Titanium dioxide food additive under review, after study finds cancer links

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An additive commonly used in lollies, biscuits, chewing gum and sauces has been found to initiate the early stages of cancers in animals, according to a recent study.

Titanium dioxide or E171 is used by the food industry to whiten and brighten food and other consumer products, such as sunscreen and cosmetics.

Nanoparticles being used in food: report

 

 

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Nanoparticles found in roast meat gravy. Photo: Arizona State University

In 2016 FSANZ published a review into the oral ingestion of titanium dioxide, including in nanoscale form, finding that there was not strong evidence to support claims of significant health risks.
A FSANZ spokesperson said it was aware of the recent French study and was "currently undertaking a review of its findings".

Illustration: Matt Golding  "Titanium dioxide has long been known to contain nanoparticles and these will have been present in the material used in the toxicity tests that supported approval of titanium dioxide as a food additive," he said.
"This new study needs to be considered alongside all the available evidence relating to the safety of titanium dioxide in food," he said.

FSANZ also highlighted that the study administered titanium dioxide in solution rather than in the animals' food, making it difficult to assess the hazards of the substance in food.
Friends of the Earth's emerging technology campaigner Jeremy Tager said the results of the study validated community concerns about the widespread use of titanium dioxide in food.

"Our view has been there is still a large degree of uncertainty, and we feel food shouldn't be going onto the market until its properly tested and that's not happening," he said.
"I think in any sane regulatory situation this would be an immediate ground to ask manufacturers to remove the nano from the way they manufacture these additives until the result is confirmed."

At least four food processors and retailers in France have announced their intention of removing titanium dioxide nanoparticles from their products in the near future.

The 10 Elements Of A Soulmate

SOUL MATES. SOUL REMINDERS. SOUL CONNECTIONS. WE HEAR ABOUT IT, READ ABOUT IT AND SOME OF US ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE IT. WE ARE ALL CURIOUS AND MOST OF US WANT ONE. 

“Your soul mate makes you feel entirely intact, like no piece is missing from the puzzle. A life partner, on the other hand, can be a great supporter and long-time companion, but is limited in his or her capacity to enrich your spirit.” ~ Dr. Carmen Harra

Soul mates differ from life partners. Some people, not ever encountering a soul mate or soul connection, settle down with a life partner. These relationships can be very satisfying. They are often built on mutual trust, respect and friendship.

You see, in life, we have no control over timing and sometimes less control of circumstance. Some cannot wait forever in hopes of encountering a soul mate, so they are satisfied with a mature life-partner relationship. For some it is about survival, security or simple companionship, and the word soul mate does not resonate. The concept may seem flighty, dreamy and unrealistic. Life circumstance, timing, availability, security and many other factors may all influence our relationship choices…

BUT…

Chances are if you are open, ready and blessed enough to meet a Soul Mate in this life time it will happen unanticipated and unexpected. It can feel unsettling, destabilizing and ungrounding because it is a different connection than any other you have had.

There are no words or explanations that can clearly articulate such a connection. It is a magnetic energy, an intuitive knowing and it just seems right. There is no matter of space or time, you have found your way to one another.

Actually, timing and way are quite often terrible. But when it arrives, you know. There is the “I get you feeling.” There is a flow and a rhythm that seems to be guided by something much higher. You step back to catch your breath because deep down you know this is special. This is different. This is genuine.

It is raw and it is so damn real you want to run away just to soak it up and take it in. The soul mate. The one you feel vibrate when they are a thousand miles away. The one you hear whisper when they think about you. The one who lets you move freely but embraces your shadow from afar. That one. The one you feel like you have known for a million years.

When you finally settle into the WOW, you see the beauty, the rarity, and eventually the clarity. You know it is real, a keeper. Sometimes as a friend, other times a lover. Sometimes transient, other times permanent.

These beautiful soul reminders may too, just pop into our lives temporarily to remind us of what we have been forgetting; our writing, singing, creating, imagining, dancing or living. They light the spark. They get the fire going. They are the gentle nudge. Sometimes they stay, and other times move on. But they usually leave you appreciative and often breathless. They remind us to be alive, vibrant and hopeful.

