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Pain-Free Love

Love can buffer people from pain by invoking feelings of safety and reassurance.

By Jef Akst | 

Wikimedia Commons, The Yorck Project

Love actually can heal all wounds—well, sort of. According to a new research, gazing at a loved one’s photograph can activate neural activity in a part of the brain involved in feelings of safety and reassurance, which actually helps dull physical pain.

Previous research had similarly demonstrated that the presence of a loved one could ease physical pain, but the study,published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was the first to pinpoint the brain region involved in the phenomenon.

The researchers took functional MRI scans of the brains of 17 women who were looking at photos of their romantic partners, strangers, or inanimate objects. At the same time, they delivered brief shocks to the women, and asked them to rate the intensity of the pain. Though the shocks were all the same, the women reported less pain while gazing at photos of their lovers. These differences in pain sensation correlated with activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which mediates feelings of risk and fear, suggesting that the pleasurable images somehow suppressed those emotions.

Interestingly, researchers have noticed the opposite effect when people view an image of spiders or snakes—the pain actually feels worse. “In the literature, people talk about prepared fear stimuli—snakes, spiders, things that we’re innately prepared to be afraid of,” psychologist Naomi Eisenberger of UCLA told Wired. “Loved ones, attachment figures, may act as prepared safety signals, as individuals who over evolutionary history have favored our survival.”

Source: TheScientist
http://the-scientist.com/2011/07/01/pain-free-love/

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Military service changes personality, makes vets less agreeable

(Medical Xpress) -- It’s no secret that battlefield trauma can leave veterans with deep emotional scars that impact their ability to function in civilian life. But new research led by Washington University in St. Louis suggests that military service, even without combat, has a subtle lingering effect on a man’s personality, making it potentially more difficult for veterans to get along with friends, family and co-workers.

“Our results suggest that personality traits play an important role in military training, both in the sort of men who are attracted to the military in the first place, and in the lasting impact that this service has on an individual’s outlook on life,” says study lead author Joshua J. Jackson, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences.

Published in the journal Psychological Science, the study found that men who have experienced military service tend to score lower than civilian counterparts on measures of agreeableness — a dimension of personality that influences our ability to be pleasant and accommodating in social situations.

The study confirms that the military attracts men who are generally less neurotic, less likely to worry, less likely to be concerned about seeking out novel experiences. When compared with men in civilian pursuits, those entering the military also are more aggressive, more interested in competition than cooperation and less concerned about the feelings of others, the study finds.

“Military recruits are a little less warm and friendly to begin with and the military experience seems to reinforce this — as after service, men score even lower on agreeableness when compared to individuals who did not go into the military,” Jackson says. “Interestingly, this influence appears to linger long after the soldier has re-entered the workforce or returned to college.”

Jackson points out that being less agreeable is not always a negative human trait. While it may make it more challenging to maintain positive relationships with friends and romantic partners, it can be seen as a positive influence on career success.

“On the flip side,” he says, “people with lower levels of agreeableness are often more likely to fight their way up the corporate ladder and to make the sometimes unpopular decisions that can be necessary for business success.”

Either way, this study offers evidence that experiences in basic training and other military service do shape the way people approach the world.

“These changes in personality appear to be small, but they could make a big difference in the lives of those who have served in the military,” he says.

Jackson’s research is based on a six-year study that tracked the personality traits of a group of young men in German high schools who chose to meet mandatory public service requirements through either military or civilian service.

Co-authored with Felix Thoemmes, Kathrin Jonkmann, Oliver Lüdtke and Ulrich Trautwein, all of the University of Tübingen in Germany, the study is among the first to empirically test whether a particular life experience can truly change an individual’s personality, something that many psychologists have long considered to be unlikely.

As Jackson explains, psychologists generally view personality as one of the most stable and difficult-to-change human traits. While some studies have tracked small changes in personality over time, such as changes related to the aging process, there is little research on why these changes occur, or on what sorts of life experiences might contribute to the changes.

Jackson’s research team saw the military as the perfect laboratory in which to test for personality-changing life experiences.

“The whole military experience is sold as an opportunity for a life-changing transformation,” Jackson says. “Recruiting materials of military forces around the world bolster the idea of military experience as being a catalyst for change. For example, recent slogans in the United States, such as ‘Be all you can be,’ ‘Accelerate your life,’ and ‘Aim high,’ all imply that military experiences affect life trajectories.

“It’s one of the few situations in life where an individual’s daily actions and expectations are completely controlled by someone else. Where, from the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night, someone is actively working to break down anything that’s individual about you and to build up something else in its place.”

Researchers tested the men’s personalities during high school and re-tested them three times in the six years following either civilian or military service. Not surprisingly, all of the participants scored higher on measures indicative of maturity, such as increased conscientiousness and less neuroticism.

And while the military group did show some increases in measures of agreeableness, the change was much lower than that measured for participants in the civilian service group.

“While the military often promises to ‘make a man out of you,’ our analysis suggests that much of the advertised post-military increase in maturity can be attributed to normal changes that most young men experience during this stage of their lives,” Jackson says.

“And while military service doesn’t seem to have much impact on other personality traits, such as levels of anxiety or gregariousness, it appears to have a small but significant influence on measures of agreeableness.”

Jackson’s findings may offer a new explanation for why military service members tend to differ from civilians in their rates of divorce, longevity, salaries and health issues.

“Often these differences are interpreted in terms of the social opportunities that either exist or don’t exist for military members, but rarely is it suggested that military experience changes something about the person, which then influences these outcomes,” Jackson says.

“It’s not a cut-and-dried issue, but this study shows that changes in personality may be one reason that military service is associated with different rates of important life outcomes, like divorce or occupational attainment.”

