Chapter 8: Realizations-“Now I Know”

WHAT ARE THESE THINGS ARE FOR?

http://deblinachakravorty.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/a-purpose-without-a-purpose/

Through this blog, I have to realized how important things are around us even those that we posses. I have realized that things come for a purpose.

All those plants and trees have lived not just to beautify our surroundings but to provide us food, shelter and medicine. Flowers are not just for comfort or decorations but are the beginning elements of the ecosystem. Colors do not just contribute for things identity but serves as guide which gives much more importance to our sense of sight.

Dreams are not just fantasies but can be motivators. Nightmare doesn’t cause one’s death. “Nagkataon lang na nasa kalaliman ng pagtulog ang isang tao nang siya’y atakihin ng anumang hindi inaasahang sakit.” Fears do not just bother a person but serves as an alarm not to pursue such thing because something might to happen.

And death doesn’t only mean for an end. Sometimes it is an indication so others would realize how to value life and make it worth it.

How does it make sense?

http://themarcompros.com/services/strategic-planning-2/

Now, from all the topics I have discussed, I hope I have given you knowledge for you to be able to appreciate these usual things even more and for you to value whatever you have right now be it a thing or an unexceptional situation.  Just like what I have said, everything comes for a purpose. Just hope for the good because “in the presence of hope, faith is born. In the presence of faith, love becomes a possibility and in the presence of love, miracles happen.”

So whenever God sees a breach, He builds a bridge. And whenever He sees a scar, He creates a star. But how can we turn our scars into stars? Stay positive. Be prepared. Persevere doing what you know is right. Pardon those people who have hurt you. Continue trusting God. Take time praying for the better understanding and strength. Lastly, be able to pass triumphantly each endeavor. That were all according to the book I have read.

It doesn’t matter!

From the years that have passed, many things have been discovered. These things made up what we are now. From the discovery of the smallest particles called atoms and cells, experts were able to identify the names of the existing creations of today.

Through science, many things were given best explanations as to how humans, plants and other things are formed. That’s why it really doesn’t matter how big or small the contribution has been. What matters is how and what we are now because of it.

What makes it differ?

Since science is all about living and developments, I have realized how it differs from other knowledge. Simply knowing the facts is not considered as science. They are to be collected and organized in a way that will show how they are related with one another.

The knowledge about these relationships is being used by the scientists to discover rules which explain how and why things happen. And from these, we can even make things work faster and make predictions about diseases, computers, and other things. But of course, all these predictions must be tested to see if they are right and all these things are made possible through using scientific rules.

Continues Living process

http://stconsultant.blogspot.com/2010/12/symmetry-and-asymmetry-in-science-and.html

SCIENCE is a systematized process wherein in every new discovery, new things arise. It is said to systematize because the gathered facts are being collated and organized. And through these so called scientific methods, the concluded ideas may now be applied in engineering, inventions and most especially in technology. That’s how science works in the living cycle of the earth.

REFERENCES

• The New Book of Knowledge Volume 17, 2007
• Encyclopedia Americana Volume 24

Chapter 7: Death-

                 “Inevitable Companion of Life”

Key of Eternity

After the years of having a growing field of studying the different creations, be it by man or by God, all these things will come to an end, because to be alive means someday, life will end.

According to Robert Burton, “the fear of death is worse than death.” How could he able to say that when in fact when it comes to death conversations, people tend to wonder and worry because no one really knows what death is like. And honestly, I myself am afraid to die. I don’t want to die yet because there are lots of things I wanted to do and accomplish.

source:http://www.genehanson.com/sunsets/sunset.htm

But no matter how often we escape from death, we can never erase the fact that all of us will die just like after the sun rise, there will be a sunset. Yes, it is true that death is a harsh reality that few people can face directly. This made them say that since there’s nothing they can do about their death, why bother to think about it.

But those who have chosen to deny it says that denial helps keep their anxiety over their threat of non existence, avoids the thoughts of being separated from their loved ones whose relationship with them is essential for their self-esteem and well-being and makes them avoid the aged or seriously ill. Assuming that they are going to live forever, they tend to postpone things that really matter to them.

The more intense the denial, the lower the awareness of death they will be. However, “death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release; the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure and comforter of him whom time cannot console,” said Charles Caleb Colton. And so perhaps, this perception made John Milton to conclude that death is the golden key of eternity.

Cope up!

