DMT

https://www.slideshare.net/maryamyasser372/dmt-final-55779032

DMT is a drug that was created in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. To this date, DMT is on record for being one of the, if not the, most powerful psychedelics to ever exist. Talking about drugs almost seems contradictory to what my passion blog aims to do. I have been spending this platform discussing different phenomena all over the world that intrigue me and inspire me to have further inquiry about our world. Thus, my passion blog is named Abnormalities in the Natural World. But drugs are almost the opposite; they are substances that alter the mind such that the natural world is not all that the mind experiences. However, when looking at DMT and the experience individuals have when taking such a drug, it can still an inspire someone to question the state of the natural world and the reality in which we live in.

What makes DMT so special is that it has the potential to put the user in a completely different perception of reality. When the user takes three hits of DMT, they “enter another world, which is inhabited by creatures described as “machine elves” (Raspolich). While most hallucinogens, like LSD, alter one’s perception and interaction with reality, it does not completely change what reality is for the user. DMT creates a new reality for users to witness and experience for a limited time. If you ever consider using DMT (which I do not recommend), please read this first: DMT Trip: What to Expect.

https://www.samwoolfe.com/2017/11/the-rising-popularity-of-dmt_12.html

While this just seems like me talking about this drug because it seems really cool, I bring this drug up because I think it has instilled inquiries in me about the way the world works. Dr. Strassman from the University of New Mexico conducted a large-scale study on DMT and found that “Half of the volunteers experienced other entities including aliens, other humans, spiders, reptiles, impish creatures, and dwarves” (Raspolich). Because DMT puts the user in a different perceived reality and the reality has strange but significant similarities, reading about DMT prompted me to question if there are different actual realities that people are meant or are able to explore, just as our current and accepted reality that is the natural world.

Even weirder, Terence McKenna, an ethnobotanist, found that DMT is a compound that can be found in the human body (Lin). In fact, he finds that DMT “seems to actually be a necessary component of normal brain function” (Lin). This arises numerous questions about why a necessary compound for our brain to function in accepted reality can also change the entire nature of what reality is.

To hear a detailed account of a DMT trip, check this out: You Cannot Imagine a Stranger Drug or a Stranger Experience.

Resources:

Francuski, Xavier, et al. “DMT Trip: What to Expect When You Smoke DMT.” The Third Wave, The Third Wave, 13 June 2018, thethirdwave.co/expect-dmt/.

Lin, Tao. “DMT: You Cannot Imagine a Stranger Drug or a Stranger Experience.” Vice, Vice, 5 Aug. 2014, www.vice.com/en_us/article/5gkkpd/dmt-you-cannot-imagine-a-stranger-drug-or-a-stranger-experience-365.

Raspolich, Joey. “DMT Trip: The Experience and Effects of the Most Powerful Psychedelic.” OBR, 5 Nov. 2018, oceanbreezerecovery.org/blog/dmt-trips/.

The Realm of Consciousness and Unconsciousness

http://astral-institute.com/lucid-dreaming/

Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon that can occur when an individual is a state of unconsciousness and is dreaming. In order for the individual’s dream to be lucid, they must be aware, during the dream, that the dream experienced is not reality and is just a dream (Cohut). In other words, the individual would recognize that they are sleeping.

This means that although the individual is asleep, they are also partially conscious. This is due to it being a transition or hybrid of being in the state of REM and partial consciousness or awakening (McNamara). While for many lucid dreaming occurs spontaneously, it can also be trained which is what I found to be very interesting (Cohut).

http://www.messagetoeagle.com/study-reveals-can-control-dreams-learn-unique-lucid-dreaming-techniques/

The ability to be able to train lucid dream occurence implies that humans have some degree of control over whether or not they experience lucid dreaming. In fact, Dr. Bourke from the Lincoln School of Psychology conducted research supporting the idea that some level of cognitive ability is necessary to achieve lucid dreaming (New York Daily News). In other words, the individual must be able to see through the strong reality of the dream state and recognize that reality as a dream (New York Daily News). However, even though people know how to train and control many aspects of lucid dreams and even though people know how lucid dreams occur, many questions regarding why it occurs are still left a mystery.

The most interesting thing I came across reading about this was the relationship between creativity and intelligence with lucid dreams. Dr. Bourke not only found that cognitive skills influence the occurrence of lucid dreaming but that lucid dreaming also influences cognitive skills by provoking the individual to think more and experience problems to solve (New York Daily News). Not only this but he found that lucid dreams put people in unique situations, allowing them to access the creative parts of their brain (New York Daily News). This makes me wonder if I should explore the idea of training myself to experience lucid dreams. Not only does it seem really cool but really beneficial.

