For some, the pandemic eased mental health distress
Children with pre-existing mental health issues thrived during the early phase of the pandemic.
06 April, 2021
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
- While COVID-19 physically affects adults more than children, mental health distress has increased across all age groups.
- Children between 5 and 17 sought help for mental health issues at much higher rates in 2020.
- However, a new study found children with pre-existing mental health issues experienced reduced symptoms when lockdowns began.
<p>While the physical effects of COVID-19 have dominated headlines for the last 13 months, mental health effects are considered a simultaneous pandemic that could outlast the virus. Children have generally been resilient against the novel coronavirus (though at least one variant is <a href="https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/03/23/uk-covid-variant-spreads-more-easily-among-children-maryland-officials-say/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hitting that demographic harder</a>). In terms of depression and anxiety, however, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-03-04/childrens-mental-health-crisis-could-be-a-next-wave-in-the-pandemic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">children are on par with adults</a>. </p><p>Emergency hospital visits for mental health issues in the 12-to-17-year-old demographic have <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6945a3.htm?s_cid=mm6945a3_w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jumped 31 percent</a> since the pandemic began. Younger children have fared only slightly better: a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6945a3.htm?s_cid=mm6945a3_w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">24 percent increase</a> for children ages 5 to 11. In Germany, one in three children has <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/german-children-suffer-psychological-issues-pandemic-75802955" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suffered anxiety or depression</a> over the past year. On top of this, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pandemic-learning-loss-grows-schools-race-reopen/story?id=75119538" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">children are having trouble learning</a> in remote education environments. </p><p>However, at least one demographic fared better than normal, at least during the early phase of lockdowns. According to a <a href="https://jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(20)32212-7/fulltext" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new study</a>, published in the <em>Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</em>, middle school children from a predominantly Latinx community with higher-than-normal levels of mental distress experienced a reduction in symptoms. </p><p>Children with previous mental health problems saw reduced <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/internalizing-behaviors-and-depression-1066876" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">internalizing</a> (behaviors including being withdrawn, nervous, lonely, unwanted, or sad), <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/externalizing-425248" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">externalizing</a> (behaviors including lying, acting irresponsibly, breaking the law, or displaying lack of remorse), and other problems. </p><p>Those without mental health issues benefited as well, at least in terms of internalizing and overall behavior; there was no change in attentional issues or externalizing. </p><p>The researchers began tracking 322 children (average age 12) in January 2020, before the pandemic took hold in America. They were studied until May 2020. While this only represents a sliver of time in lockdown, senior author Carla Sharp, a psychology professor at the University of Houston, says the results have important clinical implications. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"First, promoting family functioning during COVID-19 may have helped protect or improve youth mental health during the pandemic. Further, it is important to consider cultural factors, such as familism and collectivism in Latinx communities that may buffer the early effects of disasters on mental health to COVID-19 stress." </p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAxOTI0Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODU2NDA3Mn0.iASuNoNU_JCijiWbgaX75vMGZABVoNi-Oz2MZVo8Jig/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C269%2C0%2C43&height=700" id="37a16" width="1245" height="700" data-rm-shortcode-id="cffeaec01d549bb76e976b3e8a0d2fc8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption..." spellcheck="false">Seven-year-old Hamza Haqqani, a 2nd-grade student at Al-Huda Academy, uses a computer to participate in an E-learning class with his teacher and classmates while at his home on May 01, 2020 in Bartlett, Illinois.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images</small></p><p><br></p><p>Many have decried what we've lost during this past year. Indeed, the issues are many and complex. Yet we've also seen reductions in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498239/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">environmental damage</a> (including <a href="https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/noise-pollution" target="_self">noise pollution</a>) and <a href="https://unctad.org/news/covid-19-has-changed-online-shopping-forever-survey-shows" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increased savings</a>. We also have a greater awareness of how <a href="https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/coronavirus-factory-farms" target="_self">factory farming helps viruses proliferate</a>. And, despite the obvious challenges of earning a living with so many businesses and industries shuttered, this time has afforded some an opportunity to reconnect with their family. </p><p>Study co-author Jessica Hernandez Ortiz says this research could inspire new avenues of addressing mental health issues in children. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Our findings underline the importance of the family environment and Latinx collectivist values of community connection for promoting child resilience and brings into stark focus the possibility that school environments may exacerbate mental health difficulties. Removal from that context into a less pressured environment immediately and positively impacts mental health."</p><p>Since the study ended shortly into the pandemic, the novelty of family togetherness could have diminished as families became economically strained and realized that spending all their time together was more taxing than initially imagined. That said, humans are social animals that require regular contact with family and peers. The latter group might not have been available, but at least for some children, their families filled in the gaps, especially for those that did not thrive in a traditional school environment. </p><p>--</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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New study finds religion alleviates depression. Is it enough?