Youths who have the sense of meaning and purpose in life have less fear of death than those who are still struggling to find themselves, said Hughes and Noppe in 1985.

There are people mostly the adults who are more open to talk about death and they do think about it more often because they are old enough to accept the fact that death is the natural end of life. While for others, old and young alike for their own reasons are afraid to talk about it and are in denial of their death in which there were cases that these persons are more afraid of the process of dying than the death itself, said Matousek, 2000.

Years ago, people die at home cared by their family. But as the medical science become advanced, hospital care for the dying person became more common than home care. And once that person die, his family and even other people who have loved him a lot are encouraged to express feelings of grief and loss to help them pass through the grief process.

One of the things that help them cope up after the loss of their loved ones is to make them believe that there is life after death, that though their loved ones were gone, there will be ways for them of coming back. These people believe that each person has a soul and that there is reincarnation. These people are the followers of Eastern faiths. So whenever we think about death, bear in mind that life is so precious. Live your life! Make yourself busy so you won’t have time to worry much about dying.

Never an easy thing

source:http://www.beingolga.com/2011/03/30/saying-goodbye/

Life is series of separations. Our parents who can comfortably say goodbye to us whenever we’re about to go to school or when we’re about to get married are better preparations for them to surpass the death of a loved one. They can be considered as healthy parents if they could learn how to ‘let go’ of their child who have reached the age of 20s. But what if you’re already in the position of saying goodbye? A goodbye wherein there’s no more coming back. Who would ever want to be left? Of course there’ll be none.

Whenever we were left, sometimes we feel anger or may be guilt. We may blame God, fate, those who’ve been taking care of the deceased and may even ourselves but never the deceased person. We tend to cry, have depressed feelings, lack of appetite and find difficulties concentrating at work or at home. These may last for a year or even more. But the more we fully work through our grief, the more likely we’ll be able to get on with our lives.

According to a psychology book, the healthy process of working through the emotions associated with loss is called a grief work. It is a process of freeing ourselves emotionally from the deceased, readjusting to life without that person, resuming ordinary activities and forming new relationships.

But how can we really find relief from grief? How can we turn our mourning into a morning? According to the book entitled Be-Happy Attitudes, we should not blame God or ourselves. We should not fix the blame but rather fix the problem. How? We must decide not to go on for the rest of our lives surrendering to sorrow and tears. We must not accept defeat but rather bury our selfish grieves. Add up joys and turn our sorrow into a servant.

Inspiring right? But what would happen into an unresolved grief? This may appear psychologically and physically. Psychologically speaking, person’s emotional reactions to loss remain repressed. One can’t bring himself to return to the house, hospital or the room where a person has died. There are lots of resentments. The person grieving thinks about their grief and the loss of their loved one too much. And physically, they become more prone to a variety of illnesses like heart disease, stokes, cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension and cancer which may lead to their premature death.

I know how it feels to loss a person whom you owe and love a lot. That’s why I can say that saying goodbye for a life time is really never an easy thing.

Be close to set apart

source:http://www.speedupyourlife.com/time-really-flies/

According to Kubler-Ross (1993), there are five stages of dying. First is the denial stage. The dying person cannot accept his fate yet. He keeps on saying “No, not me, this cannot happen to me!” second is the resentment wherein the patient questions “Why me? Why not others? When the time comes that he was able to realized that “yes, I am dying but…,” he learns to bargain for time. And during the depression period, the patient tends to drop the “but” and admits “yes, I’m dying.” It is where the unrealistic sadness comes so allow time for grieving and so with the expression of sadness. Finally, there comes the acceptance.

Yes, parting from our loved ones is really painful but to say “cheer up” is the worst thing we can say to a dying one. So if you will be given a chance to be with a dying person, here are the advisable things to do.

Be close. Don’t hesitate to touch and allow for a bit of silence. Your presence is really valuable during these times. As much as possible, don’t contradict him when he says he’s going to die because that indicates he accepts his condition so just listen to what he’ll  going to say. Give him the decision-making power and allow him to talk about his unfinished business. Encourage him to reminisce happy experiences for him to laugh. And the most important thing, never pass up the chance to express your love and let him feel that you too accept that he is dying. Through this, the dying person won’t find it hard to leave.

