Science of the SpiritS


Cloud Precipitation

An exploration of why we cry

Ashley P Taylor
Brain Decoder
Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:18 UTC
In effort to understand my own tears, I looked to scientific research on crying. Though generally associated with sadness, tears can mean almost anything.
crying woman

I. "Il pleure dans mon coeur"

"Il pleure dans mon coeur comme il pleut sur la ville." — Paul Verlaine

My mom recited this poem to me in the car on rainy days as we drove to or from school, and it comes to mind when I think of tears. The line means "it cries in my heart as it rains on the town" and plays on the way that 'it's raining' ( il pleut) and 'he/it cries' (il pleure) sound almost alike in French. You wouldn't really say "it cries in my heart," but I translate it that way because in French, the raining and crying are analogous, sound-wise. But the analogy of raindrops to melancholy weather within also works in terms of meaning: rainy days do make us gloomy. It's crying in my heart. "Stormy weather."
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Boat

Why being near the ocean can make you calmer and more creative

Carolyn Gregoire
Huffington Post
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:52 UTC
swimming
© Hero Images via Getty
Since ancient times, humans have assigned healing and transformational properties to water. In early Rome, baths were an important part of cultural life, a place where citizens went to find relaxation and to connect with others in a calming setting. In ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicinal wisdom, and traditional Chinese medicine, the water element is crucial to balancing the body and creating physical harmony. Rivers have long been seen as sacred places, and in a number of different spiritual contexts, water has symbolized rebirth, spiritual cleansing and salvation.

Today, we still turn to water for a sense of calm and clarity. We spend our vacations on the beach or at the lake; get exercise and enjoyment from water sports like surfing, scuba diving, sailing, and swimming; refresh ourselves with long showers and soothing baths, and often build our lives and homes around being near the water.

Comment: Enjoy the Benefits of Hot and Cold Water Therapy

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Mr. Potato

How do we develop our sense of humor?

Kelsey Lawrence
Hopes and Fears
Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:41 UTC
humor
To break down the science of humor seems, in a sense, almost contradictory to the spontaneous nature of humor. It's hard to explain why some people find Monty Python hilarious, for instance, while others don't quite see the humor in a bunch of British men making wry, off-color comments to each other. A sense of humor is at once highly individualized, yet also what bonds us to others in a way nothing else does. The purpose of it can be very biological—a way of finding a compatible mate—but it can also be an indicator of emotional intelligence, and of the environment and experiences specific to an individual.

Hopes&Fears spoke to humor experts to explore the idea of what factors create and shape our sense of humor, and what the evolutionary purpose of humor might be.
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Bandaid

Why manning up is the worst thing to do

Mark Greene
Yes Magazine
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 02:49 UTC
Can we cure the toxicity of male trauma and the resulting illnesses it creates?

manning up
© YES! illustration by Pablo Iglesias
The traditional rules about how to be a "real man" in America are breaking down. Economic upheaval has shifted wage earning from men to their wives or partners. The rise of men as primary caregivers of their children is challenging our most fundamental assumptions about gender. The gay rights and trans rights movements are creating expansive new definitions of masculinity. Millennials are leading a much broader acceptance of diversity.

This generation is witness to a collision between traditional masculinity and a new wave, one that values intimacy, caregiving, and nurturing. But many of us have spent our lives under immense pressure to stifle emotional expression of any kind. And we're learning there's a cost: Men are suffering higher rates of life-threatening disease, depression, and death. Simply put, the suppression of emotional expression in men is damaging their health and well-being.

Comment:

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Rainbow

Dying can change your life

Gavin Whyte
Wakeup World
Wed, 25 Nov 2015 20:19 UTC
dying
Okay, I know the title is a little odd but hear me out, because what I have to say about dying only makes living all the more incredible.

We have been conditioned not to think about death and dying. If we do think about it and voice our thoughts then people, our family and close friends especially, might get a little worried, fearing for our mental health.

But what if — and this is where we make the grim reaper look like prince charming — what if by understanding death and how it's connected to life, we learn how to live in peace, joy, wonder and love? Have you ever wondered whether all those things we're seeking might be hiding in the very place we fear the most?

Comment: The Health and Wellness Show - Death: No One Gets Out of Here Alive

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2 + 2 = 4

Teaching math to people who think they hate it

Jessica Lahey
The Atlantic
Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:14 UTC
A popular Cornell professor tries to help language-arts types learn how to "make math" instead of just studying it.

teaching math through art
© Jessica Lahey The author's son and husband take the scalene triangle challenge.
Math has never been my strong suit. I opted out of it at every turn, particularly in college, where I enrolled in linguistics to fulfill my quantitative reasoning requirement. I even tried to overcome my aversion by taking a second whack at Algebra in my forties, but sadly, I still hand restaurant bills to my husband when it's time to calculate the tip, and have long since given up on helping my teenage son with his Algebra II homework. Despite my negative feelings about math, I am a huge fan of Steven Strogatz, author, columnist, and Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University.

