Psychedelic Science of Spirituality and Religion: An Attachment-Informed Agenda Proposal

In this paper, we set an agenda for a psychedelic science of spirituality and religion, based on a synthesis of attachment theory with the Relaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics (REBUS) model. Attachment theory proposes that people develop internal working models (IWMs) of interactions with others from their relational experiences with caregivers. Such IWMs then function as high-level priors enabling people, for better and for worse, to predict and organize their interpersonal and religious/spiritual relationships. One mechanism by which efficacious psychedelic interventions may work is by relaxing the grip of rigid, defensive priors (e.g., insecure IWMs with regard to others and God), further amplified by corrective relational experiences with the therapist, God, or others. We outline three key proposals to steer future research. First, individual differences in attachment security predict the phenomenology and integration of psychedelic experiences. Second, efficacious psychedelic therapy facilitates increased attachment security as a clinically relevant outcome. Third, attachment-related dynamics (e.g., a sense of connection to others and God, alleviation of attachment-related worries and defenses) are process-level mechanisms involved in the clinical utility of psychedelic treatment. Finally, we discuss the role of religion and spirituality in psychedelic experiences from an attachment perspective.

Psychedelic Science of Spirituality and Religion: An Attachment-Informed Agenda Proposal

In this paper, we set an agenda for a psychedelic science of spirituality and religion, based on a synthesis of attachment theory with the Relaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics (REBUS) model. Attachment theory proposes that people develop internal working models (IWMs) of interactions with others from their relational experiences with caregivers. Such IWMs then function as high-level priors enabling people, for better and for worse, to predict and organize their interpersonal and religious/spiritual relationships. One mechanism by which efficacious psychedelic interventions may work is by relaxing the grip of rigid, defensive priors (e.g., insecure IWMs with regard to others and God), further amplified by corrective relational experiences with the therapist, God, or others. We outline three key proposals to steer future research. First, individual differences in attachment security predict the phenomenology and integration of psychedelic experiences. Second, efficacious psychedelic therapy facilitates increased attachment security as a clinically relevant outcome. Third, attachment-related dynamics (e.g., a sense of connection to others and God, alleviation of attachment-related worries and defenses) are process-level mechanisms involved in the clinical utility of psychedelic treatment. Finally, we discuss the role of religion and spirituality in psychedelic experiences from an attachment perspective.

UNUTRAŠNJI RADNI MODELI AFEKTIVNE VEZANOSTI KAO PREDIKTORI MRAČNE TRIJADE

The basic goal of this research was to examine whether internal working models of self and significant others are significant predictors of dark triad personality traits. The concept of an internal working model is the key link in attachment theory which connects past experiences with current patterns of behavior, maintained by dysfunctional cognitive schemas developed by generalizing aversive experiences. The dark triad consists of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellism. The instruments used were the Family Attachment Questionnaire by Brenan et al. (1998), and Short Dark Triad (SDT3) by Jones & Paulhus (2014). The sample of the research consisted of N = 123 participants, age 20 to 63, with an average age of M = 30.41, SD = 9.06. Males formed 43% of sample. Regression analyses show that model which consists of anxiety and avoidance dimensions is significant predictor of Machiavellism, F (2,120) = 6.26, p = .003, R2 = .09, and they predict 9% of variance, as well as psychopathy, F(2,120) = 8.98, p <.000, R2 = .13, where they predict 13% of variance, but not narcissism, F(2,120) = 0.24, p = .79, R2= .01, in which model predicted only 1% of variance. Avoidance is statistically significant and positive predictor of psychopathy (β = .29, p = .003), and anxiety is statistically significant and positive predictor of Machiavellism (β = .26, p = .004), as well as psyhopathy (β = .22, p = .025). The results of study suggest that these traits are founded on an image of self as an inadequate person and the world as a hostile place, in which other persons will try to harm us if we dare to be open towards them. Manipulation and emotional insensitivity of psychopaths and Machiavelists should be interpreted as a way to reach compromise with these key beliefs and attitudes. On the other hand, narcissism did not correlate with working modes, possibly because of low levels of insight in these persons who are strongly invested in maintaining grandiose self. Key words: affective attachment, internal working models, dark triad

Operation of vibration source of an unbalance type with liquid-filled internal working chamber

Equipment for increasing water inflow to the well is proposed, which affects the aquifer by seismic vibrations. The method is based on accelerating the filtration process in soils, exposed to vibration. The equipment can work in conjunction with a submersible pump and has the ability to pump liquid through the working chamber of the generator. Generators can be combined into a group and driven by one electric motor to increase the efficiency of vibration treatment. This method is built into the existing technology of dewatering and pits drainage. The dynamics of the vibration source operation of an unbalance type with a liquid-filled inner chamber was studied in laboratory conditions, on a test. The vibration source was attached to the stand frame and was in a vertical position coaxially with the electric drive, thereby simulating its location in the well. The unbalance was unwound by an electric drive with a rotation frequency of 10 to 50 Hz in 5 Hz steps and seismic vibrations, generated by a vibration source, were recorded. Based on the experiments’ results, the amplitude-frequency characteristics of an unbalanced vibration source in the low-frequency range with a dry and liquid-filled inner chamber were obtained. In order to prevent the bearing assemblies from jamming, their heating was monitored with a thermal imager and temperature sensors.

