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What is the viewing experience of VR porn really like?
Recent studies suggest virtual reality porn can produce a more positive experience than viewing from a monitor or screen.
01 July, 2020
Image by Andrush on Shutterstock
- Since early 2014 when Ela Darling, an adult entertainment actress recorded her first VR performance, the world of virtual porn has taken off.
- Recent studies suggests VR porn produces a more positive experience than typical porn viewing through a monitor or screen.
- RealityLovers, a top VR porn website, speaks about the benefits of virtual reality porn experiences and the future of VR adult entertainment.
<p>The porn industry has seen a lot of change over the years, from <em>Playboy</em> being sold in corner stores to naughty pay-per-view movies on TV to personalized porn that's available on cam websites... and now, VR porn. VR porn (virtual reality porn) takes adult content to the next level; instead of just watching a scene, you're seemingly participating in it while watching through a VR headset that brings the environment to life.</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
Your brain on VR porn
<p><a href="https://www.dailydot.com/debug/vr-porn-brain-study/" target="_blank">Daily Dot</a> covered a study that was done by a popular VR pornography website and the results were quite interesting (albeit from a small sample): according to the study, which had men between the ages of 18-45 watching the same clip on a flat monitor and then again with a VR headset, participants watching VR porn had to work harder to process the information. The article explains:<br></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>That's not necessarily a bad result... [B]oth VR and PC scored in the cognitive load "sweet spot," where users were neither overwhelmed with information nor bored by it... The participants' motivation, or whether they feel positive or negative about watching certain content, was also greater, or more positive, in the VR test.</em></p>The overall results of this study suggest that VR porn produces a more positive experience but is not too overwhelming. <a href="https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/rebooting-porn-use-faqs/what-about-virtual-reality-vr-porn/" target="_blank">Various studies</a> have since confirmed this original finding.The rise of VR porn and what it means for the adult entertainment industry
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQyODIyNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzMxOTc5OX0.YvFfshnjS5lKESA79Ry5DRISFga_iB9j-0ZFjkDY380/img.jpg?width=980" id="1c10c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1163a4c72e4cc565a59d26eb770769b4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="\u200ba woman with a VR headset on watching VR porn" />Photo: RealityLovers
<p><strong>What is the viewing experience like?</strong></p><p><strong></strong>With some of the top VR porn websites having been around for up to five years now, the continued developments in technology have allowed the adult entertainment industry to advance in ways we could have only imagined, allowing viewers to have an incredibly realistic experience through platforms like <a href="https://realitylovers.com/news/what-is-the-viewing-experience-of-vr-porn-like/" target="_blank">RealityLovers</a>.</p><p>For those who have not yet experienced virtual reality porn, it's a completely immersive way to consume adult content. There are 180-degree and 360-degree porn websites available which allow you to explore the environment you're in, which can include exotic locations around the world or fantasy locations that don't exist in real life.</p><p>One of the most popular experiences is POV (point of view) porn, which allows you to view the scene from a first-person perspective. As you can imagine, this is a particularly popular genre of VR porn, although there are many other genres in existence.</p><p><strong>What equipment do you need to watch VR porn? </strong></p><p>Although VR systems used to be expensive, they are becoming increasingly more popular among the general public. From smartphones and Google Cardboard to Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and beyond, there are plenty of different options for VR equipment. </p><p>Most virtual reality porn websites are capable of accepting various types of VR systems, but you may need to check with the site to make sure the equipment you have (or are looking to purchase) is compatible with their platform. </p><p>Along with a VR headset of your choosing, there <a href="https://sextoycollective.com/best-male-sex-toys/vr/" target="_blank">are also some sex toys</a> that people choose to use to enhance their virtual reality experience. People who desire a totally immersive experience may opt for something like the <a href="https://www.kiiroo.com/products/the-fleshlight-launch-powered-by-kiiroo?sscid=61k4_pfkyx" target="_blank">Fleshlight Launch</a> (a male interactive sex toy that is able to sync with VR content through select platforms).</p><p><strong>VR porn and beyond…</strong></p><p>If you're curious about virtual reality porn, devices are more affordable than ever and more and more platforms are giving viewers access to virtual reality situations. The sex toy industry has also hopped on board, manufacturing more and more toys that are Bluetooth compatible, meaning you can sync them to your VR system and use them simultaneously. From POV sex to threesomes and more, virtual reality is quickly becoming a favorite way for people to bring their fantasies to life.</p>
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Free self-hypnosis therapy in your home? Just ask Alexa
Reveri Health has launched a new stress-relief self-hypnosis program through Amazon Alexa to help combat the anxiety of COVID-19.
