Spiritual Emergency

Mindfulness meditation has been proven efficient in treating many physical and psychological disorders. Mindfulness meditation techniques are also subjected to specific indications and contraindications. Scanning of gross body, thoughts, emotions, and memories are the essential components of any form of meditation. During those scannings, some unwanted memories and some unusual experiences are very much apparent. There are many energy points in the gross human body, which are correspondent to the endocrine system of the human body, known as Kundalini or Chakra. During meditation, those chakras are stimulated, and hidden energy is exploded; increased psychomotor activities manifest in the behaviors of the person. This behavioral manifestation is called a spiritual emergency. Professionals often confused this behavioral manifestation with psychotic illness. A spiritual emergency requires specific therapeutic management. Against this backdrop, this chapter attempts a review of research articles on spiritual emergencies and therapeutic guidelines to handle them in clinical settings.

Isolation-Induced Ultrasonic Vocalization in Environmental and Genetic Mice Models of Autism

Studies in rodent models suggest that calls emitted by isolated pups serve as an early behavioral manifestation of communication deficits and autistic like behavior. Previous studies in our labs showed that gestational exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and the Mthfr-knock-out mice are associated with impaired social preference and restricted or repetitive behavior. To extend these studies, we examine how pup communication via ultrasonic vocalizations is altered in these ASD models. We implemented an unsupervised hierarchical clustering method based on the spectral properties of the syllables in order to exploit syllable classification to homogeneous categories while avoiding over-categorization. Comparative exploration of the spectral and temporal aspects of syllables emitted by pups in two ASD models point to the following: (1) Most clusters showed a significant effect of the ASD factor on the start and end frequencies and bandwidth and (2) The highest percent change due to the ASD factor was on the bandwidth and duration. In addition, we found sex differences in the spectral and temporal properties of the calls in both control groups as well as an interaction between sex and the gene/environment factor. Considering the basal differences in the characteristics of syllables emitted by pups of the C57Bl/6 and Balb/c strains used as a background in the two models, we suggest that the above spectral-temporal parameters start frequency, bandwidth, and duration are the most sensitive USV features that may represent developmental changes in ASD models.

The Commonest Negative Behavioral Manifestations among Kindergarten Children in the Post-Terrorist Phase

Behavioral and emotional disorders represent one of the commonest problems facing children in particular and disturbing their parents and educators in general. This is because Iraqi people have long been living in difficult conditions and faced various terrorists’ operations, such as killing, destruction, robbery, and looting. Such operations are said to be one of the reasons that leads to the development of such disorders, and may negatively affect the psyche of the child and be reflected on his behavior as represented by playing with the IPad for hours, and suffering from nightmares. Accordingly, the current research aims to examine specifically the commonest negative behavioral disorders among kindergarten children during the post-terrorist phase. To achieve this objective, the researchers prepared a tool for measuring the commonest behavioral manifestations among kindergarten children, and distributed it to a sample of (160) children’s female teachers and mothers; each using a multi-stage method. Results have shown that the computed value of (t-test) reached (17.793) for female teachers’ estimations and (6,653) for mother's estimations. That is, the computed value is greater than the tabulated, (1.96), at the level of significance (0.05) and degree of freedom (159.( The highest degree of severity belongs to the behavioral aspect of playing with the iPad for long hours according to the teachers’ estimates. It has scored (3.843) with a weight percentage that is equal to (96.075). However, the same behavioral aspect has a severity degree that is equal to (3.59) with a weight percentage reaches (89.825) from the parent’s perspectives. As for the second manifestation, thinking of the death of a family member, its severity has scored (3.593) with a weight percentage of (89.82) according to the parents’ estimates, whereas the severity degree of the behavioral manifestation, suffering from disturbing dreams and nightmares, is (3.55) with a weight percentage....

