Group items tagged

long-term improvements in mental function and is the single best thing one can do to slow the cognitive decline that accompanies normal aging.

a short-lasting, deeply euphoric state that's well beyond the simple relaxation or peacefulness felt by many following intense exercise.

there are different types of endorphins

that are synthesized within the brain and therefore could cause euphoria without crossing the blood-brain barrier.

The researchers found that this long run was associated with increased opioid release in the runner's' brains, particularly in the prefrontal cortex

and the anterior cingulate cortex and insula

It's likely that runner's high is not entirely mediated by the opioid system: Exercise also increases the levels of endocannabinoids, the brain's natural cannabis-like molecules, in the bloodstream.

Thus exercise-induced increases in endocannabinoid levels in blood are presumably mirrored in the brain and could also contribute to the euphoria of runner's high.

it cannot offer a secure foundation for our self-esteem.

People with healthy self-esteem are able to take risks and to give their all to a project or ambition, because, although failure may hurt or upset them, it is not going to damage or diminish them.

It is instructive to compare healthy self-esteem with pride and also with arrogance. If self-confidence is “I can” and self-esteem is “I am”, then pride is “I did”. To feel proud is to take pleasure from the goodness of our past actions and achievements.

arrogance stems from hunger and emptiness.

so there can be no such thing as excessive self-esteem. Instead, it betrays all the opposite.

Whenever we live up to our dreams and promises, we can feel ourself growing. Whenever we fail but know that we have given our best, we can feel ourself growing. Whenever we stand up for our values and face the consequences, we can feel ourself growing. Whenever we come to terms with a difficult truth, we can feel ourself growing. Whenever we bravely live up to our ideals, we can feel ourself growing. That is what growth depends on. Growth depends on bravely living up to our ideals, not on the ideals of the bank that we work for, or our parents’ praise, or our children’s successes, or anything else that is not truly our own but, instead, a betrayal of ourself.

Nor is he someone who ever betrayed knowledge and integrity in favour of deception and unconsciousness.

More than a great philosopher, Socrates was the living embodiment of the dream that philosophy might one day set us free.

A major goal of psychology is to predict behaviour by understanding its causes. Making predictions is difficult, in part because people vary and respond differently in different situations.

differences in extraversion, intelligence, self-esteem, anxiety, aggression, and conformity.

we cannot always predict who will become aggressive or who will perform best in graduate school or on the job.

behaviour is that almost all behaviour is multiply determined, or produced by many factors.

depression is caused by lower-level genetic factors, by medium-level personal factors, and by higher-level social and cultural factors.

single cause.

are not independent of one another

much human behaviour is caused by factors that are outside our conscious awareness,

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who argued that many psychological disorders were caused by memories that we have repressed and thus remain outside our consciousness.

biological influences

abilities and characteristics of individual people

social groups,

Research psychologists use scientific methods to create new knowledge about the causes of behaviour, whereas psychologist-practitioners, such as clinical, counselling, industrial-organizational, and school psychologists, use existing research to enhance the everyday life of others.

collect and interpret data in their everyday lives

accepting explanations for events without testing them thoroughly may lead us to think that we know the causes of things when we really do not.

Empirical methods include the processes of collecting and organizing data and drawing conclusions about those data

scientific method as the set of assumptions, rules, and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical research.

Statements that cannot be objectively measured or objectively determined to be true or false are not within the domain of scientific inquiry

Values are personal statements such as “Abortion should not be permitted in this country,” “I will go to heaven when I die,”

They consisted of two people sitting opposite each other silently looking at the other person’s eye and the recipient in session was able to have a look at the experiences and emotions and things in their life that they had not fully come to terms with, and that were unconsciously stopping them from being who they wanted to be. It was very emotional.

new pathway

ideas as much as the man that I found attractive.

