Author Archives: kzt5196

Psilocybin Mushrooms to Treat Depression

Psilocybin mushrooms are mushrooms that contain psilocybin and psilocin, which are psychedelic compounds. When ingested, these mushrooms break down and psilocin (the substance causing hallucinogenic effects) is produced. The mushrooms bring about feelings of euphoria and a deep connection with one’s surroundings, making them feel one with nature. Senses are heightened while on this drug and every little detail is magnified. The effects usually can be felt for four to seven hours depending on dosage. The question is, because these mushrooms relax us and cause us to see the world and ourselves in a different light, could they be effective in treating depression?

Being high on psilocybin mushrooms causes the user to think deeply and question every aspect of themselves and the universe. Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris from Imperial College London states that “people try and run away from things and to forget, but with psychedelic drugs they’re forced to confront and really look at themselves.” In people with depression the default mode network in the brain becomes over-connected. When Carhart-Harris administered psilocybin mushrooms to 30 mentally stable volunteers, he found that the default mode network in the brain was disjointed and less active. This means that giving depressed people these magic mushroom brainmushrooms could free them from their negative thoughts, thus showing them that liberation is possible.

People struggling with depression find themselves stuck in the same negative thought processes over and over. They find it hard to see the positives in life. Experimenting with psilocybin mushrooms may assist these people to find value or meaning in their lives. The results of a study
published in the Royal Society Interface show that “the homological structure of the brain’s functional patterns undergoes a dramatic change post-psilocybin, characterized by the appearance of many transient structures of low stability and of a small number of persistent ones that are not observed in the case of placebo.” In simpler terms, this means that new areas of the brain start to exchange neural impulses after ingesting psilocybin.

About 14.8 million American adults suffer from depression. Many are on anti-depressant drugs, which are made in labs. Psilocybin mushrooms are natural and non-addictive. Patients would only have to ingest the mushrooms once and the results would last indefinitely. Antidepressants must be taken daily. It seems like it wouldn’t hurt for depressed patients to try psilocybin mushrooms in a professional environment under the supervision of doctors. If this mushroom changes a person’s mindset from negative to positive, I think it should start being used as a treatment for depression.

Other sources:

abcnews magic-mushroom.com reset.me

Money and Unhappiness

Many people spend their whole lives thinking if they were rich their lives would be so much easier and they wouldn’t have any worries. People often associate money with happiness, thinking the more money they have the happier they will be. We look at the lavish lifestyles of celebrities and think that they are so lucky because they can have anything they desire, but this may not be the case. Studies have shown that increased wealth may actually be decreasing our happiness.

As humans, we are never completely satisfied. The famous saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” is true. An article in The Atlantic reports on a study conducted by Boston College that shows the super rich (120 people with a net worth of $25 million) “turn out to be a generally dissatisfied lot, whose money has contributed to deep anxieties involving love, work, and family.” The rich encounter problems that most people don’t have, like wondering whether a partner actually has feelings for them or if they are just after their money. Family issues rooted from jealously are also common among the rich. The Atlantic article continues stating that “Most of them still do not consider themselves financially secure; for that, they say, they would require on average one-quarter more wealth than they currently possess.” This asserts that even the super rich still are not satisfied with what they have.186xdf23ec8o7jpg

When you have a lot of money, you buy all the best things your money can buy. When you are used to having the best of the best, you no longer appreciate the little things. A study conducted by psychologists at the University of Liege and posted in Psychological Science found evidence “supporting the widely held but previously untested belief that having access to the best things in life may actually undercut people’s ability to reap enjoyment from life’s small pleasures.” An example of this could be two people are going on a trip to the Bahamas. A rich person would likely want to fly first class and stay in a suite at the best resort on the island. The average person would likely fly coach and stay in a standard sized hotel room and be perfectly content. The more wealth a person has the higher their standards are raised, causing them to find less joy in the small things in life.

Money seems like the solution to all of our problems in life but it isn’t. Money can actually cause more unhappiness in our everyday lives. R. Douglas Fields writing for the Scientific American explains “what money gives with one hand—access to pleasurable experience—it takes away with the other by robbing people of the ability to appreciate simple joys.” When you are rich you feel that you need to live up to the image of a typical wealthy person. You constantly compare yourself to other wealthy people and strive to be the best, causing you more unhappiness and worries in the process.

Does Music Affect Our Mood?