Resources:

Cohut, Maria. “Lucid Dreams: What They Are, and How to Experience Them.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 14 Sept. 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077.php.

McNamara, Patrick. “Lucid Dreaming and Lucid Nightmares.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201207/lucid-dreaming-and-lucid-nightmares.

New York Daily News. “Lucid Dreamers May Be Better Problem-Solvers: Study – NY Daily News.” Nydailynews.com, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2018, www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/lucid-dreamers-better-problem-solvers-study-article-1.1903309.

Synesthesia

https://www.evolving-science.com/information-communication/synesthesia-smell-musical-notes-00688

This is my seventh post on my blog about Abnormalities in the Natural World. Throughout this series, I have been and will be discussing different abnormalities that exist in the natural world and how discovering them has affected me and my perception of reality.

This past week, I was sitting in my psychology class and we were learning about how human perception of reality is based on sensations. In this lecture, we started to delve into learning about the condition of synesthesia. When my professor introduced to us what synesthesia is, I was instantly intrigued. Synesthesia is a condition in which “when one sense is activated, another unrelated sense is activated at the same time” (Bradford).

At first, I was mostly interested in this condition because we talked about how synesthesia increased creative capabilities. As someone who is not particularly creative in any sense, I have always been fascinated by people who have creative capabilities. However, it was not until I looked into synesthesia later that I realized the extent to which synesthesia boosts creativity. I soon found out that according to Psychology Today, 20-25% of musicians, writers, and artists all have synesthesia despite only 1 in 2,000 people having it overall (Bradford).

When talking about the role of synesthesia in his life in an interview, Pharrell Williams, a famous singer, explained: “You ask any great rapper or writer or musician, and they’ll tell you their craziest ideas come from the shower or the plane because in both places there is sensory deprivation” (Seaberg). He also seems to think that without synesthesia, he would not be able to produce music (Seaberg).

The more I looked into it, the more fascinated I became. The idea that sensations exist all around me that I am not capable of experiencing motivated me to question a lot about my perception of the world. I know that people with synesthesia do not experience a completely different perception of reality to the rest of the world but they certainly seem to experience a lot of things that most people are unable to experience. To know about the different types of synesthesia, you should look into this quick read: What is Synesthesia.

https://vimeo.com/204424221

Reading about synesthesia also made me wonder if people with synesthesia have a more accurate perception of reality. We are so used to thinking about the world within the context of our perception of reality. But our perception of reality is based on our sensations. Would this not imply that someone who experiences unique or different sensations has a different perception of reality than everyone else? Everyone experiences different things in their life and as a result, they experience different emotions. As a result, we all have a slightly different perception of reality. But the way our senses function is, for the most part, the same. I don’t know if the same could be said for people with synesthesia.

To see different people’s experiences with synesthesia, check this out: What’s it Like to Live With Synesthesia

Resources:

Bradford, Alina. “What Is Synesthesia?” LiveScience, Purch, 18 Oct. 2017, www.livescience.com/60707-what-is-synesthesia.html.

“Synesthesia.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/synesthesia.

Seaberg, Maureen. “Synesthetes: ‘People of the Future.’” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 3 Mar. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sensorium/201203/synesthetes-people-the-future.

Baxter, Holly. “What It’s like to Live with Synaesthesia.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 15 June 2016, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/what-it-s-like-to-live-with-synaesthesia-a7079241.html.

The Civilization of Octopi

https://www.nature.com/news/worm-like-movements-propel-octopus-ballet-1.14180

This is my sixth post on my blog about Abnormalities in the Natural World. Throughout this series, I have been and will be discussing different abnormalities that exist in the natural world and how discovering them has affected me and my perception of reality.

So another week has passed by and over the course of this week, I came across something interesting in the aquatic world. As I looked more and more into it, the more I felt like I needed to write my next blog post about it. Although I am not very familiar with ocean or marine life, I found this topic to be not only very interesting but very inspiring. This week’s post is about the octopus.

Despite the fact that we have known about octopi for centuries, we have not really discovered much about them. However, there has been some recent discoveries regarding the existence and lifestyle of their species. Scientists have discovered a new society of octopi they named Octlantis (Hoare). If you happen to be interested in the diver’s take, read this: Other Minds.

Digging deeper into what this society entails, they found that octopi make great architects, constructing walls of clam and scallop shells (leftovers from their meals). The octopi were also found to have been using the same piles of leftovers to construct their dens. Scientists ended up concluding that octopi are very profound environmental engineers (Hoare).