Klowning was based on the idea that we are not who we think we are.

ble to find out the really human part of us.

here’s a whole language that goes with this group, isn’t there, and processing is one thing that you would go through

charismatic, he did have that capacity to have a group of people in front of him and hold their attention.

nudity has no significance other than what you give it, and if you think that this is in any way inappropriate that’s your dirty mind.

ut of research done by the CIA and the KGB after the Second World War in trying to understand how Hitler was able to persuade a whole population to a particular way of thinking and particular behaviour, and that research got out into the wider community

on Hubbard used a lot of these techniques in his organisation and then a lot of people who had been in Scientology

ocial animals,

emotional right-brain

Hypnotic states are nothing magical but in fact natural hypnotic states occur on a regular basis if we allow them to, about every two hours during the day. There’s a natural down time when our left-brain sort of quietens and our right-brain and our body is able to do a bit of a tune-up of physical processes like blood-pressure and heart-rate and cortisol levels.

dissociative state

driving somewhere

ay-dreamy

ocus their attention

charismatic leader,

behaviour was right or wrong

It’s very interesting studying some of the gurus or the charismatic figures you say you often find that they are often people who have actually started out with very good intentions and just find they have this natural ability to attract people to them, or because they may be good listeners, people feel that they’ve got something to offer

hallucinate. I

en Dyers, was facing 22 charges of sexual assault on two 12-year-old girls

Before they were heard in court he took his own life.

ersonality definitely changed

almost layered by the group norm

staying as connected

learn all they can about the group and continue to just ask questions to try and find our more

But there are some positive things about some groups and it’s likely that some people live happier lives being part of some groups than they would on their own.

groups are often filling desperate needs in people that are not being filled by the way we now live. The way we are now is very isolating, people are often expected to work very long hours, or have very long commutes. More and more families are living apart, so we do not live in a community that is kind to people or respects people. So anybody really is vulnerable, it’s not just, you know, the weak-willed, it’s anybody at a particular time in their life, and particularly if they’re isolated from family and friends.

Some of the factors that are most important in human wellbeing are a sense of connectedness and a sense of control over your life now and in the future. So what often these organisations do is offer a whole list of very simple rules, if you just follow these rules then you’ll feel okay. If you just remove yourself from that world and you just mix with us everything will be okay. So they often offer a sort of a way of getting back some feeling of control.

describe some of the techniques, not necessarily the abuse that may have occurred, and then to help them understand that they were involved in quite a deliberate psychological process.

validate their humanity

what was missing before and helping them create a life now that is healthier and more balanced and does meet all their needs as a human being.

people who grow up in these organisations and really are trapped, and for those that grow up and then start to rebel as teenagers or as young adults and leave, it is very, very difficult because that’s been their reality.

recognition by the courts and by particularly the Family Law Court and we need education of the legal profession and I think the professional organisations, particularly the professional health organisations need to be more pro-active in first of all educating themselves about what these issues are and then making it very clear in their code of ethics of these different professional groups how the codes of ethics dovetail with belief systems.

Intellectual performance requires the specific type of fat found most commonly in fish, known as omega-3 fatty acids

proper balance of omega-6s and omega-3s. Canola oil and walnut oil are highly recommended.

polyunsaturated oils widely recommended as healthful for the heart and widely used in cooking, frying and prepared food—corn, safflower and sunflower oils—have almost no omega-3s.

Sugar can make you sharp—although no one can figure out what is the right dose at the right time.

pressure of not failing.

relationship problems may add to the pressure/stress of academics.

viewing heated topics, slow moving traffic, trying to find a parking spot, etc.

extracurricular activities a part of their daily routine

pressure that is negatively influenced.

peer pressure

not knowing how to plan and execute daily activities

Money is a huge stressor that college students face.

Pressure from parents to succeed

know your limits and do not compromise them.

Thinking rationally can take you a long way.

it is human nature to want to freak out.

Do something that you enjoy,

If you are feeling upset, express your feelings.

Once the chemical leave your body, you are back to feeling stressed and you are probably worse off than when you started.