“Have you ever met someone for the first time, but in your heart you feel as if you have met them before?”~ Joanne Kenrick, When a Mullo Loves a Woman

“We were not making love, we did not even kiss, but the inexplicable intimacy we shared left us wordlessly and hopelessly locked into each other’s gaze.” ~ Jasmine Dubroff
“Soulmates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are perfect for you.” ~Author Unknown

There is a catch to encountering these deep connections. Before you can go to this depth and even be brave enough to notice it, you first must love yourself. Because when you have love times a million for yourself, it comes naturally and effortlessly, transforming through you and transfixing to another who too loves themselves and are ready and open for depth. Intimacy requires an open-heart. Looking, searching, praying, visualizing and meditating does not bring a soul mate. I do not believe they can be summoned. No one can be your other half or fill your cup but you. Sure, a soul mate can remind, inspire and certainly enhance your life but no one can be your happiness — but YOU.Although, one can be prepared.
Do your work. Love and nourish yourself. Fill your own soul and fuel your own fire. And then when, and if, they do come along, you are ready to sizzle.

“Don’t worry about finding your soul mate. Find yourself.” ~ Jason Evert

Feeling curious? Read on and without over-analyzing, ask yourself — soul mate or life partner?

THE 10 ELEMENTS OF A SOUL MATE

{According to Dr. Carmen Harra}

1. It’s something inside. Describing how a soul mate makes you feel is difficult. It’s a tenacious, profound and lingering emotion which no words can encompass.

2. Flashbacks. If your partner is your soul mate, chances are he or she has been present in your past lives. You might even feel an odd sense of déjà vu, as if the moment in time has already taken place, perhaps a long time ago, perhaps in a different setting.

3. You just get each other. Ever met two people who finish each others sentences? Some people call that spending too much time together, but I call it a soul mate connection. You might experience this with your best friend or your mother, but it is the telltale sign of a soul mate when you experience it with your partner.

4. You fall in love with his (or her) flaws. No relationship is perfect, and even soul mate relationships will experience ups and downs. Still, that bond will be much harder to break. Soul mates have an easier time of accepting, even learning to love, each others imperfections.

5. It’s intense. A soul mate relationship may be more intense than normal relationships, in both good and sometimes bad ways. The most important thing is that, even during negative episodes, you’re focused on resolving the problem and can see beyond the bad moment.

6. You two against the world. Soul mates often see their relationship as “us against the world.” They feel so linked together that they’re ready and willing to take on any feat of life, so long as they have their soul mate by their side.
7. You’re mentally inseparable. Soul mates often have a mental connection similar to twins. They might pick up the phone to call each other at the exact same time. Though life may keep you apart at times, your minds will always be in tune if you are soul mates.

8. You feel secure and protected. Regardless of the gender of your partner, he or she should always make you feel secure and protected. Your soul mate will make you feel like you have a guardian angel by your side. A person who plays on your insecurities, whether consciously or subconsciously, is not your soul mate.

9. You can’t imagine your life without him (or her). A soul mate is not someone you can walk away from that easily. It is someone you can’t imagine being without, a person you believe is worth sticking with and fighting for.

10. You look each other in the eye. Soul mates have a tendency to look into each others eyes when speaking more often than ordinary couples. It comes naturally from the deep-seated connection between them. Looking a person in the eye when speaking denotes a high level of comfort and confidence.

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This Amazing Japanese Technique Will Help You Overcome Laziness

By Raven Fon via Uni Soul Theory

PUTTING AN END TO PROCRASTINATION AND LAZINESS ISN’T AS HARD AS YOU THINK, THANKS TO THE JAPANESE TECHNIQUE OF KAIZEN.

 

There are things we would like to accomplish. Personal goals for ourselves and our lives should take priority, but they fall behind sometimes. We procrastinate and lose faith.


Sure, we have the best intentions at the start and approach our goals with enthusiasm and zeal. But then something happens- we contribute just enough effort to tell ourselves that we’ve tried, and then we move on. Maybe we think we are moving too fast with all of this, or maybe results didn’t happen fast enough for our liking.

If this is a reoccurring situation in your life, you may be asking yourself why this keeps happening. Well, it’s simple: you’re trying to achieve too much, too quickly. It’s not easy to turn old habits into new ones, and unfamiliar responsibility is easy to grow weary of. Basically, it’s easier and more comfortable to stick with the goals and ideas you know and have had forever.