Theta-Rhythmic Oscillation of Working Memory Performance

Representations held in working memory are crucial in guiding human attention in a goal-directed fashion. Currently, it is debated whether only a single representation or several of these representations can be active and bias behavior at any given moment. In the present study, 25 university students performed a behavioral dense-sampling experiment to produce an estimate of the temporal-activation patterns of two simultaneously held visual templates. We report two key novel results. First, performance related to both representations was not continuous but fluctuated rhythmically at 6 Hz. This corresponds to neural oscillations in the theta band, the functional importance of which in working memory is well established. Second, our findings suggest that two concurrently held representations may be prioritized in alternation, not simultaneously. Our data extend recent research on rhythmic sampling of external information by demonstrating an analogous mechanism in the cyclic activation of internal working memory representations.

Utilizing XAI Technique to Improve Autoencoder based Model for Computer Network Anomaly Detection with Shapley Additive Explanation(SHAP)

Machine learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) methods are being adopted rapidly, especially in computer network security, such as fraud detection, network anomaly detection, intrusion detection, and much more. However, the lack of transparency of ML and DL based models is a major obstacle to their implementation and criticized due to its black-box nature, even with such tremendous results. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is a promising area that can improve the trustworthiness of these models by giving explanations and interpreting its output. If the internal working of the ML and DL based models is understandable, then it can further help to improve its performance. The objective of this paper is to show that how XAI can be used to interpret the results of the DL model, the autoencoder in this case. And, based on the interpretation, we improved its performance for computer network anomaly detection. The kernel SHAP method, which is based on the shapley values, is used as a novel feature selection technique. This method is used to identify only those features that are actually causing the anomalous behaviour of the set of attack/anomaly instances. Later, these feature sets are used to train and validate the autoencoderbut on benign data only. Finally, the built SHAP_Model outperformed the other two models proposed based on the feature selection method. This whole experiment is conducted on the subset of the latest CICIDS2017 network dataset. The overall accuracy and AUC of SHAP_Model is 94% and 0.969, respectively.

(IN)DEPENDENCY ON THE HEGEMONIC TO BE HEARD: NEWS-FOCUSED WECHAT OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS IN AUSTRALIA AS A CASE STUDY

This paper contextualizes an alternative perspective to a common academic discourse that ethnic media in the West provide a voice for the marginalized from the original bourgeois public sphere. The paper investigates an emergent industry – news-focused WeChat Official Accounts (hereafter WOAs) in Australia. The WOA is an information broadcasting feature launched on WeChat in August 2013 and then adopted by Australian-Chinese media entrepreneurs to produce and circulate the ethno-specific news stories among the Chinese diaspora in Australia and even beyond. From 2019 to 2020, I interviewed 24 media professionals to understand the internal working of news-focused WOAs in Australia. I argue that the anatomy of these Chinese-language digital media organizations reveals their financial independence from the nation-state in contrast to Australian hegemonic taxpayer-sponsored media. Contrary to many media scholars have argued, news-focused WOAs do not completely represent antithetical voices to Australian English media. The commercial imperative does not translate well into agonistic pluralism. News-focused WOAs are attached to the hegemonic journalism and internalize interethnic racism alongside white supremacist discourse against black people in order to be part of the dominant media structure.

“Good-looking step” in “bad direction” – RBI Internal Working Group proposal

Learning outcomes After discussing this case, the authors expect that the students will have the following learnings: critically analyse the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) banking proposal, which was proposed by the Internal Working Group (IWG) in November 2020. Understand concepts such as connected lending, crony capitalism and financial crisis. Have a basic idea about the Banking Regulations Act, 1949 and regulatory framework in the Indian banking sector. Case overview/synopsis This case is an analysis of the recent RBI proposal on banking regulations in India. The authors have referred secondary data in terms of published papers by stalwarts and experts in the banking and economics field. This case analyses the pros and cons of the IWG proposal to RBI governing body. The case also touches upon interesting banking and macroeconomics concepts. What makes this case interesting is that RBI is open to receive comments from all the stakeholders till January 2021. Complexity academic level Applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate students studying banking and finance specialisation in commerce and business management streams. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

Adult Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction In Couples Facing Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder associated with significant relationship distress. Although greater insecure attachment (dysfunctional internal working models that guide one‟s approach to relationships) has been associated with worse relationship satisfaction, this association has been overlooked in MS. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to evaluate the effects of one‟s own (actor) and one‟s partner‟s (partner) attachment on dyadic adjustment, and whether they differed by sex or role. The effect of matching of attachment between partners (dyadic attachment) was evaluated, and hostility was examined as a mediator of effects. 110 MS couples completed self-report questionnaires. Results showed significant actor and partner effects of greater insecure attachment on worse dyadic adjustment, and sex emerged as a moderator. Dyadic attachment was significantly related to dyadic adjustment. Hostile conflict partially mediated actor and partner effects of insecure attachment. Implications for the greater attachment literature and relevance to MS are discussed.