are on our tail.† â€Å"Down here† Voices from all directions were clouding his mind. The sirens were deafening. All he could do was think about his wife and daughter back home and know they'd be OK. It was quite a slow process as they dragged him, with a few of the others, into the back of the van, with the gunshots still roaring through the sky. Late at night, in the depths of the Irish countryside, a man knelt down beside his bed in a dorm, alongside many other men, some only boys, and prayed. Prayed that the Lord could give him strength to stand by his country and make him a martyr for freedom. But above all that the Lord might send someone to watch over his young wife and child in times when he could not be there. Because for him, knowing that God was watching over them meant knowing that they'd be safe even when he was too distant for his love to reach them. Many other men had prayed that night, for the next day was the day they'd first gone out and fought what would be the beginning of an even longer war. But O'Brien's was the prayer I heard and the prayer I answered. And when he was caught, then lined up and shot by a British Army Officer and it was my turn to move on, I couldn't help staying just a little longer to make sure Sinead and Marion got through it alright. A few hours later Marion was back with the magazines, the blood having crusted into a nice little scar. She heard a clunk from downstairs and quickly switched off the light and jumped into bed with her clothes still on. I went downstairs to check on Sinead. She'd got back later than she normally did. She took off her coat and hung it over the banister. She walked down the hall into the kitchen and put her keys down on the table. As she scanned the contents of the fridge, forest fruits gateau, cheese, orange juice, the phone started to ring. She shut the fridge door and picked it up after three rings. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Yes, that's me.† The person on the end of the receiver was too muffled for me to hear. Sinead began fiddling with the only ring on her fingers. She paled and her shoulders tensed up. Her breathing became shallow and her chest heaved. â€Å"I understand.† â€Å"No thank you, I'll be fine.† She put down the handset and lent on the worktop for support. She stood straight and walked through the hall and up the stairs trembling. I followed closely behind. â€Å"Can I come in, darlin'?† her voice didn't come out as intended, it sounded too high, false. The door opened away from us, and Marion stood, looking unusually small. Sinead walked through and sat on the bed, her eyes were sunken and red. Marion stayed by the door too. â€Å"Are you OK mum? Has something happened?† â€Å"Come over here, love.† She gestured by patting the space next to her. Marion walked slowly over, looking stiff and uncomfortable. â€Å"What is it?† she asked. Sinead didn't look her in the eye. She gestured again and Marion sat down. â€Å"I've just had a call from Mark. He had some news about your father.† As her eyes started pricking Marion wished she hadn't turned on the light before opening the door. â€Å"He was caught on a job and he's been, he's been killed.† Marion lifted up her arm to wipe her eye, â€Å"What on earth have you done to yourself?† Sinead's voice was trembling and cracking and her eyes shot with blood. â€Å"Nothing. I – I didn't mean to.† â€Å"Oh come here, my baby.† And she pulled her to her, and as they both sat there sobbing out loud, clutching each other, I went over and put my arms round them both, gently rocking them from side to side into the night, softly singing an old Irish song my mother used to sing to me: The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone In the ranks of death you will find him His father's sword he hath girded on And his wild harp slung behind him â€Å"Land of Song!† said the warrior bard â€Å"Tho' all the world betrays thee One sword, at least, they rights shall guard One faithful harp shall praise thee!† The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain Could not bring that proud soul under The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again For he tore its chords asunder And said â€Å"No chains shall sully thee Thou soul of love and brav'ry! Thy songs were made for the pure and free, They shall never sound in slavery!†