However, what is shocking is not that another species is intelligent enough to form a civilization. What is really surprising to the scientific world is that octopi were characterized as creatures who live alone. They were considered some of the only intelligent animals to be a truly loner species (Courage). Despite centuries of observing and misunderstanding the sociality of this species, there is now evidence to suggest that octopi are actually very social creatures. In fact, when scientists gave MDMA (or molly) to octopi, they exhibited very cuddly, social and friendly tendencies.

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/scientists-give-molly-octopuses-yeah-it-works-ncna911626

Another interesting thing to consider is the extent to which this species is intelligent. Octopi are considered one of the most intelligent species with the capabilities and complexity of a three year old human child (Hoare). That being said, the makeup of their biology possess several advantages many other intelligent life do not. Octopi can use their arms to build things and solve problems, they are capable of using and manipulating tools, and they are able to change color very quickly (Courage).

Because of this, many wonder if octopi will progress fast enough to catch up to or threaten the human race. What’s important to note is that we are unable to track octopi and as a result of this, they are really hard to study or understand (Worrall). Their progression and capabilities are something that we still do not know much about. From my perspective, this proves to me that there is a lot more to life than we know about and it fascinates me that something like this could go undiscovered for centuries. I am inspired to engage in more research about aquatic life and the mysteries it may hold.

To see Worrall, a researcher for National Geographic, answer some questions regarding her quest to understand octopi, check this out: Journey of Octopus Discovery.

Resources:

Courage, Katharine. “Social Octopus Species Shatters Beliefs About Ocean Dwellers.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 30 July 2014, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140728-social-octopuses-animals-oceans-science-mating/.

Hoare, Philip. “Octlantis: the Underwater City Built by Octopuses.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Sept. 2017, www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2017/sep/18/octlantis-the-underwater-city-built-by-octopuses.

Worrall, Simon. “Journey of Octopus Discovery Reveals Them to Be Playful, Curious, Smart.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 25 June 2014, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140625-octopus-evolution-brain-eyes-memory-cannibalism-robotics/.

Sun Bears

https://www.borneoecotours.com/blog/name-this-sun-bear/

This is my fifth post on my blog about Abnormalities in the Natural World. Throughout this series, I will be discussing different abnormalities that exist in the natural world and how discovering them has affected me and my perception of reality.

However, this post is a little different. While I actively pursued learning about proboscis monkeys, Salvador Dali and Issei Sagawa, I did not pursue learning about sun bears. Instead, I came across a sun bear sanctuary during my stay in Malaysia. Coincidentally, I was in Malaysia for the purpose of exploring the proboscis monkeys in Borneo.

At first glance, sun bears are interesting. They are the smallest bear species on the entire planet, they do not go through periods of hibernation, and they are very active at night (“Just Fun Facts”). To see more cool facts about sun bears, check this out: http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-sun-bears/.

However, none of the interesting facts that I listed about sun bears come close to the abnormality regarding its tongue. Sun bears can extend their tongue up to 25 cm long…that is not an exaggeration (“Just Fun Facts”). There are many possible explanations but the prevailing theory is that sun bears generally need to fit their tongues into holes in trees to eat the insects or bugs within the trees (“SUN BEAR”). As a significant portion of sun bears’ diet is composed of insects and bees, this would explain the evolutionary incentive for why these bears would need such long tongues.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/730357264539771243/

Although this abnormality seems silly (just like the proboscis monkey’s nose), it prompted me to question why species evolve the way they do and need such specific or unique things. With regard to the sun bear, why do they specifically eat insects and bees? They live in an ecosystem with other animals and while sun bears are small, there are smaller animals that could be potentially easy targets for food. Not only this, but as sun bears are nocturnal, it would be even easier for them to prey on other animals. So why does the sun bear need to go through an evolutionary process just to be able to eat insects and bees? Sun bears eat small lizards, rodents and small birds but it seems like their diet is primarily consisted of insects and bees, despite it requiring more evolution. To learn more about the eating behavior of sun bears, check this out: http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0MCarnivor/ursidae/helarctos/Helarctos_malayanus/11Helarctos_malayanusBehFeed.htm.

Resources:

“SUN BEAR.” Worksheets for Kids, www.kidzone.ws/lw/bears/facts-sunbear.htm.

“Just Fun Facts.” Fun and Interesting Site, 1 Jan. 1969, justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-sun-bears/.

“FEEDING BEHAVIOUR with Literature Reports for the Sun Bear – Helarctos Malayanus: Use Sub-Contents List below, or Simply Scroll down the Page to View Findings.” Sun Bear Helarctos Malayanus – Feeding Behaviour (Literature Reports), wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0MCarnivor/ursidae/helarctos/Helarctos_malayanus/11Helarctos_malayanusBehFeed.htm.