Intrinsic religiosity has a protective effect against depression symptoms.
22 March, 2021
Credit: ijeab / Adobe Stock
- According to new research, intrinsic religiosity has a protective effect against depression symptoms.
- Religion was only a pipeline, however—a sense of meaning mattered most.
- With increasing rates of depression globally, religion could be a "natural antidepressant" for some.
<p>The question of meaning remains one of life's greatest inquiries. Is religion necessary for deriving meaning? Can a modern, secular Buddhist approach work better, in which meaning is derived in moment-by-moment perception instead of reserving faith for a revelation at some future point?</p><p>These questions won't be answered here, though <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43076-020-00036-0" target="_blank">new research</a> from Brazilian researchers has found that religion alleviates depressive symptoms in believers. Published in the journal Trends in Psychology, the researchers asked 279 volunteers (72 percent female) to respond to an online questionnaire that focused on intrinsic religiosity, meaning in life, and levels of anxiety and depression. </p><p>The team concludes, "intrinsic religiosity has a protective effect against depression symptoms; however, it occurs indirectly, via meaning in life." </p><p>The authors note that 4.4 percent of the global population suffers from depression, with women 1.5 to 3 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Religion, it appears, provides a bedrock for communing with the sacred. They define religion as the general "beliefs, practices, and rituals related to the sacred and vary according to each religious tradition." Intrinsic religiosity, the focus of this research, skews toward individual relationships with the sacred, not utilitarian values—the extrinsic dimension.</p>
Religion Is Nature's Antidepressant | Robert Sapolsky
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="696112c3dd6fb7507a8d4e8220f46d8f"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oldj11NEsc0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The question of meaning in life and religion has been a hot topic of late. Leigh Stein <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/opinion/influencers-glennon-doyle-instagram.html" target="_blank">recently pinpointed</a> the emerging trend of influencers being treated as moral authorities, to which she pointed to decreasing faith as a potential reason: void of traditional religion, people are searching for meaning in digital spaces.</p><p>She writes that 22% of millennials now identify as "nones." The broader religious landscape in America has shifted dramatically in the last generation. According to a <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank">2019 Pew poll</a>, American adults claiming Christianity dropped 12 points in the last decade. Overall, 26% of adults identify as "none."</p><p>"None" is an umbrella term signifying an atheist, agnostic, or someone not interested in anything in particular. Sometimes this includes dabblers who pull from a variety of traditions without feeling invested in one. Stein noticed that wellness influencers have rushed in to fill a void, intentionally or not. As she writes, </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I was once one of those millennials who made politics her religion; I lasted three years as a feminist activist and organizer before I burned out in 2017. That's when I began noticing how many wellness products and programs were marketed to women in pain, and how the social media industry relies on keeping us outraged and engaged. It's no wonder we're seeking relief."</p><p>Shadi Hamid <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/04/america-politics-religion/618072/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">occupies a similar place</a>, though he identifies tribal political affiliations as the replacement for religion—specifically, to replace meaning. He claims a quarter of American adults qualify as "none," noting that less than half are traditionally religious, i.e. Christan church attendees, based on a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Gallup poll</a>. Hamid argues that this pivot occurred when religion left our lives. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"As Christianity's hold, in particular, has weakened, ideological intensity and fragmentation have risen. American faith, it turns out, is as fervent as ever; it's just that what was once religious belief has now been channeled into political belief. Political debates over what America is supposed to mean have taken on the character of theological disputations. This is what religion without religion looks like."</p><img
