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Psychology
Psychology is science that involves the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The
clinical profession of human psychology recognizes mental processes, their effects upon human
behavior, and treats behavioral or emotional disorders. This guide provides psychology articles
with comprehensive information on the study of psychology, application of psychological
theory, human behavior, mental functions, the nature and functions of the mind.

Highly Sensitive Person Traits

Do you know what traits distinguish a highly sensitive person from the other people? What is the
reason behind those differences? This article presents a list of highly sensitive person traits. Go
through it to enhance your knowledge.

The person who is highly sensitive has an innate trait of high sensitivity. There are some easily
noticeable psychology traits that can distinguish highly sensitive people from the regular ones.
Some of the identifiable highly sensitive person traits are shyness, social phobia, social anxiety
problems, introversion, innate fearfulness, etc. Though it may seem like, but a highly sensitive
person does not have below-average intelligence. Rather he is a gifted person who is creative,
thoughtful and very imaginative.

Medical professionals carry a test to confirm whether an individual has this particular personality
type or not. This test is known as the highly sensitive person test. This test comprises mainly of a
list of questions. The correct answers to all these questions help the doctor to come to a
conclusion. According to studies, 15-20% of the human population has a highly sensitive
personality. Following are some of the common and easily noticeable highly sensitive person
traits. Check up on intj personality type.

Noticeable Highly Sensitive Person Symptoms

 Is able to perform deep processing of information.

 Picks up on subtle things while in the process of learning.
 Is not able to learn well when over aroused.
 Is loyal, sentimental and thoughtful.
 Is good at doing tasks that need deep concentration and focus.
 Is able to accomplish tasks with great accuracy, detail and speed.
 Is very painstaking.
 Is good at fine motor movements.
 Gets more affected by caffeine in comparison with non-bearers of this highly sensitive
person trait.
 Can stay still for a longer time than regular people.
 Has a more active right brain.
 Is creative by nature.
 Is imaginative.
 Takes time to come out from the effect of some sort of stimulus.
 Can understand human emotions deeper than regular people.
 Is better at finding errors.
 Is good at avoiding errors and mistakes as well.
 Does not give his best on being watched.
 Does not work well when the situation is quiet calm and relaxed.
 Tends to mix less with others.
 Prefers to feel and experience quietly by himself.
 Is a great organizer. This is one of the most positive highly sensitive person symptoms.
 Is a loyal, hard working perfectionist. Therefore, it is great for an employer to have
highly sentimental people in the workplace.
 Is caring and compassionate. This particular highly sensitive person trait makes the
company of such a person wonderful.
 Is inclined towards spirituality.
 Is blessed with an incredible aesthetic sense.
 Is concerned for the environment.
 Has a sense of appreciation for nature, arts and music.
 Notices subtleties like changes in a person's appearance, changes in some object's
placement.
  Performs well in the presence of known people.
 Prefers to play quietly.
 Asks deep and thought provoking questions.
 Gets easily disturbed by noise.
 Reads the mind and mood of others.
 Is able to notice slightest unusual smell.

As is clear from the information given above on highly sensitive person traits, in such a person
the signal for perception of things in the surrounding is significantly magnified by the time it
reaches the brain. Because of this, the feeling and emotions are comparatively stronger in a
highly sensitive person. This is the reason that explains how highly sensitive people and
depression are found to be associated. If you find your case to be similar, you must be looking
for information on how to control your overtly sentiments and emotions at times. For your
information, you have a genetic makeup that accounts for the exaggeration of your feelings.
Therefore, you cannot control your emotions like how regular people do. However, you can try
to do so by trying out certain self-relaxing and self-calming things. You can take help of yoga,
meditation and deep breathing techniques to cope with anxiety and stress. Leading a disciplined
life with proper hours of sleep and relaxation will also help you help yourself. Take good care of
yourself to lead a happy and content life.

Psychology Careers: Jobs with a Psychology

Degree
If it is jobs with a psychology degree that you need to know about, then here's to making wishes
come true. Presenting an article on various jobs with a psychology degree.
People opt for getting jobs with a psychology degree because these psychology careers are not
only interesting and challenging, but the right kinds of jobs with a psychology degree can also
turn out to be some of the most top paying jobs with a psychology degree. The interesting aspect
of getting jobs with a degree in psychology is that it allows you to be dealing with the social and
biological aspects of the human nature. There are different fields in psychology that you can
choose to study from, and eventually specialize in. The choice is mind boggling. Having
achieved a degree in psychology, however, if you are not sure about the kind of jobs with a
psychology degree that you can get, then just follow this article for some answers.

Psychology is tough. Finding the answer to the question - "What drives us to do we do what we
do and why do we do it?" cannot be easy. That is what a psychologist will do. There is an
interesting story to relate here. At a party, a skimpily dressed girl walks in and everyone turns to
look at her. The psychologist turns to look at everyone else. Of course, that is not all that
psychology entails. Psychology has several branches and because of the nature of the subject,
most of the jobs you can get with a psychology degree are rather high paying. Here are some of
the jobs you can get with a psychology degree: Read more on psychologist job description.

High Paying Jobs with a Psychology Degree

School Counselor/Psychologist
This job has been in demand for quite sometime now, what with the society's change in attitude
to focus on the mental health of students. The school boards have agreed that tackling the mental
health and well being of the students early on in their student life will make the students better
people and more adjustable and happy in later life. The school counselor and psychologist does
exactly that. Most report of a deep satisfaction that they feel because they are helping solve
problems in the society that might have risen later on. Read more on careers in school
psychology.

Sports Psychologists
This is one of the best jobs that you can get with a psychology degree. Sports psychologists will
do everything that needs to be done to motivate a sports person. This will involve them helping
the athletes to focus on their competition and how to win; how to overcome the fear of failure
and provide anxiety cures, thereby helping them to deal with their stress. This is turning out to be
one of the most popular of the jobs with a psychology degree. Read more on sports psychology.

Engineering Psychologists
This combines the fields of psychology and industry. These psychologists will mainly conduct
research on how people can work more efficiently with machines. This will involve studying
about what needs to be done to make the computer more user friendly, such that it causes less
strain to the eyes and less fatigue overall. So also what should be the maximum workload so that
maximum productivity is achieved. Thus, for a person who likes to study human behavior and
has a love for machinery, this is one of the best jobs with a psychology degree.

Genetics Counselor
This is a fairly new field in jobs with a psychology degree. These psychologists mainly help
families understand genetic disorders by providing information to them and supporting them.
Since many people and even doctors, don't know about genetic disorders and how it can affect
them, these psychologists will help them by providing valuable information about how genes can
cause genetic disorders. They might also help them find local services that handle these issues.
Read on psychology jobs with a bachelor's degree.

Animal-Assisted Therapist
AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapist) is a type of therapy that involves making the use of animals to
treat patients. This is mainly used in treating children who are suffering with autism spectrum
disorders. This therapy is designed to improve the emotional, physical, cognitive and social
functioning of the patient. It also provides motivation and education. It is done on an individual
or even group basis and involves usage of several animals, including cats, dogs, dolphins, birds,
lizards and rabbits along with other small animals.

Government Jobs with a Psychology Degree

Here is a list of the possible jobs with a psychology degree in the government sector.

Teacher
Teaching is a very satisfying job and at the same time can be very demanding. To be a
psychology teacher qt high school, one will have to have a degree in psychology. But if it is
teaching college students that interests you then you will need to go in for a master's degree.
Read on careers in child psychology.

Social Worker
A social worker will perform duties that involve analyzing a patient's mental capacity and
cognitive behaviors, thus a psychology degree becomes a must if one wants to be a social
worker. One could work as a caseworker for child abuse issues, rehabilitation issues and as
welfare case workers.

Forensic Psychologists
These psychologists apply psychological principles to legal issues. They are often called to serve
cases in court because they can help determine the parentage of a child or analyze the defendant's
state of mind and conclude if he can stand for trial. They are sometimes trained in both law and
psychology. They also conduct research on jury behavior and eyewitness testimony. Thus they
are an important link in solving certain court cases. Read more on forensic psychology.