THIS IS WHERE THE JAPANESE TECHNIQUE OF KAIZEN COMES IN HANDY.

 Japanese culture has a useful practice called “Kaizen.” This ’one-minute principle’ for self-improvement has gained enormous recognition since the world has seen its effectiveness.

The underlying principle of this method relies on someone practicing something for a full minute. At the same time every single day, do the same practice. Sounds easy enough, right? Laziness shouldn’t be a problem; it’s not like you’re being asked to do something for 30 minutes every day- just 60 seconds.

Even if it is something as simple as doing sit-ups, or something more challenging like reading in a foreign language, do what you enjoy doing, and do it for a minute a day. The belief is that if you are experiencing joy and satisfaction during your practice, you will want to continue practicing the next day and so forth.

Sometimes, it’s our fear of failure that prevents us from trying. Don’t let fear hold you back from truly living! You have to overcome your lack of confidence, and let go of those feelings of helplessness. A sense of victory is what you need to move forward.

IN FACT, IT IS THAT FEELING OF SUCCESS THAT WILL PROPEL YOU AND INSPIRE YOU TO KEEP MOVING.

After you have practiced your chosen activity for a minute, every day, for a few weeks, you can increase the amount of time you spend doing it. Work up to 5 minutes, and you will soon be at 30 and even 60 minutes before you know it. Eventually, you will be doing this practice for a comfortable period of time that you deem acceptable and helpful. It will amaze you how much 1-minute can change your life.

Kaizen originated in Japan, and was invented by Masaaki Imai. The word itself has two roots — ‘kai’ (change) and ‘zen’ (good). Together, it means “change for the better.” Imai says, “The message of the Kaizen strategy is that not a day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere.”

It’s important to challenge yourself, but keep your goals within reaching distance. What Imai and others in his field have noticed, is that it is the smaller challenges, when combined with continuous effort, are more rewarding and provide more self-improvement.

KAIZEN IS SOMETHING THAT ANYONE CAN ATTEMPT, AND EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM.

All you have to do is make a plan, and give yourself a minute to follow through.

Synchronicity Happens For A Reason – No Accidents And No Coincidences

Synchronicity Happens For A Reason – No Accidents And No Coincidences

Staff Contributor | November 22, 2016 | Life, Metaphysics, Spirituality | No Comments

Everything in our life is linked.

Have you stumbled upon an old friend? Seeing someone doing the same thing or speaking the same words as you? Or maybe experienced an accident? Are you thinking ‘Oh! What a coincidence!’ or ‘I could skip accidents like this…’ Well, you shouldn’t, because every single coincidence brings a message to you. In fact, there are no coincidences and accidents — there’s only synchronicity, and everything happens for a reason.

Revealing Synchronicity — The Science Behind Coincidence

The truth is, everything in our life is linked. From the past, to the present and future — every single coincidence or accident we stumble upon is linked. No matter how small or big of a movement is, it is all about synchronicity.

Whether you feel like you are having a perfect day and everything goes smoothly, or experience a bad period in which ‘a lot of coincidences happen,’ the universe is sending you a message. People and things happening in an exact moment is nothing but synchronicity and, fortunately, there is a way to accept it.

Do you know the saying “When the student is ready, the master appears”?

That is exactly how synchronicity is explained. Whenever you are synchronized with something you truly want, you are more likely to meet that thing, which is why similar people meet ‘accidentally’. The thing is, they are tuned in to the exact same frequency, and synchronicity does its best to match them.

Yes, There Is A Way To Create Synchronicity

Now that you understand how the spiritual sync works, it’s time to tell you that…

YOU CAN CREATE SYNCHRONICITY.

‘How on Earth do I do that?’, you may be asking yourself.

Well, synchronicity works best for people who believe it to be true. So, for starters, you should believe in it and stop saying that every event is an accident or a coincidence. The thing is, if you are saying this, you are sending a weak spiritual signal to the universe, as opposed to the strong signal that the universe sends you by syncing everything around you.

By understanding synchronicity and seeing things not as an ordinary, but a committed person, you are able to connect more deeply with your inner sync, and actually don’t work hard to make the things you want happen. Instead, you will just believe in them and let them happen, without any force whatsoever.

