December 2010
15 posts
“There’s a common misunderstanding among all the human beings who have ever been...”
– Pema Chodron
The shifting boundary of childhood amnesia:... →
Sigmund Freud called it ‘the remarkable amnesia of childhood’1. When you ask people to recall their earliest experiences, they rarely report memories dating from much before about three years of age. Since Freud made his observations, the phenomenon of childhood amnesia has been the subject of much research and theorizing, with many different explanations put forward to explain this...
Music Fires Up Emotions in the Brain (Psych... →
In a new study using brain imaging, researchers have identified how key aspects of musical performance cause emotion-related brain activity.
Edward Large, Ph.D., the study’s principal investigator, and Heather Chapin, Ph.D., the lead author, believe that their study pinpoints how musical performances charge up the brain’s emotional centers, and said that their technique will lead to new ways of...
Holiday Stress Survival Tips (Psychology Today) →
During the holidays we are often surrounded with images of people who are happy, in love and enjoying the whirlwind of their lives. However, in reality this time of year can be tiring or bring up painful feelings. Wouldn’t it be nice to get through the season with just a little less stress and a few more moments and calm and peace?
The following tips are designed to help you find relaxation...
Thought for Food: Imagining Food Consumption... →
If you’re looking to lose weight, it’s okay to think about eating your favorite candy bar. In fact, go ahead and imagine devouring every last bite — all in the name of your diet.
A new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, published in Science, shows that when you imagine eating a certain food, it reduces your actual consumption of that food. This landmark...
“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.”
– Sigmund Freud
Persuasion: The Sleeper Effect (PsyBlog) →
“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is...”
– e.e. cummings
Mindfulness Therapy Beats Drugs in Preventing... →
Mindfulness therapy — in the form known as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)– demonstrates greater efficacy than antidepressant medications for the prevention of a depression relapse, according to new data.
MBCT combines the use of tried-and-true cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques with greater focus on self-awareness and self-reflection.
In the current study, the researchers...
Clapham Junction and the frustrations of dementia →
(via Mind Hacks):
I’ve just found an amazing Terry Pratchett article published in the Journal of Mental Health earlier this year entitled ‘Diagnosing Clapham Junction syndrome’ where he discusses his experience with dementia.
Pratchett was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy, usually considered to be an atypical form of Alzheimer’s disease that is focused on the back of the brain and tends...
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving...”
– Elizabeth Edwards, in a statement released Monday. Elizabeth’s cancer has spread to her liver and doctors have advised further treatment would be unproductive.
(via apsies)
“What you are comes to you.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Redefining "Mental Illness" (Seed Magazine) →
As consensus emerges on the physical basis of mental illness, the mental-health community is fracturing over what, exactly, constitutes “mental illness” in the first place…