16 June, 2020
Image by Reveri Health
- Hypnosis refers to a trance state that is characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation, and heightened imagination.
- Hypnotherapy can be used to help you quit smoking, to manage chronic and acute pain, during labor and childbirth, as well as to ease stress and anxiety.
- Reveri Health, headed by Ariel Poler and Dr. David Spiegel, has launched several self-hypnosis skill programs through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, one of which is designed to combat the anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic.
<p>Hypnosis refers to a trance state that is characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation, and heightened imagination. Hypnosis can be thought of as a tool to be used during hypnotherapy, which is, in simplest terms, the practice of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes.</p><p>Hypnotherapy has been used in practices such as: </p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Helping people quit smoking</li><li>Relieving chronic and acute pain </li><li>During childbirth (referred to as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/hypnobirthing" target="_blank">hypnobirthing</a>) </li><li>Navigating the cause of mental health issues such as anxiety, PTSD, or depression</li></ul><p>Hypnosis has been shown to <a href="https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/how-hypnosis-works-stanford-university?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">impact three separate areas of the brain</a>:</p><p>First, there is a decrease in activity in the part of the brain that is responsible for psychological functions such as decision making, evaluation processes, and emotional regulation. Then, there's an increase in the connection between the part of the brain that controls your working memory and self-control and the part of the brain that plays a significant role in pain perception, social engagements, and emotions. Lastly, there are reduced connections in the parts of the brain that control neural activity and cognitive tasks.</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
Hypnotherapy via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM5NjM4NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTc0NDMwNn0.fTVEBBrLT8-oXUyvy1orm_3Jnc1dwD1Nzj20QuHf5F8/img.png?width=1245&coordinates=2%2C0%2C2%2C0&height=700" id="f2c9d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0a24c656f0cab8cc3bdda198b5f1261d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="" />Clinical trials of the Amazon Alexa stress relief skills have showed a significant decrease in anxiety amongst users.
Image by Reveri Health
<p><strong>What is hypnotherapy?</strong></p><p>Hypnotherapy takes advantage of the relaxed, suggestible state your brain is in to alter our perceptions of things.</p><p>Hypnotherapy expert Diane Zimberoff (cofounder of the <a href="https://web.wellness-institute.org/blog/bid/265872/How-Does-Hypnosis-Work" target="_blank">Wellness Institute</a>) compares our subconscious mind to a computer's filing system. Our subconscious is like a hard drive. We store experiences, emotions, thoughts, and other processes there.</p><p>Hypnotherapist <a href="https://web.wellness-institute.org/blog/bid/256330/what-is-the-difference-between-hypnosis-and-hypnotherapy" target="_blank">Judi Vitale describes</a>:</p><p><em>"With hypnosis, you might want to help someone stop smoking by suggesting the taste or smell of cigarettes is worse than it actually is. But a hypnotherapist can use age-regression techniques [during hypnosis] to examine the impulse that fuels the client's habit.</em></p><p><strong>Self-hypnosis can aid in pain management, quitting smoking and stress relief.</strong></p><p>Self-hypnosis, according to <a href="https://www.reverihealth.com/about-hypnotherapy" target="_blank">Reveri Health</a>, is a type of hypnotherapy that can be done via an audio guide. You can do this in the comfort of your own home. First, you follow a series of instructions to get you into a focused state of attention (what is referred to as the hypnotic state).