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<p>Hamid believes the Left and Right channel their political-religious hybrids differently: the woke Left repurpose original sin, atonement, ritual, and excommunication as pathways to creating a more just society while the Right has stripped much of the religion from their religion in order to focus their existential angst into blood and soil themes. QAnon, for example, is essentially a religious doctrine, requiring of its devotees the same leaps of faith.</p><p>Stein looks at the politicization of religion—really, the religiosity of politics—as a failure of imagination. Why, she wonders, have people put their faith in memoir-selling, supplement-slinging influencers instead of people who have actually accomplished something in their lives other than turnkey marketing campaigns? Why would we turn to so-called leaders incapable of even attempting to answer life's big questions, or at the very least offer solace in the face of uncertainty, the classical role of religious leaders? </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"There is a chasm between the vast scope of our needs and what influencers can provide. We're looking for guidance in the wrong places. Instead of helping us to engage with our most important questions, our screens might be distracting us from them. Maybe we actually need to go to something like church?"</p><p>The research team in Brazil might agree. One defining symptom of depression is an inability to foresee a better future. The global number might be 4.4 percent, but in America, the number is <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml" target="_blank">closer to 8 percent</a>. America, now considered the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/07/richest-countries-in-the-world/39630693/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">twelfth wealthiest country in the world</a>, <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/india-is-the-most-depressed-country-in-the-world-mental-health-day-2018-1360096-2018-10-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ranked third</a> in terms of depression. Money is never going to buy happiness. </p><p>Will religion? While the track record is spotty, this new research entertains an intrinsic sense of belief in the sacredness of life as a natural antidepressant, as Robert Sapolsky phrased it. During a time of growing unease, the suspension of disbelief might be what the doctor ordered—for some at least. </p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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New study suggests placebo might be as powerful as psychedelics
New study suggests the placebo effect can be as powerful as microdosing LSD.
05 March, 2021
Credit: agsandrew / Adobe Stock
- New research from Imperial College London investigated the psychological effects of microdosing LSD in 191 volunteers.
- While microdosers experienced beneficial mental health effects, the placebo group performed statistically similar to those who took LSD.
- Researchers believe the expectation of a trip could produce some of the same sensations as actually ingesting psychedelics.
<p>Swiss physician Paracelsus knew chemicals that heal in small doses can be toxic in large doses. The 16th-century "father of toxicology" spent his career investigating the effects of chemistry on human biology—and consciousness.</p><p>Psychedelics offer some of the most profound changes in consciousness known to humankind. As with the work of iatrochemists (chemists that provide chemical treatments for disease, a discipline vocally championed by Paracelsus), modern researchers recognize that understanding the dosage requirements of psychedelics is essential for determining efficacy. While overdosing can be psychologically damaging, psychedelics are generally not deadly, making them ideal for study. </p><p>Most people don't worry about overdoing LSD or psilocybin, however. The current trend is almost homeopathic in nature. Microdosing has become the productivity pastime of the Silicon Valley set, with knowledge workers swearing that minute quantities of LSD help them focus. Given the legal status of psychedelics, however, research has been scarce, though growing. </p><p>Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research has led the way in clinical trials. Director Robin Carhart-Harris has published over 100 papers on the effects of psychedelics on a variety of mental health issues. The center recently produced <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/62878" target="_blank">one of the first large-scale studies on microdosing</a>, with a caveat—the psychedelics were self-supplied (to skirt legal issues) and the psychological results self-reported. </p>
Psychedelics: The scientific renaissance of mind-altering drugs