Issei Sagawa

This is my fourth post on my blog about Abnormalities in the Natural World. Throughout this series, I will be discussing different abnormalities that exist in the natural world and how discovering them has affected me and my perception of reality.

I do not exactly remember why but a couple weeks ago, my friends and I were talking about serial killers around 2 am in Findlay Commons and during this conversation, one of my friends decided to show the rest of us a Vice interview with Issei Sagawa. This interview featured a retired cannibal and murderer in his sixties taking the audience through the story of his life.

In this interview, Issei reminisced on his past, keeping a photo album of the women he fell in love with and the flesh of his victims. He seemed to have lived a miserable life with a lot of loneliness and hatred towards his abnormal tendencies. His murderous tendencies were a result of his cannibalistic tendencies which happened to be a flesh fetish. This would mean that consuming flesh provides Issei with some sort of sexual gratification.

To see a more in-depth but brief account of Issei’s life story, visit: Issei Sagawa

While it is understandable that many of his family members and friends have cut him out of their life, I do not think antagonization and isolation is an effective method to combat such tendencies. In fact, Issei was an example of proof to me that these methods are not effective. Although he has retired from the cannibalistic and murdering lifestyle, after talking about how he is lonely and depressed, he said he feels his urges creeping up again and he is scared that they will be ignited once more.

From an outside perspective, Issei could be seen as a monster but I do not think most people (including myself) know what it would be like to endure the pain of such abnormal and unethical sexual urges. While I do not think he is a good person, I do not know if that means he cannot be sympathized with and rehabilitated. Issei is not some psychopath who lacks total empathy and any moral compass. He has given up cannibalism in order to pursue writing in hopes that people will understand him and people like him.

To see more broad effects of social isolation, check this piece out: How Social Isolation is Killing Us

I am not making the argument that Issei Sagawa has become a good person nor that he will become one. However, I think that even if society cannot make someone a good person, they should at least try to make them a better one.

Resources:

Serena, Katie. “This Cannibal Killer Is Walking Free And Plans To Eat Humans Again.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 9 July 2018, allthatsinteresting.com/issei-sagawa.

Khullar, Dhruv. “How Social Isolation Is Killing Us.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Dec. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/upshot/how-social-isolation-is-killing-us.html.

“Interview With a Cannibal.” Video, VICE, video.vice.com/en_us/video/interview-with-a-cannibal/55e0d95aca0b0b2c784ce579?popular=1.

The Misfortunes We Forget About

This is my third post on my blog about Abnormalities in the Natural World. Throughout this series, I will be discussing different abnormalities that exist in the natural world and how discovering them has affected me and my perception of reality.

Last week, my friend and I were browsing Google and stumbled upon an article in a journal titled: Entomophagy and Coprophagy in Undifferentiated Schizophrenia. This article detailed a case-study in which a 19 year old male is burdened with undifferentiated schizophrenia while possessing a compulsion to consume feces and insects (Lingeswaran). Reading such an article prompted us to question the level to which the human psyche can deviate from what is societally accepted as normal human behavior and what that means for interpreting the human mind as a whole.

http://thequotes.in/i-want-you-to-know-at-this-very-moment-i-am-simulating-normal-human-behavior-craig-newmark/

Something that should be addressed when understanding psychological abnormalities and conditions is the extent to which environment plays a role as opposed to biology. While many believe that biology is the reason for the abnormalities that exist in the human mind, environment tends to be a big factor. That means that something in society contributed to the consumption of feces and insects that the man referenced in the case-study engaged in. To see a more detailed but still broad description of environmental influences on schizophrenia, read the third section of the following article: Environmental Connections: A Deeper Look into Mental Illness.

Finding out about such dramatic and intense abnormalities also made me realize my privilege. As an upper-class male in a free country with little to no mental illnesses, I am one of the most fortunate people in the world. I think that academic journals like these can not only serve as research for people who experience such abnormalities but can also serve to remind and inform the rest of humanity of the misfortunes and anomalies happening in the world. It can serve to remind people who do not undergo such hardships how fortunate they are and therefore encourage such people to appreciate the life they experience more.

http://realeconomicimpact.tumblr.com/post/145210228070/10-stunning-statistics-about-mental-health-in/embed

Even if such articles can be seen as disgusting or uncomfortable for most people, it is important that they are shared and read about by the world. In all honesty, that’s probably why I value abnormalities so much. The fact that they are not normal means that people are generally unfamiliar with it but at the same time, they are prevalent enough for people to need to know how to understand such conditions. In other words, it is a necessity that research and discussion about abnormalities is encouraged and valued in society. Although we are aware of that those who possess abnormalities undergo misfortunes, we forget about those misfortunes when acting in our everyday life. We forget the unimaginable because we cannot imagine it.