Research/Experimental Psychologists
These psychologists conduct research at corporations, universities and non-profit organization
and several other government based sectors. They conduct experiments and study the patterns of
behaviors in animals and humans so that they can draw conclusions about issues like attention
span, effects of drugs, learning processes, genetics, neurology and motivation. If you want to
learn more about the jobs with a bachelor degree in psychology, then read the following articles:

 Psychology Careers With a Bachelor's Degree

 Psychologist Salary Range

Mind Reading Tricks

So, you want to learn some mind reading tricks eh? Well, I don't know if you will be able to read
minds like a book after reading this article, but you will certainly have a rough idea about how
you can read people.
As one goes ahead in life, one realizes that most problems in the world arise due to
misunderstandings. If only people could understand each other better, life would be simpler.
When you fail to understand what exactly the person in front of you wants, he can make life
difficult for you! You wish that if only you knew some mind reading tricks, handling difficult
people at work would be simple! This article will give you some mind reading tricks and tips
which will help you to understand and read people better.

If you came to this page looking for mind reading card tricks or magical tricks, I am not going to
give you anything like that. By mind reading tricks, I mean to give you tips on how to read
people's behavior through their body language and the subtle cues that they give through their
overall behavior and speech. These are mind reading tricks which teach you to read between the
lines.

You cannot learn these mind reading tricks in a day. It takes years of experience to understand
'people'. You need to have a keen eye to see tiny details of behavior patterns that people show.
You need to study people like shrinks, without being intrusive like them! You must practice
reading minds of people to such a degree, that you feel what the person is going through just by
looking at him. Very few can do that, as very few can really see people for what they are! Most
of us take people around for granted and see them as we want them to be. To be an expert at
mind reading tricks, one has to have an unbiased eye which can see people for exactly what they
are. Don't judge before you can see them clearly.

Mind Reading Tricks & Tips

There is nothing exotic about mind reading tricks. Some people are naturally good at
understanding what the person in front of them wants. They get ahead in life taking advantage of
people. There are few who realize that such an ability can be used to help people out. They
become excellent shrinks. Though you and me may never be experts at mind reading tricks, like
these people, we can try our level best to master them. This may reduce a lot of unnecessary
tension and friction that arises through our dealing with people. One thing that you need to
understand is that you have to love people to understand them better! Here are some mind
reading tricks which I have garnered through my own limited experience of life on this dear
Earth. The trick is be genuinely interested in that person. It is all applied psychology.

Look Into the Eyes

The eyes are the windows of the soul they say. Whatever goes on in the minds of people, always
gets reflected in their eyes, even if the face may try to betray those emotions. At least
momentarily, the emotions inside show themselves in a person's eyes. Learn to see it and
interpret it.

Understand the Unsaid

Many times people say some thing, but in actuality they are trying to convey something else.
This may seem cryptic to you, but you will understand it, if you try to think about it. Why don't
people say what they want to say? There are many reasons why people leave things unsaid and
say things which are sometimes completely opposite. Ego is one reason, fear is another and most
of the times its confusion about what they really want! So, hear the unsaid and the said. See it
through the eyes and the body language. People do say exactly what they feel, but if you can hear
the unsaid, you can understand them more better. For that you must experience that person
totally and never judge a person from just what he says. See him as clearly as possible.

Read the Body Language Cues

There are many body language cues which you learn to read through experience. There is no one
set of body language rules like road signs. They change from person to person. Look for all the
impulsive, jerky movements as well as posturing cues. They tell you a lot. Read more on

 Body Language Tips

 Body Language Signs
 Reading People by Body Language

See Things From His/Her Perspective

To read a person's mind requires no special mind reading trick, more than the ability to see
things from his/her perspective. Look at world warped through his/her emotions and experiences.
Well that is never exactly possible, but you can get an idea about why he reacts to certain things
in a certain way, if you only put yourself in his/her position.

Observe Without Preconceived Notions

I read somewhere that, if you judge people, you have no time loving them. In the same way I
would like to say that if you judge people immediately, you will never have enough time to
understand them. When you listen to a person, listen keenly and do not judge before taking in
what they are trying to convey. Observe the facial expressions, look in to the eyes and take all of
it in without judging. Later you can analyze it. This way, you do not miss anything. As you
spend time with that person, you eventually learn the patterns of his behavior. He or she will
slowly become predictable, as you perceive a thought forming in their minds through subtle
external manifestations, long before it becomes obvious.

Understand the Core of That Person

One of the greatest mind tricks is to understand what forms the core of that person. What are
his/her core values? What idea does that person represent? Every person is an idea which is a
manifestation of what are his core values, principles, his insecurities, fears, what drives him and
what he is emotionally invested in. If you can understand that, then reading that person's mind
and predicting what he'll do will become possible. That is, you'll be able to read their mind.

None of these mind reading tricks are easy to pull off, as you must have figured out by now.
They require you to experience a person and observe for long. Every one of them requires
practice over years and an inherent ability to empathize with a person. There are people you'll
meet who are opaque to your mind reading tricks. They are highly controlled, non-impulsive
individuals. They can cloak their emotions and intentions masterfully. They will seem like an
enigma to you.

Read more on:

 Reading Mind Tricks

 How to Handle Difficult People
You will always meet somebody like this eventually and then your expertise at mind reading
tricks will be tested! Hope, I have been able to convey some idea about mind reading tricks.
Whatever little I have learned, I have mentioned it here. When you know people more and
understand them deeper, there is much that will amaze you and much that will make you repulse
when you probe their deeper nature. You being one of them, they are not hard to understand.
Value the beautiful things you find inside and try to forgive the ones that shock you. You will
find great love, compassion as well as great hatred. You will perceive light and darkness. In the
process, you will learn to handle reality! You will realize that what one sees is only relative
reality!

Passive Aggressive Traits

People suffering from passive aggressive traits often suppress their anger and frustration and
inculcate a pessimistic attitude towards life. They prefer to take a non-verbal way of expressing
their annoyance and displeasure.

In simple words, a passive aggressive trait is defined as the passive, moderatist resistance to meet
the expectations in professional and interpersonal situations. You can call it a negativistic
personality trait, that is tagged by a pervasive pattern of pessimism and inactiveness. Let's learn
something more about the passive aggressive traits.

What are the Indications of Passive Aggressive Traits?

 Passive aggressive traits in men are generally seen as a procrastinate approach towards
the task assigned to them. They have a careless attitude towards deadlines. They follow
 their own time schedules and routines, without caring for those who want their work to be
done in a different way or at least on time.
 Passive aggressive people often feel themselves to be oppressed by others. According to
them, they are the innocent victims of other's unfair treatments. The matter gets even
worse when they find people around them upset because of their behavior.
 A common symptom that is noticed in people suffering from passive aggressive traits is
that they keep devising ways to catch others attention. For example, they hardly come on
time to any party, social gathering or even a date. They want others to wait for them and
give them importance.
 It is observed that passive aggressive people often indulge in fights with their near and
dear ones. They, actually, invent ways to start quarrels with a close friend or a relative.
This is because, they fear intimacy. They are afraid of getting too intimate with others.
 Passive aggressive traits in women and children is marked by a fear of taking
responsibilities and incumbency. They want to live their lives on their own terms and
want to be actually free from any sort of boundedness and subjection. You will often find
them making excuses for not completing any task with their forgetfulness and weak
memory.
 Another common fear shown by passive aggressive people is the dread of dependency on
others. In order to beat such trepidation, they try to bring others under their control and
command.
 Ambiguous behavior is again a common symptom shown by the sufferers of passive
aggressive traits. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand the meaning or significance of
their speech and behavior.
 Passive aggressive traits victims rarely hold themselves responsible for any wrong deed
that they actually have done. Most of the times, they are found to blame others for the
things that go wrong because of them. And the worse, they want others to be punished for
their baseless obligations.
 People suffering from passive aggressive traits are found switching between hostile
rebelliousness and contrition. They keep on making exaggerated and persistent
complaints of their misfortune. They are often sullen and argumentative. You can also
read more on mental illness symptoms.