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0a4f807ffde8e8cc64c2efc13b8d5dac"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5T0LmbWROKY?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>For the study published in eLife, the team recruited 191 citizen cosmonauts to microdose either LSD or a placebo over the course of several weeks and note the psychological effects. Volunteers were already microdosing LSD, so there was no true control. Each volunteer was given instructions on creating their own low-dose gel capsules, some containing LSD, others not. Then they mixed the capsules in envelopes so they didn't know if they were taking the real thing or not.</p><p>The trial design was ingenious: each capsule featured a QR code that was scanned after the addition of ingredients but before they were placed in the envelope so that researchers knew what they were ingesting.</p><p>The problem: volunteers sourced their own LSD. Lack of quality control could have had a profound effect on the results. </p><p>The results: LSD microdosers reported feeling more mindful, satisfied with life, and better overall; they also noticed a reduction in feelings of paranoia. </p><p>The catch: the control group felt the same thing, with no statistical difference between the groups. </p><p>Lead author Balázs Szigeti comments on the findings: "This suggests that the improvements may not be due to the pharmacological action of the drug but can instead be explained by the placebo effect." </p><img
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<p class=""><br></p>Credit: Alexander / Adobe Stock
<p>Psychedelics are notoriously difficult to control for given the intensity of the experience. Yet there is precedent for the above findings. A <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-020-05464-5" target="_blank">2019 study</a> found that 61 percent of volunteers that took a placebo instead of psilocybin felt some psychedelic effects, with a few volunteers experiencing full-on trips.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Several stated that they saw the paintings on the walls 'move' or 'reshape' themselves, others felt 'heavy. . . as if gravity [had] a stronger hold', and one had a 'come down' before another 'wave' hit her."</p><p>The Imperial team believes the expectation of a trip might have been enough to produce similar results. Senior author David Erritzoe is excited for future studies on the topic, believing they tapped into a new wave of citizen science that could push forward our knowledge of psychedelic substances.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Accounting for the placebo effect is important when assessing trends such as the use of cannabidiol oils, fad diets or supplements where social pressure or users' expectations can lead to a strong placebo response. Self-blinding citizen science initiatives could be used as an inexpensive, initial screening tool before launching expensive clinical studies."</p><p>As investments into the psychedelics market explode, with one company <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/thiel-backed-magic-mushroom-firm-atai-hits-2-billion-valuation" target="_blank">reaching a $2 billion valuation</a>, a recurring irony appears in the long arc of psychedelics and research: the power of our minds might be enough to feel greater life satisfaction and a deeper sense of mindfulness. If that's possible with a placebo, we have to question why the rush to create more pharmacology is necessary. </p><p>This is, mind you, a separate conversation over the role of psychedelics and rituals for group bonding. The function of group cohesion around consciousness-altering substances will continue to play an important role in many communities. </p><p>Of course, we should continue to explore the efficacy of psychedelics on anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and addiction. <a href="https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/antidepressant-effects" target="_self">Pharmacological dependence</a> is a stain on the psychiatry industry. Whether or not psychedelics can be prescribed for daily use remains to be seen, but we know a moneyed interest is expecting a return on investment—the above company, ATAI Life Sciences, raised $157 million in its Series D round. </p><p>When it comes to wellbeing, some things money just can't buy. How we navigate the tricky terrain of mainstreaming psychedelics remains to be seen. </p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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Can cats teach us the meaning of life?
And if they could, would they care, asks philosopher John Gray in his new book.
01 March, 2021
Credit: New Africa / Adobe Stock
- In "Feline Philosophy," philosopher John Gray argues that self-awareness isn't the epitome of evolution—and it leads to suffering.
- Gray investigates Pascal, Spinoza, and Lao Tzu to understand why humans are so uncomfortable with themselves.
- Whether or not humans aspire to become like cats, Gray says nature teaches us the lessons felines inherently know.