Life after Death

Death is always the end of every growth and existence. It is the one which sets the limit on our lives reminding us to spend our days on the things that matters most and makes us aware that we only have so much time to live so we have to make the most of our lives. That’s why, those who haven’t lived their lives fully are so reluctant to die.

source:http://www.zigzagwallpapers.com/beautiful-sunrise/

Furthermore, thinking about our own death may give us new perspectives in life. It's just like a new sunrise.  We have to plan important things before it’s too late. And the greatest lesson we may learn from the dying is simply “Live, so you won’t have to look back and say God, how I wasted my life,” said Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, 1975.

However, everything that happens to us comes with a purpose. Sometimes we have to fall from the mountain for us to realize what we are climbing for. We encounter obstacles to see if the things we are longing are worth fighting for. We tend to get wounded and have scars. But then, every scar tells a story that will make one say, “yes, I was deeply wounded but I survived.”

God sometimes breaks our spirit to save our soul and our heart to make us whole. He sends us pain for us to become stronger; failures to become humble; and illnesses for us to take care of ourselves better.

REFERENCES

·         The New Book of Knowledge (D)

·         Psychology for Living (Adjustment, Growth and Behavior Today) 7^th Edition by Karen Grover Duffy and Fastwood Atwater

·         Be-Happy Attitudes

·         Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Science (A Multiple Code Theory)

Chapter 6: Fears-“My Weaknesses”

Fear Yourself to the Fullest!

From medicinal plants, flowers, colors and dreams, perhaps you’ve already noticed that they are all almost related with one another. So for now, here is something which is somehow related into dreams.

There were dreams which causes for someone to get inspired the following day. But we can never deny the fact that there are dreams that frightens us or the so called nightmares.

http://denisejanderson.blogspot.com/2010/07/cisphobia-just-another-phobia-that.html

Because of these things, we tend to become afraid seeing something which relates into our nightmares or may become a cause for having a phobia.

Scientifically, phobia which comes from the Greek word “phobos” which means fear, terror or panic is an irrational and exaggerated fear of an object/situation. Sometimes it may be a normal fear and the process of

 Being afraid or terrified into something serves as a protection through alerting a person to real dangers or threats that must be avoided or confronted. Basically frequent, severe and intense anxiety is its causes.

Other books say that phobia is an abnormal fear of an object, act or situation wherein the person having a phobia may be aware that his fear is unrealistic but he can’t control it. Whenever he tries to confront his feared object/situation, he tends to feel extreme agity or he may even collapse. 

According to the psychiatrists and psychologists, the feared objects/situations is a symbol for an unconscious fear in which the person holds back because for them, it is too hard to face or accept it. Like for example, frightening experiences causes trauma.

Some of those phobias are claustrophobia, the fear of closed places like elevator, a room without a window, etc.; nyctophobia, the fear of darkness; acrophobia, fear of heights wherein it includes the fear of success or reaching the top; necrophobia, fear of death or dead bodies; agoraphobia fear of open spaces; zoophobia, fear of animals; gatophobia, fear of cats and many more phobias.

Why is it so?

There are identified things or how and why a person attained such phobia.

Some of the mental health professionals thought that phobias and other neurotic symptoms were result of repressed and unconscious conflicts. According to them, phobias are effects of mixed psychological and biological factors, extensions of normal fears which are attained during childhood or adolescence.

A person who is nervous by nature can be developed into having a phobia. It may be observed from childhood and so inherited through generations. Once the phobia has been developed, it could maintain itself and eventually it will be too hard for the person to realize that there is no real danger exists.

But as for me, once the person has a phobia or has been feared of something which lasts for almost years already, it is really hard for him to relieve it. The things you’ve been used to do are almost irreplaceable.

This is me!

I myself tend to shiver whenever I see or remember things I am afraid of. These are frightful things I see in horror movies, flying insects and frog. “Matatakutin at magugulatin akong tao” which are maybe due of my being a serious type of person. I often accept jokes but most of the time, I prefer to hate it whenever someone is already being embarrassed be it in front or not in public.

I don’t know why but I am afraid of being in front of the public. I seldom make a habit of trying because I am afraid to fall, loss or be rejected. They say that before you quit make a try. But how can someone do that when every time he attempts to, there’s always that something that hinders. Probably because despite of all the good things you’ve done, only a few appreciates and understands the real reason behind it.

http://gregorycrofford.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/when-you-think-youre-alone-psalm-121/

 As much as possible, I want always to have a companion for I am afraid of being alone because I have been in the situations where I’ve got into danger and that I was all alone. Thanks to God I was able to surpass them and went back home alive.