Provided by Washington University in St. Louis

"Military service changes personality, makes vets less agreeable." February 15th, 2012.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-military-personality-vets-agreeable.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Taking depression to heart

Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health — medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart.
Heart attack patients who also suffer from depression are more likely to be readmitted for cardiac events and chest pains in the future, and have 14 percent more days of hospitalization than their happier counterparts, says researcher Vicki Myers of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Along with Dr. Yariv Gerber and other members of the Israel Study Group of First Acute Myocardial Infarction, Myers examined the association between depressive symptoms in heart attack patients and hospital admissions more than a decade after the initial attack.
These findings have long-term ramifications, says Myers. Spending more time in the hospital, these patients are a massive financial burden on health services, but an investment in extra psychiatric support may have a large positive payoff.
The study was funded by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research and has been published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Making better lifestyle choices
Most studies examining the connection between heart attack recovery and mental health have only included short term follow up, says Myers. To study the effect of depression on the long-term health of heart attack patients, the researchers used data collected from 632 heart attack patients under the age of 65 admitted to Israeli hospitals between 1992 and 1993, comparing their recoveries using follow-up data through 2005.
Although a large percentage of people who survive a heart attack will be re-admitted to the hospital at some point, people identified as at least "mildly depressed" during their first hospital stay were far more likely to be re-hospitalized later with further cardiac health problems. Patients with a higher depression score spent 14 percent more time in the hospital than those with a low score. Data were controlled for measures of co-morbidity, including other illnesses and risk factors such as smoking and socioeconomic status.
Making the right choices
Post-heart-attack lifestyle choices played a major role in this relationship, explains Myers. Most heart attack patients are offered rehabilitation services, and are advised to change their lifestyle to include exercise, diet, and smoking cessation programs. Depressed patients are far less likely to avail themselves of rehab services, or elect to make life changes themselves, she says. Overall, depressed patients were 20 percent less likely to be physically active after suffering a heart attack, 26 percent less likely to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program, and 25 percent less likely to quit smoking.
"The message is that doctors cannot ignore psychological factors in patients who have had a heart attack. Patients who exhibit signs of depression need to be followed more closely, and may need extra help in following lifestyle recommendations. Ignoring this problem weighs heavily on health services," she adds.
Provided by Tel Aviv University

"Taking depression to heart." February 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-depression-heart.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

What causes language switching in bilinguals?

The proficiency that a bilingual person has of both languages, the context in which he speaks them or unconscious changes in their use are the factors that make people who speak Spanish and Catalan switch from one language to another. The group of Cognition and Brain Plasticity at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), led by Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells, has designed a questionnaire that allows understanding individual differences among bilinguals when they change the language (switching).
The study was conducted on a sample of 566 college students Spanish-Catalan bilingual and has been published in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
This questionnaire has already begun to be used in bilingual individuals in Montreal, Canada, who speak English and French, in Finland (Finnish and Swedish), in France and also in India. Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells warns that "it is necessary to consider that bilingualism depends on the sociolinguistic situation in each area or region where it occurs. For example, the situation of the Catalan in Catalonia is not now the same as 60 years ago, in the Basque Country there are not many situations of language switching because Euskera is not spoken as often as Catalan in Catalonia and, in Belgium, for political reasons, French and Flemish don't coexist in the same way."
Having made this clarification, the study identifies several factors that make individuals changing the language they use. One factor is the proficiency that each person has for each language. When the bilingual speaks Catalan sometimes uses a word in Spanish because he doesn't know the right word in Catalan, and vice-versa. Another factor is the context in which they are: the characteristics of the interlocutor or the chosen topic will make them speak one language or another. And, finally, the unconscious changes from one language to another. These are changes that cannot be explained by linguistic or sociolinguistic grounds.
"This unintentional and unconscious switching", suggests Rodríguez-Fornells, "may be related to a lack of cognitive brain control. Sometimes, bilinguals change automatically from one language to another, with no apparent reasons."
Cognitive control is one of the most important skills and it refers to the ability we have to monitor our behavior, to predict errors, plan actions and inhibit them if necessary and be aware of the changes and conflicts that appear on our environment. Therefore, this skill requires a system that constantly monitors our behavior and the effect it has on the environment. In some cases, language switching goes unnoticed and it could be hypothesized that these aspects are related to cognitive control.
A second paper on this subject was published last December in the same journal, also using this questionnaire on language switching between languages, this time in bilingual Finnish-Swedish (Soveri, Rodriguez-Fornells, Laine, 2011).
Bilingualism and cognition
The group led by Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells in IDIBELL try to find out whether the knowledge and use of a second language, bilingualism, may enhance cognitive abilities, how it can change the brain and whether it can be positive or not as a strategy for neurorehabilitation, among other issues.
Rodriguez-Fornells explains that "for some authors, switching between languages observed in some groups, such as between siblings in bilingual families may be negative in the sense that linguistic wealth is lost, but for others, the ability to change from one language to another (switching) very quickly may even be positive (some even say that creative), and could be transferred to other cognitive functions and make the brain more flexible in cognitive control."
Among those who see the positive component of bilingualism, Rodriguez-Fornells highlights the research group of Ellen Byalstock, "who had published some papers suggesting that using a second language can be a cognitive reserve that makes us having more resources against aging or disease processes."
In any case, the researcher warns that "we are still beginning to study the effects of bilingualism in the human brain and we must keep in mind that according to languages, societies and political environment, bilingualism is different and it is expected that this will have differential effects on brain development in children".
Provided by IDIBELL-Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute

"What causes language switching in bilinguals?." February 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-language-bilinguals.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Internet a boost for answers to mental-health

