Stage Fright...um, what's my line?

With the play approaching in a matter of days, I don't think this post could be more appropriate. As most people who have been in plays/performance arts know, stage fright happens and when it happens, it's not fun. What is stage fright? Did it serve a purpose a long time ago? How can we get over it? Ironically, TED-Ed the Magnificent compiles the answers to all of these questions in a video!

As the video said, stage fright is a result of the evolutionary desire to be seen as strong. When we feel threatened, our bodies go into ultimate survivor mode, or the fight-or-flight response. Our minds don't see the speech or play as a modern thing with no physical danger attached to it. Instead, our brains have to decide whether to run for our lives or fight to the death against the scary monster. And, yes, public speaking is the scary monster in this scenario. Our bodies instinctively react. Knowing this, how do we get over stage fright? Perspective.

I could not have asked TED-Ed for a more Mrs. Perl answer. Yay! Anyway, what we need to change is our own perspective on performance anxiety. The John Lennon example shows that stage fright doesn't always go away with time or practice. Some people are just genetically predisposed to get more nervous before performances. In Maid in Manhattan, one of my favorite movies, Ralph Fiennes' character played with a paper clip while he was speaking in public. This helped him calm his nerves.

Practice is the second step after the perspective change. As the video said, if you practice in an environment similar to the environment you will be performing in, everything will go much more smoothly on the day of the event. At the end of the video, you will notice that it says that you have not conquered stage fright but have adapted to it instead. Food for thought, no?

With the play only two days away and the last dress rehearsal tomorrow, I would encourage everyone who gets nervous before a performance to try this method of adapting to stage fright. I tried it a few weeks ago at skating and it worked for me. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. :)

Don't Take My EQ!

Emotional intelligence. Apparently this is a thing and we all want it. Emotional Intelligence, known as EQ, is made up of 4 skills and affects our decision making, how we act in social situations, and how we manage our behavior. The 4 skills that make up EQ are self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management. EQ is a set of skills that we can improve upon and strengthen during our lives--its not like an IQ that you are born with. Anyway, Forbes says we all want to have the highest emotional intelligence possible--apparently it makes for a better life. And if Forbes says so, then I believe it. So, why are we discussing EQ? Because one of the biggest killers of our EQ is one of the drugs we recently discussed in class?

What do you think it is? One of the crazy hallucinogens? LSD since I seem to bring that up a lot? Cocaine? Meth? No, all wrong.

Caffeine? Ding Ding Ding! You got it! Cutting down on your caffeine can actually increase your emotional intelligence!

The issue is, cutting down on caffeine for most caffeine drinkers is a pretty hard thing--I'm sure Mrs. Perl could attest to that. Caffeine can be pretty darn addictive. Let's discuss. Caffeine makes you feel alert by releasing dopamine and exciting neural activity. Studies have even shown that caffeine can actually improve cognitive task performance in the short term. BUT WAIT. It's not actually true! It's all lies! Here's what actually happens, according to the John Hopkins Medical School, when people stop consuming caffeine they go through a withdrawal making your cognitive performance worse and worsening your mood. When you go back on caffeine, you feel on top of the world (like most drugs) and your cognitive performance gets better--but its really just going back to normal.

Drinking caffeine, such as coffee, also triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline, as we know, is the source of the fight-or-flight response which takes place in the parasympathetic nervous system. When we're in this mode, we tend to not make the most rational decisions--we just make quick decisions. Caffeine can put your body into a hyper-alert state, similar to when its in a fight-or-flight response making your emotions take over so you make irrational decisions and become irritable or anxious.

When we sleep, our mind clears and recharges. According to one theory for why we dream, our mind goes through all of the day's memories and decides whether to keep them or get rid of them. This makes us wake up more alert and with a clear mind. Having caffeine in your bloodstream makes it very difficult to sleep. Not getting enough sleep can have pretty negative effects on your memory, self control, alertness, and attention. Even if you do fall asleep, caffeine reduces your REM sleep which is when you are in deep sleep and you have the most vivid dreams. This lack of sleep, or quality sleep, makes people feel emotionally drained and sluggish in the morning causing them to go for more caffeine which makes your body produce more adrenaline which only makes it worse. The combination of the lack of sleep and caffeine make you feel more tired later in the day, causing you to need more caffeine which is why people still have it in their bloodstream when they are going to sleep.

Thus, the cycle of caffeine addiction is born.

Neuroplasticity In Judaism

As many of us know, a Jewish celebrity came to visit us and talk to us about our inspiration in Judaism this past weekend. Mr. Charlie Harary is an Aish HaTorah inspirational speaker who talks about what is means to be Jewish, and other things having to do with Judaism.

At the Malava Malka on Saturday night, my parents told me that Charlie talked about neuroplasticity in Jewish teens. He was talking about the concept of נעשה ונשמע, that we must first do something and then figure out why we do.