<br></p><p>Once you are in a calm and focused state, the therapy track will begin. After you hear and absorb all of the suggestions in the session, you will be guided out of your hypnotic state. </p><p><a href="https://www.reverihealth.com/about-reveri-1" target="_blank">Reveri Health</a> was cofounded by Dr. David Spiegel, who is considered one of the United States' most respected experts in clinical uses of hypnosis, alongside Ariel Poler, an passionate investor in the field of human augmentation. </p><p>With a team of psychologists, doctors, designers, and engineers, Reveri Health is dedicated to the belief that we can all feel better by changing the way we think - and one of the best tools to do this is the use of hypnotherapy. </p><p><strong>Clinical trials for Amazon Alexa self-hypnosis have revealed very encouraging results.</strong></p><p>According to Poler, Reveri Health has run clinical trials using self-hypnosis tracks through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant at Stanford University that focused on the ability to <a href="https://www.reverihealth.com/quit-smoking" target="_blank">quit smoking</a> and <a href="https://www.reverihealth.com/manage-pain" target="_blank">pain management</a>.</p><p>The results of the pain management via hypnotherapy trial showed that pain ratings of users moved from an average 5.1 to 3.95 after using the Alexa Hypnosis pain relief app for 3 months. This specific trial also showed that hypnosis reduces pain by up to 50 percent over a year among women with metastatic breast cancer.</p><p>While it's important to note that self-hypnosis doesn't work for everyone, these results suggest there may be a new wave of hypnotherapy treatments that are available in the comfort of your own home.</p><p><strong><em>"Alexa, start hypnosis stress relief."</em></strong></p><p>Reveri Health has launched a specific program (which is currently being offered for free) to help combat the anxiety around the COVID-19 global pandemic. </p><p>If you're near your Alexa device, find a comfortable position, and then say: <em>"Alexa, start hypnosis stress relief."</em> </p><p>The voice of Dr. Spiegel will take you through a short hypnotherapy session that was designed to help you manage stress and anxiety that can be generated from the current COVID-19 pandemic. </p><p>This is a 10-15 minute session that you can repeat as many times as you'd like for free. You can begin using this service by <a href="https://www.reverihealth.com/stress" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</p>
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A buried ancient Roman city uncovered using radar technology
Ground-penetrating radar allows the non-invasive virtual excavation of Falerii Novi.
11 June, 2020
Image source: L. Verdonck/University of Cambridge
- Using ground-penetrating radar, layers of an ordinary field in Italy are pulled back to reveal a lost Roman town.
- Without disturbing a single artifact, an incredible level of detail is uncovered.
- The buried town, Falerii Novi, has been quietly awaiting discovery since it was abandoned at the start of medieval age.
<p>It doesn't look like much to the naked eye. It's basically an empty field, but if you caught it on the right days, you'd have seen a quad-wheel bike going back and forth while pulling an unremarkable-looking bit of not-really-farm gear. What's been going on there is the layer-by-layer discovery of an ancient Roman town, Falerii Novi. While archaeological finds like this are always interesting, this one is special: The long-buried city has been exposed without the removal of a speck of dirt.</p>
Technology and patience
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4NzE4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzQxMTY4MH0.DIOloya9PvQywFEed7II9NiUJzaCUv5aqslmE4bQTDo/img.jpg?width=980" id="f1a3f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="71904c4627c2cc05a5ef7ca3f904cdb4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="ground-penetrating radar equipment scanning the field" />Image source:Frank Vermeulen/University of Cambridge