I am afraid of making a try because there were instances before wherein I did, but I failed. That’s why I am afraid to fail for the next time around like for example, falling in love. I’ve lost my first and so far my last relationship. I was deceived despite of the love and trust I gave. I easily give my trust and believe what others have said but that was before, now, maybe not anymore. I’ve learned from my past so pardon me for those whom I have doubted. “Hindi nyo naman siguro ako masisisi kung bakit hirap na akong magtiwala at maniwala sa iba.” There’s a saying that “trust is like an eraser, it gets smaller after every mistake.”

I am afraid of taking obligations because I might not work them out. I am afraid to spend because I might get in-need in the near future. I am afraid to hope and wait just for nothing.

But of all the things I am afraid of, the deepest of all is losing my family. Who would ever wish to lose their family? Of course there’ll be none because everyone needs a family and that I am afraid to lose mine without giving them in return all the things they have given me and without letting them experience a bountiful living. I am afraid to die having done nothing for them and for myself yet.

But here is a quote which says something about the reality of fear.

“You’re not scared of the dark, you’re scared of what’s in it;

 You’re not afraid of heights, but of falling;

 You’re not afraid of people around you but of rejection;

 You’re not afraid of love but of not being loved back;

 You’re not afraid to try again but of getting hurt for the same reason.”

Somehow, the person who made it has a point in saying so but the big deal here is that, how could someone face his fears when he fears fear itself.

God’s Love in Mysterious Ways

A person with phobia tends not to leave their house anymore just to skip from encountering those things they’re afraid of. They are afraid to leave safe place like home or safe person that’s why these people frequently remain household for years. These people have agoraphobia.

What about those who tends to blush, tremble and unable to behave naturally in public? They are afraid of public speaking, eating in public, parties, social gatherings or business conferences. It usually begins in the late adolescence or early adulthood—the social phobia.

Furthermore, there are people who fears specific objects/situations such as transportations which include crossing bridges or riding an airplane; dogs/cats, thunderstorms, heights, darkness, etc. This fear tends to lessen the heart rate, blood pressure and makes the phobic person get fainted.

However, have you ever thought what would happen to those people who are extremely frightful into something? Well as I could visualize it, their lives can be ruined if they wouldn’t be able to confront their fears. It is because no matter how often they skip on to those things, there would always come a point of encountering them unintentionally.

http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/helpless.htm

According to the book I have read, the person who is under great fear of something tends to lessen or decrease his judgement and thinking ability. His behaviour becomes more inconsistent; may take actions that might bring him closer into danger and may trash out in hysterical agitation (according to Austin F. Grigg of University of Richmond in the Encyclopedia Americana). In short, the person becomes helpless.

Those are the somehow pathetic things being encountered by a person who has a great phobia. It also shows how those people live miserably just because of those things they fear of.

These made me realized how thankful I should be having not experienced all those helpless things. Yes, I tend to tremble whenever there is frog in front of me but not to extent of collapsing. So from now on, I’ll try to overcome my fears because I get inspired into this text message which says that “life holds no promises to what will come our way. It just gives us time to make choices and to take chances.” How inspiring right? Why waste time fearing things that are yet to happen where we can enjoy the good things we have now.

Changing is difficult but with the heart that is determined, nothing is impossible. I know nobody has the power to make things perfect but somehow I guess, everyone is given a chance to make things right. But then again, don’t expect life to be wonderful because everything would be nothing if God is missing.

So, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths”—Proverbs 3:5-6.

REFERENCES

• Encyclopedia Americana (F)
• Encyclopedia Americana (P)
• New Standard Encyclopedia (P)

Chapter 5: Nightmare-

                       "A Horrible Experience”

           

Why does it occur? 

http://desktop.freewallpaper4.me/download/5690/scary-road

From the sweet fantasies of dreaming, why not talk about its opposite, the one which is scary or frightful—the nightmare.

How and why do people experience nightmares? Is there any relevance into what it was about to the dreamer? How true it is that nightmare is deadly? That when you sleep full (busog), there’s a tendency for you to experience nightmare? These are the things I am curious about and perhaps you too.

           

Of all the things we wish not to experience, nightmare is one. It is because there is rumors that nightmare can cause someone’s death especially when that person doesn’t have any record of illness or accidents.

           

Scientifically, nightmare is a terror scene which enters the mind and can cause a fatal shock reflex. It is fascinating and unpleasant experience feeling in pain, despair and helplessness.