The repetition of performing mitzvot and embodying a good Jew will create neuroplasiticity in our brains. For example, we are taught from childhood that on Shabbat evening we light candles to welcome the Shabbat queen. From doing this for years and years, you finally create a new neural pathway that helps us understand why we do it. First we must do the action many times that it becomes natural, and then we start learning about why we do what we do, we listen.

The concept of Neuroplasticity is that new neural pathways are always forming in our brains because of actions that we do over and over again. Until those neural pathways are formed in our brains, we are reminded week after week by some outside stimulus to light the Shabbat candles, but once that pathway is formed, it is an automatic function. Once those pathways are formed we can take a step back from the physical world and focus on the spiritual world and listen and learn to why we light Shabbat candles to bring in Shabbat.

Deathly Coffee.

Most people in America drink coffee. In fact if I would to want to buy into a business that has a high chance of not failing it would be Starbucks. What is this huge phenomenon that every one wants. Why is it that every house has a kireg machine? There is no way around it, there are millions of people addicted to coffee. The truth is, there not addicted to the coffee, they are addicted to the drug that's in it. Caffeine. The drug that no one associates as a drug. The drug that has taken over people lives.
What is with caffeine that makes it so great? So addicting? Is caffeine bad for you? Is it good? Most people don't think about those question. So let me try to enlighten the few people who read this blog all about the truth to caffeine.
Caffeine works by stimulated the central nervous system, heart, muscles and blood pressure. It is a stimulate drug. That is what it does. Therefore if someone is tired they will want caffeine so it can speed them up. It helps a lot with mental awareness. This is all good accept that there is a huge negative side to caffeine.
1. It is addicting. Your body gets used to the caffeine stimulating it and stops stimulating its self. Then you start to feel more tired so you just have more caffeine. Before you know it you will need 3 cups of coffee just to make it through your morning.
2. Lots of people say " I just drank coffee I am going to need to use the bathroom in a minute". That doesn't mean it is speeding up your metabolism. It is actually doing really bad thing to your body. Caffeine stimulates peristalsis. The processes of food going to through your digestive track. So instead of breaking it down quicker it sends food out of the stomach into the intestines with out it being fully broken down. This causes you to not get the full nutrients of the food and it gives you higher risk of irritation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract.
3. There are many small side effect to caffeine that people don't know about still and scientist haven't figured out yet.

After learning all this I probably will still have my coffee. Will you? Do you think that caffeine is actually bad for you or that people are just making a bigger deal out if it then it really is? Do you think caffeine is a drug that is ok to have as much as you want? Do you think there should be an awareness to the negativitys of caffeine?

"Trippy" LSD

In 1943, Albert Hofmann reported perceiving "an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors." Hofmann, a chemist, created- and on one Friday afternoon in April 1943 accidentally ingested- LSD (lysergic acid diethyl amide). The result reminded him of a childhood mystical experience that has left him yearning for another glimpse of a "miraculous, powerful, unfathomable reality." LSD, a synthetic hallucinogen, unlocks serotonin channels that normally filter sensory experiences and therefore causes sensory overload.

I found this article that describes the effects of LSD. It's definitely interesting.

It's often said that LSD causes hallucinations, but LSD really changes the way people perceive the world surrounding them, as well as what they think and feel. People on LSD see what's actually in front of them in an different way, and most of the time, are aware that their perceptions have been altered by the drug. 

After taking LSD, the effects, known as a "trip," typically start within an hour and can last up to 12 hours, with a peak about halfway through. LSD can affect each person differently. Some physical changes in the body during "tripping" include dilated pupils, increased blood pressure and a high body temperature. People on LSD may also feel dizzy, sweat, have distorted vision and feel tingling in their hands and feet. They may feel drowsy but not sleepy.

LSD's major effects are visual. Colors seem more intense and lights seem brighter. Objects that are stagnant might appear to move or have a halo of light around them. Sometimes objects have trails of light coming from them or appear smaller or larger than they actually are. LSD users often see patterns, shapes, colors and textures. Sometimes it seems that time is running backward, or moving very quickly or slowly. On very rare occasions (although it's sometimes portrayed as common), tripping can cause synesthesia. Some people have described this as seeing colors when they hear specific sounds.

There is an overall sense of happiness and elation. Everything is delightful, wonderful, and magical, filled with unicorns and rainbows. People on LSD often become very emotional and dreamlike. Large doses of LSD make them feel especially pensive. They feel that their mind has burst through the limits of normal boundaries, and they often declare to have had experiences that are spiritual or religious, with a new understanding of how the world works.

