Study - 2/3 - Third Monk

Jul 24, 2014Jan 24, 2018

Your Brain on Porn: How Porn Consumption Changes Your Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity (Study)

This is the first brain-scan study published on porn users, and it was published in one of the most prestigious medical journals, JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers found several brain changes, and those changes correlated with how much porn was consumed. The subjects were moderate porn users, not classified as addicted.

Your Brain on Porn

The more porn the subjects used, the less gray matter in the striatum. The striatum is a complex set of structures. It includes the reward center (ventral striatum) and the dorsal striatum, which also goes by several names. Less gray matter means fewer nerve connections (dendrites and axon terminals) in reward-related areas. Put simply, less gray matter in the striatum mean less reward activity, and a decline in dopamine signaling (desensitization).

That could mean that regular consumption of pornography more or less wears out your reward system. – Simone Kühn, Lead Author

A second finding…

The connection between the striatum and prefrontal cortex worsened with increased porn watching. This may indicate hypofrontality (a weakening of the impulse control circuits).

A third finding…

The more porn used the less reward activation when viewing sexual images. A possible explanation is that heavy users need more stimulation, confirming desensitization.

We assume that subjects with a high porn consumption need increasing stimulation to receive the same amount of reward. Existing psychological, scientific literature suggests consumers of porn will seek material with novel and more extreme sex games. That would fit perfectly the hypothesis that their reward systems need growing stimulation. – Simone Kühn

The above findings dismantle the two primary arguments put forth by porn addiction naysayers:

That porn addiction is a sign of high sexual desire. Reality: The heaviest porn users had less response to sexual images, exhibiting less “sexual desire.

That compulsive porn use is driven by habituation, or becoming easily bored. Reality: Habituation is a temporary effect that doesn’t involve measurable shrinkage of actual brain structures.

Keep in mind that the results of this study are consistent with over 60 recent brain studies done on internet and video game addicts by addiction neuroscience experts. In these studies, the results demonstrate profound brain changes from over consumption of internet stimuli.

Porn On The Brain – Channel 4 Documentary

Jun 25, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Do We Unconsciously Feel the Future Before it Happens? (Study)

Can your brain detect events before they occur?

That was the stunning conclusion of a 2012 meta-analysis of experiments from seven independent laboratories over the last 35 years, which found that the human body can apparently detect randomly delivered stimuli occurring 1-10 seconds in the future.

In the studies, physiological readings were taken as participants were subjected to unpredictable events designed to activate the sympathetic nervous system (for example, showing provocative imagery) as well as ‘neutral events’ that did not activate the nervous system. These readings showed that the nervous system aligned with the nature of the event (activated/not activated) – and what’s more, the magnitude of the pre-event response corresponded with the magnitude of the post-event response.

Rebuttal? Not so fast…

In a recent paper, researchers have critically analysed these findings, considering possible mundane explanations for the results and also the implications of the results if they truly do point to a paradigm-shaking discovery.

The key observation in these studies is that human physiology appears to be able to distinguish between unpredictable dichotomous future stimuli, such as emotional vs. neutral images or sound vs. silence. This phenomenon has been called presentiment (feel the future).

In this paper we call it predictive anticipatory activity or PAA. The phenomenon is “predictive” because it can distinguish between upcoming stimuli; it is “anticipatory” because the physiological changes occur before a future event; and it is an “activity” because it involves changes in the cardiopulmonary, skin, and/or nervous systems.

Neither questionable research practices (bias) nor physiological artifacts seem to be able to explain PAA, the evidence indicates that there is a temporal mirroring between pre- and post-event physiological events, so that the nature of the post-event physiological response is correlated with the characteristics of the PAA for that event. – Study

The authors of the paper also point out fascinating aspects of the research, such as the fact that “PAA is an unconscious phenomenon” that “appears to resemble precognition (consciously knowing something is going to happen before it does), but PAA specifically refers to unconscious physiological reactions as opposed to conscious premonitions”.

There must be a necessity for PAA to remain non-conscious most of the time, if some part of our nervous system can obtain information about events seconds in the future, wouldn’t we have evolved to make this information conscious? – Study

How is this possible…

A metaphor may help to provide an intuitive feel for this effect – watching a river move past a stick.

Imagine that the direction of the water’s current is the conscious experience of the flow of time (temporal flow), and imagine that an intrusion in the flow (the stick) is an emotional, arousing, or otherwise important event. The largest disturbance in the water made by the intrusion is downstream (in the “forward” time direction), which is analogous to our conscious reaction to experiencing the important event.