University of Melbourne researchers have found Wikipedia is the most highly rated website for accessing information on mental-health related topics. 
The researchers assessed a range of on-line and print material on mental health-related topics and found that in the majority of cases, Wikipedia was the most highly rated in most domains.
Content about mental health was extracted from 14 frequently accessed websites, including Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica and a psychiatry textbook. Text providing information about depression and schizophrenia was assessed.
The content was rated by experts according to: accuracy, how current the information is, breadth of coverage, referencing and readability. Ratings varied significantly between resources according to topic.
Researcher, Dr Nicola Reavley and her colleagues discovered that the quality of information on depression and schizophrenia on Wikipedia was generally as good as, or better than that provided by centrally controlled websites or psychiatry textbooks.
“We know that people seeking information about mental disorders want real-time answers and assistance with accessing help. The Internet is instant and Wikipedia is often the first stop for people looking for definitions, explanations and information about suggested treatments,” said Dr Reavley.
“The Internet provides extensive information about mental disorders that is accessed by consumers and carers. For some people in need, it is the first stop to the next stage of enquiring about services.”
While there have been controversies about the accuracy of Wikipedia in the past and people are not always sure about trusting it – this study suggests that people can trust it to a reasonable extent.”

Dr Reavley, a Research Fellow from Orygen Youth Health, at the University of Melbourne and her colleagues have constructed a website for young people interested in discussing and sharing their experiences of mental health conditions and treatments.

Provided by University of Melbourne
"Internet a boost for answers to mental-health." February 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-internet-boost-mental-health.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Study finds child abuse can lead to stunted brain development

(Medical Xpress) -- A small team of researchers has found that various forms of child abuse can lead to stunted development in certain regions of the brain. The research carried out by Martin Teicher, Carl Anderson and Ann Polcari, all working in the Boston area, relied on questionnaires and MRI brain scans to determine that certain parts of the hippocampus, all known to be sensitive to stress, were up to six percent smaller in adults who as children had been sexually, verbally or physically abused. The team has published their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The three areas affected: the cornu ammonis, the dentate gyrus and the subiculum, all located in the hippocampus, are known to be vulnerable to stress which leads to less cell development than would normally occur in the absence of abuse.
To test the relationship between brain development and childhood abuse, the research team enlisted a group of otherwise healthy adult volunteers: 73 men and 120 women, all between the ages of 18 and 25. All were given questionnaires that delved into their childhood, specifically addressing issues of verbal, mental and physical abuse and other types of stresses such as the death of someone close to them or problems between parents. All were also given brain scans using an MRI machine. The team then compared the answers given on the questionnaires to the possibly impacted areas in the hippocampus of each volunteer. In so doing, they found that the brain regions under study were 5.8 to 6.5 percent smaller than average for those that reported such childhood stresses.
The researchers suggest that smaller brain regions due to childhood stress may help explain the abnormally high levels of mental illness (depression, bi-polarism, anxiety, etc.) seen in adults who have endured abuse as children and why so many wind up with drug dependency problems. They also noted that one of the regions impacted, the subiculum, serves as a relay, moving information in and out of the hippocampus, which can have a direct impact on dopamine production. Those with reduced volume have been found to have problems with drug addiction and in some cases develop schizophrenia.
The researchers believe that increased stress leads to higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which in turn can slow or even stop the growth of new neurons in the brain which can result in permanently stunting certain brain regions.
The researchers are hoping their results will further highlight the damage that is done when children are subjected to adverse living conditions, leading perhaps to earlier interventions and possibly a means for developing treatments that may aid in preventing the stunting of brain regions, thus helping to pave the way for a better quality of life for those that have been abused as children.
More information: Childhood maltreatment is associated with reduced volume in the hippocampal subfields CA3, dentate gyrus, and subiculum, PNAS, Published online before print February 13, 2012, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1115396109

Abstract
Childhood maltreatment or abuse is a major risk factor for mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic, and personality disorders, and it is associated with reduced adult hippocampal volume, particularly on the left side. Translational studies show that the key consequences of stress exposure on the hippocampus are suppression of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and dendritic remodeling in the cornu ammonis (CA), particularly the CA3 subfield. The hypothesis that maltreatment is associated with volume reductions in 3-T MRI subfields containing the DG and CA3 was assessed and made practical by newly released automatic segmentation routines for FreeSurfer. The sample consisted of 193 unmedicated right-handed subjects (38% male, 21.9 ± 2.1 y of age) selected from the community. Maltreatment was quantified using the Adverse Childhood Experience study and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scores. The strongest associations between maltreatment and volume were observed in the left CA2-CA3 and CA4-DG subfields, and were not mediated by histories of major depression or posttraumatic stress disorder. Comparing subjects with high vs. low scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Adverse Childhood Experience study showed an average volume reduction of 6.3% and 6.1% in the left CA2-CA3 and CA4-DG, respectively. Volume reductions in the CA1 and fimbria were 44% and 60% smaller than in the CA2-CA3. Interestingly, maltreatment was associated with 4.2% and 4.3% reductions in the left presubiculum and subiculum, respectively. These findings support the hypothesis that exposure to early stress in humans, as in other animals, affects hippocampal subfield development.

© 2011 Medical Xpress
"Study finds child abuse can lead to stunted brain development." February 14th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-child-abuse-stunted-brain.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Rest Assured