<p>There she lies, basking in the sunlight sliver that creeps through the kitchen window every morning around this time. What thoughts must run through her feline brain as she curls to lick a paw or turn an ear toward the garbage truck barreling down the street? The complexities of karma, her pending mortality, the bitcoin downturn? </p><p>Rubbish, all of it. Time, karma, mortality (and definitely bitcoin) don't enter her consciousness, or so claims English political philosopher John Gray. The former London School of Economics and Political Science professor has written influential books on global capitalism (bad) and atheism (good). Now he trains his sights on our most profound teachers—so profound they have no concern over whether we learn a thing from them or not. </p><p>In "Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life," Gray writes, </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Humans cannot become cats. Yet if they set aside any notion of being superior beings, they may come to understand how cats can thrive without anxiously inquiring how to live." </p><p>The bulk of Gray's fantastic book does not concern cats, however. They offer an aspirational model, certainly, yet Gray focuses on humanity's insatiable (and predominantly fruitless) attempts at happiness and our inability to reckon with the illusion of morality. Unlike the modern rebranding of eastern practices as a salve for suffering, he points out that Taoism, in particular, has always been more pragmatic than metaphysical. </p><p>Referencing Lao Tzu's straw dog commentary on the basic irrelevance of humans—at best, we're not special—Gray writes,</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The universe has no favourites, and the human animal is not its goal. A purposeless process of endless change, the universe has no goal."</p>
John Gray: Cats, Humans and the Good Life
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56cee1586f1e1bc2e6762b6bd4adbaab"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/er_TwUbvpmI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Cats, like humans and all other animals, do have goals: food, sex, shelter. Certainly not existential distress. Gray notes that the technological fervor dreamed up by transhumanists in their quest for disembodied consciousness is nothing more than a Theosophical fever dream. We haven't really traveled as far forward as our self-appointed credit pretends. </p><p>Humans are not designed to understand the complexities of the universe, nor even of our own biology. Even the notion of morality, as often marketed by religious traditions, is a farce, since people are only really "expressing their emotions." The only recourse we have for discussing emotions—physiological changes that disrupt homeostasis and warrant explanation—is language, and language is a powerful but limited mechanism for discussing reality. </p><p>And what is reality again? </p><p>She turns onto her back to expose her belly to the sunlight. </p><p>Metacognition, often championed as the great divine upgrade elevating humans above the pack (instead of, say, opposable thumbs, group fitness, or an incomprehensible ability to inflict violence), is actually the "chief obstacles to a good life," as Taoists phrase it. </p><p>Gray leans heavily on a number of thinkers—Aristotle, Hume—but the minds of Pascal and Spinoza prove most feline. Pascal knew sitting silently in a room is harrowing—pre-smartphone! We need diversions, he knew, endless entertainment and amusements to distract a mind as uncomfortably matched to its environment as our own. </p><p>Spinoza is the most Taoist of Western thinkers. Gray finds solidarity between Lao Tzu and ol' Benedict in the latter's notion of <em>conatus</em>, "the tendency of living things to preserve and enhance their activity in the world." Sadly, our enhancements cost the weight of the world. Despite what we believe, other animals don't aim to become more human-like, nor did evolution finalize its process with us. Other species have little problem becoming what they are. That's a uniquely human deficiency. </p><p>Humans, Gray writes, find actual fulfillment by applying a "Spinozist-Taoist ethic." We <em>can</em> actually be happy by being ourselves. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"A good life is not shaped by their feelings. Their feelings are shaped by how well they have realized their nature." </p><img
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<p>In the end, we become like cats thanks to an indifferent world. Only humans invent stories that reflect reality not whatsoever. Our brains chronically fill in knowledge gaps; those gaps often offer incorrect assessments. Existence is conditional to our environment regardless of how we try to manipulate it in our favor. You can only exploit nature for so long before she grows bored or angered by our tinkering—but there we go assigning human traits to a process that will never play by our rules. </p><p>This the cat knows—by not knowing, or caring, at all. </p><p>Despite the persistent myth, cats do display affection; they can learn to love their human roommates. Do our three cats climb into bed with my wife and me every night out of comfort or simply to keep warm? Irrelevant. Humans are conditional animals too. At least cats don't confuse pragmatism with emotion. They're content with what comes. We are not.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"If cats could understand the human search for meaning they would purr with delight at its absurdity. Life as the cat they happen to be is meaning enough for them. Humans, on the other hand, cannot help looking for meaning beyond their lives." </p><p>Gray offers a prescription for our duress. His ten feline commandments are ultimately for us; cats would use the pages for litter if given the opportunity. Consider the following three cliff notes for the anxious animals that we are. The irony: to achieve them you need to stop trying to achieve them—another paradox cats have no issue embodying. </p><ul><li>Do not become attached to your suffering, and avoid those who do.</li><li>Forget about pursuing happiness, and you may find it.</li><li>Beware anyone who offers to make you happy.</li></ul><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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Inception is here: Researchers “talk” to lucid dreamers for the first time
New studies show that some people can hear and respond to questions while dreaming.