So, let’s face it…

Synchronicity is just like a mirror and whatever you commit to and believe in, will reflect back to you.

That being said, if you agree with the law of syncing, you will be able to connect deeply and send strong messages on a spiritual level. Aside from this, you will be a better person, more confident and committed towards every action you bring.

In a nutshell, understanding synchronicity translates to establishing harmony in everything that you seek — and being ‘consciously aware’ of everything happening around you.

Turning The Tide – And See Chances Work For You instead Of Against You

 

If you have ever heard of the Murphy’s Law and believe in it, you are on a good way to understanding synchronicity. Yes, it’s a common fact that when something goes wrong, it may just continue going wrong over time.

The idea behind this is that synchronicity can also work against you. However, if you expect bad things to happen and continue believing in the Murphy’s Law, you are syncing with your inner negativity.

The Science Behind The Chance Meeting — Not A ‘Coincidence’

Bumped into someone somewhere? Thinking it’s a coincidence, luck or chance? The real answer in this ‘accident’ is the science of chance meeting.

Moreover, it is the reason for something to happen. There is always a reason and a connection to see someone and experience something. Coincidence is only an illusion.

Our past, present and future are all linked. And although we may not understand everything that happens to us, there is always a reason — and that reason becomes apparent at some point in time.

A Final Word

 

Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have the eyes to see. — Carl Jung

You can start notice synchronicities with people, numbers, events etc.Remember to accept synchronicity in its real form, as a way of spiritual and universal intelligence constantly trying to teach us, reach us and share love, support and guidance.

Learn to be open to synchronicity and start living a meaningful life!

- See more at: http://www.enlightened-consciousness.com/synchronicity-happens-for-a-reason-no-accidents-and-no-coincidences/#sthash.ScckXzy6.dpuf

7 science-backed reasons you should make art, even if you're bad at it

 

 

Don't be afraid to pick up a paintbrush.

Art is intrinsically linked to humanity.
We've been making it for about as long as we've been called humans, and few would argue against its value as culturally enriching as well as emotionally and often intellectually rewarding. Making art for art's sake is plenty.
Yet as scientific research has shown, our minds seem built to enjoy and analyze art deeply, and creating it, no matter your skill level, is good for you.
Painting, sculpting, dancing, making music, and all the other artistic pursuits have benefits that go far beyond pure enjoyment or cultural creation — these activities can also strengthen your brain and improve your mood. Here are seven reasons to give yourself time to make art, even if you think you're bad at it.

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1. Making art may reduce stress and anxiety.

Melia Robinson/BI

In one recent study in the journal Art Therapy, researchers found that after just 45 minutes of art-making, levels of the hormone cortisol — which is associated with stress — were reduced in participants' saliva, regardless of their prior art skills.
Another small study found that spending 30 minutes creating art, especially free-form painting, was associated with reduced anxiety levels in first-year college students preparing for their final exams. Art classes also reduced stress and anxiety in people caring for ailing family members.
While the calming effect of art-making is not universal and larger studies are needed, for many stressed out people, it may be just the ticket. "After about five minutes, I felt less anxious," said one participant in the Art Therapy study. "Doing art allowed me to put things into perspective."

2. Creating visual art improves connections in the brain.

Jaka Ostrovršnik/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Art's benefits have been observed at a neural level, too.
One 2014 study published in the the journal PLOS ONE found that making visual art can improve connections throughout the brain known as the default mode network.
This system is associated with the brain's state during wakeful rest, like daydreaming, but it's also active when we're focusing on internal thoughts or future plans.
Scientists have previously observed that when people say they are especially "moved" by a piece of art, those feelings are linked to activity in the default mode network. While this research is in the earliest stages, it might suggest that the art people connect with deeply — likely including the art that they create — might be the result of "a certain 'harmony' between the external world and our internal representation of the self," the researchers explain.
And the PLOS ONE study concluded that making art was much more powerful than simply looking at it.