“Seeing an answer not forthcoming from the king, Vashishtha tried all kinds of ways to make him understand. He said that the son of Gadhi is powerful through his great austerities and explained that Rama is also very capable.’” (Janaki Mangala, Chand 3.1)
āyau na utarū basiṣṭha lakhi bahu bhānti nṛpa samajhāyaū |
kahi gādhi suta tapa teja kachu raghupati prrabhāu janāyaū ||
When in doubt, don’t say anything. Stumped on a particular question, if you say the wrong thing, you might offend the person you’re speaking to. Moreover, if the cameras are rolling, your incorrect answer will be remembered and repeated over and over again. One king a long time ago was dumbfounded at the request coming from an innocent sage. Having just praised the vipra for his standing and good deeds, the king couldn’t now outright reject the request, as it would invalidate his previous words. At the same time, saying ‘yes’ would mean parting with his most beloved son. At this time a well-wishing adviser, another member of the priestly class, stepped in to offer some calming words.
We’re not always so lucky. In the trickiest situations, coming up with the right thing to say is not easy. If politicians should hesitate on national television in a debate, their candidacy can end immediately. Nobody wants to be led by someone who can’t speak with confidence and knowledge. The leader is in the top position for a reason. Good communication skills can mask the lack of intelligence, but at the same time someone who is knowledgeable can be perceived to be a dunce if they cannot in a short amount of time come up with the proper words to convey their thoughts.
There are so many issues to contend with in troubling situations that sometimes even if there is pressure to respond, it is better to just stay silent. After all, you can’t hurt someone’s feelings if you don’t say anything. In fact, the Miranda warning given to people arrested in the United States starts off by saying that the detained person has the right to remain silent. The reason for this is that anything said during the time of arrest can be used against them in the court of law. If that’s the case, why not stay silent throughout, not divulging any information? If you stay quiet long enough, maybe the troublesome situation will pass.
Vashishtha knew that the king of Ayodhya could not afford to hesitate for long. The son of Gadhi, Vishvamitra, had come as a matter of urgency. Night-rangers were foiling the religious practices of the ascetics living in the forest. More than just foil, these creatures would attack with force, often killing the sages and then eating their flesh. One ghoulish creature in particular was intent on harassing Vishvamitra. Named Maricha, he was a chief counselor to the king of Rakshasas in Lanka, Ravana.

“Please allow Rama to protect me during those times when I am observing religious functions and trying to keep my concentration. O chief of mankind, a terrible fear has befallen me on account of this Rakshasa Maricha.” (Vishvamitra speaking to Maharaja Dasharatha, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.4)

Ironically enough, though Maricha was on the other side of justice, he later turned out to be a speaker of the glories of both Vishvamitra and the person the sage desired for personal protection. In one way through his wickedness Maricha increased the fame of the eldest son of Maharaja Dasharatha and also affirmed the king’s dedication to piety. As the leader of a famous land, Dasharatha’s primary desire in life was to uphold righteousness. In a world full of duality, the right course is not always discernable, so the safe bet is to follow the direction of the brahmanas.
But here now was a brahmana asking the king to lend his eldest son. There was a massive royal army that could have gone with Vishvamitra, guarding the perimeter of his ashrama. But as if to strike at the very heart of the king, to take the one possession that meant more to him than anything else, Vishvamitra asked to have Rama as an escort. Rama was not even twelve years old yet, but the sage knew that only He could protect against the attacks of Maricha.
Before future events could validate the sage’s premonition, Dasharatha’s royal priest stepped in to offer some sound words of advice. After Vishvamitra made his request, the king was stunned, basically speechless. Seeing that an answer was not forthcoming, Vashishtha reminded the king of the qualities of the people in question. He rightfully said that Vishvamitra was a strong ascetic, completely dedicated to austerity. In the Bhagavad-gita, the song of God, Lord Krishna states that He is the penance of the ascetic.

“I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.9)

Krishna’s statement was part of a series of remarks meant to indicate how God is the life of everything. To make this concept easier to understand to the conditioned living beings, Krishna went through some common activities and occupational positions and revealed how He is the specific identifying feature in each of them. For the ascetic to have true value, he must be dedicated to austerity. The statement, “If I could only be king for a day”, indicates a desire to get whatever you want and enjoy the regal life but for even a brief period of time. The ascetic lives with just the opposite mindset. “What more is there that I can renounce today? So far I have fasted and lived in the wilderness, but surely there is something more that I can live without.”
Asceticism and its powers are so great that the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, are filled with accounts of historical incidents where famous personalities took to asceticism and achieved a higher end. The potency of austerity for religious purposes is not limited to men either. The daughter of the mountain king was told in her youth by Narada Muni that she should marry Mahadeva, the greatest of the gods. Mahadeva, or Lord Shiva, is in charge of the material mode of ignorance, so he is the ideal worshipable figure for those who are into black magic, those desirous of material opulence to be used for nefarious purposes, and the ghosts and the goblins. Lord Shiva is himself completely renounced, yet his devotees are often very wealthy, having acquired their riches through simple offerings made to him.
The mountain king and his wife were a little taken aback by Narada’s words. Lord Shiva wears a garland of skulls around his neck and has ashes smeared all over his body. He hovers around crematoriums and holds poison in his throat. What kind of husband would he make? None of this mattered to Parvati, the king’s daughter. She immediately went to the forest to perform austerities, with famous seers arriving many years later to test her devotion. Parvati was even offered Lord Vishnu, the same Krishna and Rama, as a husband, but she refused, stating that she would abide by the words of her guru, Narada. Through her penance she was able to please Mahadeva and earn him as a husband. The two are to this day happily engaged in devotional service and overseeing the affairs of the material world.
Vishvamitra was not an ascetic in name only. He had previously been a king, but due to his asceticism he was now recognized as a saintly man. King Dasharatha had a vow to uphold righteousness at the direction of the priestly class, so he should not have thought that Vishvamitra’s request would cause harm. Vishvamitra knew what he was doing, as he was very powerful through his austerity.
Vashishtha also reminded Dasharatha that Rama was capable, though He was very young. Dasharatha didn’t know that Rama was the Supreme Lord appearing in his family to delight the residents of Ayodhya. The Lord would charm the world and countless future generations of man with His splendid deeds, which included protecting Vishvamitra from Maricha. As described by Maricha to Ravana in the Ramayana, Rama, though a young man with barely any signs of manhood on His face, without hesitation strung His bow and thwarted Maricha’s attack on Vishvamitra’s sacrificial fire.