Citations:

Salvador Dali

https://www.wikiart.org/en/salvador-dali

Salvador Dali is not only one of the most famous surreal painters of all time but is also one of the biggest psychological abnormalities in the artistic world. From his youth to his death, he was known to possess abnormal and alienating qualities. It can be hypothesized that without his abnormalities, Dali would not possess the same level of creativity and therefore, would likely not have been as great of an artist. As a form of expression, art is the product of the artist’s psychology. Dali’s abnormalities should serve as a reminder that art and artists can be not only enjoyed but analyzed from a psychological perspective.

What seems to have been the first cause of Dali’s abnormalities occurred not long after his birth. Nine months before Dali was born, his brother died as a toddler. Dali’s parents coped with this by reinforcing to Dali that he was the reincarnation of his brother (Brennan). This would explain the identity issues Dali experienced as well as his materialistic attachment. With a loss of identity, it is possible that he attached meaning or emotion to materialistic things and not himself as an individual.

The abnormalities in Dali began to surface in his youth. He was characterized as experiencing fits of anger or rage (Biography). This was said to have been caused by Dali’s experiences being subjected to unspecified cruelty by his peers and his father. A result and manifestation of such treatment is exhibited in his sadomasochistic tendencies. Such tendencies included enjoying throwing himself down the stairs and pushing his friend off of a bridge.

https://lwlies.com/articles/un-chien-andalou-luis-bunuel-salvador-dali/

There were many other abnormalities Dali exhibited throughout his lifetime. He developed an irrational fear of grasshoppers and castration. Additionally, he owned a pet anteater that he would frequently take on walks. Dali also invented his own cologne that he created in order to mimic the smell of a ram that passed by his house every day and harbored many other oddities as well. For many of these phenomenons, there are a lack of defined psychological explanations.

Dali’s abnormalities pose a lot of question regarding the malleability and susceptibility of the human mind. As most of the knowledge the world possesses of Dali is his artworks, his art could have some insight into his psyche. For example, Dali’s sadomasochism can be witnessed in his 1928 film, Un Chien Andalou, in which he featured a girl’s eyeball being cut open. Dali and his art should be studied not only from an artistic standpoint but from a psychological one as well.

Nose-y Monkeys

https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/proboscis-monkey.html

Not paying attention in my geology class, I decided to look up “animals with weird noses” in Google. While many animals came up, the proboscis monkey fascinated me the most by far.

The proboscis monkey is a monkey that resides primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is an endangered species that is often only recognized or known for its abnormalities and strange qualities. To those who know of them, proboscis monkeys are considered the “Clown of the Jungle”. While most people find their abnormalities weird and ugly, I tend to find them far more fascinating than any other animal.

The first thing that stands out to people is the proboscis monkey’s unusually large nose. Male proboscis monkeys tend to have far larger noses in comparison to the female. While many point to this facial feature to argue that proboscis monkeys are disgusting and ugly, I point to this facial feature to argue that proboscis monkeys are beautiful and unique. Witnessing them can be an incredible experience.

The nose of the proboscis monkey serves many unique purposes. The shape and length allow proboscis monkeys to use noses as a snorkel device in the water. This helps them swim better than most other types of monkeys with more efficiency. Additionally, their noses help the males develop deeper and richer sounds when calling the females or family by acting as an echo chamber. The deeper the voice, the more likely females and/or the family will pay respect the call. Lastly, the males use their noses to attract females. The larger the nose, the more likely a female is to desire to mate with the male possessing the large nose. This leads to the development of harems because the larger the nose, the more likely a male proboscis monkey will become the Alpha Male and increase the size of their harem.

https://animalsake.com/facts-about-proboscis-monkeys-you-didnt-know

Another abnormality of the proboscis monkey relies in its diet. Proboscis monkeys only consume unripened fruit, leading to large chambered stomachs that make the proboscis monkey appear potbellied. Their digestive system is complex and relies on a host of symbiotic bacteria, leading to a lot of inconvenience with the prevalence of deforestation.

However, the weirdest feature of the proboscis monkey is its genitalia. Male proboscis monkeys have bright red, permanently erect genitalia. However, unlike the other abnormalities, scientists are unable to find a reason behind such a phenomenon.

An animal with so many abnormalities and that possess such intriguing qualities inspires me to figure out more about the natural world that we do not know much about. Although the proboscis monkey is weird, it is unique and fascinating.