How Has Texting Affected Teenagers Essay Example

How Has Texting Affected Teenagers Essay Example How Has Texting Affected Teenagers Essay How Has Texting Affected Teenagers Essay How has texting affected teen literacy? This is one question asked by many, and not always answered. After doing much research, I have come up with an answer to this question. There are pros as well as cons to texting when it comes to teens. The pros of texting are that texting allows teens to communicate with each other more often. Another pro is that they have the capability to call a parent when in a situation where alcohol or drugs are involved. While texting can have some pros, it also comes with its own set of cons. One con is that texting is leading to anxiety, stress, distraction in school, and sleep deprivation. All of this added together can cause teens to have falling grades in school. Another, con is that texting can distract teens while they are driving. Texting and driving has become one of the most common causes of car accidents. One common thing you can see in schools is texting in class. One other thing you will see is cheating during tests. Some schools have banned cellphones during tests but this has not helped at all. These rules only affect the teens that are willing to break rules. The amount of teens who own a cell phone in the world is enormous. In 2011, 77% of the teenage population owned a cell phone, which is very similar to the 75% presented in 2009. Due to the unlimited texting plans presented by various mobile carriers texting has increased substantially in popularity. According to the Nielson Company, American Teenagers sent and received and average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008. This totals to about 80 messages a day. In 2010, this amount of 2,272 text messages in the fourth quarter of 2008, grew to an amount of 6. 1 trillion text messages in 2010. This goes to show how much texting has grown in popularity and is a growing issue that effects teens everywhere. As texting becomes more popular, more and more teens begin to have falling grades in school and also putting themselves in danger while driving. If parents started to be more watchful of how much their children text, they could help them keep control of their texting. Baker,Lisa. Cell Phones and Their Positive Effects on Youth eHow 15. April. 2012 Starovoit,Veronica. How Does Text Messaging Affect the Ability to Write Speak in English? eHow 16. April. 2012 Lenhart,Amanda. Overall cell ownership steady since 2009 PewInternet 19. Mar. 2012 Hafner,Katie. Texting May Be Taking a Toll on Teenagers The New York Times 25. May. 2009

War Hawks and the War of 1812

War Hawks and the War of 1812 The War Hawks were members of Congress who put pressure on President James Madison to declare war against Britain in 1812. The War Hawks tended to be younger congressmen from southern and western  states. Their  desire for war was prompted by expansionist tendencies. Their agenda included adding Canada and Florida to the territory of the United States as well as pushing the frontier further west despite resistance from Native American tribes. Reasons for War The War Hawks cited multiple tensions between the two 19th-century powerhouses as arguments for war. Tensions included violations that the British committed regarding U.S. maritime rights, the effects of the Napoleonic Wars and lingering animosity from the Revolutionary War.   At the same time, the western frontier was feeling pressure from Native Americans, who formed an alliance to stop the encroachment of white settlers. The War Hawks believed that the British were financing the Native Americans in their resistance, which only incentivized them to declare war against Great Britain even more. Henry Clay Although they were young and even called the boys in Congress, the War Hawks gained influence given the leadership and charisma of Henry Clay. In December 1811, the U.S. Congress elected  Henry Clay  of Kentucky as speaker of the house. Clay became a spokesperson for the War Hawks and pushed the agenda of war against Britain. Disagreement in Congress Congressmen mainly from northeastern states disagreed with the War Hawks. They did not want to wage war against Great Britain because they believed their coastal states would bear the physical and economic consequences of an attack by the British fleet more than southern or western states would. War of 1812 Eventually, the War Hawks swayed Congress. President Madison was eventually convinced to go along with the demands of the War Hawks, and the  vote to go to war  with Great Britain passed by a relatively small margin in the U.S. Congress. The War of 1812 lasted from June 1812 to February 1815. The resulting war was costly to the United States. At one point British troops marched on Washington, D.C. and  burned the White House and the Capitol. In the end, the expansionist goals of the War Hawks were not achieved as there were no changes in territorial boundaries. Treaty of Ghent After 3 years of war, the War of 1812 concluded with the Treaty of Ghent. It was signed on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. The war was a stalemate, thus the purpose of the treaty was to restore relations to status quo ante bellum. This means that U.S. and Great Britain borders were to be restored to the condition they were in before the War of 1812. All captured lands, prisoners of war and military resources, such as ships, were restored.   Modern Usage The term hawk still persists in American speech today. The word describes someone who is in favor of beginning a war.