<p>Falerii Novi was unearthed using <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926985118305846" target="_blank">ground-penetrating radar</a>, or GPR. With each pass across that field, the bike pulled a rolling frame outfitted with a GPR instrument that bounced radio waves off of whatever lay beneath it. The device took a reading every 12.5 centimeters, eventually imaging the entire 30.5-hectare area. Without disturbing a single ancient artifact, GPR generated a remarkably detailed look at the lost city, with its various different layers depicting changes that occurred over time.</p><p>In the end, the researchers were confronted with 28 billion GPR data points to be processed, an almost impossibly huge task. Each hectare takes about 20 hours to work through, and the team is currently developing automation techniques that will allow them to fully explore the data collected by the GPR.</p><p>Corresponding author of the study recently published in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/groundpenetrating-radar-survey-at-falerii-novi-a-new-approach-to-the-study-of-roman-cities/BE7B8E3AE55DB6E03225B01C54CDD09B#fndtn-information" target="_blank">Antiquity</a>, Martin Millett of Cambridge's Faculty of Classics, is <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/roman-city-rises" target="_blank">clearly excited</a> by the project:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>"The astonishing level of detail which we have achieved at Falerii Novi, and the surprising features that GPR has revealed, suggest that this type of survey could transform the way archaeologists investigate urban sites, as total entities."</em></p>Falerii Novi
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4NzIwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODE4NjMxMH0.eVrydFSBZs3xLaAhgAA1XFnUeIaI6FGtmggJ4N519BI/img.jpg?width=980" id="263e2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6446619be28f954d75a17884b6af1690" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="A preliminary version of the Falerii Novi map" />A preliminary version of the Falerii Novi map
Image source: University of Cambridge
<p>Quite a bit was already known about the walled town of Falerii Novi. It was first occupied in 241 BC, and lasted until around 700 AD., the early days of the medieval period. It's located about 30 miles north of Rome. The town, which was about half the size of Pompeii, has been the subject of other scanning research before, but has never been so thoroughly revealed until now.<br></p>What's new/old?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4ODQxNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5ODQwNzE4NX0.L_sXdQqYN191hbSqBu3_DRmEKCoid5yf5v10Jw_gA-c/img.png?width=980" id="bd6e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9eee6cf0614e5eb43e0c7b8e7e3845c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Falerii Novi" />Image source: L. Verdonck/University of Cambridge
<p>The visible Falerii Novi contains a number of surprises.</p><p>In a broad sense, the town's layout appears less standardized than archaeologists would expect for an ancient Roman community, with a number of notable features.</p><p>There's the mysterious pair of large structures facing each other within a porticus duplex located at the town's northern gate at the upper edge of the image above. Experts have no idea what these buildings are, though they conjecture that they may have been some sort of massive monument overlooking the city's edge.</p><p>In addition, for a small city, the temple, market building and bath complex are unexpectedly elaborate.</p><p>GPR also revealed the existence of an intriguing network of pipes that may have been a large public bathing system featuring an open-air natatio, or pool. The pipes terminate at a large rectangular building and run not just along the town's streets, as might be expected, but also under its city blocks.</p>Looking forward
<p>With the Falerii Novi project serving as such a stunning reason to keep using this technology for archaeology, Millet envisions many more such projects: "It is exciting and now realistic to imagine GPR being used to survey a major city such as Miletus in Turkey, Nicopolis in Greece or Cyrene in Libya. We still have so much to learn about Roman urban life and this technology should open up unprecedented opportunities for decades to come."</p>
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How does hypnosis really impact the brain?
A groundbreaking Stanford University study explains the areas of the brain that are impacted by hypnosis.
09 June, 2020
Photo by LILAWA.COM on Shutterstock
- Hypnosis refers to a trance state that is characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation, and heightened imagination.
- According to a Stanford University School of Medicine study, there are three areas of our brains that change during a state of hypnosis.
- This groundbreaking study provides information on how hypnosis impacts the brain, which could lead to new and improved pain management and anxiety treatments in the future.