But if one examines the flow of water near the stick, one will also see a small perturbation upstream, anticipating the intrusion in the water downstream due to the back pressure. Similar to PAA, this upstream perturbation is a hint of things to come. It is not normally part of our conscious awareness and, as with disturbances in a flow of water, the majority of the effect of an intrusion is downstream of the intrusion.

Nevertheless, the authors of the recent paper urge caution until more extensive research is undertaken:

Until there is a gold standard experiment that is replicated across laboratories using exactly the same experimental procedure, physiological measures, and statistical analyses, there remains the possibility that multiple analyses could influence the body of evidence supporting PAA.

I look forward to seeing the results of these future investigations. Or do I already know what they are going to be?

> We Unconsciously React to Events Up to 10 Seconds Before They Happen | Earth We Are One

Jun 22, 2014Jun 17, 2016

DEA Blasted for Spending 4 Decades Obstructing Marijuana Science

The Drug Enforcement Administration has been impeding and ignoring the science on marijuana and other drugs for more than four decades, according to a report released this week by the Drug Policy Alliance, a drug policy reform group, and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a marijuana research organization.

The DEA is a police and propaganda agency, it makes no sense for it to be in charge of federal decisions involving scientific research and medical practice. – Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance

The report alleges that the DEA has repeatedly failed to act in a timely fashion when faced with petitions to reschedule marijuana. The drug is currently classified as Schedule I, which the DEA reserves for the “most dangerous” drugs with “no currently accepted medical use.” Schedule I drugs, which include substances like heroin and LSD, cannot receive federal funding for research. On three separate occasions — in 1973, 1995 and again in 2002 — the DEA took years to make a final decision about a rescheduling petition, and in two of the cases the DEA was sued multiple times to force a decision.

The report criticizes the DEA for overruling its own officials charged with determining how illicit substances should be scheduled. It also criticizes the agency for creating a “regulatory Catch-22” by arguing there is not enough scientific evidence to support rescheduling marijuana while simultaneously impeding the research that would produce such evidence.

The feds have long been accused of only funding marijuana research that focuses on the potential negative effects of the substance, but that trend appears to be changing.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has conducted about 30 studies to date on the potential benefits of marijuana. NIDA oversees the cultivation, production and distribution of marijuana grown for research purposes at the University of Mississippi in the only federally legal marijuana garden in the U.S. — a process through which the only federally sanctioned marijuana studies are approved.

Nobody should be afraid of the truth. There’s a lot of other drugs that have harmful side effects. Is the downside of marijuana a harmful side effect? Or is there a positive side that actually does help? That needs to be proven. – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.).

The federal government’s interest in marijuana certainly appears to be growing. Since 2003, it has approved more than 500 grants for marijuana-related studies, with a marked upswing in recent years, according to McClatchy. In 2003, 22 grants totaling $6 million were approved for cannabis research. In 2012, that number had risen to 69 approved grants totaling more than $30 million.

The DEA has obstructed research into the medical use of marijuana for over 40 years and in the process has caused immeasurable suffering that would otherwise have been treated by low-cost, low-risk generic marijuana. The DEA’s obstruction of the FDA approval process for marijuana has — to the DEA’s dismay — unintentionally catalyzed state-level medical marijuana reforms. – Rick Doblin, executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Eight other states — Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin — have legalized CBD oils, made from a non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana frequently used to treat epilepsy, for limited medical use or for research purposes.

A number of recent studies have shown the medical potential of cannabis. Purified forms may attack some forms of aggressive cancer. Marijuana use also has been tied to better blood sugar control and may help slow the spread of HIV. One study found that legalization of the plant for medical purposes may even lead to lower suicide rates.

Nadelmann said the DEA has “demonstrated a regular pattern of abusing its discretionary powers.”

We believe this authority would be better handled by another government agency in the health realm, or even better still, by an organization that is truly independent, perhaps something that involves the National Academy of Sciences. We will be working to encourage greater congressional oversight and also to call for reforms of federal law. – Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance

> New Report Blasts DEA | Huffington Post

May 20, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Eating Mangos Increases Your Marijuana High (Study)

The chemical compounds found within mangos have been discovered to increase, strengthen, and even lengthen the euphoric feelings felt after smoking marijuana.

