“Aad Guray Nameh” Meditation: Protection and Projection

Aad Guray Nameh Mantra for Purification and Protection

The ancient Aad Guray Nameh,  mantra for purification and protection is over 3,000 years old.  Aad Guray Nameh, is recited to clear past, present and future karma and invoke the protective energy of the universe.

Aad Guray Nameh
Jugaad Guray Nameh
Sat Guray Nameh
Siri Guru Devay Nameh

I bow to the Primal Wisdom,
I bow to the Wisdom through the Ages,
I bow to the True Wisdom,
I bow to the great, unseen Wisdom.

I bow to the Primal Guru,
I bow to the Guru woven throughout time,
I bow to the True Guru, the true identity of the Self,
I bow to the Great Guru whose great glory will always be.

Meditation Practice

Mantra: Aad Guray Nameh Posture:Expand from the Heart CenterSit in easy pose.  Apply neck lock, pulling the chin in (Jalandhar Bandh). Bring your palms together as in prayer at the heart center (Atmanjali Mudra).  Your thumbs are crossed, left over right for women and right over left for men. As you chant each line of this mantra, you extend your arms forward and up to a 60 degree angle, keeping the palms together and thumbs clasped.  Between each line, inhale and bring the hands back to the heart center. So, you are starting with the palms at the heart center. As you chant “Aad Guray Nameh” you extend the arms out and up to 60 degrees. Then inhale and bring the palms back to the heart center. As you chant “Jugaad Guray Nameh” you extend the arms out and up to 60 degrees. Then inhale and bring the palms back to the heart center. As you chant “Sat Guray Nameh” you extend the arms out and up to 60 degrees. Then inhale and bring the palms back to the heart center. As you chant “Siri Guru Devay Nameh” you extend the arms out and up to 60 degrees. Then inhale and bring the palms back to the heart center. Chant the mantra with each gentle and deliberate movement, projecting the mind straight out as you chant. Time: Begin with a 3-minute practice, gradually increasing to 22 minutes. The maximum length is 31 minutes. Eyes: Eyes are closed and focused at the brow point. Teacher’s Notes & More Information:This meditation builds the arc line and projection, creating a field of protection around you.  It gives you strength and self confidence.  Practicing this meditation, you balance your ten bodies, building wisdom and protection, and building a magnetic personality. This meditation also opens the heart chakra and and sends the energy of love into the universe. This mantra surrounds the magnetic field with protective light Complete Mantra: Aad Guray Nameh, Jugaad Guray Nameh, Sat Guray Nameh, Siri Guroo Dayvay Nameh Language: Gurmukhi Author: Guru Arjun Dev Ji, Fifth Guru of the Sikhs Music: Aad Guray Nameh – Snatam Kaur

Sources

This Time This Space: http://thistimethisspace.com/2012/11/20/aad-guray-nameh/

Music in video : www.snatamkaur.com

Meditation courtesy of Spirit Voyage : http://www.spiritvoyage.com/meditation/Protection-and-Projection/MED-000049.aspx

Advanced ANOVA

Farrah Sharpe

Southern New Hampshire University

Module Seven Problem Set Questions | Advanced ANOVA

For this exercise, you will be examining how female and male students in different majors did

on a math background quiz.  The major data are coded such that 1 = psychology major, 2 = pre-med, 3 = biology, 4 = sociology, and 5 = economics.  Gender is coded such that 1 = female and 2 = male.

1. First perform a 5 (Major) X 2 (Gender) two-way (or factorial) ANOVA, which is described in Chapter 13 in the Field SPSS book. This analysis lets us determine whether there is a main effect for gender, a main effect for major and an interaction effect for gender X major.

Descriptive Statistics
Dependent Variable:   Math Background Quiz
Major	Gender	Mean	Std. Deviation	N
psychology major	female	29.87	9.598	16
	male	29.11	8.162	9
	Total	29.60	8.940	25
pre-med	female	30.89	9.740	9
	male	31.17	7.259	12
	Total	31.05	8.182	21
biology	female	28.70	10.231	10
	male	19.22	8.511	9
	Total	24.21	10.401	19
sociology	female	28.89	10.130	9
	male	25.33	13.204	3
	Total	28.00	10.436	12
economics	female	34.67	9.074	3
	male	35.80	5.263	5
	Total	35.38	6.301	8
Total	female	29.94	9.520	47
	male	28.00	9.447	38
	Total	29.07	9.480	85

Tests of Between-Subjects Effects
Dependent Variable:   Math Background Quiz
Source	Type III Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Corrected Model	1329.704a	9	147.745	1.782	.086
Intercept	55385.376	1	55385.376	667.844	.000
Major	892.765	4	223.191	2.691	.037
Gender	98.536	1	98.536	1.188	.279
Major * Gender	313.988	4	78.497	.947	.442
Error	6219.872	75	82.932
Total	79383.000	85
Corrected Total	7549.576	84
a. R Squared = .176 (Adjusted R Squared = .077)

 

1. As you learned from last week’s one-way analysis of variance, when there is a significant difference found with an analysis of variance we need to know which means are different. If the main effect for gender, which only has two levels (female and male), is significant, you only need to look at the means to see which group scored higher.  However, if there is a main effect for Major (which has more than two levels), we need to determine which means differ from which, as you did last week.  You do this by running the Tukey post hoc test as you did last week.  To do this, go back to Analyze—General Linear Model—Univariate—.  Click on Post Hoc and push over Major so that it is underneath “Post Hoc Tests for”.