<p>Although hypnosis has been around for <a href="https://www.hypnotherapy-london.info/the-history-of-hypnosis/" target="_blank">hundreds of years</a>, it is still something that even the brightest among us cannot fully understand. The earliest references to hypnosis date back to ancient Egypt and Greece. In fact, the word "hypnos" means "sleep" and refers to the Greek god who is the personification of sleep. </p><p>Our definition of hypnosis refers to a trance state that is characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation, and heightened imagination. Most often, hypnosis is compared to a sort of daydream state - you're fully conscious, but you have tuned out most of the stimuli around yourself and are focused intently on a particular subject, most of the time through the power of suggestion</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
Hypnosis: a brief history
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4MDUzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODE0NTIxMn0.8i-niurp_iqtQtLAItVe4bYVzsCvP510dhMITGPs47E/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C52%2C0%2C52&height=700" id="ec42b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1af341304e578f5bf20858cb7e872c86" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="swinging pocket watch" />Along the way, there have been many pioneers in the feild of hypnosis research.
Photo by Brian A Jackson on Shutterstock
<p>The "modern father" of hypnosis was Austrian physician Franz Mesmer, who gave us the word "mesmerism", which can be another word referencing a hypnotic state. Mesmer had an idea for which he called "animal magnetism" - and the idea was that there are these kinds of natural energy sources that could be transferred between organisms and objects.</p><p>Along the way, hypnotism has had many other pioneers who have furthered the fascinating phenomenon. One of the most notable is James Braid, an eye doctor based in Scotland who became intrigued with the idea of hypnosis when he discovered a patient in his waiting room had fallen under something of a trance after staring at a lamp. He gave the patient come commands, and the patient obliged, remaining in a trace-like state the entire time. </p><p>Braid's fascination grew and through more tests, he determined that getting a patient to fixate on something was one of the most important components to hypnosis. He later would publish a book on what we now know as the <a href="https://books.google.be/books/about/The_Discovery_of_Hypnosis.html?id=Vs35STwQYQoC&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">discovery of modern hypnosis</a>.</p><p>Later, James Esdaile, a British surgeon based in India during the mid-1800s established that this kind of trance hypnotic state was extremely useful in pain relief practices. He performed hundreds of major operations using hypnotism as his only anesthetic. When he returned to England in an attempt to convince the medical establishments of his findings, they paid no mind to his theory in favor of new chemical anesthetics such as morphine, which was <a href="https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/a-short-history.html" target="_blank">relatively new at the time</a>. This is where the use of hypnotics for medicinal purposes halted and much of the reason why hypnosis is considered an alternative approach to medicine in today's society.</p><p>Jumping forward to the 1900s, Frenchman Emile Coué moved away from the conventional approaches that had been pioneered with hypnotism and began his work with the use of auto-suggestion. </p><p>He is most famous for the phrase: <em>"Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better." </em>This technique was one of the first instances where affirmation hypnosis was used and it has been growing through various counseling programs and therapy techniques ever since.</p><p>In modern times, one of the most recognized authorities on clinical hypnosis remains to be Milton Erikson, a well-known psychotherapist who did most of his work around 1950-1980. He was fascinated with human psychology and devised countless innovative ways to use hypnosis in his clinical practices. </p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4MDU0Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTA2ODk0N30.3OCQkoOCP2XS04Tn7d2x-EdhrMx1ijM9gyY7zOGhR7A/img.png?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=700" id="a5daf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="896e0aa4f3bff1e857422439640ffb18" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="purple brain with yellow circles around it as a concept for hypnosis" />
Scientists scanned the brains of 57 people during a guided hypnosis session.