Eating fresh mangos or even drinking a fresh mango smoothie one hour prior to smoking will dramatically increase the euphoric feelings felt by marijuana and help medical marijuana patients more effectively ease their pain.

A chemical compound known as myrcene terpenes, which is often used for fragrances, is found within cannabis as well as many other various plants such as lemon grass, hops, and of course mangos. This is what gives these plants their unique smells.

Once ingested, the myrcene terpenes assists the THC by allowing it to pass through the Blood Brain Barrier more efficiently. By eating a mango up to one hour prior to smoking, the time it takes THC to reach the brain is cut in half. Amazingly, the length of the high may last twice as long.

Individuals who have eaten a mango, digested it, and then smoked have also noted that the euphoric feelings felt by marijuana are much more intense.

How to Cut a Mango

What are some of your favorite ways to increase your cannabis high? Have a preferred mango recipe? Share in the comments below!

> Increase Effects of Marijuana Consumption | The Weed Blog

Mar 2, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths (Study)

A study by the University of Colorado Denver and Montana State University shows that laws legalizing Medical Marijuana have resulted in a nearly 9 percent drop in traffic deaths and a 5 percent reduction in beer sales.

The study is the first to examine the relationship between the legalization of Medical Marijuana and traffic deaths.

Our research suggests that the legalization of medical marijuana reduces traffic fatalities through reducing alcohol consumption by young adults. – Daniel Rees, Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado Denver, who co-authored the study with D. Mark Anderson, Assistant Professor of Economics at Montana State University.

We were astounded by how little is known about the effects of legalizing medical marijuana, so we looked into traffic fatalities because there is good data, and the data allow us to test whether alcohol was a factor. – Daniel Rees

Anderson noted that traffic deaths are significant from a policy standpoint:

Traffic fatalities are an important outcome from a policy perspective because they represent the leading cause of death among Americans ages five to 34.

The economists analyzed traffic fatalities nationwide, including the 13 states that legalized medical marijuana between 1990 and 2009. In those states, they found evidence that alcohol consumption by 20- through 29-year-olds went down, resulting in fewer deaths on the road.

They noted that simulator studies conducted by previous researchers suggest that drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to underestimate how badly their skills are impaired. They drive faster and take more risks. In contrast, these studies show that drivers under the influence of marijuana tend to avoid risks.

Our results suggest a direct link between marijuana and alcohol consumption. – D. Mark Anderson

“Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption” can be found here.

> Medicinal Marijuana Reduces Traffic Fatalities | UC Denver

Feb 20, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis Prevents Loss of Vision, Blindness (Study)

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a genetic eye disease that leads to severe vision loss and blindness. The disease affects 1 in 4,000 people and worsens as cells in the retina, called photoreceptors, die off.

But a study published in Experimental Eye Research shows the chemicals in cannabis, known as cannabinoids, may slow down this retinal degeneration.

Using a synthetic form of THC, the compound responsible for cannabis’ high, researchers at the University of Alicante in Spain were able to prevent vision loss in rats with the disorder.

The data suggests that cannabinoids are potentially useful to delay retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa patients. – Dr. Nicolás Cuenca, Study’s Lead Author.

At the end of 90 days, rats that received treatment performed better on vision tests and had 40% more photoreceptors than untreated rats. THC also seemed to protect a number of other eye structures, including inner layers of the retina.

Although encouraging, the results were not much of a surprise.

As the team notes, cannabinoids have shown promise in treating a variety of degenerative disorders, ranging from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to Strokes.

They’re even seeing use in other vision related problems, such as Glaucoma.

While the latest study did not look at the mechanisms underlying the benefits of cannabinoids in Retinitis Pigmentosa, the authors conclude that further research is required.

> Marijuana Stops Vision Loss | Smell the Truth

Nov 25, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis Prevents Brain Damage Caused by Binge Drinking (Study)

A study published online by the journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology suggests that cannabis may protect the brain from some of the damage caused by binge drinking.

The study, by researchers at the University of California San Diego, used a type of high-tech scan called diffusion tensor imaging to compare microscopic changes in brain white matter.

The subjects were students aged 16-to-19, divided into three groups: binge drinkers (defined as having five or more drinks at one sitting for boys or four or more for girls), binge drinkers who also smoked marijuana, and a control group who had very little or no experience with either alcohol or drugs.