Multiple Comparisons
Dependent Variable:   Math Background Quiz
Tukey HSD
(I) Major	(J) Major	Mean Difference (I-J)	Std. Error	Sig.	95% Confidence Interval
					Lower Bound	Upper Bound
psychology major	pre-med	-1.45	2.696	.983	-8.98	6.09
	biology	5.39	2.772	.303	-2.36	13.14
	sociology	1.60	3.198	.987	-7.34	10.54
	economics	-5.78	3.699	.527	-16.12	4.57
pre-med	psychology major	1.45	2.696	.983	-6.09	8.98
	biology	6.84	2.883	.135	-1.22	14.90
	sociology	3.05	3.295	.886	-6.16	12.26
	economics	-4.33	3.784	.783	-14.90	6.25
biology	psychology major	-5.39	2.772	.303	-13.14	2.36
	pre-med	-6.84	2.883	.135	-14.90	1.22
	sociology	-3.79	3.358	.791	-13.18	5.60
	economics	-11.16*	3.838	.037	-21.89	-.44
sociology	psychology major	-1.60	3.198	.987	-10.54	7.34
	pre-med	-3.05	3.295	.886	-12.26	6.16
	biology	3.79	3.358	.791	-5.60	13.18
	economics	-7.37	4.157	.396	-18.99	4.24
economics	psychology major	5.78	3.699	.527	-4.57	16.12
	pre-med	4.33	3.784	.783	-6.25	14.90
	biology	11.16*	3.838	.037	.44	21.89
	sociology	7.37	4.157	.396	-4.24	18.99
Based on observed means.The error term is Mean Square(Error) = 82.932.
*. The mean difference is significant at the .05 level.

13. Write up the ANOVA results in APA format below. Be sure to include the post hoc test results in your answer.  To see an example of how to write up the results, refer to page 539, section 13.8, in the Field book.

ANOVA Results

In determining whether there is a main effect for gender, a main effect for major and an interaction effect for gender X major, a 5 (Major) X 2 (gender) ANOVA was used to examine the relationship of female and male students in different majors and their differing levels of achievement on a math background quiz. The data is used is coded as 1 = psychology major, 2 = pre-med, 3 = biology, 4 = sociology, and 5 = economics.  Gender is coded such that 1 = female and 2 = male. The main effects of gender (F(1,36) = 1.188, p = .279), major (F(1,36) = 2.691, p = .037) and gender X major at (F(1,36) = .947, p = .442). There was a significant interaction effect between effect for gender (F(1,36) = 1.188, p = .279), a main effect for major (F(1,36) = 2.691, p = .037) and an interaction effect for gender X major (F(1,36) = .947, p = .442). The main effects of gender, major interaction between gender and major were significant. Female majors in psychology (F(1,36) = 29.87, p = . 9.59), biology (F(1,36) = 28.70, p = 10.231) and sociology (F(1,36) =28.89, p = 5.263) did significantly better than males in pre-med male (F(1,36) = 31.17, p = . 7.259) and economics (F(1,36) = 35.80, p = 10.231). Economics majors performed better than biology majors. There were no significant differences among the other majors.

Post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test indicated that economics majors performed significantly well on the math quiz. The mean score for economics majors was (M = 35.38, SD = 6.30) this is significantly better than psychology majors (M = 29.60, SD = 8.94), pre-med majors (M = 31.05, SD = 8.18), biology majors (M = 24.21, SD = 10.40), and sociology majors (M = 28.0, SD = 10.436). However, each major differed considerably from each other in varying degrees with premed scoring the second highest and biology scoring the lowest.

Personal Reflection on the Self

Personal Reflection on the Self

by Farrah Sharpe

At some point in every human’s life they ask the big question – who am I? Personal identity becomes paramount on the quest of solidifying various aspects of one’s own mind, life and personal identity. The greatest mystery never told is the story of self, the story of I Am, the Great Spirit within. In 21st Century society the self is commonly described as outward views on how we think, relate to and evaluate ourselves in comparison to others. The self in my opinion is an a state of being present, aware, and noticing oneself while at the same time aware, and noticing other things in comparison to the original point of awareness.

C.S. Lewis perfectly describes the true self. “You don’t have a soul, you have a body. You are a soul.” To be aware of oneself is to have a concept of self the self is larger than the body and mind but in present day society, the self is simply concerned with its external presentation and the impressions it makes upon others. The interplay between the self-concept, self-esteem, and self-efficacy and environmental influences provokes an external presentation of the self in a social world that continually demands acceptance, acknowledgment, accommodation, and adaptation (Orth, Trzesniewski, & Robins, 2010).

Self-concept

Although humans seem to know themselves better than they know anything else in their world, self-knowledge is flawed, especially in the personal perspective of behavioral motivations (Myers, 2010). The self concept is influenced by desired roles in which it would like to participate in life. These roles are what I like to call residual self image and are personally created by each individual as they choose to become involved in social circles in which they identify with. The self concept is constantly evolving as it largely based on comparisons to others and experiences of personal successes, failures, judgment from peers and cultural expectations.

In my personal life my most significant self-schemas are those that define me as an artist, and a participating member of the Galactic Council of Light assisting in the global evolution of mankind. I am also a daughter, parent, student, and teacher. Within the next 5 years I see myself as a brilliant and thriving psychologist assisting people in finding personal balance through personal challenge. Today I find that I am an important guide and indispensable friend in many relationships. Honestly this part of myself I shy away from because I feel that people expect me to live up to a certain expectations and I choose not to experience that depth of responsibility at this time in my life. I believe that this denial of service and social purpose stems from a fear of appearing self-righteous, self-serving, and biased in my views.