What is the Cause for Passive Aggressive Traits Development?

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, passive aggressive traits is
not considered as a personality disorder. But surely, it is a problem in itself. It not only gives a
self-defeating feeling to the sufferers, but also makes them hurt others around. There can be a
number of causes behind the development of passive aggressive traits in individuals. The most
probable one is the growing up in a family or social atmosphere, where not much importance is
given to an individual's needs and wants, where expressing personal desires is not accepted and
is taken as a selfish and self-centered nature. Such an upbringing, plants a subconscious feeling
in the individuals, like desiring something which they want is unfair and unacceptable. In such
situations, children contrive to protect the relationship with their family members and friends
which they cannot afford to jeopardize.

How can You Help a Passive Aggressive Traits Sufferrer?

If you find the symptoms of passive aggressive traits in any of your friends, family members, or
children, there is something that you can do to help them come out of this sub-conscious
complex. However, I would like to mention that the suggestions cited here are effective, and
have assisted a number of people which help the sufferers to recover from passive aggressive
behaviors to a great extent, but has no guarantee. The reason is that every individual's mind set
and psychology is unique and no set rules can produce a similar effect on them. Treating passive
aggressive traits mean changing or completely removing the impressions deep embedded in one's
subconscious. Still, you can give it a try.

 According to psychologists, you need to understand that a passive aggressive person is

actually dealing with a psychological aggression within him and at the same time trying
hard to protect you from his hostility. A feasible idea is to not give him any chance to get
belligerent.
 Avoid taking a domineering role with the sufferers of passive aggressive traits. You will
only make the condition worse with unnecessary stress and conflict. Instead try to give
him the opportunity to make decisions and plans. Suggest him some options and let him
choose on his own.
 A passive aggressive person does not want to take any responsibility and commitment.
You should realize it. Try to avoid those situations where you depend on him for an
important piece of work to be done from his side. Give him all the possible opportunities
to live a free life, as per his definition of freedom. Let him live on his own terms. Read
more on mental health treatment.

Your getting annoyed by the passive aggressive traits sufferer's lateness, inefficiency,
forgetfulness and offensive behavior is accepted and understood. Still, to help improve the
condition you need to inculcate a patient, calm and affectionate attitude towards him. Give him
some time and opportunity to recover and lead a satisfied and pleasant life.

Brainwashing Techniques
One of the most evil practices on Earth, brainwashing techniques are aimed at changing or
altering an individual's thought patterns. It is done to introduce new thoughts and instill a new
belief system in the person. To know more about brainwashing techniques, read on...
Brainwashing is a technique used in the reformation or alteration of an individual's thought
process and beliefs. The motive or purpose behind brainwashing a person is mostly evil or
antisocial. The person who brainwashes someone generally resorts to harassing the victim, both
physically and mentally.

Robert Jay Lifton, a psychiatrist from the United States, studied brainwashing techniques
implemented in Chinese war camps. These techniques were used to brainwash American
prisoners of war (POWs). According to him, the process of brainwashing involves various
techniques, grouped under the following steps.

Breaking the Self-belief: This is the first step of brainwashing. It involves breaking down a
person's morale and the present beliefs, by means of physical and mental torture. The techniques
used in the process are enlisted below.

 Attack on the Identity: In this technique, the identity of the person to be brainwashed is
attacked. It creates a dent on the self-esteem of the person. The process may continue
from a few days to several months, till the person becomes exhausted, disoriented and
loses control over his mind.
 Guilt: The victim is constantly humiliated, so that he feels guilty about simple mistakes
and the beliefs he holds. Eventually, a sense of shame develops in the victim and he
begins to lose confidence.
 Self-betrayal: In this technique, the victim is coerced to give up or denounce his beliefs
and also the social system he comes from. It creates a kind of an identity crisis in the
mind of the victim.
 Nervous Breakdown: The victim who is already completely exhausted and disoriented,
may suffer from a nervous breakdown. He becomes prone to several psychological
disorders.

Possibility of Salvation: In this stage, the person who brainwashes the victim, doesn't need to
torture the victim or use coercive techniques. He uses the following methods to bring the victim
under his control.
  Leniency: After bearing the harassment for a long time, the victim is shattered, both
physically and mentally. At this point of time, the person or agent carrying out the
brainwashing shows some leniency towards him. It comes as a pleasant shock to the
victim.
 Confession: The leniency shown by the agent comes as a relief for the victim. He may
express his gratitude for the kind treatment offered by the agent. At this point time, an
option of confessing the past mistakes is offered to the victim.
 Channelizing and Releasing the Guilt: The entire process creates a void in the mind of
the victim. Now comes the time for the agent to fill this void. At this crucial juncture, he
has every opportunity to manipulate or control the victim's mind. All the past sufferings
of the victim are attributed to the 'wrong' belief system that he followed in the past. Now,
the victim gets the 'freedom' to blame his past and not himself for the agony he
underwent. It frees him from the blemishes of the past.

Rebuilding a New Belief System: In this stage, the agent treats the victim in a friendly manner.
He persuades the victim to choose a completely new belief system. There is no need to force or
compel the victim, since he is already on the path towards believing a new concept. The agent
just gives him a mental 'push'. The victim starts thinking about the new principles and
fundamentals consciously. The fact that he is treated well, attracts the victim towards the new
thoughts and 'teachings'. After the victim is under the total control of the agent, a ritual is
conducted to 'stamp' the new belief system on his mind. This, kind of binds the victim and forces
him to remain loyal to the new world he has entered. It can be termed as a 'rebirth' and a new
beginning in the life of the victim.

Brainwashing techniques are harmful for those who are at the receiving end. The process of
brainwashing is mostly carried out in prisons, war camps, etc. These techniques have not been
studied extensively till date, as they induce harmful effects on the target. Brainwashing is a
destructive technique and can reduce a healthy, happy person to a mere puppet and in some
cases, also prove fatal.

Does The Link Between Emotions and Health

Exist?
Does the link between emotions and health exist?

Am I questioning the link between emotions and health? I don’t think so.

What I am discussing here is my personal view on how people regard this statement. Some
people simply can’t see any link between anger, resentment, worries, anxiety, jealousy or even
perfectionism, and their headache, stomachache, back pain, colds or stiff shoulders.

I’ve asked many people around me: "What’s your understanding of the possibility that emotions
can influence your health?" To my surprise, only for some people does the link between their
emotions and their health exist! "Oh, no, my headache is the result of my allergy and my genes,"
said one particular very busy sales person. "Could be, but, are you saying that your stress has
nothing to do with your headache?" was my comment.

Some of the answers were unclear, unspecific, with many doubts and dilemmas.

Do I believe in the link between emotions and health? Yes, I strongly believe in this link, and it
has been known for many decades, if not centuries. But, I don’t understand why so many people
are still so unsure about this statement.

To all of you, who are still in some kind of dilemma, or even if you don’t believe in the link
between emotions and health, I need to convince you that this link exists. It’s not in my
imagination.

What we’ve learned so far in the field of human health is that unhappy, sad, angry, pessimistic or
depressed people are more often sick than others, and with more chronic diseases. Some diseases
are psychosomatic, or just partly psychosomatic, which means illness comes from a mental or
personality disturbance, and not from a physically dysfunctional organ or system. Or, to put it
another way: You are sick because of your emotions/health/body connection, not because of any
organic dysfunction.

What’s the link between emotions, state of mind, attitude and our health? The link is… the
immune system. Let me explain it.

Each distressing emotion produces a very powerful hormone, called cortisol. This is really a ‘bad
hormone,’ that suppresses the immune system, which is our protection against illness. If you
want good health and a strong immune system, then be positive, happy, joyful and optimistic.
This is a fact known for many years, but obviously not to everyone.

Do you want to improve your immune system? Then start doing meditation, tai chi, yoga, pay
attention to your diet, exercise, improve your mental health and stay positive! Why? Because
anger, anxiety, fear, depression, and many other things, affect the immune system itself.