3. Art-making can help us get over sadness.

Joe Penna/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Distracting yourself from sadness by making art can work even better than venting about the problems.
In one study published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, participants were shown the (heartbreaking) documentary "The Laramie Project" to elicit laboratory sadness.
Once appropriately sad, one group was tasked with creating art relevant to the film, another making unrelated art, and a third was asked to just sit quietly.
The researchers found that distracting yourself by making unrelated art was far more effective than either venting your feelings through art or just sitting in your sadness. (Other forms of distraction might have this effect too.)

4. Mindless sketching can help us focus.

Cognitive benefits don't come only from purposeful, serious art.
Oddly enough, doodling can help us pay better attention when we’re listening to something boring — and remember it later. It helps us focus and keeps our minds from wandering, reports The Atlantic.
One study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology found that, when aided by doodling, participants were able to recall 29% more information on a surprise memory test than those armed only with their determination.

It might not hold true for all tasks though — a study from the journal Cognitive Research Report found that, perhaps unsurprisingly, doodling can impair visual memory.
So stick to the margin doodles and napkin notes in lectures without too many diagrams.

5. Turning our problems into narratives can help us work through them.

Fredrik Rubensson/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

This isn't for just visual art — thinking and writing about our problems as a creative narrative (as in diary entries) can help put them into perspective.

A study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology suggested that framing our issues as a story can help make them more manageable. Participants were asked to spend 15 minutes each day for a four day period confidentially writing about something. The control group wrote about something nonemotional (often the details of the lab), while the experiment group was asked to write about the most traumatic experience of their life.

Understandly, the experimental group became much more emotional during the sessions, but reported that the experience was valuable — 98% of the group said they'd return if given the chance.
Organizing our issues as a narrative seems to bring some order to the chaos that is our problems. As the study puts it, "this gives individuals a sense of predictability and control over their lives."

6. Playing music is associated with cognitive gains.

Thepantheraleo/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

For decades, researchers have found that musical training and making music seems to be something of a brain booster. It's associated with better language ability, better academic performance, and improved memory, especially in children who practice regularly.
And playing an instrument or singing a song is good for adults too.
"Active music making in a social context has the potential to enhance quality of life, well-being and physical and mental health in older people," researchers concluded in one study, which found these benefits were particular to music-making, and not just the result of a fun group activity.

7. Making art can help you achieve "flow."

The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined "flow" as being "in the zone," totally absorbed by and enjoying the task at hand. "A good life," he has argued, is one in which this state is not so elusive.
While flow can come from all kinds of activities, art is one of the classic flow experiences, where the art-maker is not motivated by some end goal, but is fully engaged in the process itself. Csikszentmihalyi's interest in what we now call "flow" in fact began when he was trying to understand the single-minded focus of a painter. He consistently observed, as the cognitive scientist John Sherry wrote later, that "the doing of the art was inherently pleasurable."
And it's not just the professionals. One study on flow in teenage students found that — of all the subjects in high school — they were most engaged in and motivated by their art classes, which also had the strongest positive effect on their moods.

Top Five Questions Left-Handers Ask, #3: Are Left-Handers Smarter and More Creative?

By: Clare Porac, Posted on: November 3, 2016

Recently I gave a talk titled The Mystery of Left-Handedness at Lifeworks an organization in Erie, PA that promotes life-long learning, health and wellness (see lifeworkserie.org).  My talk was organized around questions about left-handedness I have been asked repeatedly.
My five questions below represent issues that arise again and again when I talk to left-handers or when I am interviewed by the media about left-handedness.  I will answer each of these five questions in my five-part blog series of the next several weeks.

1. I write with my left hand but do other things with my right hand.  Is that normal?
2. Everyone in my family is right-handed but me.  Why? I thought handedness is genetic.
3. Are left-handers smarter and more creative than right-handers?
4. If I try to switch writing from my left to my right hand, will I mess up my brain?
5. Are left-handers better at sports than right-handers?

Response to Question Number 3:
Left-hander news feeds on Facebook indicate that left-handers assume their handedness type endows them with enhanced creative powers.
The origin of the connection between left-handedness and creativity likely arose over the last half of the 20th century when the Modal Model of right vs. left hemisphere function was developed after years of research. According to the Modal Model, the left hemisphere is the language, analytic and sequential processing brain area while the right hemisphere is holistic and deals with spatial processing, emotion and music.  The Modal Model was used as support for the idea of right vs. left hemisphere cognitive styles.  The concept of hemisphere-specific thinking caught on with the public and a plethora of self-help books promised success if a person accessed the unique powers of either the right or the left hemisphere depending on the task at hand.  One of the most famous of these books is Drawing on the right side of the brain first published in 1979 and now in its 4th edition.  The diagram below illustrates the Modal Model.