“Then I, resembling a cloud and having molten-golden earrings, made my way into Vishvamitra's ashrama, for I was very proud of my strength due to the boon given to me by Lord Brahma. As soon as I entered, Rama quickly noticed me and raised His weapon. Though He saw me, Rama strung His bow without any fear.” (Maricha speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.16-17)

The force of the arrow released by Rama was so strong that Maricha was thrust thousands of miles away, never daring to bother Vishvamitra again. In this way Vashishtha’s words were prescient, and Dasharatha was fortunate to have him around. When we are in doubt or if we don’t want to do what is right, hearing from someone else about what to do isn’t always pleasant. We may even get angry with them for speaking the truth, but in the end we are benefited by their honest and wise counsel.
Dasharatha knew that Vashishtha was correct, though the king never looked at Rama as being supremely powerful. The Supreme Lord’s splendor and might take a backseat to His beauty, charm and endearing qualities in the eyes of the divine lovers. The fact that He is God and offers protection from wicked characters and speaks pearls of wisdom like those found in the Bhagavad-gita is not the primary cause for the dedication to bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Rather, in divine love the emotions can be so strong that the devotee starts worrying about the Lord’s welfare and whether or not He will be able to handle different situations.

Taking Lakshmana with Him, Rama would protect Vishvamitra from the attacks of several Rakshasas. Through the good steward’s leadership, Rama and Lakshmana would be led to the kingdom of Videha, where the marriage of Rama’s eternal consort was being arranged. Her husband was not already decided. Whoever could lift Mahadeva’s bow would win Sita’s hand. Just as Parvati was meant for marrying Shiva, Shri Rama was meant to raise the bow and live happily ever after with Sita Devi, the daughter of King Janaka. Thanks to Vashishtha’s good counsel, the wheels were set in motion for that wonderful marriage to take place.

In Closing:
From vipra’s request king’s heart did sink,
Follow virtue or keep Rama, couldn’t think.
The distressed condition of king he could tell,
Vashishtha stepped in for doubts to dispel.
As brahmana, Vishvamitra’s opinion right,
And Shri Rama, though young of great might.
Mahadeva daughter of mountain king to marry,
To the woods vow for austerity she did carry.
Sita Devi meant to wed Rama in the same way,
Vashishtha’s words to make real fateful day.

படித்ததில் பிடித்தது.

 

சந்தன மலரிதழ் சிந்திய தேன்தனில்
செண்பகம் குளித்து வந்தாள்
சாமரம் வீசிய பூமரம் பேசிய
சங்கதி விழியில் சொன்னாள்
குங்கும நுதல்தனில் சங்கமம் ஆகிட
குறுநகை பூத்து நின்றாள்
கொடியினை எடுத்தொரு இடையென கொண்டவள்
குளிர்தரும் நிலவை வென்றாள்


திங்களும் தென்றலும் திருடிய மனதினை
தேவதை திருடிச் சென்றாள்
தீண்டலில் உயிர் வரை சீண்டிடும் காற்றென
தேகியை வருடிச் சென்றாள்
மன்மதன் அம்பினை புருவமாய் கொண்டவள்
மனதினை துளைத்து விட்டாள்
மலரணை மீதினில் புதுக்கவி புனைந்திட
மாதெனை அழைத்து விட்டாள்



இருபதை தாண்டிய இளமையின் தவமதை
இளையவள் களைத்து விட்டாள்
அறுபதை தாண்டினும் அடங்கிட மறுத்திடும்
ஆசையை விதைத்து விட்டாள்
திருமணம் எனுமொரு மருத்துவம் மாத்திரம்
தீர்த்திடும் நோயை தந்தாள்
கருமங்கள் யாவுமே முடிவதற்குள்ளே
கண்களை விட்டுச் சென்றாள்

 

நன்றியுடன்
செல்வராஜ்

FRASE DEL DIA 27-02 (SAI BABA DE SHIRDI)

How do children learn to read silently?

This is Florida Center for Reading Research researcher Young-Suk Kim. Credit: Florida State University Photography Services When a beginning reader reads aloud, her progress is apparent: Hunched over a book, little index finger blazing the way, she moves intently from sound to sound, word to word.
I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-am!
But when that same child reads silently, it's much harder to measure how much she is reading –– or understanding. Yet as she advances through school, teachers will expect her to learn increasingly through silent rather than oral reading.
Researchers at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) at Florida State University will tackle that paradox over the next four years. Funded by a $1.6 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, a team headed by FCRR researcher Young-Suk Kim will examine a poorly understood area of literacy: the relationship between oral and silent reading, and how those skills, in turn, relate to reading comprehension.
"One of the reasons why silent reading has not been paid attention to sufficiently is that it is difficult to measure," said Kim, also an assistant professor in Florida State's College of Education. "The other piece is, people may just assume that, if you read well orally, then you'll also read well silently."
However, studies show that's not the case for all students, said Kim. Some may pretend to read, read inefficiently, or struggle over the bridge from oral to silent reading. That crucial transition will be the focus of the new project.
Kim and her team will follow 400 Leon County (Fla.) students from first to third grade, testing them three times a year to measure when and how they develop accurate oral reading and advance from oral to fluent silent reading.
"Initially, kids sound out each letter, then put all the sounds together, and then make a word," explained Kim, a former classroom teacher. "As their reading develops further, they will be able to do that in their minds. But initially, it's not going to be as efficient or fast."
Beginning silent readers often sound words out in their heads, a cumbersome process called subvocalization.
"What we ultimately want is instantaneous recognition without subvocalization because that's faster," Kim said. "But we don't know how that process happens."
Until recently, measuring silent reading was difficult: After all, you can't hear the child's progress. But researchers can now see this progress, with the help of advanced eye-tracking technologies that follow students' eye movements as they read text on a computer screen.
"It's very fascinating how precisely we can measure this," Kim said. "We can even determine exactly which letter a student is focusing on."
Kim and her team will also examine instructional strategies for promoting reading fluency, and hope that this new grant will be followed by a second one in which they will test these approaches. The ultimate goal is to help students read faster and better, a skill critical to their success throughout their years in school.
"Because children read faster in silent mode, we want to really promote that," Kim said. "But because we don't know how children transition there, it's still one big question."