Self-esteem

Life’s greatest achievements as well as its powerful disappointments contain equal pleasure and experience (Myers, 2010). A person’s self-esteem can build up and it can be broken down and each is a personal choice of retaining or giving away of one’s power. A person’s feeling of self worth, love and consideration for themselves is defined as self-esteem. Personally, I consider my self-esteem slightly above average when contemplating self knowingness, self awareness and knowing who and what I am on the deepest level. My self-esteem has its roots in the cosmos as I understand that I am an individual spark of the Ubiquitous Whole and I Am always connected and in tune with All That Is. I feel that self-esteem is either enriched or diminished by an individual’s personal dialog. Everyone talks to themselves all the time inwardly. I tend to watch and modify my thoughts based on how they make me feel. I use my intuition which I also call my inner GPS system to navigate my reality.

Sometimes my behavior appears as self-serving to others because I base my decisions on an inner understanding of how I create my reality. I choose my dealings and interactions with the world based on my desire to be a better person and I my desire for understanding, accomplishment, love, and compassion combined with my general belief that all things happen for the greater good. This idea has instilled in me the foundation that everything is moving me in the direction of my highest ideals. I have also learned that I am influenced by praise and acclaim, I believe this is the artist in me, it makes me feel good to create a piece of art that allows others to feel good, yet at the same time I am also affected by criticism and admonition.

Self-efficacy

Perceived self-efficacy refers to beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to management prospective situations (Bandura, 1995). Self-efficacy influences what motivates us and how we think feel and act. Each person has diverse levels of self-efficacy, depending on the motivation and perseverance to meet the challenge. I feel that my sense of self-efficacy is growing with each new understanding I have about myself and how I create reality. Depending on the challenge and the initial desire to achieve the goal, I have noticed that I am able to take on even the loftiest and unreasonable challenges. Failure does have its place in building character and is a great part of human life, instead of quitting when I fail; I see this as another challenge and devise new ways of completing the task. It may take me awhile but eventually all my dreams come true.

Two Social Experiences that affected Personal Development

Art and Meditation Teacher

Sometimes I feel that my friends and family think that my goals are a bit lofty and unreasonable. For instance, I invited them out to dinner 8 years ago and shared with them my decision to no longer produce the local magazine I was owner and editor of and that I would be studying meditation and art because I want to teach both to children in schools all over the world. The major response was that our society isn’t ready for meditation in schools. One by one they left the table. That day I was sad, I even thought that they may have a valid point, maybe I was going crazy, maybe this was a silly idea but things are changing and the way I saw it was now is the time to learn and master the craft, when society is ready, I will ready and a leader in my field. I thought to myself, until then I will continue with my studies and continue being an amazing photographer, what have I got to lose? I will admit that sometimes I find that I even become overwhelmed with the challenges that I present myself with. The older I get, the more I consciously decide to trust the positive aspects of myself and go with the flow. I have learned to trust my intuition, respect my ideas and develop mini plans and challenges for their achievement. Today I teach art & meditation at Toussaint L’Ouverture High School for Social and Justice. If I would have believed that my ideas were crazy as they said, I would have never discovered my joy of teaching and shared the gift of meditation with children who may have not had the opportunity of learning this life changing skill otherwise.
Personal Challenge Coordinator

Another social experience that affected my personal development was The 30 Day Feel Good Detox. Occasionally I do notice areas within myself where I would like my self-esteem to be higher. When I notice these areas of lack, disappointment or embarrassment, I will create a personal challenge that will allow me to defy the laws of my mind and make the new vision I have of myself a reality. Last month I along with 64 other SoulciaLight members participated in a 30 Feel Good Detox which I created out of the new habits that I wanted for myself. I set realistic goals for the group which involved eating, meditation, exercise and cleansing. This personal challenge was created because I just wanted to feel good in my body and mind and as I told others about what I was doing the idea grew. It seems that many others were feeling the same as I was.

Conclusion

Each individual has a personal relationship with the self, the external world and varying social environments. My personal development has been affected significantly by all the challenges, failures and successes in life. My mother loves to hear my stories, she tells me I have lived enough for 3 people in my short time here on Earth. The many good, bad and ugly decisions I’ve made throughout my life have showed me the many dimensions of my character, values, and ethics. All of these foster my world view and ideas of about my ever evolving self.

 

References

Bandura, A. (1995). Self efficacy in changing societies. Retrieved from http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/94049049.pdf
Myers, D. (2010). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Orth, U., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Robins, R. W. (2010). Self-esteem development from young adulthood to old age: A cohort-sequential longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(4), 645-658. doi: 10.1037/a0018769

Jung & Adler on Personality

Jung on Personality

by Farrah Sharpe

At this time in human civilization there are almost 7 Billion people on the face of the earth. It can easily be said that 7 Billion different models of personality can exist because each individual is a unique and one of a kind being. There are many factors that determine personality, the geographical location of where the individual was raised, how they were raised and by who all factor into who this person becomes. Every event a person experiences helps to shape their mind and thoughts, which leads them onto future life experiences. It has been said that each person is an island and through the various genres of personality psychology Dr.’s all over the world can provide new theories to provide quality states of mind to individuals seeking it.