Nowadays we know that emotions produce biochemical changes in the body. Distressing
emotions produce distressing results in the body. Interestingly, in each human body, there is one
specific organ or system that is the weak point of the organism. In medical jargon they called it
in Latin, "Locus minoris resistentiae"- meaning "the place of least resistance to microorganisms"
(MedicineNet.com). The weak point could be your immune system, your stomach, your neck,
your back or your shoulders that bothers you the most often. If you have more problems with one
particular organ or system, think about your emotions.

There is one gland in the human body that is watching your… thoughts! Isn’t it incredible? That
small gland known as the thymus, located behind the breastbone, plays a very important role in
the immunological defense system. As a part of the immune system, the thymus produces white
blood cells - in particular, lymphocytes, called T-cells. These cells are the most powerful tool in
the fight against disease and infection.

One of the many possible ways to become ill is this one: Troubled thoughts: worries/depression/
fear/anxiety/anger, leads to stress. The stress shrinks the production of the lymphocytes (T-cells)
in the thymus. Less T-cells means a weaker immune system. With a weak immune system, any
attack to the body (exposure to an infection) actually means – disease.

Now you know a little of how the link between emotions and health works. Being a physically
healthy person is the result of being a person with a positive attitude and a positive mental health
outlook - and vice versa.

There is one science, known as psychoneuroimmunogy, where you can learn more about the link
between emotions and health. In the word psychoneuroimmunogy ‘psycho’ stands for the mind,
‘neuro’ stands for the nervous system and ‘immunology’ stands for the immune system.

Who knows, maybe you’ll see for yourself that the link between emotions and health exists.

Mood Changes Causes

Mood swings can change a person's life. It can take a well-rounded person that has everything
under control and turn their world upside down.
Do you know what is meant by the phase mood swings? It is when a person's personality
changes very quickly. Sometimes there are good reasons for these changes, other times there
may not be. For example, you may receive good or bad news that causes you to go through a
change in your mood. You may be startled or shocked in some way. When your mood changes
for these reasons then it is a natural occurrences and it is expected. It's when a person has rapid
mood swings for no apparent reason that it becomes a problem. There are different causes of
mood swings which are mentioned below.

Mood swings can be caused by pms. Pms stands for pre-menstrual syndrome. During this time a
woman's hormones are going through a lot of changes that can make them go from happy to sad
or vice versa very quickly. Many times when a women is very emotional others just naturally say
she has pms, rather she really does or not. Pre-menopause and menopause can also cause some
severe mood swings that can affect a person's life. They can take a well organized person that
always seems to have everything under control and turn them into a person that gets upset easily
and losses control.

Even puberty can cause mood swings. However, once a teen becomes a young adult and their
hormones go back to a more stable level these mood swings normally disappear for the most
part. A mood swing that will not go away on its own is the ones that are caused from a person
suffering from bipolar. This can be a very serious mental illness that needs to be treated. If a
person that is bipolar does not get the help they need it could have some very serious
consequences. It could even eventually ruin any chance they have of living a normal life.
Mood swings are also linked with ADHD and other hyperactive disorders. This is because being
hyperactive can cause your emotions to sometimes run wild. mood swings are sometimes a very
natural thing that everyone experiences at different times in their life. If you only go through
them once in awhile then you shouldn't worry. However, if you begin to go through extreme
mood swings and have no idea why, then you should visit your doctor to see if there is a medical
condition that is causing you to go through these problems. Severe mood swings can damage
relationships and cause friendships to be lost, don't let this happen to you if you are having
problems.

Learn more about Mood Swings and OCD at here.

"Sorry, What's Your Name Again?" Six Steps

to Relieve the Most Common Memory Worry
How to remember names...
If you live in fear of forgetting prospects' names, sometimes within mere seconds of being
introduced to them, you're not alone. Surveys show that 83% of the population worries about
their inability to recall people's names. Ironically, while most of us hate having our names
forgotten or mispronounced, the majority of us claim we just "aren't good at remembering
names" or putting faces together with names when we meet people again.

If you have difficulty recalling names, you know that the two most common scenarios are
forgetting the name instantaneously upon being introduced to someone new, and failing to recall
the name of someone you've met and interacted with in the past and should know but just can't
pull up from your memory bank.

Forgetting names becomes more than just an embarrassing social faux pas in sales. Straining to
recall a name can so preoccupy you that you are unable to fully pay attention to your client or
prospect. He or she may perceive you not only as unfocused and easily distracted, but also as not
very bright if you're unable to devote your full attention to him or her. Even worse, if you forget
the name of a client with whom you've worked in the past, he or she may view your memory
lapse as a betrayal of trust, which can cost you a great deal of money if that client severs the
relationship.

Integrating Learning Styles to Improve Name Recall

While common, this frustrating phenomenon can be relatively easy to overcome when you
commit to taking steps to improve your memory. The most important key to really effective
learning of any kind is understanding that there are three learning styles: visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic (physically interactive). The more you can apply all three of these styles to a task, the
more quickly and solidly you will learn anything.
Practice each of the following steps to improve your name recollection in every sales and social
situation.

When you're first introduced to someone, look closely at his or her face and try to find something
unique about it. Whether you find a distinctive quality or not is irrelevant; by really looking for a
memorable characteristic in a new face, you're incorporating the visual learning style. And a
word of advice: if you do find something that really stands out about someone's face, don't say
anything! Within minutes of meeting someone new, it's generally a bad idea to exclaim, "Whoa!
That's a huge nose!"

The next step utilizes both auditory and kinesthetic learning styles. When you meet someone,
slow down for five seconds, and concentrate on listening to him or her. Focus on the prospect
and repeat his or her name back in a conversational manner, such as "Susan. Nice to meet you,
Susan." Also make sure to give a good firm handshake, which establishes a physical connection
with the prospect.

Creating a mental picture of someone's name incorporates the visual sense again. Many people
have names that already are pictures: consider Robin, Jay, Matt, or Dawn to name just a few.
Some names will require you to play with them a bit to create a picture. Ken, for example, may
not bring an immediate image to your mind, but a "can" is very close. Or you might envision a
Ken doll. The point is not to create the best, most creative mental image ever, so don't get caught
up in your head during this step of the process, thinking, "Oh, that's not a very good picture.
What's a better one?" The worst thing you can do when learning is to stress yourself out and
overthink the process. If an image doesn't come to you right away, skip it and do it later. You'll
undo all of your good efforts if you're staring dumbly at your prospect, insisting, "Hey. Hold still
for a minute while I try to turn your name into a picture!"

Once you've identified a mental image that you associate with a person's name, the next step is to
"glue" that image to the person's face or upper body. This bridges that gap many people
experience between being able to recall faces but not the names that belong to those faces. If you
met a new prospect named Rosalind, for example, you might have broken her name down into
the memorable image of "rose on land." Now you must create a mental picture that will stick
with you as long as you need it and pop into your head every time you meet her; this should be
something fun, even a little odd, that will bring "rose on land" to mind when you see her face.
You might imagine her buried up to her neck in earth, with roses scattered around her, for
example. Because you created the image, it will come up next time you see her and enable you to
recall her name.

At the end of the conversation, integrate auditory learning by repeating the prospect's name one
more time, but don't ever overuse someone's name in an effort to place it more firmly in your
mind. Use the prospect's name only right at the beginning of the conversation, and then again at
the end; if you feel like you can do so naturally, you might insert someone's name once or twice
in a natural fashion during the course of the conversation, too. But if you've ever had a
stereotypically pushy salesperson use your name a dozen times in a five minute conversation,
you know how annoying, even weird, this can be, so don't overdo it.
Writing is a form of kinesthetic learning - you're getting a part of your body involved in the
learning process - so if you're really serious about wanting to remember people's names for the
long term, keep a name journal or a log of important people you meet, and review it periodically.

