Science of the SpiritS


Heart - Black

Dark thoughts could be a sign of healthy functioning

Jessica Grogan Ph.D.
Psychology Today
Fri, 25 Sep 2015 21:00 UTC
Image
When we get stronger we're more capable of exploring our fears
The irony of human existence is that we are the highest forms of life on earth and yet ineffably sad because we are the only ones who know that we are going to die (Delillo, 1985).
My clients are often surprised when their progress in terms of health and functioning is accompanied by more frequent thoughts of death. One client in particular, who has started facing up to her own profound sense of self-doubt and who has stopped self-medicating almost nightly with marijuana or alcohol, has had moments she describes as full of "existential terror." To me, this supports my perception that she's doing much better, and is more able to let in more challenging forms of self-awareness.

Comment: Feeling intense emotions doesn't mean you're crazy, it means you're human

Read More...
2 + 2 = 4

Why growing up is hard to do (But why the world still needs adults)

Brett and Kate McKay
The Art of Manlines
Fri, 19 Dec 2014 16:42 UTC
Image
When I explain the Art of Manliness to other people, I often describe it as a site about growing up well, aimed at men. Our mission is to help young men mature into well-rounded adults, and to aid older men in improving areas of their lives they still feel are lacking.

Yet despite this focus, we labor under no delusions that growing up is an easy task. In fact, while maturing has always been a challenge, we'd posit that it's never been as hard to do as it is in our modern world. Consequently, many young people seem stuck in limbo - no longer a child, but not fully an adult.
Read More...
Family

People who believe that they are being punished by God have worse health outcomes

Josh Richardson
Prevent Disease
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 15:53 UTC
fault
It is only human nature to displace responsibility and it has a major effect on our view of religion and spirituality. Most people cannot fathom a reality or truth that the events and circumstances in our life are generated by what WE think and do. Individuals who blame karma or other non-secular matters for their poor health have more pain and worse physical and mental health, according to a new study from University of Missouri researchers. Targeted interventions to counteract negative spiritual beliefs could help some individuals decrease pain and improve their overall health, the researchers said.

Every emotion, including love and hate tunes into a specific frequency. The problem is most people tune into a frequency they believe absolves them of responsibility.

Comment: Believing that you're being punished by a vengeful God who proclaims to love you at the same time can be quite stressful indeed.

Read More...
People 2

Let go of your social anxiety by realizing that no one gives a damn

Stephen Parato
Waking Times
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 18:33 UTC
smug man
Ask yourself this question: Why do I care about what other people think?

Don't you want to live life on your own terms? Why are you letting others dictate your decisions and how you live your life?

Not caring about what others think is the ultimate freedom.

Are you constantly thinking about what couldhappen in every social situation, instead of being fully in the moment? The vast majority of the time, all of the hypothetical "What if..."projections (that are on replay in your head) don't even end up happening.

Let go and allow life to flow through you.

Comment: This phenomenon is otherwise known as the spotlight effect.
Basically, it is the result of egocentrism. We all are the center of our own universes. This is not to say we are arrogant, or value ourselves more than others, but rather, that our entire existence is from our own experiences and perspective. And we use those experiences to evaluate the world around us, including other people. But other people not only lack the knowledge of, for instance, the stain that you have, but they are the center of their own universes too, and in turn, are focused on other things!


Read More...
Music

Is there an evolutionary advantage to our emotional connection to music?

David Robson
BBC
Fri, 18 Sep 2015 21:52 UTC
Image
© Nils Z/Shutterstock
Q: Why does music have a hotline to our emotions? What is the evolutionary advantage of this?
Philip Le Riche, via email

David Robson, BBC Future feature writer, answers:

Who hasn't ever felt a song pulling at their heartstrings? Whether it is the feeling of euphoria in a club, or a lonely cry to a heartbreaking ballad, music can cut us to the core, expressing emotions more eloquently than words ever can.

But as our reader, Philip, points out, the reasons for this are far from obvious. "It's clear to me the appeal of rhythm, and I get all the stuff about anticipation, surprise and fulfilment of expectations. These all help to explain why music is interesting - but why it moves us at such a deep level remains a mystery to me," he explained in an email to the BBC Future team.
Is music just "auditory cheesecake", or does it have a deeper meaning?
Posing this question puts Philip in good company. Even the father of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin, was stumped by our musical faculty, calling it one of "the most mysterious with which [humankind] is endowed". Some thinkers, such as the cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, have even questioned whether it has any particular value at all. In his view, we like music because it tickles some of the more important faculties, like pattern recognition. By itself, he says, it has no value - it is mere "auditory cheesecake".

Comment: Different notes for different folks: How music makes the brain happy

Read More...
Butterfly

Intuition's important role in guiding our decisions

Julie Eakin
Spirituality & Health
Sun, 20 Sep 2015 00:00 UTC
intuition
The intuition's most important role is that it alerts us to the path, people, and circumstances that we will uniquely find fulfilling.