People tripping on LSD are generally impulsive and have very poor judgment. This is part of the reason why LSD users prefer to trip in groups, especially with others who have experience, and in serene places like at home or in a park. For people not tripping but are merely spectating, LSD users can be frightening. They might spend lots of time contemplating something that appears incredibly unimportant. They aren't always easy to understand, but when they do talk, they speak quickly and jump from subject to subject.

What I mentioned above are considered to be "good trips." Most people who have used LSD know that there's always a looming possibility of having a "bad trip." It's not really clear what causes a bad trip, especially since each trip can vary depending on the person. LSD users sometimes say that it's due to the "set and setting." This means that if the user is already in a bad mood, or if the trip is in a structured environment that requires him/her to think logically (such as school), the user could have a bad trip. This may include losing sight of the delusory aspect of tripping, which results in fear and paranoia. The loss of control is terrifying, and it seems like the trip will never end. Sometimes when someone has a bad trip, he or she is taken to a hospital. However, there typically isn't much that doctors can do other than give the person a quiet space and reassurance. They may administer an anti-anxiety medication or a mild tranquilizer to ease the patient's trepidation. As the trip ends, the patient may feel dizzy or nauseous, but people usually recover with no lasting side effects.

For some, one bad trip is enough to swear off LSD forever. Even if LSD users don't have a bad trip, heavy use of LSD can still cause a lot of problems. One of the largest issues are its possible lingering effects, which can cause a reaction to the drug randomly again in the future. This suggests that the brain holds and may release molecules of LSD over time, and some believe that this is what causes "flashbacks." A flashback occurs when a person who has used LSD in the past has an experience, lasting anywhere from seconds to hours, similar to that of an actual trip. Some LSD users enjoy them and regard them as "free trips," while others find them incredibly disturbing. The majority of LSD users report never having flashbacks, and some people claim that they don't really exist. 

Any who, for your convenience I have attached a picture of what a "trip" of LSD may look like. 

Super trippy (no pun intended), right? 

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/lsd3.htm

DMT and "The Spirit Molecule"

There is no question that drugs do bad things to people. However, there are also interesting benefits that sometimes come up from drug usage. There is an unusual article that I stumbled across which claimed that the negative effects of DMT, a psychedelic drug closely related to LSD, are really being overly dramatized, and that the benefits of DMT outweigh the hazards. DMT occurs naturally in the brain, after all, so larger doses wouldn't be doing anything that out of the ordinary, states the author. DMT is known as the "spirit molecule" because it is behind dreams and the sensation a person has when they are in a near-death experience. It is produced in small quantities in the Pineal gland in the brain.

The author argues that psychedelic drugs help people dig deeper within themselves and solve "the mysteries of the universe," if you will. He claims that this chemical gives people an advanced amount of inner sight. He then goes on to list famous people who were taking this type of drug when they made amazing discoveries and count it as one of the best decisions of their lives, namely Francis Crick, Dr. Kary Mullis, and Steve Jobs. [Personally, I would add the makers of Spongebob and perhaps the Beatles to this list.]

Here comes the breaking point: the conspiracy theory. If you were hanging on up to this point, I am sorry to tell you that I fund any shred of credibility in this argument to fly out the window. The author claims that prohibiting substances such as LSD stop the public from fully grasping issues and getting a more in-depth look at the world around them. Since the government wants obedient followers who will take their word for everything, not allowing them to take psychedelic drugs and  "see the truth for themselves" ensures that they will stay this way. Enjoying you life is rather important, and evidently the "LSD experience" is one such pleasure that can't be missed.

So much for the jumping out windows bit and permanent brain issues- apparently the government is restricting LSD because they don't want us to know more than them or "see the light" out of a drug-induced haze. Just when you had hope in your leaders...it has been shattered. I am truly sorry that we are not able to know the realities of life- perhaps sometime it shall all be revealed. I
Hope you got some enjoyment out of this, I certainly found it entertaining. For your reading pleasure I have attached the link: http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2012/02/expansion-of-consciousness-dmt-spirit.html

Smoking and Pets

I was recently watching something that made a reference to tobacco addiction in pets, and the effects it can have. This ties in greatly with what we have been learning about addiction, as well as a reiteration of the idea that things have biological, psychological, and social components. As it turns out, smoking, in fact, has surprisingly similar effects on animals and people. Interestingly, animals who have become hooked on tobacco and that show signs similar to human smokers is not a new or unusual phenomenon. In fact, it is common for pigeons in New York to actually be addicted to the Nicotine in cigarettes, because there is so much of it present in the air. In fact, they may even consume an amount similar to a person that smokes a pack a day. Not only this, but they show signs of addiction as well. As one source states, ""We immediately noticed a large majority of the pigeons display external signs of chemical addiction. They are often found standing in a group outside of a building. They twitch often and look around with sharp turns of the head. They have anti-social tendencies and are quick to fly when confronted. Their breath smells terrible and they leave droppings everywhere they go. After thorough research we have proven that 98% of pigeons in New York City are hooked on nicotine. Each of the birds in the study reek of smoke and are constantly fidgeting and adjusting their wings. We have also observed the hoarse, raspy mating calls of these nicotine-addicted birds." Crazy, isnt it? They also eat cigarette remnants that are left lying around. This has become such an issue that the last line in this source states, "Mayor Bloomberg has started a new program to help these city birds break their addiction. If you notice a pigeon displaying signs of nicotine addiction call 311 to report it and get it the help it needs." There are now addiction hotlines for birds, people. This is when it becomes rather evident that things have gotten out of hand.