Forget Me Not: It's the Effort That Matters Most

The most important thing to know about this memory process is that even when it doesn't work,
it still works! For example, if you get stuck trying to make a picture out of someone's name, skip
it for now. The next day, when you have a chance, give the matter a few minutes of concentrated
thought. If you still can't get a picture, stop and take up the matter a week later. Even if you're
still unsuccessful at creating a mental image, you've thought about the prospect's name so much,
there's now no way you'll ever forget it! So you've actually accomplished what you set to do in
the first place.

People can't remember names for one main reason: they're just not paying attention. This process
forces you to think. If, for example, you struggle with the step of creating a mental picture, the
other steps - looking at the prospect closely, shaking his or her hand confidently and repeating
the name a few times - are easy to do, will solidify the name in your memory, and will ultimately
convey a positive image of you to clients and prospects. That positive image will certainly make
you memorable to prospects, enabling you to close more deals and increase your bottom line.

About the Author:

Roger Seip is the President of Freedom Speakers and Trainers, a company that specializes in
memory training. Workshops are presented all over the country. To learn more, visit
www.deliverfreedom.com, call 888-233-0407, or e-mail info@deliverfreedom.com

By Roger Seip
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The Habit of Identity
In a famous experiment, students were asked to take a lemon home and to get used to it. Three
days later, they were able to single out "their" lemon from a pile of rather similar ones. They
seemed to have bonded. Is this the true meaning of love, bonding, coupling? Do we simply get
used to other human beings, pets, or objects.

Habit forming in humans is reflexive. We change ourselves and our environment in order to
attain maximum comfort and well being. It is the effort that goes into these adaptive processes
that forms a habit. The habit is intended to prevent us from constant experimenting and risk
taking. The greater our well being, the better we function and the longer we survive.

Actually, when we get used to something or to someone – we get used to ourselves. In the object
of the habit we see a part of our history, all the time and effort that we put into it. It is an
encapsulated version of our acts, intentions, emotions and reactions. It is a mirror reflecting back
at us that part in us, which formed the habit. Hence, the feeling of comfort: we really feel
comfortable with our own selves through the agency of the object of our habit.

Because of this, we tend to confuse habits with identity. If asked WHO they are, most people
will resort to describing their habits. They will relate to their work, their loved ones, their pets,
their hobbies, or their material possessions. Yet, all of these cannot constitute part of an identity
because their removal does not change the identity that we are seeking to establish when we
enquire WHO someone is. They are habits and they make the respondent comfortable and
relaxed. But they are not part of his identity in the truest, deepest sense.

Still, it is this simple mechanism of deception that binds people together. A mother feels that her
off spring are part of her identity because she is so used to them that her well being depends on
their existence and availability. Thus, any threat to her children is interpreted to mean a threat on
her Self. Her reaction is, therefore, strong and enduring and can be recurrently elicited.

The truth, of course, is that her children ARE a part of her identity in a superficial manner.
Removing her will make her a different person, but only in the shallow, phenomenological sense
f the word. Her deep-set, true identity will not change as a result. Children do die at times and
their mother does go on living, essentially unchanged.

But what is this kernel of identity that I am referring to? This immutable entity which is the
definition of who we are and what we are and which, ostensibly, is not influenced by the death of
our loved ones? What is so strong as to resist the breaking of habits that die hard?

It is our personality. This elusive, loosely interconnected, interacting, pattern of reactions to our
changing environment. Like the Brain, it is difficult to define or to capture. Like the Soul, many
believe that it does not exist, that it is a fictitious convention. Yet, we know that we do have a
personality. We feel it, we experience it. It sometimes encourages us to do things – at other
times, as much as prevents us from doing them. It can be supple or rigid, benign or malignant,
open or closed. Its power lies in its looseness. It is able to combine, recombine and permute in
hundreds of unforeseeable ways. It metamorphesizes and the constancy of its rate and kind of
change is what gives us a sense of identity.

Actually, when the personality is rigid to the point of being unable to change in reaction to
changing circumstances – we say that it is disordered. A personality Disorder is the ultimate
misidentification. The individual mistakes his habits for his identity. He identifies himself with
his environment, taking behavioural, emotional, and cognitive cues exclusively from it. His inner
world is, so to speak, vacated, inhabited, as it were, by the apparition of his True Self.

Such a person is incapable of loving and of living. He is incapable of loving because to love (at
least according to our model) is to equate and collate two distinct entities: one's Self and one's
habits. The personality disordered sees no distinction. He IS his habits and, therefore, by
definition, can only rarely and with an incredible amount of exertion, change them. And, in the
long term, he is incapable of living because life is a struggle TOWARDS, a striving, a drive AT
something. In other words: life is change. He who cannot change, cannot live.

What If You Were Intuitive?

When you understand what your intuition is and apply a few simple techniques, you can make it
powerful and useful.

You Already Are Intuitive

Think back to a time when you had a hunch about something. That was intuition. It is nothing
more than your mind using more than what you are consciously aware of. But how do you trust
your intuition? How can you improve it and use it? First, understand what it is.

Gary Kasparov can play and beat the best chess computer. How is this possible when the
computer can calculate positions many moves further ahead than he can. It is because of his
intuitive grasp of the game. Experience allows him to combine analysis with a "sense" of which
move is best.

Intuition also works as a warning device. My wife and I both felt we shoudn't get on that bus in
Cuenca, Ecuador. Psychic? Not at all. We knew crowded busses were prime locations for
pickpockets. We saw the drunk man bumping into people. We didn't think about these things
consciously, but they registered in our minds, and warned us. Unfortunately, we ignored our
intuition, and I was robbed.
Of course, a strong hunch can be for irrelevant reasons too. If you were hit by a blue taxi as a
child, you might have "intuitive" hunches not to get into blue taxis for the rest of your life. So
how do you know when to trust your intuition?

Watch And Question Your Intuition

Start by watching it and questioning it. If I had asked myself why I felt bad about that bus, it may
have occurred to me, "Oh yeah, crowded busses are a bad idea. I know that." If your look at your
strong feeling about that taxi, you might say, "Oh, it's just my fear of blue taxis." Get in the habit
of paying attention to your intuitive feelings.

In which areas does your intuition work best? Are you always right about your intuitive stock
picks? If so, give a little credence to them. If your hunches about people are always wrong, don't
follow them. Just pay attention more, and you'll develope an intuition about your intuition.

Intuition Doesn't Arise In A Vacuum

Recognise that your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential effectiveness of
your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. So learn enough
about a subject, before you expect any good hunches about it - or before you trust the hunches.
Remember the programmer's maxim: garbage in - garbage out. When enough information is in
your mind, it will go to work for you with or without your conscious participation, so feed it
well.

Watch for your intuition and you'll have hunches and ideas more often. I bought a conversion
van, and now I see them all over. Have you had a similar experience? The same process will
happen if you watch for your intuition - you'll start to see more of it.

Develope Your Intuition In Three Steps

1. Look for it to encourage it.

2. Watch it to make it more trustworthy.

3. Give it good information to work with.

Do these simple things, and you'll have better intuition more often. Doesn't your intuition tell you
this is true? It will.

Three Steps To Better Intuition

Anyone can be more intuitive. Lean how to develop the power of your intuition in three simple
steps.

Enlarge Image
Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can you trust your intuition? Can you
improve it?

What Is Intuition?

Intuition is simply a feeling , sense, or hunch based on information not available to your
conscious mind. Some say this comes from the ether or wherever, but I'm content to believe that
our minds have a lot more going on in there than we know.

How can Gary Kasparov win a chess game against a computer that can calculate positions many
moves further ahead than he can? By using his intuitive grasp of the game. His experience allows
him to combine analysis with a "sense" of which move is best.

Intuition can also warn us. My wife and I felt we shoudn't get on that bus in South America. We
knew crowded busses were prime hunting grounds for pickpockets, and we saw the drunk man
bumping into people. We didn't think about these things consciously, but they registered in our
minds, and warned us. We ignored our intuition, and I was robbed.