Carl Gustav Jung was no ordinary psychologist; he was a mystic in his own right but did not want to be called as such. Jung is responsible for the in-depth discoveries and concepts found in Analytical Psychology. Jung offers a wide-range of views about the human psyche, its structure, dynamics and also both the conscious and unconscious mind. In his lifetime Jung was able to develop a detailed theory of personality not only from an individual stand point but also from a holistic and universal standpoint. His work is derived from applying universal images and motifs found in mythology, history and religion and reaching and decoding the deepest layers of the human psyche.

Jung’s primary discovery, the collective unconscious, gave way to analytical psychology. This new dimension of thought took the practice and application of psychotherapy to the next level, allowing it to be free from the confines of Freudian psychotherapy. This allowed Jung to go deeper within the mind and find root causes for the behaviors of humanity and its cultural manifestations. The practice of analytical psychology has become a technique for navigating the psyche of individuals that seek to understand the deeper recesses of themselves and also assist in developing the personality and its shadow traits.

Another major achievement of Jung was his discovery of Archetypes. Archetypes are symbols or images stored in the minds of all human beings. Archetypes exist within the minds of man and are derived from recurring experiences of humanities ‘early ancestors. Some of these images are ancient such as the mother archetype, the hero archetype and symbols such as pyramid, hearts or starts. These symbols and titles are recognized by every human no matter the geographical location and are embedded in the collective unconscious. Some of these symbols can be emotionally charged and can also be viewed as instinctual phenomena that when presented causes the human psyche to react in a certain way.

These primordial psychic patterns are independently found within the mind but also greatly assist in shaping the personality of individuals and society. Although analytical psychology has had great success in opening doors to the dark recesses of the human psyche, it has failed to be a verifiable resource because each person is unique and individual and possesses a different set of archetypes.

Alfred Adler’s theory of individual psychology has been called the foundation of a method for mind development and personal growth. Adler wrote, “Every individual represents a unity of personality and the individual then fashions that unity. The individual is thus both the picture and the artist. Therefore if one can change one’s concept of self, they can change the picture being painted.” The Adlerian view states that man is not a compilation of instincts and physical drives but instead is a knowing, self-conscious being which is in full connection and is constantly apart of the whole. He believed that deep within each person is a drive that is motivated by the dynamic force of evolution and individuals are becoming fully aware of this master motive.

The strengths of individual psychology are that it gives creative freedom to the individual as the creator of their reality and recant the blaming of a person or evil entity for individual failures. Individual personality places the person as the cause of the events it their lives. The limiting factors of Adler’s theory are that like that of Jung’s, the findings are not able to be falsified or verified even thought there have been many successful cases and much progress has been made.

A basic assumption seen in both Jung’s and Adler’s theories is it that underneath the layers of mind, people are driven by an inner drive to be greater individuals and to know more than is presently experienced by the waking mind. Jung calls this intuition and it is used to understand the inner world and outer conditions that represent future possibilities and past experiences. Adler’s theories are similar only he believed that people are aware and responsible for who they are and who they become; and that the origin of current behavior is derived past experiences stored deep within the psyche. Adler points to a concept that a person’s present reality is created by their behavior, which is intuitive in nature. This present behavior is shaped by people’s view of the past and ideas of the future. Intuition asks the simple questions “What is possible, what could the outcome be, who can I become?”

Determinism could be approached as one view’s the butterfly effect, one small motion of a butterflies wings in Bermuda can cause a tornado in Kansas. It is a far-reaching term that affects many areas of life events both past and future. In this view of reality when considering analytical and individual psychology both agree that events in the world are the result of some previous event whether ancestral, physical, psychological. If similar experiences are reoccurring throughout the human psyche this could be noted as a form of karma and could also be a part of a pre-determined or pre-existent set of events needed to be experienced by the individual. This area is closely related to Jung’s collective consciousness. Both Jung and Adler are open to alternate views of the universe and its inference on the human psyche in regards to morality, science, and religion.

Jung in his self studies ventured into his own psyche for his research and found a place within himself which he titled “the shadow.” In order for one to know the light he must first confront the darkness within himself. The shadow is the cause of our destructive behaviors and is considered the archetype of darkness and repression. The shadows hold the secret qualities which one would like to remain hidden. Most behaviors found in the shadow are those that are morally unfavorable and undesirable to society. Jung states that, to be whole, we must continually strive to know our shadow and that this quest is our first test of courage. It is easier to project the dark side of our personality onto others, to see in them the ugliness and evil that we refuse to see in us. To come to grips with the darkness within ourselves is to achieve the “realization of the shadow.” Unfortunately, most of us never realize our shadow but identify only with the bright side of our personality.People who never realize their shadow may, nevertheless, come under its power and lead tragic lives, constantly running into “bad luck” and reaping harvests of defeat and discouragement for themselves (Jung, 1954/1959a).

Adler on the other hand, although he has taken a different approach at describing the shadow tends lead to the same line of thinking which is, to become great one must recognize their weaknesses and not hide from them. Adler proposes that because people begin life in an undersized, frail, and inferior body, humans develop a belief system about inferiority and throughout life seek to overcome these physical deficiencies. These deficiencies propel the individual to become powerful, strong, and more advanced. In Adler findings after the individuals attain all of the aforementioned characteristics, the human still tends to react in the weakened state it grew to believe itself to be. Both theories point to the notion of an individual being and becoming self aware.

As psychology continues to advance, theories of personality will continue to emerge and old systems will fall away. Although the human organism is unique in itself, it is part of a dynamic whole in which is consciously and unconsciously communicating intuitively and urging man to become aware of his highest potential. Jung and Aldlers theories of personality are both relevant and admirable and are evolutionary in nature. They were bold in their pursuits and did not shutter at the ridicule that would come to them by venturing out of the Freudian model of psychology. Their work has forever changed the way personality psychology is studied and practiced.