The Modal Model of Right vs Left Hemisphere Function
The hand movements of left-handers are controlled by the right hemisphere giving left-handers direct access to this holistic and possibly more creative part of the brain…or so the argument goes.  If creative thought is a product of not one but both hemispheres, left-handers still have the advantage because research reports that left-handers show more symmetrical brain activity during the performance of certain tasks than that shown by right-handers.

 Left-handers are more whole-brained than right-handers which offers another potential creativity edge.  Although these seem like two good arguments favoring a creative superiority among left-handers, laboratory studies comparing right- and left-handers on tests of creativity have produced mixed results.

Generally, creativity is studied using tests of divergent thinking.  Research participants may be asked to make unusual connections between items…how many uses can one find for a brick…is an example of one type of divergent thinking test. Participants can also be asked to perform mental improvisations of music as another form of creativity measure.
 Such measures have not produced resounding findings in favor of a left-hander performance advantage when compared to right-handers.  The same is true when left- and right-handers are compared on tests of intelligence.
Intelligence tests usually involve convergent thinking where one right answer, rather than many alternatives, solves the problem at hand.  Large population studies done in Great Britian, Australia and New Zealand over the last 10 years report little differences between the intelligence test scores of right- and left-handers.

In summary, a favorite slogan among left-handers is ‘left-handers are in their right mind.’  While this sentiment is true when it comes to hand movements, it remains questionable when applied to creativity and intelligence differences between right- and left-handers.
Stay tuned for the next articles appearing throughout the end of November for answers to the next questions.

What Happens In The Pineal Gland When We Use Cannabis?

Pineal gland The pineal gland – mythical seat of spirituality and consciousness, the site of the primordial “third eye” – has been of fascination to humanity since its function and importance were discovered. It is well-known that the pineal gland responds to psychoactive drugs, so what happens when we use cannabis?

What is the pineal gland for?

While undoubtedly important, the pineal gland does not possess mystical or supernatural properties, no matter how much some people would like to believe it. Even some great, renowned thinkers have fallen foul of magical thinking here, such as the scientist and philosopher Descartes, who described the pineal gland as “the seat of the soul”.

Indeed, it is just but one gland among many that comprise the endocrine system in vertebrate animal species, whose function is heavily involved in the regulation of circadian (daily) rhythm and the production of hormones – the most important of which being melatonin, the “sleep hormone”. However, there are a few things that mark out the pineal gland as unique and interesting. Let’s take a brief look at what they are.

Why is the pineal gland so unusual?

The pineal gland is thought of as the “third eye”, and does in fact possess some of the qualities of a simple organ of sight

The idea of the pineal gland being a primordial “third eye” has some basis in fact. The gland is made up of cells known as pinealocytes, which in some non-mammal vertebrate species actually directly respond to light. This ability makes them very similar to the cells of the retina, the part of the eye that receives light from the lens opening.

In some fossil species, scientists have even found holes just like eye sockets in the centre-rear part of the skull, which allowed the pineal gland to receive light directly, just like an eye. In fact, several modern species of reptile and fish still retain a functional “third eye”, such as the New Zealand reptile species the tuatara, whose extra eye actually has a lens, a retina and a cornea of its own! It is thought that these functional third eyes are involved in maintaining daily and seasonal cycles of hormone production.

In mammals, the pinealocytes aren’t known to directly receive light, and there is no evidence of functional “third eyes” existing. However, the pinealocytes of mammals are known to be directly linked to the retina itself, which sends signals in response to changes in light levels in order to regulate circadian rhythms. So in some respects, if one stretches the definition of what constitutes an eye to the limit, one could still say that the pineal gland functions somewhat like a rudimentary third eye even in mammals.

One interesting aspect of the pineal gland that certainly does apply to mammals, including humans, in this: unlike much of the brain, the pineal gland is not separated from the rest of the body by the blood-brain barrier. It receives abundant blood flow directly from the posterior cerebral artery, which may have something to do with its receptiveness to psychoactive substances.