Eat at least one hot-home cooked meal a day

Exercise for 30 minutes a day for at least 3 times per week.

physical activities can help you in not only burning off calories, but burning off stress. Exercise helps release tension.

take deep breaths

alone time”

focusing your attention on the present moment.

Avoid taking naps for more than 1 hour.

at least 7 hours of sleep

talk and hang out with friends. Find some you relate to and with whom you can share your problems with.

create a schedule, or even a to-do list.

Mark down your class meeting times, study time for a specific subject, mealtimes, fun activities, and sleep.

learn how to organize your notes, keep track of your assignments and note important due dates or date of exams. Establish your priorities for the day.

Distribute your money according to the bills you need to pay for the quarter

finding meaning in your life, the ability to connect with others.

find out whether you are a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner.

Take your time so that you can ensure a well done job.

find someone you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with.

try moving to a place where there is no loud music, and brighter lights.

dividing up the work or responsibilities helps alleviate pressure and stress.

response to a demand

brain recognizes a threat.

your body releases hormones that activate your “fight or flight” response.

hormones help you to either fight harder or run faster. They increase heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating.

heart disease.

increase in heart rate and blood pressure, prolonged stress increases the tension that is put on the arteries.

immune system

cold and flu illness

jumpy, excitable, or even irritable.

drink or smoke heavily, neglect exercise or proper nutrition, or overuse either the television or the computer.

decrease your ability to work or interact effectively with other people, and be less able to make good decisions.

anxiety and depression.

Of the soldiers who experienced any potentially traumatic combat exposures, only 31.6% developed the PTSD syndrome.

This suggests that there were other factors and vulnerabilities involved for the minority of exposed who did end up developing the PTSD syndrome.

Among these factors, childhood experiences of physical abuse or a pre-Vietnam psychiatric disorder other than PTSD were strong contributors to PTSD onset.

The combined data from all three primary factors — combat exposure, prewar vulnerability, and involvement in harming civilians or prisoners — revealed that PTSD syndrome onset reached an estimated 97% for veterans high on all three.

these results emphasize the need to keep the more vulnerable soldiers out of the most severe combat situations.

Dohrenwend and colleagues also point out that the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, like the Vietnam War, are “wars amongst the people,” and they underline the need for research examining the circumstances in which harm to civilians and prisoners is likely to occur. Such research could provide important clues for preventing such devastating violations of the rules of war.

'have taken techniques from the human-potential movement, from the encounter, sensitivitytraining and humanistic-psychology movements, and combined them with cult ideology and persuasive sales methods - and packaged them in various combinations.''

Dr. Singer estimates that there are 2,500 to 3,000 cults in the United States

United

Dr. Cath defined a cult as a group of people joined together by a common ideological system fostered by a charismatic leader

The symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy,'' said Dr. Clark, ''are similar to those seen or reported as resulting from cult conversions: increased irritability, loss of libido or altered sexual interest; ritualism, compulsive attention to detail, mystical states, humorlessness and sobriety, heightened paranoia.''

Dr. Cath said: ''Keeping devotees constantly fatigued, deprived of sensory input and suffering protein deprivation, working extremely long hours in street solicitation or in cult-owned businesses, engaging in monotonous chanting and rhythmical singing, may induce psychophysiological changes in the brain. The rhythmical movement of the body can lead to altered states of consciousness, and changes in the pressure or vibration pattern of the brain may affect the temporal lobe.''

''cult-conversion syndrome'' represents an overload of the brain's ability to process information.

unconscious as the primary guiding influence over daily life, even today, is more specific and detailed than any to be found in contemporary cognitive or social psychology

unconscious relative to conscious modes of information processing largely depends on how one defines the unconscious

a person’s environment determines their behavior

'tabula rasa' (a blank slate).

There is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals.  Therefore research can be carried out on animals as well as humans.

Behavior is the result of stimulus – response