Several other Florida State faculty members have key roles on the project. Yaacov Petscher, FCRR research associate, is co-principal investigator. Working as co-investigators are Carol Connor, FCRR researcher and associate professor in the Department of Psychology; Christian Vorstius, FCRR research associate; and Richard Wagner, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology and associate director at the FCRR.

"IES grants are extremely competitive," said FCRR Director Barbara Foorman, "and we at the Florida Center for Reading Research are very proud that one of our new assistant professor stars, Dr. Young-Suk Kim, has won this award."
Provided by Florida State University
"How do children learn to read silently?." February 14th, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-children-silently.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

கணிதமேதை ஸ்ரீனிவாச ராமானுஜம்

 
 


22.12.1887 - 26. 04.1920.

அன்புள்ள தோழர்களே, வணக்கம்.
கணிதமேதை ராமானுஜத்தின் 125 வது பிறந்த ஆண்டை தேசியக் கல்வி ஆண்டாக அறிவித்ததன் மூலம் பலரது எதிர்பார்ப்பை மைய அரசு பூர்த்தி செய்துள்ளது. இப்படி ஒரு ஆண்டை ஏதாவது ஒரு குறிக்கோளுக்காக அறிவிக்க வேண்டுமேயானால் குறைந்த பட்சம் இரண்டு வருடகாலமாக பல்வேறு திட்டங்கள் நிகழ்வுகளுக்கு திட்ட வரையறைகளை விவாதித்து பட்ஜெட்டில் குறிப்பிட்டு, தனியாக பணம் ஒதுக்கி விரிவாகச் செய்வதுதான் வழக்கம்.

 "கணித ஆண்டு" அப்படி வரவில்லை. கணிதமேதை ராமானுஜத்தின் 125 வது ஆண்டு எனக் குறிப்பிட்டு, ஜெர்மனி மற்றும் சுவீடன் நாடுகளில் ஆண்டு   முழுவதும் "ஆய்வு சமர்ப்பித்தல் கணித  மாநாடு" என அறிவித்தபோது நம் அரசு
விழித்துக்கொண்டு நம்ம லோக்கல் அறிவு ஜீவிகளின் கூக்குரலுக்கு அவசரமாக செவிசாய்த்து அதிரடியாக அறிவித்துள்ளது.
         
எது எப்படியோ ......... கணிதத்தையும் கணிதமேதையும் கொண்டாட ஒரு வாய்ப்பு. மிக எளிய குடும்பத்தில் பிறந்து "கொடிது கொடிது வறுமை கொடிது" என அவ்வை பாடிய இளமையில் வறுமையோடு வளர்ந்து கணித உலகின் சக்கரவர்த்தியாகப் பிரகாசித்த ராமானுஜம் ஒரு கணிதமேதை என்று மட்டும் தெரியும். கல்லுரி மாணவர்க்கு அவரது கணித பங்களிப்பு பற்றி எதுவும் தெரியாது. கொலம்பஸ் அமெரிக்காவை கண்டுபிடித்ததுபோல் ராமானுஜம், ராமானுஜம் நம்பர் என்கிற ஒன்றை கண்டுபிடித்தார் என்று சில பேராசிரியர்களே இன்னமும் நம்பிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் அவலம் ஒரு புறம். அவர் பிறந்து வாழ்ந்த வீட்டை அவர் ஊர்க்காரர்களாலேயே அடையாளம் காட்ட முடியாமல்போன அவமானம் ஒரு புறம்.

இதற்கிடையே கணிதமேதை குறித்த வாழ்வாதாரங்களைத்தான் காப்பாற்றவில்லை ..........
கணிதத்தையாவது காப்பாற்றினோமா என்றால் நாலும் மூணும் எத்தனை என்பதற்கே கால்குலேட்டரைத் தேடும் ஒரு புதிய தலைமுறை அதிர்ச்சிதரும் நிஜமாய் நம் கண் முன்னே நடமாடும் கொடுமை. கணிதக் கல்வியகங்கள் எல்லாம் 'division center"  ஆகிவிட்ட வியாபார யுகத்தில் கணித ஆண்டு!  என்ன செய்யப் போகிறோம். வழக்கம்போல ராமானுஜம் படத்திறப்பு. குத்துவிளக்கு ஏற்றும் மந்திரி மனைவி, பரிசு வழங்கும் அதிகாரி, பன், டீ சாப்பிட்டு G.O.   கிராக்கிப்படி கணக்கை கச்சிதமாய் நினைவுகூர்ந்து, பின் கலையும் ஒரு அரசு விழா. குழந்தைகள் வெயிலில் பூத்தூவ....கலை நிகழ்ச்சிகளுடன் விழா முடிந்தது என தினசரிகளின் செய்தியாகப்போகிறதா ......  அல்லது மனக்கணக்குகள், கணிதவியலார் சிந்தனைகள், குழந்தைகள் அறிய ஆர்வம் மேம்படுத்தும் கணிதநூல்கள்.... ஆரோக்கியமான அறிவியல் விவாதங்கள் என குட்டி ராமானுஜன்களைப் படைக்கும் புதிய வழியை தரப்போகிறதா..... தமிழில் கணிதம் தொடர்பான புத்தகங்களின் கணித ஆண்டை எப்படி பயன்படுத்தப் போகிறோம் ...... சிந்திப்போம்.