We all like different genres of music and put on our favorite songs when we want to relax. You don’t always like to listen to the same style of music all the time—if you are doing homework you will probably play something relaxing, if you are at the gym you play something upbeat and fast paced, and at a party you probably listen to rap or electronic music. Music can be considered a natural antidepressant. Certain tunes cause the release of serotonin (a hormone) and dopamine (a neurotransmitter) in the brain that makes you feel good and happy. It also releases norepinephrine, which is a hormone that invokes feelings of euphoria

Rhythm and tone in music are primarily what causes the change in our emotions. Our hearts sync to the rhythms we listen to. This means that when we listen to slow, sad
music our heartbeat slows down, telling our brains that something sad is happening. When we listen to fast-paced, upbeat music our brains invoke feelings of excitement and energize us. Yuna L. Ferguson, writing for The Journal of Positive Psychology, conducted two experimental studies on trying to become happier with music. She found that “the effect was both self-directed and psychological: participants were told to try to feel happier while either listening to upbeat or neutral music. The upbeat tune listeners came out on top as far as overall impressions of happiness” (bestbinauralbeats.org). If we want to change our mood maybe all we need to do is turn on some good music.

Different types of music are therapeutic to us depending on our mood. If we areMood-Music experiencing a stressful time, listening to angry-sounding music with an aggressive tone can help us release some of our built up anger. Likewise, when we are feeling sad or unhappy listening to slow, sad music can be beneficial because we relate to the lyrics and feelings associated with the song. Music therapy is a real and recognized service. The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as “the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals”. This type of therapy is a natural way for people to become happier while restoring their energy.

There are several ways to control your mood with music. One thing you can do is listen to upbeat music in the morning soon after you wakeup. This gets your brain in an active mode making you feel ready to start the day. Meditating while listening to soothing music can decrease anxiety levels in your body. You should not constantly have music playing in the background all day because eventually your brain will get used to the sounds and not have a significant impact on your mood.

If you pay attention you will notice that music is always playing wherever we go. Stores play music to keep draw customers in and make them stay longer. Doctors offices play soothing music to relax the patients. Sporting events blast music to get fans excited and energized. Music is such a little thing that plays a big role in controlling our mood. If we practice playing the right type of music to fit our emotions we can gain better control over our moods.

Other sources:

Examined Existence Healthy Children News Archive

Could The Pineal Gland Really Be a Third Eye?

The pineal gland is a small, pinecone shaped, endocrine gland located at the geometric center of our brains. It produces melatonin and is linked to our body’s perception of light, affecting the modulation of our sleep and wake patterns and seasonal functions. Uniquely, the pineal gland is not isolated from the body by the blood-brain barrier system. Apart from the kidneys, it receives the highest blood flow percentage than any other area of the body. It is considered by many to be the connecting link between the physical and spiritual worlds, or our biological “third eye”.

The pineal gland comes from the root word “pinea” which means “pinecone” in Latin. The gland itself also resembles a pinecone in some ways, so symbolism of a pinecone has appeared all over the ancient world and is still depicted today. Egyptians, Indians, Assyrians, Mexicans, Greeks, Romans and Sumerians have all depicted pinecones in their ancient art, usually in their religious portrayals of gods or holy people. This may be because they associate their gods and the pineal gland with guidance and leadership. Even today we can see pinecone symbolism in Catholicism. The staff carried by the Pope and the Vatican flag both may have pinecone symbolism behind them. Lamps and candleholders in the church also seem to have pinecones on them, which could show that the church sees the pineal gland as a source of illumination to show them the way and lead them out of the darkness, similar to what we use our eyes for.

Why is the pineal gland commonly referred to as one’s third eye? Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, mathematician and writer, pointed out that the pineal gland is the point of connection between the body and the intellect. He believed that the pineal gland is the one part of the body where the soul exercises its functions more particularly than any other part. He viewed the gland as the principle seat of the soul and the place in which all of our thoughts are formed. His reasoning is because we only see one thing with two eyes and hear one voice with two ears, it means that the impressions that enter our ears and eyes must unite in some part of the body before being considered by the soul, and that place is the pineal gland because it is the only part of the brain that is not double. Several scientists have independently made a hypothesis that the pineal gland is a phylogenic relic, a vestige of a dorsal third eye.