As expected, the binge-drinking-only group showed evidence of white matter damage in eight regions examined, as demonstrated by lower fractional anisotropy (FA) scores.

But in a finding the researchers described as “unexpected,” the binge-drinking/marijuana group had lower FA scores than the controls in only three of the eight regions, and in seven regions the binge-drinking/marijuana group had higher scores – indicating less damage – than the binge drinkers who didn’t use marijuana (unfortunately, not all of these stats are in the summary linked above; access to the full article requires payment).

Brain white matter tracts were “more coherent in adolescents who binge drink and use marijuana than in adolescents who report only binge drinking,” the researchers wrote.

“It is possible that marijuana may have some neuroprotective properties in mitigating alcohol-related oxidative stress or excitotoxic cell death.” The scientists noted that such protection has already been shown in lab and animal studies.

This study suggests that not only is marijuana safer than alcohol, it may actually protect against some of the damage that booze causes.

It’s far better for teens not to drink or smoke marijuana, but our nation’s leaders send a dangerous message by defending laws that encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana. – Director of State Campaigns Steve Fox, in a statement issued by MPP

Indeed, the U.S. government has a patent on cannabinoids as neuroprotectants. Yes, the same government that wants you to believe that marijuana will rot your brain knows that its active components protect brain and nerve cells from many kinds of damage.

> Marijuana Protects Against Brain Damage from Binge Drinking | MPP Blog

Nov 12, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Male Circumcision Leads to Worsened Sex Life (Study)

Male circumcision is a controversial subject. Religious traditions, misleading pseudo-science, and societal myths and legends associated with the subject certainly don’t help matters.

Recently, some 5,000 sexually active men and women were surveyed about their experiences and possible problems with their sex lives. With a specific focus on circumcised men and their women, the results are startling.

If a man is circumcised, he faces an increased risk of experiencing delayed orgasm, and his female partner has an increased risk of not feeling sexually fulfilled.

This is the clear-cut conclusion of a new Danish research article, which has received international attention.

Circumcised men are three times as likely to experience a frequent inability to reach an orgasm – Associate Professor Morten Frisch from Danish Research Enterprise SSI

Male Circumcision’s Effect on Women

This is one of only a few studies of the sexual consequences of male circumcision, and in one area in particular it is groundbreaking:

“Previous studies into male circumcision have looked at the effects it has on the men. But scientists have never really studied the effects this has on the women’s sex lives,” says Frisch.

It appears that women with circumcised men are twice as likely to be sexually frustrated. They experience a three-fold risk of frequent difficulties in achieving orgasm, and an eight-fold risk of feeling pain during intercourse – also known as dyspareunia. – Frisch

But Why?

There appears to be a very simple reason why circumcised men and their partners are having problems with their sex lives.

The circumcised man develops a thin layer of hard skin on his penis head, which decreases the sensitivity. This means that in order to reach an orgasm, he needs to work harder at it, and that can lead to a painful experience for the woman.

“We conducted a survey, but the data does not explain why these problems occur. There are, however, some good suggestions in the scientific literature,” he explains.

When the penis enters the vagina, the foreskin is pulled back. And on its way out again, the foreskin goes back to cover the penis head. This way the foreskin stimulates both the man and the woman.

The gliding in-and-out movement of the foreskin, combined with the in-and-out movement inside the vagina, constitutes what is known as ‘the gliding movement’.

When a circumcised man moves in and out of a woman without ‘the gliding movement’ caused by the foreskin, it can have a painful effect on the woman’s mucous membrane. This could explain the pain and the tendency towards dryness that some women with circumcised men experience. – Frisch

Possible Sources of Error

The study did not involve many religiously circumcised men – Jews and Muslims, for example. But even with these factors taken into account, the data pointed in the same direction. The statistical analyses also took a long list of additional relevant factors into account, including:

Age
Cultural background
Religious background
Marital status
Levels of education
Household income
Age at first intercourse
Number of sex partners
Frequency of sexual activity with one partner in the past year

We adjusted for all these factors in an attempt to ensure that circumcision is the actual cause, and that the link isn’t attributable to other factors. – Frisch

Clear-cut Results

Frisch mentions an example of how things get muddled up if researchers do not adjust for possible sources of error when they work with statistics:

If, for instance, you look at people who drink lots of beer, you’ll see that they face an increased risk of developing lung cancer, compared to those who don’t drink much. But it’s not the drinking itself that causes the lung cancer. There just happens to be a correlation between drinking and smoking, and it is actually the smoking that causes the lung cancer. – Frisch

These kinds of error sources were taken into account, and the bottom-line results were clear:

We’re seeing a consistent picture. Even though most circumcised men – and their women – do not have problems with their sex lives, there is a significantly larger group of circumcised men and their female partners who experience frequent problems in achieving orgasm, compared to couples where the man is not circumcised. – Frisch

In addition, there are significantly more women with circumcised men, who experience vaginal pains during intercourse or feel that their sexual needs are not met.