சாயிபாபா

உனக்குள்ளே நிம்மதி...

தேடுங்கள்; கண்டடைவீர்கள்' என்பது ஏசுநாதர் வாக்கு.
எங்கே நிம்மதி? அங்கே கிடைக்குமா? இங்கே கிடைக்குமா?' என்று தேடினால் நீங்கள் காணமாட்டீர்கள். அது உங்கள் உள்ளத்துக்கு உள்ளேயே ஒளி மயமாக நிற்கிறது.
பாண்டவர்களும், வனவாசம் புரிந்தார்கள்; ராமனும் வனவாசம் சென்றான்; தேவர்களும் ஒளிந்து வாழ வேண்டியிருந்தது.

நிம்மதிக் குறைவு என்பது எல்லோருக்கும் ஒரு நாள் வந்தே தீர்கிறது. பணக்காரனாயினும், ஏழையாயினும் வாழ்க்கைப் பயணத்தில், ஏதோ ஒரு சக்கரத்தில் காலைக் கொடுத்து விடுகின்றான்; கொஞ்சக் காலம் அவனை வாட்டி எடுக்கிறது. ஜீரணிக்கத் தெரிந்தவனுக்கு மலை கடுகளவு; அது தெரியாதவனுக்கு கடுகு மலையளவு.
கொஞ்சம் மெளனத்தைக் கடைப்பிடியுங்கள். அதில் ஒருவகை நிம்மதியுண்டு. மெளனம் கலக நாஸ்தி' என்பார்கள். அளந்து பேசி, அளந்து வாழ்கிறவனுக்கு அதிகபட்ச ஆசை கிடையாது. ஆசை குறையக் குறையத் துன்பமும் குறைந்து போகிறது.

வாழ்க்கை கட்டுக்குள் வந்தால், மனமும் கட்டுக்குள் வந்து விடுகிறது; துன்பமும் கட்டுக்குள் நின்று விடுகிறது. எதுவும் அளவு கடந்து போகும்போதுதான் ஒரு எதிரொலியைக் கொண்டுவந்து காட்டுகிறது. இருட்டு வெளிச்சம், இன்பம் துன்பம் இரண்டையும் சமமாகக் கருதும்படி பகவான் கீதையிலே போதித்தான்.
பகலிலே, குருடனுக்கும் கண் தெரியும். ஆனால், இருட்டிலே எவனுக்குக் கண் தெரிகிறதோ அவனே ஞானி. முதுகு சொரணையற்றுப் போய் எவனுக்கு வலி தெரியாமல் போய் விடுகிறதோ, அவனே நிம்மதியடைந்தவன்.

உடம்பிலுள்ள எல்லா வாசல்களையும் செம்மையாக அடக்கி, மனத்தை உள்ளேயே நிலை நிறுத்தி, உயிரை அறிவோடு நன்றாக நிலைநாட்டித் தியானத்தைக் கைக்கொண்டு என்னையே நினைத்தவனாய் எவன் தன்னை மறந்து விடுகிறானோ, அவன் பரம்பொருளை அடைகிறான்' என்கிறான் பகவான் கீதையிலே.
நீங்கள் பரம்பொருளை அடைகிறீர்களோ இல்லையோ... நிம்மதியை அடைகிறீர்கள். பகவத்கீதையிலே, `க்ஷேத்ரம்' பற்றியும் `க்ஷேத்திரக்ஞன்' பற்றியும் பேசப்படுகிறது.
க்ஷேத்திரம்' என்பது உடல், `க்ஷேத்திரக்ஞன்' என்பது உயிர். எது நிம்மதி இழக்கிறது? க்ஷேத்திரமா? க்ஷேத்திரக்ஞனா?

உடலுக்கு நிம்மதி இல்லையென்றால், மருத்துவன் உண்டு. உயிருக்கு நிம்மதி இல்லையென்றால் நீங்களே மருத்துவர்கள். கட்டிக் கொடுத்த சோறும், சொல்லிக் கொடுத்த புத்தியும் தலைமுறைக்கு வரமாட்டா. இந்த நூலில் கண்டபடி, நீங்கள் நடந்து கொண்டு விட்டாலும் கூட, உங்களை நீங்களே வாதித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தால் நெஞ்சுக்கு நிம்மதி வராது. ஆன்மாவின் சொரூபத்தை உணர்ந்து. அதன் இயக்கத்திற்கு ஒத்துழைப்பதுதான் தேகம் என்பதை அறிந்து ஒழுங்காக இயங்கினால், நிம்மதி நெஞ்சுக்குள்ளே இருப்பதைக் காணலாம். அது ஒன்றும் கடையில் விற்கும் கத்திரிக்காய் அல்ல... வசதியுள்ளவன் வாங்கிக் கொள்வதற்கு!

மீண்டும் சொல்கிறேன், மனசுதான் காரணம். ஒன்றைச் `சரி' என்று நினைத்து விட்டால் மனசு நிம்மதியடைகிறது. `தவறு' என்று நினைத்து விட்டால் மனசு தாவிக் குதிக்கிறது. அதனால்தான், `நடப்பதெல்லாம் நன்மைக்கே' என்கிறார்கள். நல்ல மனைவியின் மேல் சந்தேகப்பட்டே, வாழ்க்கையை அழித்துக் கொண்டவர்களும் உண்டு. மோசமான மனைவியையே முழுக்க நம்பி, நிம்மதியாக வாழ்ந்து முடித்தவர்களும் உண்டு. பத்தாயிரம் ரூபாய் சம்பாதித்துப் புத்தி கெட்டு அலைந்தவர்களும் உண்டு; இருநூறு ரூபாய்ச் சம்பளத்தில் இணையற்ற அமைதி கண்டவர்களும் உண்டு. அழுக்கு வேட்டியைத் துவைத்துக் கட்டுவதிலே ஆனந்தம் அடைந்தவர்களும் உண்டு; சலவை வேட்டியிலும் சரிகை இல்லையே என்று சலித்துக் கொண்டவர்களும் உண்டு.