 

References

Feist, J., & Feist, G. J. (2009). Theories of personality. (7th ed. ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

The Number One Conflict of Man

The Number One Conflict of Man

by Farrah Sharpe

The greatest gift that human beings possess is the human brain. The human brain is a super computer unlike anything ever created by the hands of man. The brain allows us to understand, learn, grow and evolve. As thinking, intellectual beings it is our duty to maximize our potential as a species and continue to evolve and create social systems that benefit everyone as whole for we are a Global Society. On our road to evolution our societal systems and the distribution of wealth on planet earth is an interesting topic which leads to one of the greatest inner conflicts man faces which is tuning into his life purpose.

There exists a great division of wealth on planet Earth at this time between those that have and those that have not. 1% of the population owns 99% of the wealth which includes the major corporations, land, energy systems and the Federal Reserve Bank. The same few that create the systems hold our society at in its current phase in a constant state of perpetual unhappiness. These systems are best known as the Economic Systems, Educational, Governmental systems, Religious institutions, Armed Forces, and the Food and Drug Administration. These systems insure that our society maintains its levels of comfort, continued growth and status quo. Most of these systems have been in progress for more than a 100 years now and although we as an American society appreciate them and have become dependent on their luxuries for our comfort and safety, on average 40% of the world’s population still exists without indoor plumbing, electricity and clean drinking water.

At present time Earth is in a stage of evolution where it is time for the systems and its people to evolve. Depression and sadness are common parts of life and can be felt during times of loss, lack, and disappointment. But in today’s society people are depressed and sad on a daily basis. This inner conflict presents itself as an ever increasing sadness which appears in intervals throughout life as one becomes discontent with their present situation.

Most of American society lives paycheck to paycheck and work at jobs they hate. These jobs do not provide enough cash or benefits to assist their families with basic needs throughout the week. (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) This type of life existence is experienced by millions of people across the world simultaneously so it is presumed that this is the norm and we should just accept things as they are.The common belief is: you work, pay taxes and die, this is the attitude of the working class majority. It is believed that this diminished lifestyle is the norm and therefore is tolerated by every man, woman and child.Although this is a popular opinion, this is not truth of the human organism and each being intuitively knows it. People when not allowed to express  themselves and do work they love, begin to feel a deep sadness about their lives, their level of achievement and financial status is unfulfilling and depression and unconscious self loathing usually sets in.

It is very common for people to become dissatisfied with their present life situation, what is uncommon is for people to do something about it. When the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, and water are met people find comfort and the space to develop deeper relationships. As their relationships deepen they find a place of confidence within themselves which tends to ignite their life purpose. Dissatisfaction can be used as a tool and become a Divine Spark and if followed which will guide each person to find their true life purpose. Once the purpose is found, cultivated and acted upon; inner peace, confidence, and happiness set in and will be experienced. It’s the next evolutionary step for people as they find space for loving themselves on a deeper level which in the author’s opinion is the number one conflict of man.

Social Psychology

Social Psychology

By Farrah Sharpe

Humans are described as one of the most amazing creatures that exist on planet Earth. Although the exact origin of the human species is unknown, there is still an ever increasing curiosity within the field of psychology that asks the larger questions, why and how? Why do people do the things they do? Why do people think the way they think or feel the way they feel? How does the human mind work and why do people react to certain stimuli and others do not? Human beings change like the wind depending on their current situation, why? Why in one moment are they calm and serene and in the next frantic and anxious? What is the human mind and why does it exist?

The field of psychology that questions and researches why people do, think and feel the way they feel on an individual level in relation to their societal context is called Social Psychology. According to Gordon Allport (1954), for example, social psychology is best defined as the discipline that uses scientific methods in “an attempt to understand and explain how the thought, feeling and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings” (p. 5). This field of psychology is most concerned with the studies individual human beings. Social Psychology allows psychologist to gain a better understanding of how negative personality traits such as sexism, racism and other stereotypes are formed. Social Psychology allows for individual study of peoples reactions to a multitude of situations including love and various personal issues. Social psychology seeks to provide a greater understanding of the processes of the individual mind and the human condition.

Social psychology differs from other disciplines, such as clinical psychology, general psychology and sociology because Social psychology studies how people interact with one another, their associations and personal relationships and group behaviors. Clinical Psychology primarily focuses on analyzing and predicting conflict associated with psychological issues. Sociologists, conversely, are more interested in understanding the relationships between group structures and processes. The human mind can be compared to an onion and its many layers, as you pull back one layer another layer become visible. While these branches of psychology are interrelated they are very different and each study different parts of the human psyche. Social psychologists are keen at examining person individual behaviors, belief systems, perceptions, identities and moralities.

Most of these individual traits are inherited by the individual’s culture geographical location. Everything in the environment shapes and individual’s behavior offering layers and layers of unique personality traits embedded in each human being. Plenty of information can be gathered about a person depending on their geographical context. Each human tells a different story based on their locations age, gender, race, and social class. Other areas of individual study involved in social psychology are religious beliefs, choice in community affiliations and family and work settings.

Research into specific areas of psychology is extremely important because it aids in the development of new and leading edge ideas and treatment approaches that assist individuals with specific psychological needs. Without research there would be no documentation and would halt the study and expansion of what exact factors play key roles in mental health.