Why do psychoactive substances often affect the pineal gland?

The New Zealand reptile the tuatara retains a functional third eye used for regulating daily cycles (Out Shooting photos)

As well as being in a perfect position to receive all kinds of substances not filtered by the blood-brain barrier, the pineal gland is also at the heart of a “cascade” of reactions which fire off when norepinephrine, a well-known neurotransmitter responsible for regulating sleep and wakefulness, binds to its receptors in the pineal gland.

When norepinephrine binds to the receptors (known as adrenergic receptors), the chain of hormonal and enzymatic interactions that results is responsible for signalling when it is time to sleep, and when it is time for the individual to wake and become active. Thus, this cascade is deeply involved in setting up one’s “mood”, and how one perceives and responds to the challenges of the coming day, as well as ensuring that sleep of sufficient quality and duration is regularly achieved.

Clearly, the pineal gland is essential to maintaining a healthy, positive mind state, and is deeply concerned with emotional states in general. When humans consume psychiatric drugs, it affects this complex cascade of activity in the pineal gland, in conjunction with various other parts of the brain, to give a subjectively altered state of perception.

One example of the importance of the pineal gland in terms of psychiatric good-health is its relationship with the “Winter Blues” illness, seasonally affective disorder (often abbreviated to SAD). The fact that bright light is a common treatment for SAD suggests that the pineal gland and its associated light-sensitive hormone, melatonin, is involved. Furthermore, the fact that low light levels can cause such a dramatic set of psychological symptoms indicate that the pineal gland is fundamentally linked with psychiatric good health in general, and that its dysfunction may be behind other mental disorders too.

How does cannabis itself work in the pineal gland?

The pineal gland is so called due to its resemblance to a pine cone (Southernpixel – Alby Headrick)

Research on rats has shown that the pineal gland contains a functional endocannabinoid system, in that cannabinoid receptors type 1 and 2, and the endogenous ligands that bind to them, anandamide and 2-AG, are all present.

The study showed that the activity of the CB?-receptors varied according to a daily cycle, with lowest activity levels occurring at the end of the daylight period. It also showed that levels of an enzyme responsible for synthesizing new endocannabinoid molecules, NAPE-PLD, was reduced during the middle of the dark period.

Furthermore, the study showed that presence of THC reduced the activity of an enzyme known as AANAT, and in doing so reduces the synthesis of melatonin itself. An earlier study on rats also showed that THC reduced the activity of AANAT, and suggested that the mechanism that occurred was as follows: the neurotransmitter norepinephrine starts a cascade of reactions, the end result of which is the production of melatonin. THC disrupts this norepinephrine cascade and thereby reduces the production of melatonin.

It is likely that THC’s endogenous analogue anandamide performs the same action of reducing the norepinephrine-induced release of melatonin, and is therefore fundamentally involved in pineal gland function. It seems that low levels of anandamide or THC are therefore needed in order for melatonin production to increase. As melatonin levels increase, as they should normally do at the end of the daylight period, feelings of sleepiness should occur.

 

Read after: One Of The BIGGEST Secrets Kept From Humanity: The Pineal Gland!

But smoking cannabis makes me sleepy! Why?

The pineal gland has long been seen as the seat of consciousness in humans (Dean Terry)

If low levels of anandamide are required for melatonin production to increase, and levels of cannabinoid receptor activity are lowest at the end of the daylight period, that seems to imply that using cannabis would cause melatonin to be reduced, which should mean that sleepiness is also reduced. But many people report feeling sleepy after using cannabis. Why is this?

It may simply be that the mechanisms relating to cannabinoids and pineal gland hormones work differently in rats than in humans. Indeed, while the studies on rats clearly showed that THC reduced melatonin levels, there is evidence to suggest that the reverse is true in humans. An 1986 study showed that in eight out of nine healthy male volunteers, THC caused melatonin levels to dramatically increase, peaking around 120 minutes after administration. Interestingly, however, one subject showed a decline in melatonin in response to THC, just as was seen in rats.