Of course, you can have a hunch for irrelevant reasons too. If you were hit by a taxi as a child,
you might have "intuitive" hunches not to get into taxis for the rest of your life. So how do you
know when to trust your intuition?

Three Simple Steps To Better Intuition

1. Watch for it. You'll have hunches and ideas more often. I bought a conversion van, and now I
see them all over. Have you had a similar experience? The same process will happen if you
watch for your intuition - you'll start to see more of it.

2. Question it. If I had asked myself why I felt bad about that bus, I might have thought, "Oh
yeah, crowded busses are a bad idea. I know that." Try to see in which areas your intuition works
best, or not at all. If, for example, your hunches about people are always wrong, don't follow
them.

3. Give it good information. Your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential
effectiveness of your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. So
learn enough about a subject, before you expect any good hunches. Remember the programmer's
maxim: garbage in - garbage out.

Do these three things and you'll have more useful intuition more often.

Creative Memory Tricks

If you looked at fifteen things on a table, could you remember what they were an hour later? You
can with a simple technique.

Enlarge Image
What's the biggest problem with memory tricks? Remembering to use them, of course. There are
many memory techniques that work well, but you'll forget them when you need them most -
unless you make using them a habit. So when you take the time to learn a technique, use it until
it becomes automatic. Here are some to try.
Using a Story-List

I went to a party as a child. There was a game that involved looking at a table covered in 15
various items. After a few minutes, we were taken to another room, and each child was given
paper and a pencil. We had to write down as many items as we could remember. I recalled seven
or eight, but one boy won the prize by remembering all 15 items.

Years later I learned why he won. His father taught him a simple trick that none of us other kids
knew. The technique is to tie the items together in an imaginative story. For example, what if you
want to remember a list of the following things: Soap, milk, honey, fork, and flowers.

Start a vivid story in your imagination, adding each item to it as you go: At the sink, you reach
for the SOAP. The soap dish is full of MILK, so you wash your hands in that. Then you comb
HONEY into your hair with a FORK, and finally pick up a bouquet of FLOWERS and smile at
the mirror. Say each item while mentally reviewing your "movie," and you'll remember all five
things, even the next day.

Some Other Memory Tricks

Tell yourself to remember. When you learn a person's name, for example, tell yourself,
"remember that". This signals your unconscious mind to rank this input as more important.

Know WHY you want to remember something, and HOW you'll remember it. To remember a
person, for example, ask why they'll be important to you in the future, imagine where you'll see
them next, and connect that to anything you notice about them. Seeing the importance of
remembering really helps, and additional associations (where you expect to see the person next)
set the memory more firmly in your brain.

Do you ever forget where you put your car keys? You've probably tried retracing your steps, at
least doing it in your imagination. This can work well, but even better is to prevent the forgetting
beforehand. When you set the keys on the chair, see yourself walking in and setting the keys on
the chair. You won't forget where they are.

There are many more of these memory tricks. If you want them to be useful, though, don't just
read about them. Make a memory technique or two into a habit, starting today.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight,
meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and
anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

The Psychology of Torture

There is one place in which one's privacy, intimacy, integrity and inviolability are guaranteed -
one's body, a unique temple and a familiar territory of sensa and personal history. The torturer
invades, defiles and desecrates this shrine. He does so publicly, deliberately, repeatedly and,
often, sadistically and sexually, with undisguised pleasure. Hence the all-pervasive, long-lasting,
and, frequently, irreversible effects and outcomes of torture.

In a way, the torture victim's own body is rendered his worse enemy. It is corporeal agony that
compels the sufferer to mutate, his identity to fragment, his ideals and principles to crumble. The
body becomes an accomplice of the tormentor, an uninterruptible channel of communication, a
treasonous, poisoned territory.

It fosters a humiliating dependency of the abused on the perpetrator. Bodily needs denied - sleep,
toilet, food, water - are wrongly perceived by the victim as the direct causes of his degradation
and dehumanization. As he sees it, he is rendered bestial not by the sadistic bullies around him
but by his own flesh.

The concept of "body" can easily be extended to "family", or "home". Torture is often applied to
kin and kith, compatriots, or colleagues. This intends to disrupt the continuity of "surroundings,
habits, appearance, relations with others", as the CIA put it in one of its manuals. A sense of
cohesive self-identity depends crucially on the familiar and the continuous. By attacking both
one's biological body and one's "social body", the victim's psyche is strained to the point of
dissociation.

Beatrice Patsalides describes this transmogrification thus in "Ethics of the unspeakable: Torture
survivors in psychoanalytic treatment":

"As the gap between the 'I' and the 'me' deepens, dissociation and alienation increase. The subject
that, under torture, was forced into the position of pure object has lost his or her sense of
interiority, intimacy, and privacy. Time is experienced now, in the present only, and perspective
- that which allows for a sense of relativity - is foreclosed. Thoughts and dreams attack the mind
and invade the body as if the protective skin that normally contains our thoughts, gives us space
to breathe in between the thought and the thing being thought about, and separates between
inside and outside, past and present, me and you, was lost."

Torture robs the victim of the most basic modes of relating to reality and, thus, is the equivalent
of cognitive death. Space and time are warped by sleep deprivation. The self ("I") is shattered.
The tortured have nothing familiar to hold on to: family, home, personal belongings, loved ones,
language, name. Gradually, they lose their mental resilience and sense of freedom. They feel
alien - unable to communicate, relate, attach, or empathize with others.

Torture splinters early childhood grandiose narcissistic fantasies of uniqueness, omnipotence,

invulnerability, and impenetrability. But it enhances the fantasy of merger with an idealized and
omnipotent (though not benign) other - the inflicter of agony. The twin processes of
individuation and separation are reversed.

Torture is the ultimate act of perverted intimacy. The torturer invades the victim's body, pervades
his psyche, and possesses his mind. Deprived of contact with others and starved for human
interactions, the prey bonds with the predator. "Traumatic bonding", akin to the Stockholm
syndrome, is about hope and the search for meaning in the brutal and indifferent and nightmarish
universe of the torture cell.

The abuser becomes the black hole at the center of the victim's surrealistic galaxy, sucking in the
sufferer's universal need for solace. The victim tries to "control" his tormentor by becoming one
with him (introjecting him) and by appealing to the monster's presumably dormant humanity and
empathy.

This bonding is especially strong when the torturer and the tortured form a dyad and
"collaborate" in the rituals and acts of torture (for instance, when the victim is coerced into
selecting the torture implements and the types of torment to be inflicted, or to choose between
two evils).

The psychologist Shirley Spitz offers this powerful overview of the contradictory nature of
torture in a seminar titled "The Psychology of Torture" (1989):

"Torture is an obscenity in that it joins what is most private with what is most public. Torture
entails all the isolation and extreme solitude of privacy with none of the usual security embodied
therein ... Torture entails at the same time all the self exposure of the utterly public with none of
its possibilities for camaraderie or shared experience. (The presence of an all powerful other with
whom to merge, without the security of the other's benign intentions.)

A further obscenity of torture is the inversion it makes of intimate human relationships. The
interrogation is a form of social encounter in which the normal rules of communicating, of
relating, of intimacy are manipulated. Dependency needs are elicited by the interrogator, but not
so they may be met as in close relationships, but to weaken and confuse. Independence that is
offered in return for "betrayal" is a lie. Silence is intentionally misinterpreted either as
confirmation of information or as guilt for 'complicity'.

Torture combines complete humiliating exposure with utter devastating isolation. The final
products and outcome of torture are a scarred and often shattered victim and an empty display of
the fiction of power."

Obsessed by endless ruminations, demented by pain and a continuum of sleeplessness - the

victim regresses, shedding all but the most primitive defense mechanisms: splitting, narcissism,
dissociation, projective identification, introjection, and cognitive dissonance. The victim
constructs an alternative world, often suffering from depersonalization and derealization,
hallucinations, ideas of reference, delusions, and psychotic episodes.