Our intuition will tell you intimate and important things nobody else will—and it will also tell you things your own mind will argue with. As a culture, we have learned to believe that being rational is what should prevail when making decisions. But what about our "inner voice," our gut feeling—that "little something" instinctual from within, which tells us how we feel beneath those layers of logic?

Intuition can be either a moment where you instinctively know if something IS right—or isn't right. It's our inner voice that "that just knows," and it does understand what uniquely, sometimes seemingly illogically, will make you happy. It bridges the gap between between instinct and reason, between the conscious and unconscious mind.

Science tells us that only 20 percent of the brain's gray matter is used for conscious thoughts, while 80 percent is dedicated to non-conscious thoughts.

Comment:


Read More...
Butterfly

How to move through pain and feeling stuck

Jenny G. Perry
The Huffington Post
Sun, 20 Sep 2015 13:04 UTC
emotional pain, sadness
Are you stuck in some area of your life? In your business, relationships, weight, confidence... do you feel like you're looking for the missing piece to finally shift it? Do you think you may be the one causing yourself pain? Are you finally fed up and done?

Good. You're right on track. You've hit resistance. You have a subconscious "block." When I start with a new client, every single one has one. Think of a roadblock, like when the road is under construction and you have to take a detour. You must create a new path when you hit the personal road block. It can feel like a setback, but wherever you are is perfect. Start here.

Always remember that your subconscious doesn't want you to change. Change signals possible danger, the unknown, and we are hard-wired to resist it. It's trying to keep you safe, but you are pushing the edge of your comfort zone and now it's unbearable. This is where you create your own pain. All it takes is willingness to change and practice.

Comment: The Éiriú Eolas breathing and meditation program is a technique for calming the mind and emotions, and will also help you to focus, thus creating better links between your body and mind. It will also help you to heal emotional wounds; anything that may hinder or prevent you from leading a healthy and fulfilling life.

Read More...
Family

The surprising benefits of feeling blue

Stephanie Pappas
Brain Decoder
Thu, 17 Sep 2015 12:26 UTC
teardrop people
© Braindecoder/shutterstockAn emotion that prompts people to cry, lose appetite and withdraw from the world, might have actually been crucial to our survival.
After the British painter Samuel Palmer lost his 19-year-old son in 1861, he called the death "the catastrophe of my life." In a letter to a friend, he described the anguish:

"I dreamed one night that dear More was alive again and that after throwing my arms round his neck and finding beyond all doubt that I had my living son in my embrace - we went thoroughly into the subject, and found that the death and funeral at Abinger had been fictitious. For a second after waking the joy remained - then came the knell that wakes me every morning - More is dead! More is dead!"

Palmer's tragedy probably resonates with anyone who has known loss. Sadness, from the profound grief of a parent to transient moodiness of a child, is a universal emotion. It also, on its face, doesn't make a great deal of sense.

Comment: Sadness seems to serve an evolutionary purpose and is not something to be medicated away.

Read More...
Butterfly

Tips for overcoming obsessive thinking

Sharon Martin
PsychCentral
Sat, 19 Sep 2015 00:00 UTC
anxiety, avoidance
A few years ago I remodeled my kitchen. Having to make that many decisions is an overthinker's nightmare. If you've ever remodeled, you know that it's one decision after another — fixtures, appliances, countertops, paint. Do you even know how many models of faucets are made?

People who overthink feel like their brains won't turn off. They are constantly questioning, second-guessing, and evaluating to the extent that they create analysis paralysis, or the inability to make decisions.

Overthinking is common among anxious perfectionists. It is obsessive thinking or ruminating. Sometimes you can't even decide something simple like what you want for dinner. Instead you say "I don't know" or "I don't care" and inevitably annoy your partner or friends because you never seem to have an opinion.

Comment: Another useful technique for calming the the mind and helping you to focus is the Eiriu Eolas stress reducing program. Getting adequate sleep can help diminish persistent intrusive thoughts as well.

Read More...
Butterfly

Stalking: Using our mind's own voice to be free of the voice

Hal Robinson
Spirituality & Health
Sat, 19 Sep 2015 00:00 UTC
crow boy
© Crow-Boy by Anna Magruder
If we are relentless and impeccable about stalking ourselves, a result is that we leave the world and other people alone.

There is a very old tradition taught by indigenous elders from the Americas that trains us to use the voice of the mind to be free of the voice. The term these elders use for this process is called "stalking." It is understood that the word stalking has some negative connotations in our society. However, stalking is an honored part of this Medicine Way. These societies were hunter-gatherers: Just as they stalked animals for their energy, we have been taught to stalk the voice in the mind for its energy.

In stalking, we use three areas to assist us in finding energy. The first area is our thoughts: judgmental and critical, future or past, and self-pitying. The second place we look for energy is emotion: Am I having an emotional reaction to this person or event? The third area of awareness is physical: If I am unaware of my thinking or emotional responses I can almost always become aware of physical tension or upset in the body.
Read More...