Further Studies Required

Frisch hopes this new study will be replicated by researchers in other countries and cultures.

“That way we can ascertain whether this phenomenon applies to Danes only or whether it extends into other cultures too,” he says. “All in all, I have a humble approach to our findings, so I would also like to see whether other Danish studies would reach the same conclusions.”

International Attention

According to Frisch, the study has received a great deal of international attention. For example, he has been contacted by politicians in California, who are very pleased with the results of the study because they want to ban circumcision in their federal state.

Others are less excited, saying the research is controversial.

This is a highly sensitive issue, and some people oppose the publication of this kind of research. Some people have actually tried to stop the publication of our article – Frisch

Ethical Questions

Certain groups and individuals are lobbying in favour circumcising all men, explains Frisch. Not necessarily out of religious concern, but because they believe that circumcision has a health-promotional effect. In Africa, for instance, there are indications that circumcision could reduce the risk of HIV infection.

> Circumcised Men Have Bad Sex Life | Science Nordic

Oct 8, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Transcendental Meditation Helps Reduce Violent Crimes (Study)

The Maharishi Effect is a phase transition to a more orderly and harmonious state of life in society as measured by decreased crime, violence, accidents, and illness, and improvements in economic conditions and other sociological indicators. Named in honor of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who predicted it thirty years ago.

Maharishi had predicted that when a critical sub-population of individuals – 1% – experienced and stimulated the field of pure consciousness through the Transcendental Meditation Program, a type of macroscopic field effect of coherence would occur in the society and the quality of life would improve. This would manifest in more orderly and harmonious individual behaviour and a measurable improvement in the various social indices which characterise the quality of life in society.

Scientific Research on the Maharishi Effect

During the past 25 years over 500 scientific studies have been conducted on Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying showing the wide-ranging benefits for all aspects of life. 42 of these studies have shown that when 1% of the population of any town or country practises Transcendental Meditation, or when the square root of 1% practise TM-Sidhi Yogic Flying in a group, there are dramatic positive improvements in the entire society.

One such study was held in June-July 1993 in Washington D.C.

This National Demonstration Project to Reduce Violent Crime and Improve Governmental Effectiveness brought approximately 4,000 participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs to the United States national capital from June 7 to July 30, 1993. A 27-member independent Project Review Board consisting of sociologists and criminologists from leading universities, representatives from the police department and government of the District of Columbia, and civic leaders approved in advance the research protocol for the project and monitored its progress.

The dependent variable in the research was weekly violent crime, as measured by the Uniform Crime Report program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; violent crimes include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. This data was obtained from the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department for 1993 as well as for the preceding five years (1988-1992). Additional data used for control purposes included weather variables (temperature, precipitation, humidity), daylight hours, changes in police and community anti-crime activities, prior crime trends in the District of Columbia, and concurrent crime trends in neighboring cities. Average weekly temperature was significantly correlated with homicides, rapes and assaults (HRA crimes), as has also been found in previous research; therefore temperature was used as a control variable in the main analysis of HRA crimes. Using time series analysis, violent crimes were analyzed separately in terms of HRA crimes (crimes against the person) and robbery (monetary crimes), as well as together.

Analysis of 1993 data, controlling for temperature, revealed that there was a highly significant decrease in HRA crimes associated with increases in the size of the group during the Demonstration Project. The maximum decrease was 23.3% when the size of the group was largest during the final week of the project. The statistical probability that this result could reflect chance variation in crime levels was less than 2 in 1 billion (p < .000000002). When a longer baseline is used (1988-1993 data), the maximum decrease was 24.6% during this period (p < .00003). When analyzed as a separate variable, robberies did not decrease significantly, but a joint analysis of both HRA crimes and robberies indicated that violent crimes as a whole decreased significantly to a maximum amount of 15.6% during the final week of the project (p = .0008).