Research helps us understand what makes people think, feel, and act in certain ways; allows us to categorize psychological disorders in order to understand the symptoms and impact on the individual and society; helps us to understand how intimate relationships, development, schools, family, peers, and religion affect us as individuals and as a society. (AllPsych and Heffner Media Group, Inc, 2011)

Psychology is an ever growing field of study and each year new minds are born and enter the vast field of psychological studies. New minds equal new perspectives and new breakthroughs in the wide field of Social Science. Humans are not always predictable or reliable and people’s actions and inner motivations entangled with thoughts, feelings and a plethora of behaviors continue to make social science far from an exact science. One small change in the human situation can lead to a windfall of changes in the human mind.

 

References

Allport, G. W. (1985). The historical background of social psychology. In G. Lindzey, and E. Aronson, (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. I, (3rd Ed.), 1-46.
AllPsych and Heffner Media Group, Inc, (2011, November 11). Influence of research on psychology. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/research_methods.htmlPlous, S. (1996). Social psychology network. Retrieved from http://www.socialpsychology.org/facq.htm

Transcendental Meditation Technique

 

 

In today’s society, the average human has traded his inner knowledge for books, schools and endless fact gathering which still fails to satisfy the real needs of man. Transcendental Meditation as developed and reintroduced to the world by Maharishi has proven to be a scientific and  systematic tool that can be used to develop the consciousness of the human being. The TM technique establishes inner peace in the practitioner and produces an state where wisdom and happiness is born. This experience has been spoken about exclusively in various spiritual and  religions traditions world wide and was associated with a state called enlightenment. Although there is a great need for the  re-establishment of harmony in the individual human and in society, enlightenment for ages has been considered unattainable to the average human until now. Personal responsibility for attaining inner peace and enlightenment will ultimately result in the evolution of man and the produce uplifting effects in the daily life of social progress leading to the evolution of mankind.

 

Main Point

 

1. Maharahsi reintroduced the ancient knowledge of TM to uplift the head and the hearts of man so that everyone could become acquainted with their own inner nature as he had. The practice of TM facilitates a space within where knowledge and pure appreciation of inner qualities can be experienced as a  daily occurrence of being.

 

2. This method of self exploration enables a person to dive deep within and reach the essence of life, the source of all wisdom, creativity, peace and happiness.

 

2. Maharishi presented the TM technique as a systematic mechanical technique that if used twice daily based upon certain basic principles of mental functioning and not the acceptance of a new philosophy or system of belief; has the ability to present one with the experience of enlightenment.

 

3. Using the The TM technique daily will systematically purify the nervous system leading to a continually clearer experience of the forth state of consciousness which is commonly known as pure consciousness.

 

4. The TM practice is really no more or less “metaphysical” than is modern physics: our belief in abstract ideas and has the capability of producing an experience within that has been comparable to pure bliss.

 

5. Maharishi’s understanding of natural law has allowed him to surpass mans traditional sphere of knowledge and formulate the theoretical understanding behind the TM program with preciseness and clarity insomuch that scientists are prepared to research and understand the depths of its true and long hidden capabilities.

 

6. The most important single result emerging from this unique coloration of ancient and modern science is the ability to attain enlightenment through the TM process. Enlightenment as it is known is identical with the fifth state of consciousness, where as consciousness is stabilized and integrated with waking activity, dreaming, and deep sleep.

 

GMO Foods Are Real

I’ll let you decide. I pulled this article and posted it just as I found it. GMO = genetically modified organism (GMO)

SINISA BOTAS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A new campaign advises consumers to “buy funny fruit” or vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out because their size, shape or color do not meet accustomed standards.

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Make a shopping list and buy “funny fruit” to cut food waste and help the world “shape a sustainable future,” two UN agencies urged on Tuesday.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners unveiled a campaign dubbed “Think-Eat-Save Reduce Your Foodprint” to change global practices that result in the loss of 1.3 billion tons of food each year.

The program is aimed primarily at consumers, food retailers and the hotel and restaurant industry, and is based on three recommended actions: think, eat, and save.

“In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense – economically, environmentally and ethically,” a statement quoted UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner as saying.

“We’re doing something that is completely irrational,” he lamented to reporters in Geneva, before adding that he hoped the campaign would “literally mobilize tens of millions of people to become part of the solution.”

FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva pointed out that in industrialized nations, around 300 million tons of food are wasted each year, “because producers, retailers and consumers discard food that is still fit for consumption.”

That is more food than is produced in sub-Saharan Africa, and is enough to feed the estimated 830 million people who now go hungry worldwide, he added.

The program estimates the overall cost of wasted food at about $1.0 trillion per year, with most losses occurring in production stages — such as harvesting and distribution — and blamed on problems from storing food in difficult climatic conditions to unreliable harvests.

It is retailers and consumers, whoever, who are usually guilty of wasting food.

Consumers can participate in a global effort by respecting a few simple recommendations, the U.N. agencies said.

Planning meals, making shopping lists and avoiding impulse buying helps, as does staying alert “to marketing tricks that lead you to buy more food than you need.”

Another good idea is to “buy funny fruit” or vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out because their size, shape or color do not meet market standards.

Tristram Stuart of the Feeding the 5,000 campaign told reporters in Geneva: “Wonky fruit and vegetables are very often left on farms across Europe and North America simply because they don’t meet the cosmetic standards of retailers, and they are left on fields to rot.”

People, he insisted, must “adopt the value that food is simply too good to waste.”

