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Goodbye Jesus

Is That An Apparition? Nope. It's Yourself.


bornagainathiest

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http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(14)01212-3

 

Summary

Tales of ghosts, wraiths, and other apparitions have been reported in virtually all cultures. The strange sensation that somebody is nearby when no one is actually present and cannot be seen (feeling of a presence, FoP) is a fascinating feat of the human mind, and this apparition is often covered in the literature of divinity, occultism, and fiction. Although it is described by neurological and psychiatric patients [ 1, 2 ] and healthy individuals in different situations [ 1, 3, 4 ], it is not yet understood how the phenomenon is triggered by the brain. Here, we performed lesion analysis in neurological FoP patients, supported by an analysis of associated neurological deficits. Our data show that the FoP is an illusory own-body perception with well-defined characteristics that is associated with sensorimotor loss and caused by lesions in three distinct brain regions: temporoparietal, insular, and especially frontoparietal cortex. Based on these data and recent experimental advances of multisensory own-body illusions [ 5–9 ], we designed a master-slave robotic system that generated specific sensorimotor conflicts and enabled us to induce the FoP and related illusory own-body perceptions experimentally in normal participants. These data show that the illusion of feeling another person nearby is caused by misperceiving the source and identity of sensorimotor (tactile, proprioceptive, and motor) signals of one’s own body. Our findings reveal the neural mechanisms of the FoP, highlight the subtle balance of brain mechanisms that generate the experience of “self” and “other,” and advance the understanding of the brain mechanisms responsible for hallucinations in schizophrenia.

 

(Highlighting is mine.)

 

So it seems that when we feel the presence of another person, even when we are alone, our brains are actually misreading signals from our own bodies.  

 

Thanks,

 

BAA

 

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This reminds me of the apparent link between teenage marijuana use and schizophrenia. I was reading about the canniboid CBC in relationship to neurogenesis and depression. Apparently people who use marijuana with high CBC content show less impairment to memory and so forth as though CBC protects the brain from the harmful effects of other canniboids.

 

I worry about the legalization of marijuana when apparently most scientists accept that teenage use increases the probability of schizophrenia. I would like to see the canniboid CBC legalized and sold as a nutritional supplement. Apparently CBC does not cause people to feel high; it simply helps neurogenesis. CBC might be a good treatment for depression and other problems.

 

(Sorry if that is a little off-topic.)

 

EDIT: Oh, now I remember what I meant to say. I wonder if function MRIs show matching brain structure for:

- people who often experience FoP

- people who have schizophrenia

- people who used marijuana as teenagers

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A link to an overview of a recent study:

 

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/marijuana-users-have-abnormal-brain-structure--poor-memory.html

 

n=15 is not excatly a powerful enough sample to make definitive assumptions. It would be myopic to say that "most" scientists accept that marijuana = increased schizophrenia risk. Certainly, I think it is reasonable to note that brain changes occur and these changes may play a role in the development or exacerbation of mental illness.  However, there are also small studies that show marijuana may help people with certain mental health disorders such as PTSD. I think in the absence of robust evidence many people who study pharmacology and toxicology that are familiar with marijuana probably take a "play it safe" approach when it comes to kids and marijuana use.  This is different from accepting a hypothesis however.

 

BAA, have you see some interesting evidence about FoP related experiences (ghosts, presences and hauntings) and exposure to very low frequency sound or so called infra-sound?

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A link to an overview of a recent study:

 

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/marijuana-users-have-abnormal-brain-structure--poor-memory.html

 

n=15 is not excatly a powerful enough sample to make definitive assumptions. It would be myopic to say that "most" scientists accept that marijuana = increased schizophrenia risk. Certainly, I think it is reasonable to note that brain changes occur and these changes may play a role in the development or exacerbation of mental illness.  However, there are also small studies that show marijuana may help people with certain mental health disorders such as PTSD. I think in the absence of robust evidence many people who study pharmacology and toxicology that are familiar with marijuana probably take a "play it safe" approach when it comes to kids and marijuana use.  This is different from accepting a hypothesis however.

 

BAA, have you see some interesting evidence about FoP related experiences (ghosts, presences and hauntings) and exposure to very low frequency sound or so called infra-sound?

 

I've heard about infra-sound causing disturbances to the eyes which the brain then interprets wrongly, RS. 

But that's all.  No links or articles or papers.  Just third-hand remarks here and there.

 

Do you have anything more?

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.

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On the subject in the op, I can make myself feel another presence at will. But I can only seem to do it when I'm alone in the dark.

 

 

BAA, have you see some interesting evidence about FoP related experiences (ghosts, presences and hauntings) and exposure to very low frequency sound or so called infra-sound?

I'd be very interested in getting some new info on this, too. I remember reading that some mass hallucinations can be attributed to sound frequencies coming from outer space.
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A link to an overview of a recent study:

 

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/marijuana-users-have-abnormal-brain-structure--poor-memory.html

 

n=15 is not excatly a powerful enough sample to make definitive assumptions. It would be myopic to say that "most" scientists accept that marijuana = increased schizophrenia risk. Certainly, I think it is reasonable to note that brain changes occur and these changes may play a role in the development or exacerbation of mental illness.  However, there are also small studies that show marijuana may help people with certain mental health disorders such as PTSD. I think in the absence of robust evidence many people who study pharmacology and toxicology that are familiar with marijuana probably take a "play it safe" approach when it comes to kids and marijuana use.  This is different from accepting a hypothesis however.

