Just recently, I have taken to watching a TV show called Generation Kill which follows a batallion of US marines as they spearhead the war in Iraq… I have been enjoying it and have not really watched anything war-based for a few years, it is well made and quite skeptical in places, it charts much of the ambivalence of soldiers, many important issues faced along the way and has the most hilarious conversations between the soldiers…
In this weeks episode, one of the soldiers who seems to be a social commentator of the highest order, says to another whilst disucssing having a combat jack — finding a solitary moment on the front line, to indulge in ononism… That was very politely put by me, eh?
The guy said to his compradé “Isn’t the mind amazing… It can create such a real experience in the mind that can make the body have a wet dream…Now that is amazing…” They offer up much more expletives and discuss how amazing the mind is that it can create a wet dream… I have to agree, and I nodded whilst listening to their discussion… No todays blog is not about masturbation again… It is about what the mind is truly capabable of, let me explain…
I have been reading an article in the Belfast Telegraph this week about the effects of caffeine… Apparently, it can enhance our ability to hallucinate:
People who drink more than seven cups of instant coffee a day have an increased tendency to hallucinate — and may even think they sense ghosts, according to research.
High caffeine users were three times more likely to have heard a non-existent person’s voice than “low” users who consumed less than one cup of instant coffee or its equivalent, scientists found.
Besides coffee, caffeine can be obtained from sources such as tea, chocolate, “pep” pills and energy drinks.
The researchers from the University of Durham pointed out that hallucinations are not necessarily a sign of mental illness and around 3% of people regularly hear voices.
They studied 200 students who were asked about their typical intake of caffeine-containing products.
Now, as a side issue, are students really the best people to ask about hallucinating? I mean, come on… These guys are more likely to have purposely taken hallucinogens, right? Anyway, the article continues:
The students’ susceptibility to hallucinatory experiences and stress levels were also assessed.
Among the experiences reported were seeing things that were not there, hearing voices, and sensing the presence of dead people. Caffeine’s ability to exacerbate the effects of stress may explain the findings, the scientists believe.
When under stress, the body releases a hormone called cortisol, which is produced in greater quantities after consuming caffeine. The extra cortisol boost could be what helps a person hallucinate.
Psychologist Simon Jones, the PhD student who led the study, said: “This is a first step towards looking at the wider factors associated with hallucinations.
Well, the reason I cite these ecerpts is because it shows that the brain reacts and produces it’s own chemicals that do the hallucinating… It is similar with many drugs…
So, could we not substitute the external stimulus (in the case, the caffeine) with something hypnotically induced to create the same thing… i mean, the brain creates dreams, doesn;t it?
Dreams represent a massively, multi-sensory, utterly engaging experience entirely created by the brain… Though some believe that cheese assists in the process… 😉
As the soldiers in Generation Kill point out, our brain can create a sexual stimulus in our mind, so great that it causes men to ejaculate… The brain is capable of so very much… Is it really any wonder that certain every day substances can stimulate similar experiences?
I bet we can all recount times when we have seen things and felt certain ways as a result of what we’ve eaten, how much sleep we’ve had and so on…
I recommend as many people as possible learn how to harness this ability and do this stuff on purpose. Your rbain is capable of it… Why not learn how to use your brain more effectively… Create experiences within your mind that can alter your entire perception of life and the the world… Yes, you know what’s coming… Go learn self-hypnosis.
Ok, I know I said I was going to discuss a big celeb media story, I may move on to it tomorrow, but I am unsure about my own stance on it, so am reviewing my options… Let’s see tomorrow…
Maybe the audiences on TV’s Most Hanuted all had too much coffee before the show, eh? 😉