           

Multiple studies have revealed that nightmares occur highly among young adults due to the increase of hormone level. And it is also because youngsters don’t know much how they will handle tough situations compared with the adults. But those people who are anxious experience this too.

           

However, scientific community has not yet determined a definitive answer as to why it occurs. But why do nightmares happen?

According to a study, it may be a way to relieve the pressures of the day and help us cope with the stress of real life.

The root

There were studies that have tackled the causes of nightmare. The very common cause is the post-traumatic stress disorder. A person who encountered severe fear or pain and child abuse is highly possible to experience nightmare.

http://www.wallpaperdj.com/view/death_skull-1152x864

Another is an emotional conflict which may be within the family which causes also family stress or through too much fatigue. Someone who is pregnant, seek or has a fever may also experience nightmare.

           

By the way, the common themes of a nightmare are those situations which are related to school, being chased, sexual experiences, falling, arriving late, death, teeth falling out, flying and car accidents.

The fruit

If you can figure out the cause, then you can probably be able to lessen the severity of the effect. One of these effects is be able to wake up from sleep and at the same time have difficulty in turning back to sleep.

           

If your nightmares occur infrequently, there’s no need much concern. But if it occurs frequently and are already very disturbing, according to a specialist, you should be given careful thought and examination because it might be already a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSO) or an intense fear of grief.

           

source:http://kiradjones.wordpress.com/

According to a study, the person who experienced nightmares will move restlessly in his sleep. Sometimes he will feel in pain, moaning, screaming, coughing but could not get up and the worst is that, he will become afraid and unable to sleep again.

The “t”

Upon knowing some of the causes and effects of nightmares, you would probably ask for ways to treat it. Here are some: first, you should establish or have a regular sleep pattern and make sure to have sufficient sleep; cut out alcohol, drugs and cigarettes; cut any drinks which contain caffeine like coffee which I used to drink in the morning; drink warm, milky drink before going to bed; never go to bed hungry but then avoid eating foods that are hard to digest before sleeping; avoid scary movies and scary books; do not play computer games or any tiring activities before sleeping; relaxed before you sleep and have some exercise during the day.

           

There are other treatments for those who encounter nightmares frequently. These are Imagery Rehearsal and the Lucid Dreaming. Having some talk with a professional specialist often times helps one cope and resolve the traumatic experience which disrupts his daily life.

“Dream-Death Theory”

The sudden death of a friend or relative which occurred while he was sleeping who previously seemed to be in good health is really something questionable. So here are different findings with regards to this matter.

           

First is Dr. Robert Basner, director of Sleep Center of Columbia University, US. According to him, this sudden death is due of congenital cardiac electrical abnormalities called brugada syndrome. This occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phase or when one is in deep sleep and dreaming. He therefore concluded that it’s not the dreams which causes death but the factor of heart disease.

           

Another doctor which has a scientific explanation for this kind of death is Dr. Alvin V. Majoska, a coroner doctor in Honolulu. He made a list during the last six years that there were 43 healthy young adults who were all from the Philippines found dead in their sleep without any reason that could be detected.

           

When he has studied the bodies, he found out that their death was due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis or the bleeding and inflamed of the pancreas. According to him, this kind of disease may attack any time whether a person is awake or asleep but usually pain arise as a warning before a crisis situation develops.

           

http://eye2eye2.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/sf-radio-death-to-joe-the-plumber/

Lastly, according to Dr. Pedro Brugada who has discovered the unusual pattern on the electrocardiogram which shows electrical activities in the heart, this person had irregular heart rhythm which can cause fibrillation (rapid irregular contractions of the heart muscle which results to lack synchronism between heartbreak and pulse) which makes the pumping chambers of the heart to decrease and for the blood circulation to stop in just a snap. Eventually, this will result for someone’s immediate death. These made Dr. Majoska come up with a conclusion about the dream-death theory. However, the study of nightmare is a “growing field” that’s why no one can figure out yet what it really means to have a nightmare.

           

I was able to construct all these, based from the following sources:

http://www.dream-interpretation.org.uk/types-of dreams/nightmares.htm

http://medicmagic.net/nightmare-could-cause-death.html

www.thedreamingwizard.com

The Means of Dreaming

http://viktorialove.com/tag/dreams/

Perhaps you’ll no longer be asking what does a dream means because it has been so common already. But here are some of the meaning of dreams according to books and foreign personalities which I have searched on the internet.