Sometimes the victim comes to crave pain - very much as self-mutilators do - because it is a
proof and a reminder of his individuated existence otherwise blurred by the incessant torture.
Pain shields the sufferer from disintegration and capitulation. It preserves the veracity of his
unthinkable and unspeakable experiences.
This dual process of the victim's alienation and addiction to anguish complements the
perpetrator's view of his quarry as "inhuman", or "subhuman". The torturer assumes the position
of the sole authority, the exclusive fount of meaning and interpretation, the source of both evil
and good.

Torture is about reprogramming the victim to succumb to an alternative exegesis of the world,
proffered by the abuser. It is an act of deep, indelible, traumatic indoctrination. The abused also
swallows whole and assimilates the torturer's negative view of him and often, as a result, is
rendered suicidal, self-destructive, or self-defeating.

Thus, torture has no cutoff date. The sounds, the voices, the smells, the sensations reverberate
long after the episode has ended - both in nightmares and in waking moments. The victim's
ability to trust other people - i.e., to assume that their motives are at least rational, if not
necessarily benign - has been irrevocably undermined. Social institutions are perceived as
precariously poised on the verge of an ominous, Kafkaesque mutation. Nothing is either safe, or
credible anymore.

Victims typically react by undulating between emotional numbing and increased arousal:
insomnia, irritability, restlessness, and attention deficits. Recollections of the traumatic events
intrude in the form of dreams, night terrors, flashbacks, and distressing associations.

The tortured develop compulsive rituals to fend off obsessive thoughts. Other psychological
sequelae reported include cognitive impairment, reduced capacity to learn, memory disorders,
sexual dysfunction, social withdrawal, inability to maintain long-term relationships, or even mere
intimacy, phobias, ideas of reference and superstitions, delusions, hallucinations, psychotic
microepisodes, and emotional flatness.

Depression and anxiety are very common. These are forms and manifestations of self-directed
aggression. The sufferer rages at his own victimhood and resulting multiple dysfunction. He
feels shamed by his new disabilities and responsible, or even guilty, somehow, for his
predicament and the dire consequences borne by his nearest and dearest. His sense of self-worth
and self-esteem are crippled.

In a nutshell, torture victims suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their strong
feelings of anxiety, guilt, and shame are also typical of victims of childhood abuse, domestic
violence, and rape. They feel anxious because the perpetrator's behavior is seemingly arbitrary
and unpredictable - or mechanically and inhumanly regular.

They feel guilty and disgraced because, to restore a semblance of order to their shattered world
and a modicum of dominion over their chaotic life, they need to transform themselves into the
cause of their own degradation and the accomplices of their tormentors.

The CIA, in its "Human Resource Exploitation Training Manual - 1983" (reprinted in the April
1997 issue of Harper's Magazine), summed up the theory of coercion thus:

"The purpose of all coercive techniques is to induce psychological regression in the subject by
bringing a superior outside force to bear on his will to resist. Regression is basically a loss of
autonomy, a reversion to an earlier behavioral level. As the subject regresses, his learned
personality traits fall away in reverse chronological order. He begins to lose the capacity to carry
out the highest creative activities, to deal with complex situations, or to cope with stressful
interpersonal relationships or repeated frustrations."

Inevitably, in the aftermath of torture, its victims feel helpless and powerless. This loss of control
over one's life and body is manifested physically in impotence, attention deficits, and insomnia.
This is often exacerbated by the disbelief many torture victims encounter, especially if they are
unable to produce scars, or other "objective" proof of their ordeal. Language cannot
communicate such an intensely private experience as pain.

Spitz makes the following observation:

"Pain is also unsharable in that it is resistant to language ... All our interior states of
consciousness: emotional, perceptual, cognitive and somatic can be described as having an object
in the external world ... This affirms our capacity to move beyond the boundaries of our body
into the external, sharable world. This is the space in which we interact and communicate with
our environment. But when we explore the interior state of physical pain we find that there is no
object "out there" - no external, referential content. Pain is not of, or for, anything. Pain is. And it
draws us away from the space of interaction, the sharable world, inwards. It draws us into the
boundaries of our body."

Bystanders resent the tortured because they make them feel guilty and ashamed for having done
nothing to prevent the atrocity. The victims threaten their sense of security and their much-
needed belief in predictability, justice, and rule of law. The victims, on their part, do not believe
that it is possible to effectively communicate to "outsiders" what they have been through. The
torture chambers are "another galaxy". This is how Auschwitz was described by the author K.
Zetnik in his testimony in the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem in 1961.

Kenneth Pope in "Torture", a chapter he wrote for the "Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex
Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender", quotes Harvard psychiatrist
Judith Herman:

"It is very tempting to take the side of the perpetrator. All the perpetrator asks is that the
bystander do nothing. He appeals to the universal desire to see, hear, and speak no evil. The
victim, on the contrary, asks the bystander to share the burden of pain. The victim demands
action, engagement, and remembering."

But, more often, continued attempts to repress fearful memories result in psychosomatic illnesses
(conversion). The victim wishes to forget the torture, to avoid re-experiencing the often life
threatening abuse and to shield his human environment from the horrors. In conjunction with the
victim's pervasive distrust, this is frequently interpreted as hypervigilance, or even paranoia. It
seems that the victims can't win. Torture is forever.
Philosophical Musings and Essays
Essays about current topics in philosophy.
What is positive psychology?
Learn about positive psychology.

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Human psychology is always painted negative and as a study of negative human behavior;
basically we perceive psychology as a sign of trouble, and thus attempt to correlate it to such
destructive issues like depression, psychosis, unhappiness, mental disorders and mania. Sadly
most of the clinical examinations also tend to look at psychology, as something that is a malady
and most of the treatment attempts are aimed at treating the disease than stopping them from
happening. Thus there is a pressing need for a new, revived way of looking at the old concept of
psychology. Also called "Positive Psychology", this area is more concerned with the sunnier side
of psychology, which is the area of those people, who are happy and move with confidence,
wherever they go and whatever they do. Positive psychology may shed more light on why some
people behave in such a pleasing manner and how they have developed that trait. Ultimately, this
intense study may help us to find a lasting cure for many of our negative psychological
conditions and other eccentric behaviors.

Positive Psychology is a new attempt to redefine and readjust the existing disparity or imbalance,
to encourage and support psychologists to try and attempt to contribute to positive aspects of
human life, not only just perform something about negative things. Being a new branch of
psychology, this field is still in its infant stage and is hotly contested for its veracity and
advantages, by both detractors and supporters. Some of them tend to neglect this new theory,
while others vouch for its authenticity. Many of them never believe in the concept of joy, love,
positive talk, optimism and love, while others see a broad daylight in professing the techniques
of all good human behavior to cure any psychological malady.

New theories of positive psychology condemns the traditional practice of treating psychological
patients as mere numbers or objects, and also the supporters of the new theory disapprove the
current methods of approaching a sensitive issue as important as psychology. Many experts who
support the positive psychology theory have varied ideas about what actual psychology is and
how it can best be researched to solve many perennial problems. However, these experts are
united by a view that, normal human beings possess excellent qualities, and that we can still be
capable enough to make better choices about what we believe and do, in spite of all those
unfortunate events, occurred due to reasons beyond our control or by factors of our genetic
disposition.

Positive psychology often relies heavily on the principle of optimism, which is a cherished
positive parameter of human excellence. There is remarkable evidence that optimistic people are
usually happier and highly productive than ultra pessimists. Optimism can also be taught and
learned by human beings. According to the new theory, there tends to be a positive flow of
things in those people who are highly optimistic and cheerful. This flow is usually not checked in
them, in any manner, at any time and thus this set of positive flow causes a person to be tougher
mentally and psychologically. Positive psychology and its application may take a while to be
universally accepted for clinical practice.

The Purpose of Shame

Have you tried unsuccessfully to heal your shame? Discover how shame and control are
intricately tied together, and that when you give up your attachment to control, you will find your
shame disappearing.

Many people on a healing path have found it extremely challenging to heal their shame. Yet
when you understand the purpose of shame, you will be able to move beyond it.