Paramedic Science (Medical) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paramedic Science (Medical) - Essay Example The area deprived of blood supply is said to have suffered ischemic injury. The ischemic injury, if severe enough to cause the complete block of oxygen and nutrients causes death of the heart tissue, which is termed as Myocardial Infarction (Guyton et al 200, Ganong 2005). The blood vessels supplying the heart are called coronary arteries. There are three main coronary arteries which supply different areas of heart along with their branches. These are 1) Right coronary artery, 2) Left anterior descending artery, 3) Left circumflex artery. Above 90% cases of myocardial infarction occur as a result of coronary artery blockage, thus the disease is also referred to as coronary artery disease (CAD). The most common and dangerous cause of coronary artery obstruction, and thus MI is Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis refers to the narrowing of arteries because of accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques are basically thrombi composed of lipid foam cells (cholesterol) and differe nt cell components including smooth muscle, macrophages and collagen fibres. In most instances, the ischemic myocardial infarction is precipitated by the phenomenon called acute plaque change. Acute plaque change results from the rupture of pre-existing thrombi that partially occlude the lumen. The rupture exposes the underlying thrombogenic endothelium. The plaques are also termed as vulnerable plaques as they contain lipids in high amounts, along with collagen fibres and inflammatory cells. When ruptured, the reactivity of these components causes the inflammatory destabilization and result in the infarction (Libby P 2001). The acute phase reactant, C reactive protein (CRP) is thus found to be high during the acute myocardial infarction (Blake et al 2003). The infarction can occur in either of the two patterns, complete occlusion of a single coronary artery referred to as transmural infarct, which results in complete ischemia of the area supplied by that particular coronary artery. Subendocardial infarcts on the other hand occlude the arteries incompletely, and thus allow some perfusion. But since subendocardium is the least perused area of the myocardium, it is more prone to ischemic death. The aim of reperfusion is to save the viable muscle from necrosis (Huber et al 1996). The myocardial injury is reversible for up to 30 minutes after the ischemic attack, thereafter the injury becomes irreversible. The entire muscle becomes necrotic within six hours, if the collateral arteries are not well developed (Robbins et al 2005, Mohan 2007). The development of atherosclerotic plaques and pathogenesis of the process into the myocardial infarction is a complex one. It is a chronic disease taking years to evolve before it causes any modifiable consequences. The evolvement is subtle and the resultant damage is severe. The pathogenesis of the disease involves several factors. The balance among these factors in the long run determines the outcome of the condition. These factors can either be modifiable or non-modifiable. The modifiable factors are the ones that a person can control by bringing about certain changes. They include controlling the level of fats in diet, cessation of smoking, regular exercise and maintaining the blood pressure in the normal range (Manson et al 1996). The hyperlipidemias, i.e. elevated low density lipoproteins and

Reading response of the reading Living in a Globalizing World Essay

Reading response of the reading Living in a Globalizing World - Essay Example The people living in United States, gets affected by the affect of globalization on the economy. The positive aspect of the US economy is to generate profit through expansion of industrialization but the adverse aspect is that it leads to the increase in the number of the outsourcing by declining the number local jobs (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). The inequality in sexism, racial prejudice is creating a big chaos in the society and also affecting globalization. With the advent of globalization, few negative aspects such as number of sex trafficking and discrimination of the people on the basis of the race has increased worldwide. s. The institutional racism also gets influenced through globalization due to the integration of the diverse culture. Conversely, many people have adopted orphan children, who belong to different racism for providing them better life (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). The term wealth means the property of an individual, which is earned by the person throughout the life. However, wealth not only provides materialistic happiness but also non-materialistic aspect. Wealth is also the satisfaction, which comes out from the mental peace and happiness. In present scenario, people feel that the people who spend time with their family are happier than any other financially rich person (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). To be an ethical consumer the person needs to adopt the fair trade, which is paid to the worker as workable wages. The role of ethical consumer is to provide support to poor farmer by purchasing food products from them. The customers need to be aware about the money and investment procedures (Crawford and Fogart 1-137). There are some countries are still lacking in its economic nature. The main reason behind this poor situation is inequality in the British colonials. The people who belong to elite class lead different life from that of the poor people. These may lead to