மனது எந்த ஒன்றைக் காண்கிறதோ அப்படியே ஆகிவிடுகிறது. அற்புதம் என்று அது முடிவு கட்டிவிட்டால், அது அற்புதமாகவே ஆகிவிடுகிறது. மோசம் என்று தோன்றி விட்டால், மோசமாகவே காட்சி அளிக்கிறது. பல நேரங்களில் மனது, தன் கணக்கை மாற்றிக் கொள்கிறது. நானே முதற் கட்டத்தில் ஒருவரைப் பற்றிப் போடுகிற கணக்கை மறு கட்டத்தில் மாற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறேன். மாறுதல் மனிதன் இயற்கை. அதில் இன்பம் தோன்றும்போது உடனடியாக நிம்மதி. இந்தப் பேரிடியை என்னாலே தாங்கவே முடியாது' என்று சில சமயங்களில் சொல்கிறோம். ஆனாலும், நாம் உயிரோடு தான் இருக்கிறோம். காரணம் என்ன? மனசு, வேறு வழி இல்லாமல் அதைத் தாங்கிவிட்டது என்பதே பொருள்.

உலகத்தில் எது தவிர்க்க முடியாதது?
பிறந்த வயிற்றையும் உடன் பிறப்புகளையும்தான் மாற்ற முடியாதே தவிர, பிற எதுவும் மாற்றத்திற்குரியதே. நானே சொல்லி இருக்கிறேன்... `ஜனனத்தையும் மரணத்தையும் தவிர அனைத்துமே மறுபரிசீலனைக்குரியவை' என்று. மனைவியை மாற்றலாம். வீட்டை மாற்றலாம்; நண்பர்களை மாற்றலாம்; தொழிலை மாற்றலாம். எதையும் மாற்றலாம். மாறுதலுக்குரிய உலகத்தில் நிம்மதி குறைவதற்கு நியாயம் என்ன? மனது நம்முடையது; நாம் நினைத்தால் அதை மாற்றிக் கொள்ளலாம். நமக்கு முன்னால் வாழ்ந்து செத்தவர்களெல்லாம், ஆயுட் காலம் அமைதியாக இருந்து செத்தவர்களல்ல. இனி வரப் போகிறவர்களும், நிரந்தர நிம்மதிக்கு உத்தரவாதம் வாங்கிக் கொண்டு வரப் போகிறவர்களல்ல.

எந்த துன்பத்திலும் சிக்கிக் கொள்ளாதீர்கள். மனத்தை எளிமையாக வைத்திருங்கள். கவலைகளற்ற ஒரு நிலையை மேற்கொள்ளுங்கள்.

குணசேகரன்

என் வாழ்க்கைக் கணக்கு

என் கடைசி நிமிடத்தில்

வாழ்க்கையின்
வரவு செலவு பார்த்தேன்......

சிரித்த நாட்கள்
வரவு எழுதப் பட்டிருந்தது

அப்படி என்றால்
செலவு என் துக்கங்களா ? என
ஆர்வமுடன் பார்த்தேன்

அதுவும் சிரிப்புதான்
அப்படி என்றால் என் சந்தோசம் பொய்யானதா ?

என்னிடம் ஒன்றுமே இல்லையா இப்போது ?

ஆம்

என் சிரிப்பு எல்லாம் இழிந்தவர்கள் என்று
எள்ளி மற்றவரை பார்த்து நகையாடியதால்.......

என்னைப் பெரிதென்று எண்ணி சிரித்ததால்

இதோ
என் இறுதி ஊர்வலத்தில் ஒருவருமில்லை

Shirdi Songs - Manase Oka - Krishna - Manasa

Reigniting consumer emotions: Why are some experiences better the second time?

Why do people reread books, watch movies multiple times, or visit places again? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, many people find that repeating experiences "reignites" their emotions.
"Even though people are already familiar with the stories or the places, re-consuming brings new or renewed appreciation of both the object of consumption and their self," write authors Cristel Antonia Russell (American University) and Sidney J. Levy (University of Arizona and Northwestern University). "By doing it again, people get more out of it."
Through in-depth interviews with participants in the United States and New Zealand, the authors found an array of underlying reasons for re-consumption. Generally, people do it to enrich their emotional lives and increase self-knowledge. "The re-experience allows them not only to refresh their memory of the past experience but the recollection is accompanied by the discovery of new details. Therefore, the experience is different, even though it is repeated," the authors explain.
Previous research has focused on the kinds of repeat experiences that are habitual, addictive, or ritualistic, not experiences that people actively and consciously choose to repeat. In their study, the authors found a variety of motivations for re-consumption. Some participants desired to return to a former state and wanted to affirm—or sometimes invalidate—the impression left by previous experiences. Others wanted to refresh or reconstruct the memory, and some wanted to share the experience with new people.

Although some participants worried they would be considered odd for repeating consumption, many reported that repeat experiences led to heightened awareness and pleasure. "Given the immense benefits for growth and self-reflexivity, re-consuming actually appears to offer many mental health benefits," the authors write. "People should not hesitate to go back and re-read or re-view what they have already done. A once in a lifetime experience can easily appeal to people again."

More information: Cristel Antonia Russell and Sidney J. Levy. "The Temporal and Focal Dynamics of Volitional Re-Consumption: A Phenomenological Investigation of Repeated Hedonic Experiences" Journal of Consumer Research: August 2012 (published online October 28, 2011). http://ejcr.org/
Provided by University of Chicago
"Reigniting consumer emotions: Why are some experiences better the second time?." February 14th, 2012. http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-reigniting-consumer-emotions.html
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

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