Based on the results of the study, the steady state gain (long-term effect) associated with a permanent group of 4,000 participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs was calculated as a 48% reduction in HRA crimes in the District of Columbia.

Given the strength of these results, their consistency with the positive results of previous research, the grave human and financial costs of violent crime, and the lack of other effective and scientific methods to reduce crime, policy makers are urged to apply this approach on a large scale for the benefit of society.

Scientific proof of meditations far-reaching beneficial effects are wonderful to read about, I have no doubt we will reach that 1% threshold soon.

thirdmonk certainly wants to help, if you’re interested in joining a weekly meditation with us, please email us or leave a comment below and we’ll send you the details.

> Maharishi Effect | Dubrovnik Peace Project

> Crime Prevention | ISTPP.org

Oct 1, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Psilocybin Mushrooms Help Erase Conditioned Fear in Lab Mice (Study)

Low doses of psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms have been found to aid in removing a condition fear response in lab mice. The Lieber Institute for Brain Development conducted the study to find out how psilocybin affected fear and anxiety.

Psilocybin and Fear in Mice – Methodology Day 1

Mice were injected with varying doses (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg) of psilocybin, 1.0 mg/kg of ketanserin (a drug that acts oppositely on the receptor which binds psilocybin), or a saline control.

– Twenty-four hours later, the animals were placed in a testing chamber and conditioned to fear a 15-second audio cue.

– The mice heard the cue, and after 30 seconds, received very brief electric shocks delivered through the chamber floor. Each mouse underwent ten trials, each separated by 210 seconds.

– After ten trials, all of the animal subjects froze in fear after the start of the 15-second audio.

Psilocybin and Fear in Mice – Methodology Day 2

The next day, the mice were placed in the chamber again and underwent the same process. Except this time, the shock was left out. The goal here was to effectively retrain the mice to not fear the audio cue and disassociate it with the shock.

– The researchers found that after only three trials, mice treated with low doses of psilocybin (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) no longer froze after hearing the audio cue.

– But mice injected with higher doses of psilocybin or ketanserin didn’t stop freezing until the tenth trial.

– Mice that were injected with a saline control still froze in fear after ten trials.

Power of Love in Shrooms Tied to Brain Chemistry

$psilocybin-mushrooms-fear-lab-mice-shroom-fractals$

The head of the research team, Dr. Briony Catlow thinks the fear removing effect of psilocybin might have something to do with the mushroom’s ability to modify and control neural circuitry.

“Memory, learning, and the ability to relearn that a once threatening stimuli is no longer a danger absolutely depends on the ability of the brain to alter its connections,” Catlow told Real Clear Science.

“We believe that neuroplasticity plays a critical role in psilocybin accelerating fear extinction.”

“It is highly possible that in the future we will continue these studies since many interesting questions have come up from these experiments. The hope is that we can extend the findings to humans in clinical trials,” Catlow told RCScience.

> Low Doses of Psilocybin Help Extinguish Conditioned Fear | Real Clear Science

Sep 26, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Change Your Life in 2 Minutes a Day – Power Pose (Guide)

Your body language shapes who you are. It shapes how you are viewed by others, and even how you view yourself.

Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy’s scientific work delves into the possibility that choosing to pose your body in different ways actually changes the ratio of the hormones that are produced in your brain.

High Power Poses decrease the amount of Cortisol (known as the stress hormone) while increasing the amount of Testosterone, leading to feelings of empowerment, increased confidence, and affability.

Expectedly, Low Power Poses raise the amount of Cortisol in the brain and decrease Testosterone, leading to feelings of anxiety, low self confidence, and general awkwardness.

Only two minutes a day in High Power poses can change the way you feel and approach life. Try it out for yourself – and remember:

If you feel like you shouldn’t be somewhere: Fake it. Do it until you make it – until you become it! – Amy Cuddy

High Power Poses

Low Power Poses

Power Pose Effect on Hormones

> Posing with Power | Business Insider

Aug 29, 2013Jun 17, 2016

A Scientific Look at Psychedelic Medicine (Video)

There’s a class of natural organic medicine that can take the world on a consciousness changing trip, but their potential is restricted by mindless laws.

Is it possible that, because of the war on drugs, we have demonized a treatment for otherwise untreatable diseases?

A way to increase personal well-being, permanently treat depression, break the cycle of addiction, and ease the transition from life into death?

The solution to all of these problems (for many people) might be a nice, hallucinogenic trip. –SciShow