Paying attention to expiry dates and “zeroing down your fridge” with recipes that use up food set to go bad helps, the UN agencies said, as does freezing food, asking restaurants for smaller portions, eating leftovers, composting food or donating it to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters.

Retailers can offer discounts for food that is nearing its sell-by date, standardize labels and donate more food.

Restaurants were urged to “limit menu choices and introduce flexible portioning,” to audit how much food they waste, and to set up “staff engagement program.”

Finally, an Internet site, thinkeatsave.org is to serve as a global platform for sharing information on other initiatives that people come up with.

For the campaign to work, everyone has to get involved — families, supermarkets, hotel chains, schools, sports and social clubs, company CEOs, city mayors, and national and world leaders, the Rome-based FAO said.

According to the Britain-based not-for-profit organization WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), which is offering its expertise to the FAO for the campaign, the average British family could save £680 ($1,090) per year by tackling food waste.

Throwing away good food wastes the land, water, fertilizers and efforts used to grow it, Steiner said, while the transport involved generates excess greenhouse gases.

European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potocnik told reporters via videolink that he was “delighted” with the campaign against food waste.

Food production and consumption “must be one of the most inefficient uses of global resources,” Potocnik said, insisting: “We must stop taking our resources for granted before it is simply too late.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/buying-funny-fruit-world-hunger-article-1.1246041#ixzz2PyWC3OEA

Applied Behavior Analysis : Job Analysis

Applied Behavior Analysis : Job Analysis

by

Farrah Sharpe

November 2012

            The year is 2012 and every so often a great shift occurs in the lineage of the human race. Happening now within the Planetary Consciousness, the human race is upgrading itself. This upgrade is in response to the forward evolutionary current of the minds of its people. This shift can be witnessed in the in the resident children on Planet Earth. Worldwide children are experiencing depression, sadness, anxiety, self loathing and hate. These inner feelings of sadness and anxiety are the precursor to the list of diagnosis that has been given to these “new children.”   ADHD, ADD, Bipolar Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and the like, are some of the labels that are given to these uncontrollable, seemingly discontent children.

            Along with inner sadness these children also display developmental disorders distinguished by cognitive processing deficits, deficits in social interaction and other methods of communication.  Individuals within the spectrum exhibit a range of strengths and weaknesses, with a full range of intellectual abilities from above to below average. Those with average to above average intelligence are sometimes referred to as “high-functioning” (Howlin 2000). Doreen Virtue a psychologist specializing in the metaphysical aspects of behavior state that, Indigos have a warrior spirit, because their collective purpose is to mash down old systems that no longer serve us. (Virtue, 2012)

Applied Behavior Analysis also ABA for short is a philosophy that forms the foundation for treating many children with behavioral issues.  ABA is established on the principals of the science of learning and behavior. For years psychologist have been working to come to particular agreements of how the mind and brain work together to form intelligence within the individual. ABA sets general guidelines about how learning occurs and  behavior works. Behavior Analysis uses relevant information to assist in the reduction of problem behaviors that may interfere with education or harmful behaviors. ABA therapy is used to amplify communication skills, social skills, memory attention and focus which will lead to success in learning. ABA is useful in increasing academic scores and decreasing problem behaviors.

It is useful when evaluating these children to explore their personal cycles and the frequency the behavior repeats. In doing so, the therapist can prepare for upcoming conditions that may arise and offer new choices the child can make. These changes in the children point to the new patterns of the future and this shift in behavior could prompt the human species to pay attention. This time it’s the children. The children are no longer happy, free spirited, and imaginative. Most complain of sadness, depression and express a dreary existence.   Once again a ripple contemporary fabric of what society considers normal is becoming blurred. There is a new breed of children are being born on planet Earth. When the world’s children are being diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, Autism, Depression and Bipolar its time to take notice. This notice is not only for the children, but for the sanity of the parent also.

These children are very difficult for the parent to maintain and present psychological and physical strain.

Professionals worldwide are noticing the change in the behavior of children. “Day-care workers all over the nation, some of whom had worked in their profession for over thirty years, were also telling us the same kind of stories about how things were somehow different with the kids. Then we saw something that was horrifying. When these”new” problems became acute, there was an overwhelming propensity to solve the issue by legally drugging the child!  (Virtue 2012) Facilitators of applied behavior analysis (ABA) use interventions that derived from the principals of learning theory and intend to improve socially important behaviors in children.  These methods are intended to support people with autism spectrum disorders and have been evaluated using reliable and objective measurement methods.

ABA has been proven successful in increasing new desired behaviors and teaching new learning skills in children. Many studies demonstrate that ABA is effective in reducing problem behavior (Horner et al., 2002). ABA works best if intervention is started early on and has been very effective for scores of children with autism spectrum disorders. ABA interventions are to be overseen by competent behavior analysts.  A significant area for future research would be to perform large evaluations with unique scientific designs that would access long term outcomes for ABA intervention programs.

ABA is primarily used in educational situations and seeks to assist in augmenting social interactions and on-task behaviors and to assisting teach new life skills in conjunction with the child’s teacher. The Behavior Analysis helps the child to create cognitive skills involving self monitoring procedures and self control. Their work together helps the child to learn skills that they need as a growing adult to acclimate to society and generalized job-related social skills.

With ABA therapy students learn to respond to others appropriately, complete class assignments on time and restrict interfering behaviors. ABA is considered an evidence-based “best” practice treatment by the US Surgeon General and by the American Psychological Association. The United States Surgeon General (1999) concluded, “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning and appropriate social behavior.”