• Dream is a series of thoughts, images or emotions that occurs during sleep period.
• It is a state of abstraction.
• Its content is shaped by experiences early in life, creating the hope that psychoanalysis could use our dreams to reveal our childhood miseries and can cure human torment and a wish-fulfilment—Sigmund Freud.
• It is bizarre, otherworldly and are likely to be moulded by mundane (practical details of life), humdrum (dullness) and everyday activities as life-changing events—The Daily Telegraph by Harvard University.
• It is little more than mental fireworks; a non-sensational by-product of memory consolidation—other scientists.
• Give profound insights into the mind’s workings—Robert Stickgold (Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Sleep and Cognition)
• Dreams are not neutral rubbish, but are involved in consolidating/unity and making sense of memories—Findings of Telegraph/Harvard Survey
• They are special kind of mental experience which seems to be real and as if it actually happened.
• Messages from God or ancestors.
• They are dynamic mixture derived from current stimuli, past experiences, interests and urges.
• They are myth and religion showing the individual’s path toward self-actualization—C.G. Jung.

The Sisylana  (This means analysis which was spelled backward)

http://www.strategicvisionlimited.co.uk/ourservices.htm

The EEG as it was mentioned records the electrical impulses given by the brain and can tell when a dream occurs but it can never say what the dream is all about because only the dreamer could do that. Through this, the relationship between dreaming and the rhythms of sleep was shown.

We can say that the sleeping person is dreaming through the REM or rapid eye movement. With regards to the blind person, their eyes do not move but rather make use of their sense of feeling and hearing to know what is going on with their dreams.

Scientists also stated that four out five dreams are colored but usually are in gray, black or white and nobody has able to determine it yet why is it so. There were experiments conducted before which proves that what people have eaten or drunk before sleeping doesn’t have any connection with the person’s dream. For those who experienced or are experiencing nightmares, you are most probably under stress or have had experienced traumatic events. But then, it is only common during childhood because you do not know yet how to handle frightening situations.

The Main Line

There are lots of ways in analysing dreams in which whenever new methods of collecting dreams arise, new methods of analysing them arises too.

The principal method used in analysing a dream is the content analysis be it gathered within the laboratory or at home. It refers to the elements of the dream such as people—males or females; familiar or stranger; objects like buildings, implements, clothing, etc.; and animals.  It simply determines the similarities and differences of each dream.

For example, it was found out in a study that male dreamers usually dream about males too wherein they are aggressive and less friendly. But whenever there is an interaction with the females, they are less aggressive and are friendlier in their dreams. While in women’s dreams, interactions with both male and female are just equal.

The Science of Dreaming

http://www.jmls.edu/students/organizations/eblsa/index.shtml

Because of these things, scientists doubted whether dreams have a purpose. According to some researchers, here are the benefits and functions of dreaming.

·         It helps people live normal life because they are able to work out their emotional problems.

·         It helps strengthen new learning by storing it in memory.

·         Helps remove ridiculous or irrational thoughts from people’s mind, can think more clearly and act sensibly when they are awake.

·         Essential to mental, emotional and physical well being.

·         Great balance wheel for cultural repression.

However, the problem with those psychoanalytic theories about dreams is that they can explain any gathered data only to realize that they have explained almost nothing.

But then, Henry David Thoreau said that dreams are the touchstones or key guides to determine once character. That’s why, human’s dreams are still being studied scientifically to discover more on man’s nature.

So much for that, I myself often experience dreaming at night. I used to make myself busy because I feel bored upon doing nothing. During night times, whenever I don’t have anything else to do, sometimes I make use of reading until I fall asleep. I don’t want to be thinking anything before sleeping because that might just be the cause for me to have dreams about it. That’s why, I used to tire up myself. So tired that once I go to bed, I could immediately fall asleep.

This ends another chapter of my blog. For the next topic, come to think of something which is somehow related into dreams which is also related into science. And just to add up, dreams are also considered as “meaningless biology.”

By the way, here are some links just in case you want to know the means of the color in your dreams, its symbolism and other things.