I'm wondering if there are other studies that simply establish a statistical link between teenage marijuana use and schizophrenia later (around age 20)? Having had psychosis I have read what I can to understand it better. Almost every website has mentioned teenage marijuana use, so it would surprise me if that is based solely on the study you mentioned. (Not intending to be argumentative, but simply surprised by your claim.)

 

Here is something from google that seems to suggest the existence of many studies:

We briefly review the evidence that cannabis use in adolescence and young adulthood is a contributory cause of schizophreniform psychoses, by summarising longitudinal studies that: a) have examined relationships between cannabis use and the risk of psychosis or psychotic symptoms; and cool.png have controlled for potential confounders, such as other forms of drug use and personal characteristics that predict an increased risk of psychosis. There is now reasonable evidence from longitudinal studies that regular cannabis use predicts an increased risk of schizophrenia and of reporting psychotic symptoms. These relationships have persisted after controlling for confounding variables such as personal characteristics and other drug use. The relationships did not seem to be explained by cannabis being used to self-medicate symptoms of psychosis. A contributory causal relationship is biologically plausible because psychotic disorders involve disturbances in the dopamine neurotransmitter system with which the cannabinoid system interacts, as has been shown by animal studies and a human provocation study. We briefly explore the clinical and public health implications of the most plausible hypothesis, that cannabis use precipitates schizophrenia in persons who are vulnerable because of a personal or family history of schizophrenia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2424288/
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There certaily are other studies.  However, even the paper you cited was very careful to point out that there are likely multiple factors that go into the manifestation of schizophrenia. New research actually indicates pathology begins in patients that are very young, well before they would typically start using marijuana. At the end of the day it is a complicated mess and making definitive connections is simply not possible at this time.  However, in order to be cautious many people will still advocate against younger people using marijuana.

 

Another problem that plagues these studies is the fact that so many people use marijuana, good control groups are hard to find. Let us be honest and admit that it is probably difficult to find teenagers who have never experimented with drugs, let alone teenagers who would be honest when interviewed. Not impossible, but I am always concerned about confounders even if the researchers attempted to minimise confounding variables.

 

BAA, I do not have much to offer regarding low frequency sounds. I know Vic Tandy was involved in some low frequency sound research but I have not actually looked at the papers that were published.

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i think it depends on the person an the mindset, when it comes to marijuana. I testify to other cases of people with schizo, that have said weed helps. I have also heard different cases from a different schizo that says it magnified it for them.

 

Now based on personal use(and still use to this day). I've had moments years ago, where I went into the situation, before smoking, either depressed, upset about something, not in a good environment for smoking, anxiousness(which also goes either way depending on the person), etc; which all play a part toward whether you have a good high or bad high, as well. Weed only magnifies how you already felt right before hand and what you could already be predisposed to. Whether you have bad or good results from weed, schizophrenic people shouldn't be using it anyway, in case they, on day, smoke it in a bad mood. It all goes into the age old saying: "weed isn't for everybody". It can either be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the person and sometimes the factors of a person's mindset right before smoking.

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i think it depends on the person an the mindset, when it comes to marijuana. I testify to other cases of people with schizo, that have said weed helps. I have also heard different cases from a different schizo that says it magnified it for them.

 

Now based on personal use(and still use to this day). I've had moments years ago, where I went into the situation, before smoking, either depressed, upset about something, not in a good environment for smoking, anxiousness(which also goes either way depending on the person), etc; which all play a part toward whether you have a good high or bad high, as well. Weed only magnifies how you already felt right before hand and what you could already be predisposed to. Whether you have bad or good results from weed, schizophrenic people shouldn't be using it anyway, in case they, on day, smoke it in a bad mood. It all goes into the age old saying: "weed isn't for everybody". It can either be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the person and sometimes the factors of a person's mindset right before smoking.

You might try to buy marijuana that is higher in CBC. CBC is supposed to be good for your brain by promoting neurogenesis.

 

A study in Neurochemistry International suggested that cannabichromene might stimulate the growth of brain cells by stimulating adult neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabichromene

 

EDIT: My experience with marijuana and other drugs is pretty limited, but your observations sound right to me.

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There certaily are other studies.  However, even the paper you cited was very careful to point out that there are likely multiple factors that go into the manifestation of schizophrenia. New research actually indicates pathology begins in patients that are very young, well before they would typically start using marijuana. At the end of the day it is a complicated mess and making definitive connections is simply not possible at this time.  However, in order to be cautious many people will still advocate against younger people using marijuana.

 

Another problem that plagues these studies is the fact that so many people use marijuana, good control groups are hard to find. Let us be honest and admit that it is probably difficult to find teenagers who have never experimented with drugs, let alone teenagers who would be honest when interviewed. Not impossible, but I am always concerned about confounders even if the researchers attempted to minimise confounding variables.

 

BAA, I do not have much to offer regarding low frequency sounds. I know Vic Tandy was involved in some low frequency sound research but I have not actually looked at the papers that were published.

 

Thanks for the info, RS.

 

A quick Google of 'Vic Tandy' yields the following sties.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Tandy

 

http://users.iafrica.com/s/sa/salbu/apollo/HumA2.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound

 

http://www.richardwiseman.com/resources/ghost-in-machine.pdf

 

http://www.richardwiseman.com/resources/Something-in-the-Cellar.pdf

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Love the article you quote.

 

I tell you as somebody who has struggled with this my whole life it is so much better now that I don't believe in woo woo.  When I have one of those moments today I check to see if it is a burglar breaking in and if it is not of flesh and blood I simply dismiss it as something that doesn't exist and I go back to sleep.

 

Beats the heck out of asking my magical invisible friend to protect me from my invisible enemies and hope the message gets through.  "It is all in my head" is a wonderful explanation.

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