http://johnjpowers.blogspot.com/2013/09/pigeons-addicted-to-nicotine.html

Collision Between Marijuana & Sleep Apnea

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2013/11/05/pot-for-sleep-apnea-now-weve-heard-of-everything/

When thinking what to post about this week, I thought I might write about sleep apnea. During sleep, people stop breathing (due to partial blockage of their airway) anywhere from 10-30 seconds. They then gasp for air. Due to this loss of air, they wake up momentarily - but they don't remember waking up. They can't have effective REM sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation start to kick in.

Researchers have started to suggest that the main active ingredient in marijuana, THC, can be used to treat sleep apnea. The article said as follows:

"THC stabilizes regular breathing during sleep, reduces spontaneous sleep-disordered breathing and blocks serotonin-induced exacerbation of sleep apnea, researchers report in the journal Psychiatry in January."

This is pretty interesting! Considering we're learning about both subjects, drugs and sleep disorders, it's pretty cool to see the two collide.

Could this be an appealing factor in the push for legalizing marijuana? 

What about Day Dreaming.

We know all about dreams. It is super cool and interesting. But where does day dreaming come into it?
Daydreaming is nothing like the dreaming we do while we are sleeping. Daydreaming is a form of mind wandering. It is a form of a power down state.
Most people spend a 1/3 of their wakening day you day dream. Its a gate way to a proposed reality. You can be creative in your dreams.
When you are day dreaming you are fully up. But instead of focusing on whats in front of you you change your focus. You focus on your thoughts and let your self wander. Someone who is never really that creative can become creative in their daydreams. If you always wish for a specif thing you might day dream about having it. It is away to escape reality. Some people think its bad to day dream. Teachers would yell at students who are day dreaming to focus. While it may not be the best thing to do during class it has many benefits. It lets are mind go wild. You can come up with the best ideas while day dreaming. It can put you in a better mood, and if you are going through something painful daydreaming can get your head of the pain. Daydreaming is a great thing that we all do. Whoopp whoop for day dreaming.

Psyching Us Out

Psyching Us Out: The Promise of 'Priming'

It's time for a regular NYT article, taken from the all-so-dependable "The Stone" section. This article, written by Gary Gutting is all about priming. "Psyching Us Out: The Promise of 'Priming'"- a very interesting article. And it isn't long. So don't fret, click here and read! 

Have you guys hear of this priming experiment? (OF COURSE! Because you read the article..)? College students were asked to form various sentences from a given set of words. In one group people were given a set of words associated with older people (bingo, gray, Florida). The people in the second group weren't given those associations. Next each participant was instructed to leave the building by walking down the hallway. They were being timed without knowing it... and it turns out that the Test Group Old walked significantly slower than the control group. They were primed to walk more slowly. How weird is that! What do you think about priming? Have you ever been primed before, looking back now?

There are more priming examples. Needless to say, people have done a lot of research on priming. It's a subject that we like to learn about. 

What can we really learn about priming? "It is often said that they overturn a long entrenched view of human beings as models of rationality." What do you think of this idea? Is priming really that powerful? Or is it other factors? A combination? r are we models of rationality after all? Priming experiments are thought to provide powerful new tools for influencing human behavior. This has led Forbes and Morningstar to cite value in what they call "behavioral economics".

Gutting asserts, though, that priming experiments "seldom tell us how important priming is in realistic situations." Knowing the effects under highly simplified and controlled laboratory conditions hardly helps us know the effects in real life, when conditions aren't all being controlled and there are so many other unrelated stimuli constantly influencing us. Additionally, "there is seldom any reason to think that even a strong priming effect will last very long." So, really what is the significance of priming? Is it something we should continue to study and look into? What do you think we might end up gaining by further exploration of priming? if anything.. Even John Bargh, a main researcher on priming, admitted in 2006 that priming experiments had the problem of "ecological validity." Do you think that some priming is just common sense? Like the examples with the super markets and credit cards? 

Personally, I am a little ehh about the whole thing. I think the experiments are really cool- I almost don't really believe them- but I have yet to note how they have much relevance on my life, especially if they don't have lasting effects.