I follow Steve Strogatz on Twitter, and while I don't always understand his tweets ("Would you like Bayesian or frequentist statistics with that?"), I do find them fascinating. When Steve tweeted that he'd be teaching an introductory math course for non-math majors at Cornell University (#old_dog#new_tricks#excited), I emailed and asked him to tell me more. Why would a veteran professor of higher math choose to spend a semester in the company of undergraduates, many of whom would rather visit the dentist than spend two hours a week exploring mathematical concepts?

Comment:

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Wolf

The canine connection: Icebreaker for humans

Julie Beck
The Atlantic
Mon, 30 Nov 2015 18:33 UTC
Doggies
People's canine companions make for good icebreakers, and can overcome the barriers humans put between themselves and strangers.

People's canine companions make for good icebreakers, and can overcome the barriers humans put between themselves and strangers.
Thirty years ago, Paul Knott broke his neck in a car accident, landing him in a wheelchair and ending his career as a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Since then, he's gone back to school, finished his degree, started working as a "data cowboy" (his words), trained people on dispatch systems (still for CAL FIRE), and raised three Australian shepherds.

Comment: "A dog can express more with his tail in minutes than his owner can express with his tongue in hours." Anonymous

Check out more articles on "man's best friend":
  • Tail-waggers and their people share hormonal bond through mutual gazing
  • Dog 'walks 200 miles to find woman who nursed her back to health after hit-and-run accident'
  • Kids are less likely to develop Asthma if they grow up with dogs
  • Why do dogs like to sniff crotches?


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Powertool

Zeigarnik effect for beating procrastination: Start somewhere...anywhere!

Jeremy Dean
PsyBlog
Sat, 05 Dec 2015 11:37 UTC
procrastination
© n/aOne weapon for beating procrastination is starting somewhere…anywhere.
What can waiters, the TV series 'Lost' and the novelist Charles Dickens teach us about avoiding procrastination?

One of the simplest methods for beating procrastination in almost any task was inspired by busy waiters.

It's called the Zeigarnik effect after a Russian psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik, who noticed an odd thing while sitting in a restaurant in Vienna. The waiters seemed only to remember orders which were in the process of being served. When completed, the orders evaporated from their memory.

Zeigarnik went back to the lab to test out a theory about what was going on. She asked participants to do twenty or so simple little tasks in the lab, like solving puzzles and stringing beads (Zeigarnik, 1927). Except some of the time they were interrupted half way through the task. Afterwards she asked them which activities they remembered doing. People were about twice as likely to remember the tasks during which they'd been interrupted than those they completed.

What does this have to do with procrastination? I'll give you another clue...
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Yoda

Condition yourself to overcome your fears

Jeremiah Johnson
Ready Nutrition
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:11 UTC
Fear
© Monty Pelerin's World
ReadyNutrition Readers, this is a segment that will give you a framework for dealing with fear and how to give yourself an edge. Although I am not a psychologist or sociologist, I have been trained in some techniques to help give yourself a mental edge when facing those things that trouble you the most. Keep in mind: those who have heart conditions or medical conditions requiring a physician's care should consult with their doctor prior to utilizing any information presented herein. This information is presented strictly for informational purposes only.

Fear is Healthy

That being said, what is fear? Fear is a normal emotion that is designed to protect us as a species. There is no shame in fear or being afraid, and that being said, you can learn to control your fear so that it is not a negative factor that can bring you down. Fear is designed to alert your mind and body to the fact that danger may be imminent and then is triggered the sympathetic and parasympathetic response, which is the fight or flight mechanism of your nervous system. It physiologically has to do with epinephrine and norepinephrine produced in your body, as well as your adrenal system.
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Magic Wand

The Lancet: Mindfulness meditation as effective as Big Pharma

Derrick Broze
The Anti Media
Thu, 23 Apr 2015 22:18 UTC
meditation
A new study published in The Lancet medical journal has found that Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may be just as effective as pharmaceuticals when it comes to preventing chronic depression relapse.

Researchers at Britain's Oxford University and Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry conducted the first large-scale study to compare the treatment of chronic depression with MBCT and anti-depressants. They found very little difference in the results of the two different treatments, including a minimal difference in the cost of the mindfulness training versus the constant use of pharmaceuticals.

MBCT combines traditional Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) methods with psychological strategies such as mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of, and accepting of incoming thoughts without attaching or reacting to them. The practice is common among most meditation practices. MBCT was designed to help those suffering from chronic depression to learn to respond constructively to their emotions.

Comment: Breathing techniques are an integral part of a meditation practice. Practicing breathing techniques along with meditation on a regular basis can instantaneously better your mood, calm your body and tame stress. For more information about breathing techniques and the Prayer of the Soul Meditation Seed, visit the Éiriú Eolas Stress Control, Healing and Rejuvenation Program website.

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