The retina and the pineal gland are the two organs primarily responsible for the body’s recognition and processing of external light. In the past these two organs seemed to have little else in common. An article from Science News points out that recently an alliance of researchers has been studying the similarities that are speeding research efforts in both fields. Their findings suggest that the pineal gland was the evolutionary precursor to the modern eye. One finding is that melatonin is present in both the retina and the pineal gland. They also found the presence of photoreceptors in both organs. A study published in Experimental Eye Research reveals that “the presence of proteins in the pineal gland which are morally involved in light sensing in the retina, raises the possibility that direct photic events may occur in the mammalian pineal gland.”

In summation, the pineal gland has characteristics very similar to our actual eyes. Its mysterious functions have been studied for centuries and it is thought by some to be our connection to the spiritual world. Its pinecone symbolism has been depicted in artwork from many different countries/civilizations. Everyone’s third eye is already active but most people do not know how to control it. It can be activated by anyone through deep meditation and energy healing techniques. Even just allowing your eyes to absorb more sunlight stimulates the pineal gland. It is each person’s own decision whether or not they want to open their third eye and see for themselves why this mysterious organ has been depicted throughout history.

pinecone-vaticanSome pinecone symbolism (Photo Source)

Other Sources:

Third Eye Pinecones Crystal Links Spirits Science and Metaphysics The Open Mind Plato Highbeam Spirits Science and Metaphysics  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Science Behind Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming can be defined as being aware that we are dreaming, while we are dreaming. According to Lucidity Institute, “lucidity usually begins in the midst of a dream when the dreamer realizes that the experience is not occurring in physical reality, but is a dream.” It turns your dream world into an alternate reality where all of your senses come to life and are authentic. Lucid dreaming is a safe and natural state when the conscious brain wakes up during sleep.

There is scientific evidence of lucid dreaming. British parapsychologist Keith Hearne was the first to discover scientific evidence of lucid dreaming in 1975. In his research he caught the pre-determined conscious eye movements of a lucid dreaming volunteer. He found that lucid dreams are real dreams occurring in rapid eye movement (REM) of sleep, and that lucidity is consistently preceded by a REM burst. Doctor Stephen LaBerge became famous for replicating Hearne’s experiment and formally publishing his findings.

Lucid dreaming is typically triggered in two ways. In one case, you are dreaming and then there is some extremely unusual occurrence that causes you to realize that you are, in fact, dreaming. In the other case, you have just awoken from a dream and then fell back asleep with little to no break in consciousness. There are benefits to lucid dreaming. A group of scientists in Germany found that “self-reflection in everyday life is more pronounced in persons who can easily control their dreams. The area of the brain responsible for self reflection (among others) is significantly larger among lucid dreamers.” Lucid dreaming can help in overcoming nightmares and sharpen creativity and problem solving skills. Once you know you are dreaming, you can do basically anything your mind can imagine without obeying the laws of society and physics.

There are techniques we can follow to learn how to lucid dream. Assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard and author of the book The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists, and Athletes Use Dreams for Creative Problem-Solving—and How You Can, Too Deirdre Barrett says that the most important thing you can do is remind yourself just as you are falling asleep that you want to realize you are dreaming tonight. Another way is to systematically check to see if you are awake or not during the day. You will eventually find yourself checking to see if you are awake in a dream, thus allowing you to enter a lucid dream. One way to do this is to look at a digital watch or simply just reading text periodically throughout the day. In dreams, text usually doesn’t make sense and time changes extremely fast.

Lucid dreaming is a safe and natural way to gain more control over your mind and thought processes. Practicing the lucid dreaming techniques mentioned above will make you more aware of your surroundings and actions, giving you a better grasp on reality. Lucid dreaming gives us the ability to “experience” anything we can imagine without having to actually do anything but sleep.

Dreaming II(Image found here)

Other sources:

lucidity.com

World of Lucid Dreaming

 

 

First Post

Hey, my name is Kevin Taylor and I am from Landenberg, Pennsylvania. I am currently a freshman in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, but I am thinking about going into business management.

I am taking this course because I did not like any of the science classes I took in high school like Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy or Physics. This course sounded like a change from the usual boring science classes and it’s course description said it is intended for students who are not planning on studying science, which is me.

I am not planning on being a science major because I have never really had an interest in anything science related. I have always viewed it as a challenging subject that was not for me. However, this class seems like it covers interesting topics and addresses important questions.

IMG_1130                                                                                       This is a picture I took at Firefly music festival this summer, here is a link to this past year’s lineup: http://fireflyfestival.com/lineup/