Image by vrx on Shutterstock
<p><strong>Changes found in three areas of the brain during hypnosis may suggest future alternative treatments for anxiety and pain management.</strong><br><br>Over the years, hypnosis has gained a lot of traction and respectability within both the medical and psychotherapy professions. According to a 2016 Stanford University School of Medicine study, there are three areas of our brains that change during a state of hypnosis - and this could actually be used to benefit us.</p><p>Scientists scanned the brains of 57 people during a guided hypnosis session, similar to one that may be used to help treat anxiety, pain, or trauma. </p><p><strong>First, there is a decrease in dorsal anterior cingulate activity. </strong></p><p>This is part of the brain's salience network that is responsible for <a href="https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Anterior+Cingulate+Cortex" target="_blank">psychological functions</a> like decision making, evaluation processes, and emotional regulation as well as physiological functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. </p><p><strong>Next, there is an increase in the connection between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula. </strong></p><p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/dorsolateral-prefrontal-cortex" target="_blank">dorsolateral prefrontal cortex</a> is associated with executive functions such as working memory and self-control. The <a href="https://www.spinalcord.com/insular-cortex" target="_blank">insula</a> is a small region of the cerebral cortex that plays a significant role in pain perception, social engagements, emotions, and autonomic control. </p><p>This is described by the lead researcher of the study as a kind of "brain-body connection" that helps the brain process and control what's going on in the body. </p><p><strong>Finally, there are reduced connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex. </strong></p><p>The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex becomes less connected to the medial prefrontal cortex and the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/1/215" target="_blank">posterior cingulate cortex</a>, both of which are strongly associated with neural activity and cognitive tasks.</p><p>This decrease very likely correlates to the disconnect between someone's actions and their awareness of their actions, according to the lead researcher on the project. </p><p><strong>How does this change the way we view hypnosis?</strong></p><p>Understanding exactly which areas of the brain are impacted during hypnosis can pave the way for groundbreaking research into the use of hypnosis for medicinal purposes.</p><p>"Now that we know which brain regions are involved," says David Spiegel, MD, professor and researcher on the project, "we may be able to use this knowledge to alter someone's capacity to be hypnotized or the effectiveness of the hypnosis for problems such as pain control." </p><p>While more research is needed, the study is certainly a groundbreaking head-start in what could eventually be known as hypnotic treatments for things like anxiety, trauma and pain management. </p><p>"A treatment that combines brain stimulation with hypnosis could improve known analgesic effects of hypnosis and potentially even replace addictive and side-effect-laden painkillers and anti-anxiety medications," explains Spiegel. </p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="8cd836dafa4225434a1b472f28530847" contenteditable="false">
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Want to achieve your goals? The Finnish have a word for that.
Sisu is an ancient concept that is an integral part of Finland's national character.
09 April, 2019
An ultra trailer walks past the Mont Blanc at La Flegere path on September 2, 2018 near Chamonix, as he competes during 170 km Mount Blanc Ultra Trail (UTMB) race around the Mont-Blanc, crossing France, Italy and Switzerland. (Photo by Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images)
- Sisu is an important Finnish concept that helps natives tap into an "unexplored inner strength."
- Researcher Emilia Lahti surveyed over 1,000 Finnish citizens to discover what the term means to them.
- Lahti discovered her own sisu when completing 50 ultramarathons in 50 consecutive days to fight domestic violence.
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<p>For the second straight year, Finland was named the <a href="http://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/" target="_blank">happiest country in the world</a> in an annual publication produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The report monitors GDP, social support, healthy life expectancy ratings, as well as freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.</p><p>While reasons for the winning streak are many, one Finnish researcher points to sisu as a motivating factor in dominating this intriguing blend of individual and social achievements. In a <a href="https://www.aalto.fi/news/what-the-finnish-concept-of-sisu-can-offer-the-world" target="_blank">new study</a> at Aalto University in Greater Helsinki, doctoral student Emilia Lahti searched through 1,000 replies from her country mates about the meaning of this important concept. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Sisu is a Finnish word that goes back hundreds of years and a quality that Finns hold dear but the phenomenon itself is universal. Taking a close look at the concept reminds us that, as humans, not only are we all vulnerable in the face of adversity but we share unexplored inner strength that can be accessed in adverse times."</p><p>Lahti relates the concept to extraordinary perseverance, an almost "magic" ability to push beyond perceived limitations to accomplish challenging tasks, ranging from running an ultra-marathon to beating cancer believed to be fatal. While an English equivalent is considered imperfect, notions of grit, gutsiness, and resilience come to mind. </p>