The new children need assistance in becoming honorable upstanding adults, ABA will help them to reach their goals. Most children with autism spectrum disorders greatly benefit by working with a Behavioral Analysis. It allows for deficits in communication and social interactions to be remedied at a young age and teaches the importance of life skills and cognitive processing. Individuals are able to move beyond their current handicaps and begin to display a wide range of strengths that were inconceivable for the parent before therapy. After working with a Behavior Analysis children begin to display a full range of intellectual abilities that are needed to perform in everyday society.

References:

Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Strain, P. S., Todd, A. W., & Reed, H. K. (2002). Problem behavior interventions for young children with autism: A research synthesis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 32, 423-446.

Howlin P. Outcome in adult life for more able individuals with autism or Asperger Syndrome. Autism. 2000;4:63–83.

United States Surgeon General (1999). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Author.

Virtue, D. (2012). indigo, crystal and rainbow children. Retrieved from http://www.angeltherapy.com/article1.php

Case Study: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome

Case Study: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome

by: Farrah Sharpe

October 2, 2012

The Ego, however, is not who you really are. The ego is your self-image; it is your social mask; it is the role you are playing. Your social mask thrives on approval. It wants control, and it is sustained by power, because it lives in fear.” ― DeepakChopra (Chopra, 1994)

Life is a great game that must be played with intention and integrity. Within each human hides the players of this great game and there are at least three. The first player is the self, the second the higher self and the third the lower self. The first and most important player in the game is the Self. The Self has the responsibility of making “right” choices and performing the actions which will take the Self to the highest feeling of success and love here on Earth. The Self also has the opportunity to make choices which offer the human being the lowest possible earthly existence as well. The higher self has the highest intention for the individual and continuously seeks to move the person upward and onward toward its highest goals. The lower self seeks to draw the individual’s attention in to life’s pleasures seeking to gratify the base needs of the individual, overindulgence in this area proves to be mans downfall.

Human beings have fallen into a slumber unaware, forgetting the great game. When individuals lapse into states of mind which allow the Self to harm or injure another being this is a sure indicator that this human being has fallen out of alignment with who she truly is, as in the case of Marna. Marna is a 37 year old house wife diagnosed with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS). Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome is an illness in which a parent or caregiver creates a sickness in their child by deliberate means. MBPS is a form of child abuse and is an indication of inner disconnection. As in the case of Marna, and the artificial illnesses she caused in all four of her children.

Munchausen creates a situation where the mother has an obsession with seeking unneeded medical attention for the child. It is a rare and poorly understood illness and the cause is still unknown. In most cases these children are moved from hospital to hospital receiving a variety of diagnosis and surgeries from the various hospitals the mother chooses to frequent. Munchausen syndrome is founded upon attention seeking behavior on the part of the parent and can sometimes be fatal for the children involved. This syndrome has a negative effect on the child as well, as these are the child’s first experiences of love and parental care.

In viewing Munchausen from a biological perspective Marna is more attentive to her own feelings of gratification and happiness. She appears to get a sense of pleasure for having her children cared for which is quite odd considering that she is intentionally harming them and has been habitually throughout all of their lives. This idea could lead to speculation that she also may have been a victim of Munchausen.  At this point in time it could be said that Marna believes that this is the correct way to raise children so biologically this behavior is now a part of her framework Munchausen has become the child rearing style of choice for Marna.

Emotionally, Marna receives sympathy for her sick children from relatives and friends. This gives Marna a feeling of love and appreciation on a very deep level, no matter how twisted the concept may seem. Marna is seeking to feel good and somewhere along the lines she has equated this good feeling with her children being sick. At the hospitals she receives added attention because the doctors cannot pin point a specific diagnosis and this creates compassion in the hospitals caregivers. Martha receives attention on all sides; she also enjoys the benefit of an incapacitated child which she now has the freedom to be emotionally unavailable for.        Cognitively, Marna understands that her behavior harms the child but is confident of the doctors healing ability to prevent serious harm done to the child. Although she consciously harms the child she does not view her actions as being “wrong” or distressing to the child. Her concerns are more focused on the lower needs of the self. Cognitively her parental signals have crossed and she thinks that her behavior will somehow have a positive outcome for herself. It is not clear whether she wants to kill her children or just enjoys holding them in a vibration of distress.

Behaviorally, Marna believes that she is performing all of the right actions, indicating the attitude of the attentive and exceptional caregiver. Marna in her heart and in her state of mind believes that what she is doing is correct and behaves as such. In her mind her actions and behaviors are those of the savior and she behaves as if she is unaware that her actions are the actions that caused the sickness at the commencement of the abuse.

As the human race journeys into the remembrance of self sometimes pain caused by traumatic experience seem to cause the human being to lapse in to states where they tend to recreate past pains experienced yesterday in a perpetual state of seeking peace.  The human race has forgotten who and what it truly is. And illnesses such as Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome calls attention to this fact. This dissension into slumber allows human beings to fail time and time again as they play the great game.  Most of our reality is experienced through a limited perspective of life. Human beings behave and react in ways that produce a personal feeling of satisfaction. Each individual is always on a course of good feeling and happiness, even when the outward behavior seems to have a counterproductive outcome. This is where we must enter the mind and understandings of another and perceive what they see without judgment but with compassion and an open heart. What we see with our eyes is only the beginning of the story.

References

Chopra, D. (1994). The seven spiritual laws of success. New York City: Amber-Allen Publishing.

Meyer, R. (2009). Legal issues and psychological practice. Pearson Education.