• http://petrix.com/dreams/color.html
• http://www.mydreamsvisions.com/dreams
• http://lucidity.com/LD8DFM.html

REFERENCES

• The New Book of Knowledge (D)
• Encyclopedia Americana Volume 9
• The Encyclopedia Americana Volume 9
• Academic Americana Encyclopedia Volume 6
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3320339/science-the-science-of-dreams-the-results.html
• http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/dream
• http://www.yoga-age-com/modern/dreams.html
• http://www.sleeps.com/basics.html

Chapter 4: Dreams-

          "The Royal Road to the Unconscious"

SLEEP! SLEEP! SLEEP!

There’s a saying that states, “Why do we need to spend much time sleeping, where we can have it when we die?” But for me, a dead is dead unlike to someone who’s only sleeping, he still alive. Anyways, did you know that having enough hours of sleep matters a lot? 

Scientists have said that loss of night-time sleep may cause irritability, become moody and lessens interest in doing something. Person’s speech capability slows down and would experience emotional flatness or the tendency to react slowly.

Sleeping is where the mind and body are being refreshed but upon sleeping, there would come ‘the royal road to the unconscious’ which refers to dreaming.

A normal person who sleeps eight hours at night may have a total of about one to two hours of dreaming period and each dream may have different scenes which last within five to 50 minutes.

There were researchers who decided to find out what would happen if they stopped people in dreaming. And their finding says that, people who were not allowed to dream have experienced rapid eye movement frequently while sleeping. They got nervous, easily upset and hungrier the next day.

Researchers were able not to allow their volunteer from dreaming through the use of EEG or the Electroencephalograph. This EEG tells whenever the dream has to occur and that gives the researchers the signal to awaken the person.

And as the people have taken a sleep without interruption, researchers found out that they had more dreams than usual as if they are catching up with their dreams. The following day, their nervousness get lost and felt normal again.

Color Blindness

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But all this color's symbolism (Roloc's Msilobmys) are worthless when you cannot see the color of a particular thing. People’s visual deficiency in perceiving colors around them is called color blindness.  There are two main types of color blindness namely red and green defect and the yellow and blue blindness.

Red and Green Defect

It is something wherein someone has a great deficiency in things that are red and green in color. For them, red and green only differ in terms of their brightness. They didn’t even recognize their related colors such as orange, blue-green and violet. What they can only see is that the world is shaded with yellow, blue and gray.

In spite that, they still use the terms red and green like red berries and green vegetables. But then for them, they are just merely names and so are not perceptions of color.

According to the studies, it is being inherited and usually males are the victims of it because they have this X-chromosomes which may have a color-defect gene. Once there is, surely he will have color-vision defect. Unlike with the females, they have two X-chromosomes and both should carry the color-vision defect gene because if it only takes one, then it would be unlikely to happen.

Yellow and Blue Blindness

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Compared to red and green defects, yellow and blue blindness is rare; has dichromatic color vision and could see only two neutral or colorless in the spectrum. They could see the world shaded only by red and green also black, white and gray.

This kind of vision defect can be acquired when a person has a complication in his retina like having a cataract or sometimes it is due to hereditary condition.

The Most Severe

It is a rare type of color vision defect but it is the most severe one—the monochromatism. It has two forms, the typical and atypical.

The one with typical monochromatism has very poor visual ability because his eyes are very sensitive to light. Unlike with the atypical form of monochromatism, the person is still have a normal visualization only that he suffers loss of color vision. He can only see things in black, white and gray.

So generally, monochromatic deficiency can also be inherited but unfortunately scientists can’t identify yet what genetics are involved.

The Significance of Colors

Ø  Without colors, everything will seem to be lifeless.

Ø  Colors make our environment more interesting and attractive.

Ø  Gives pleasure and refreshment in our eyes.

Ø  It is useful not just to us but also to the animals because they use it disguise against their enemies.

Ø  Indicates dress coding upon applying for jobs, attending an event, etc.

Ø  Essential in art, crafts, decorating, clothing, photography, printing and many other things in the business and industry.

Ø  Essential in technology such as for traffic signs and color coding for electronic wirings.

Ø  Identifies a dangerous and non-dangerous animal. For example, brown frogs are harmless while those in red or even green are poisonous.

Ø  Identifies different kinds of medicines for specific usage.

Ø  Identifies the living from the dead.

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Someone have said that the “ability to see color is not necessary for human survival.” In some point of view, he may be right in saying so but for me, it is important. It is because the color of the thing matters for its easy, clearer identification as we encounter new discoveries of life.

REFERENCES 

·         Encyclopedia Americana (C)

·         The New Book of Knowledge