Shame is the feeling that there is something basically wrong with you. Whereas the feeling of
guilt is about DOING something wrong, shame is about BEING wrong at the core. The feeling
of shame comes from the belief that, "I am basically flawed, inadequate, wrong, bad,
unimportant, undeserving, or not good enough."

At some early point in our lives, most of us absorbed this false belief that causes the feeling of
shame. As a result of not feeling seen, loved, valued, and understood, we developed the belief
that we were not being loved because there was something wrong with us. While some children
were told outright that they were not okay – that they were stupid, bad, or undeserving – other
children concluded that there was something wrong with them by the way they were being
treated.

Once we establish our core shame belief, we become addicted to it because it serves us in two
primary ways:
1) It gives us a feeling of control over other people’s feelings and behavior.

As long as we believe that we are the cause of others’ rejecting behavior, then we can believe
that there is something we can do about it. It gives us a sense of power to believe that others are
rejecting us or behaving in unloving ways because of our inadequacy. If is our fault, then maybe
we can do something about it by changing ourselves, by doing things "right." We hang on to the
belief that our inadequacy is causing others’ behavior because we don’t want to accept others’
free will to feel and behave however they want. We don’t want to accept our helplessness over
others’ feelings and behavior.

2) It protects us from other feelings that we are afraid to feel, and gives us a sense of control over
our own feelings.

As bad as shame feels, many people prefer it to the feelings that shame may be covering up –
loneliness, grief, sadness, sorrow, or helplessness over others. Just as anger may be a cover-up
for these difficult feelings, so is shame. Shame is totally different than loneliness or grief or
helplessness over others: While shame is a feeling that we are causing by our own false beliefs,
loneliness, grief, sadness, sorrow, or helplessness over others are existential feelings - feelings
that are a natural result of life. We feel grief over losing someone we love, or loneliness when we
want to connect with someone or play with someone and there is no one around or no one open
to connection, love or play. Many people would rather feel an awful feeling that they are
causing, rather than feel the authentic painful feelings of life.

If you are finding it difficult to move beyond shame, it is because you are addicted to the feeling
of control that your shame-based beliefs give you – control over others’ feelings and behavior
and control over your own authentic feelings. As long as having the control is most important to
you, you will not let go of your false core shame beliefs.

You will heal from your shame when:

1) You are willing to accept that others’ feelings and behavior have nothing to do with you.
When you accept that others have free will to be open or closed, loving or unloving - that you are
not the cause of their feelings and behavior and you no longer take others’ behavior personally -
you will have no need to control it. When you let go of your need to control others and instead
move into compassion for others, you will let go of your false beliefs about yourself that cause
the feeling of shame.

2) You are willing to feel your authentic feelings rather than cover them up with anger or shame.
When you learn to nurture yourself by being present with caring and compassion for your own
existential feelings, you will no longer have a need to protect against these feelings with blame
or shame.

Control and shame are intricately tied together. When you give up your attachment to control and
instead choose compassion toward yourself and others, you will find your shame disappearing.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I
Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and "Healing Your Aloneness." She is the co-
creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web
site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at
margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions Available.

Memory In Learning – Just How Does It All

Work?
Understanding what memory is and how it works may encourage some who are frustrated by
even minor memory lapses. In this excerpt from his book, Dr. Brian Walsh discusses types of
memory, how emotions affect memory, and how memory decay can be combated.

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If all the data received by our senses were stored in our memory, we would soon be
overwhelmed. The subconscious mind sorts through the input, and retains only a fraction for
long-term memory storage. Every second, the eyes absorb ten million bits of information, the
skin takes in a million bits, and the ears receive one-hundred thousand bits. Of these millions of
bits processed, only about forty of them reach the conscious mind. Data that are not deleted are
sorted and filtered by the subconscious mind. Next, they are either sent to the conscious mind, or
encoded for medium and permanent memory storage.

The active brain can "remember" things that actually did not happen, or that are not correct. Ask
any police officer who has interviewed witnesses. The mind makes assumptions in order to link
events. People "remember" words that are implicit or not stated, with the same probability as
explicit words. Studies with fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) have demonstrated
that the same brain areas are activated during questions and answers about both true and false
events. This may explain why false memories can seem so compelling to an individual reporting
the events.
Types of Memory.
Remembering is the storing of memories, and the later recalling of them. It’s a biological process
that involves dedicated brain structures. When a memory is encoded, it is dismembered and
handed off to different parts of the brain for storage. Getting all these pieces back together is an
inaccurate process. Hence, RE-membering is not perfect. Knowing that memories are formed in
different categories, and that they move between categories, can help in developing strategies for
improving memory and learning.

There are two broad categories of memory: non-conscious, and conscious. The latter includes
both short-term, and long-term memory.

• Non-conscious memory takes two forms. One of these, implicit memory, automatically stores
experience and concepts, and plays a role unconsciously in affecting perception and behavior.
These memories are the basis for forming an individual’s view of society, and his or her place in
it. The other form, muscle memory, plays a role in the mechanical execution of a series of
motions, as in riding a bike or playing a musical instrument, learned through repetition over time.

• Conscious short-term memory is the working memory. It's a place for stuff that you need to
hang on to for only a short time. Maintaining information for only a few seconds, it enables us to
remember a current thought, and so, for instance, take part in a conversation, keep a lecture in
context as it progresses, or maintain the thread of a story or movie.
• Conscious long-term memory: Although stored in our unconscious mind, this memory is of the
events and facts that we can consciously recall and verbally describe. It includes that of words,
symbols, and general knowledge about our perception of the workings of the world. Information
of a personal nature, something witnessed or experienced, is better remembered when associated
with emotion.

The brain links information unconsciously. You can purposefully help to maximize this effect.
As you perceive new input, match it as best possible to material already in your memory, by
using images, sounds, key words, and concept maps. A vital ingredient for memory is reviewing,
and it is effective only when done at specific times after absorbing the information; for instance
after one hour, one day, one week, and six months.

The brain thrives on challenge and complexity, and its primary drive is survival. It needs to
survive socially, economically, emotionally, and physically. The brain is pre-wired to learn and,
if optimum conditions are not present, employees may learn to fear change in the workplace, and
students may learn to fear subjects like math. It is the management of emotions that gives
learners greater command over their learning. Overwhelming stress has a detrimental effect.
Researchers have evidence that high stress experienced by a pregnant woman can distress the
fetus, resulting in learning difficulties for the child later in life. Among infants and toddlers, high
and chronic levels of stress can make learning more difficult, perhaps even shrinking the part of
the brain associated with memory.

Tips to Remembering

Imagine that I recite to you a list to you of thirty items. I then ask you to write them down after I
finish. You would remember things that are:
• at the beginning of the list
• UnUsUaL
• repeated, repeated
• at the end of the list

The remembering of the first and last items is helped by what is known respectively as their
primacy and recency. Every study session has primacy and recency opportunities. If you study
for one hour, then take a break, you get one of each. If you study for twenty-five minutes, take a
short break, then study another twenty-five minutes, you get double the primacy and recency
events. How great is that?

As mentioned earlier, memory is not stored in a single location in the brain. It is deconstructed
and distributed all over the cortex. The emotional content is stored in the amygdala, visual
images in the occipital lobes, memory of the source in the frontal lobes, and venue is stored in
the parietal lobes. Remembering is actually an act of reconstruction.

Memory Decay, or loss of remembered events, is a natural phenomenon as new experiences

displace existing memories. You can easily counteract this loss of learned material through
periodic review.

A greater variety of input streams from eyes, ears, tactile, and emotion allow for more pathways
to exist for dynamic reconstruction, thus creating richer memory. Multi-modal instruction makes
a lot of sense. Accelerated Learning addresses the need.

To get a handle on just how unlimited our ability to learn is, multiply the number of neurons (10
billion) by the number of branch spines (10 million) by the number of dendrite spiny
protuberances possible on each spine (100 million). The result indicates how many new
connections are possible when learning. Using this size font, the answer is a "1" followed by
zeros that extend for some 6.2 million miles. The capacity of our memory is virtually unlimited.