23 February, 2021
Credit: slayer87 / Adobe Stock
- Four research teams in four countries independently communicated with sleeping volunteers.
- A total of 36 participants correctly responded to questions 18.6% of the time.
- Researchers believe this could open up new avenues for treating anxiety, depression, and trauma.
<p>From Leonardo DiCaprio to Freddie Krueger, pop culture has long been fascinated with the idea of entering someone else's dreams to influence their thoughts—or steal their souls. Of course, dreams have a much longer track record than blockbuster movies. We've long been enthralled with the possibilities of what occurs when we drift off into that "other" world.</p><p>But what if that world isn't as "other" as we believed? </p><p>Unlike many studies, which are conducted by one team of researchers, four teams in four labs in four countries (France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States) recently attempted to communicate through dreams. The <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00059-2" target="_blank">results were published</a> in the journal, Current Biology. </p><p>In total, 36 volunteers—a number of lucid dreamers and some novices who claim to remember at least one dream per week—were asked a total of 158 questions. Methods of replying ranged from smiling and frowning to eye movements. The German team went so far as to request Morse code tapped out with eye patterns in a display of, as the team writes, "interactive dreaming." </p><p>While lucid dreaming dates back to at least the writings of Aristotle, the term was coined in 1913 by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden, who identified seven types of dreams. He <a href="http://www.lucidity.com/vanEeden.html" target="_blank">believed lucid dreaming was</a> "the most interesting and worthy of the most careful observation and study." Lucid dreaming is described as the ability to take control of elements of the dream due to an awareness that you're dreaming. </p><p>A link between lucid dreams and the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep was first made in 1975 by Keith Hearne. Roughly half of the population experiences at least one lucid dream in their lives, though some people regularly have them—some even train for them.</p><p>Philosophy professor Evan Thompson investigates the intersection between Buddhism and lucid dreaming in consciousness studies. In his book "Waking, Dreaming, Being," he describes what occurs when you experience metacognition—in this case, an awareness that you're awake while asleep—while dreaming. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Use your imagination to manipulate the dream. Be playful. Change things and transform them… Explore the plasticity of the dream. In this way, the mind's supple nature will manifest, and you'll gain a deeper understanding of the dreamscape as a mental construct, a product of imagination."</p>
Dream Hacking: Watch 3 Groundbreaking Experiments on Decisions, Addictions, and Sleep I NOVA I PBS
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0ed0195ed11d6c10ea4127431c89550"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7M06fJxiayo?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Participants in this study certainly experienced their imagination stretching, with one volunteer "hearing" the math problem (what is eight minus six?) through a car radio while another dreamer was questioned by a movie narrator.</p><p>The results were not overwhelmingly positive mind you, yet still proved successful enough to warrant further research. One researcher called this "<a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/02/scientists-entered-peoples-dreams-and-got-them-talking" target="_blank">proof of concept</a>" more than total confirmation. Over 60 percent of the questions went unanswered. Another 17.7 percent were unclear, while just over 3 percent answered wrong. Yet 18.6 percent of respondents were on the money, an impressive feat for the sleeping. </p><p>While the researchers aren't stealing secrets from the subconscious, they hope this discovery could open up new avenues of therapeutics in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and trauma. The idea of accessing "dream content" that they can inform with new content could lead to non-invasive forms of treatment—or "Inception."</p><p>As the team writes, </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The scientific investigation of dreaming, and of sleep more generally, could be beneficially explored using interactive dreaming. Specific cognitive and perceptual tasks could be assigned with instructions presented via softly spoken words, opening up a new frontier of research."</p><p>Of course, more research is needed, though volunteers will likely not be hard to find. Peeling back the layers of consciousness is both a philosophical pursuit and a nighttime hobby, one that continues to reveal possibilities as we evolve our understanding of the unconscious. </p><p> --</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. His most recent book is</em> "<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRVMP2M?pf_rd_r=MDJW43337675SZ0X00FH&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy</a>."</em></p>
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