TED Talk – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Flow – 2004
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fdab37d031d8e32abe0e08ed1cf83c1f"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I_u-Eh3h7Mo?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>This isn't the first time sisu has made its way into American consciousness. In 1940, <em>Time</em> <a href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,763161,00.html" target="_blank">wrote about it</a>, calling it a "compound of bravado and bravery, of ferocity and tenacity, of the ability to keep fighting after most people would have quit, and to fight with the will to win." Relating wartime events in Finland to an American public, <em>Time</em> included the concept in coverage again in <a href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,851579,00.html" target="_blank">1943</a> and <a href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,859869,00.html" target="_blank">1952</a>.</p><p>In June 2013, the 3<sup>rd</sup> World Congress on Positive Psychology included the concept of sisu for the first time, inviting Lahti to <a href="https://sisulab.com/2013/07/08/sisu-is-a-universal-potential/" target="_blank">speak on the topic</a> in Los Angeles. During the conference she noted that an "action mindset" is necessary; bravery without follow-through renders you impotent. Pushing through unbearable hardships has helped the Finnish collectively in overcoming invaders, yet it also helps individuals deal with emotional and physical issues. </p><p>The manifestation of sisu isn't about passion, though it can be involved at times. In fact, it might rely on the opposite, at least in the American sense of the term. You don't necessarily need to love the challenge in front of you—accomplishing seemingly outlandish goals is more perspiration than inspiration, as the sentiment goes—but you do need to pursue it with all of your being. This is where those embodying sisu thrive. </p><p>In describing this concept, I'm tempted to invoke flow, Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of the highly focused mental states that distorts time and aids you in pushing past perceived boundaries. Yet the specificity of the neurochemical event might be too narrow to properly capture sisu. Flow states are actual events; sisu seems to be more the drive behind each event on your mission. </p>Perjantai-documentary: Emilia - Sisu not Silence
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d94216ba832c651fee953f6b5e8e822b"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z6j_g1jZNzE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Another potential comparison is the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/magazine/placebo-effect-medicine.html" target="_blank">placebo effect</a>, an incredible yet often dismissed (or poorly understood) <a href="https://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect" target="_self">phenomenon</a>. Humans achieve incredible feats simply through belief; it's how, for example, homeopathic "medicine" <a href="http://www.publicseminar.org/2018/01/why-do-we-still-believe-in-homeopathy/" target="_blank">works</a> (since no active ingredient is present). That our brains could stimulate our immune system to heal our body due to a belief that we're healing our body is one area of science that is desperately under-researched, yet it perfectly shows the intrinsic power of directed thought. </p><p>Sisu likely operates under such principles: the focused mind achieving the impossible. Magic need not apply. A conspiracy of forces working in your favor guided by the power of belief. In a world in which so many people talk about the power of thinking, it's incredible that we don't have enough faith in ourselves to actually believe it to be true—magic and metaphysics are convenient excuses for not facing the innate power of biology. </p><p>Lahti doesn't dwell on metaphysics; she relates sisu to having a "spare tank of gas." Benefits are derived from the adversity itself. Pushing beyond perceived limitations reminds me of American investor John Doerr's suggestion in <em>Measure What Matters</em>: "If you seek to achieve greatness, stretching for amazing is a great place to start." </p><p>Yet Doerr, an early investor in and advisor to Google, doesn't stop there. Quoting his old boss at Intel, Andy Grove, the first stretch is, well, only the first:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"In our business, we have to set ourselves uncomfortably tough objectives, and then we have to meet them. And then after ten milliseconds of congratulations we have to set ourselves another [set of] highly difficult-to-reach objects and we have to meet them. And the reward of having met one of these challenging goals is that you get to play again." </p><p>For Lahti, the concept is personal. As the video above documents, her goal of running 50 ultra-marathons in 50 days <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11973272" target="_blank">across New Zealand</a> to speak out against domestic violence is certainly an inhuman goal—one she needed plenty of sisu to accomplish. Accomplish it she did, powered by her cultural legacy of sisu. </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">Facebook</a>.</em> </p>
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