Exogenous attention generalizes perceptual learning in adults with amblyopia

SUMMARYVisual perceptual learning (VPL), or improved performance after practicing the same visual task, is a behavioral manifestation of the impressive neuroplasticity in the adult brain. However, its practical effectiveness is limited because improvements are often specific to the trained conditions and require significant time and effort. Thus, it is critical to understand the conditions that promote learning and its transfer. Covert spatial attention helps overcome VPL location and feature specificity in neurotypical adults, but whether it can for people with atypical visual development is unknown. Here we show that involuntary attention helps generalize learning beyond trained spatial locations in adults with amblyopia, an ideal population for investigation given their asymmetrically developed, but highly plastic, visual cortex. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying changes in neuro(a)typical brain plasticity after practice. Further, they reveal that attention can enhance the effectiveness of perceptual learning during rehabilitation of visual disorders.

PEMAHAMAN KEBHINEKAAN SISWA MADRASAH ALIYAH DI KOTA KENDARI

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran pemahaman kebhinekaan peserta didik secara umum dan pemahaman kebhinekaan dalam konteks suku, agama, ras, dan antar golongan. Lokasi penelitian dilaksanakan di Kota Kendari dengan fokus peserta didik madrasah aliyah yaitu MA Negeri 1 Kendari dan MA Ummusshabri. Metode penelitian adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif, teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Analisis data dilakukan secara sistematis yang meliputi pengorganisasian data, kategorisasi data, dan menginterpretasi sesuai dengan pemaknaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pemahaman kebhinekaan peserta didik Paham kebhinekaan peserta didik ada yang bersifat ke dalam (internal) dan bersifat ke luar (eksternal). Pemahaman internal adalah pemahaman peserta didik akan keyakinan dan kesadaran dirinya pentingnya mengaplikasikan wujud kelakuan (behavioral manifestation) rasa hormat atau menghormati orang lain yang berbeda dengan kita baik agama, suku, dan budaya, untuk kepentingan bersama. Pemahaman kebhinekaan peserta didik secara eksternal diperoleh dari proses pembelajaran di madrasah, di lingkungan sekolah baik melalui program sekolah, kegiatan ekstrakurikuler ataupun organisasi madrasah, melalui media sosial, dan interaksi sosial di masyarakat melalui perbauran budaya atau kebiasaan-kebiasaan adat istiadat pada kelompok entitas suku bangsa tertentu di Kota Kendari. Manifestasi dari pemahaman kebhinekaan ini adalah pentingnya saling hormat dan tolong menolong dalam konteks sosial.

Acupuncture attenuates alcohol dependence through activation of endorphinergic input to the nucleus accumbens from the arcuate nucleus

A withdrawal-associated impairment in β-endorphin neurotransmission in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus is associated with alcohol dependence characterized by a chronic relapsing disorder. Although acupuncture activates β-endorphin neurons in the ARC projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a role for ARC β-endorphin neurons in alcohol dependence and acupuncture effects has not been examined. Here, we show that acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) points attenuates behavioral manifestation of alcohol dependence by activating endorphinergic input to the NAc from the ARC. Acupuncture attenuated ethanol withdrawal tremor, anxiety-like behaviors, and ethanol self-administration in ethanol-dependent rats, which are mimicked by local injection of β-endorphin into the NAc. Acupuncture also reversed the decreased β-endorphin levels in the NAc and a reduction of neuronal activity in the ARC during ethanol withdrawal. These results suggest that acupuncture may provide a novel, potential treatment strategy for alcohol use disorder by direct activation of the brain pathway.

Animals Have No Language, and Humans Are Animals Too

Language is a cornerstone of human culture, yet the evolution of this cognitive-demanding ability is shrouded in mystery. Studying how different species demonstrate this trait can provide clues for its evolutionary route. Indeed, recent decades saw ample scientific attempts to compare human speech, the prominent behavioral manifestation of language, with other animals’ vocalizations. Diligent studies have found only elementary parallels to speech in other animals, fortifying the belief that language is uniquely human. But have we really tested this uniqueness claim? Surprisingly, a true impartial comparison between human speech and other animals’ vocalizations has hardly ever been conducted. Here, I illustrate how treating humans as an equal species in vocal-communication research is expected to provide us with no evidence for human superiority in this realm. Thus, novel balanced and unbiased comparative studies are vital for identifying any unique component of human speech and language.