Whether or not cannabis makes one feel sleepy may depend on dose, tolerance and a whole range of other factors, and may even depend on the time of day that the user consumes cannabis in relation to typical circadian rhythms. Furthermore, there may also be a genetic element controlling individual response to cannabinoids, as genetic differences in expression of cannabinoid receptors have been noted in multiple studies.

It is also now thought that many of the subjective effects of cannabis are not derived from THC per se, but rather from THC in combination with various other cannabinoids and terpenes. For example, myrcene is now thought to affect the “high” of pure THC, giving an overall more “couch-lock” effect to the user. Furthermore, pure THC has been shown on a number of occasions to have either a sedative or stimulant effect, depending on dose.

See also: How To Supercharge Your Dopamine Levels To Never Feel Sad, Stressed Or Depressed Again

But how does the pineal gland actually affect the process of getting “high”?

The pineal gland is heavily involved with the regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms in humans (Fl??d)

This is is not entirely clear, and in any case, we know that multiple different regions of the brain are involved in the subjective experience of being high. The pineal gland is just one tiny link in an extremely long and complicated chain, which stretches between some of the most basic and fundamental parts of the brain (and the pineal gland can definitely be classed as basic and fundamental, as almost every living vertebrate possesses one) and some of the most advanced, such as the neocortex, which only exists in mammals.

However, the pineal gland has repeatedly been associated with the biosynthesis of important natural compounds related to sleeping, dreaming, and dream imagery. The presence of these compounds in the pineal gland is one of the most important reasons that so many view it as the “seat of the soul”, or a key to “spiritual enlightenment”. Without a doubt, the most famous of these compounds is N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, more commonly known as DMT.

It’s actually somewhat controversial as to whether or not the pineal gland is responsible for synthesizing DMT in humans, but there is significant evidence to suggest that it is the case. DMT and related compounds tryptamine and bufotenin have been found in human urine, and DMT itself has been shown to be synthesized in the pineal gland of the rat brain. A closely related compound, 5-MeO-DMT has been found to be synthesized in the human pineal gland, but thus far, it has not been proven that DMT itself is too.

In any case, it certainly appears that the pineal gland is very much involved in the production and/or processing of substances that are well-known to be involved in helping to create “dream states” when we are asleep. Thus, there are many theories that the subjective experience of getting “high” from cannabis, hallucinogens and other psychoactive drugs also involves this subjective creation of a “dream-like” or otherwise altered reality.

Read also: 4 Things You Must Know About Your ‘Third Eye’ – One Of The BIGGEST Secret Kept From Humanity

The pineal gland is part of a complex and fascinating system

DMT is an ingredient in ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogen whose users often produce art like this (Howard G Charing)

While we are far from having a complete understanding of the complex network of chemical compounds that interact in the brain, we are beginning to build a simple map of how all these interrelated processes fit together. It is increasingly clear that the endocannabinoid system is a fundamentally important messaging system that helps to link together various parts of the brain, many of which work together to give us the subjective experience of being “high”.

The pineal gland itself is crucial to this process, and has undeniable importance as a source of consciousness-altering compounds. It works with the endocannabinoid system and various other regulatory systems to control our subjective daily experience of mood, wakefulness and sleepiness, and when we introduce external psychoactive compounds, this process can be altered in fundamental ways, some of which can be greatly enjoyable to the individual!

5 Facts of Psychology That You Need to Know

 

Study of the human brain is one of the most complex and intriguing areas of research that is prominent today, and it has been this way since the 1870s, when psychology gained its independence from philosophy as a field of study. Technological advances and a seemingly endless amount of research have allowed us to learn a great deal about the brain, however we’ve still only scratched the surface.

Check out these five need-to-know facts of psychology, and maybe start living your life a bit differently:

1. If you announce your goals to others, you become less likely to achieve them because you lose motivation, studies show – As early as 1933, tests have shown that once intended goals are announced aloud, people are less likely to follow through with them as they lose motivation. This is thought to happen because announcing one’s goals satisfies a person’s self-identity just enough to prevent them from performing the hard work to achieve those goals.


2. Most people’s favorite song is associated with an emotional event in their lives – It’s fairly well known that music has a direct effect on emotion and our brains. A recent study on nine undergraduate students found that the flip side is true as well, smells and other sense-based stimulants can remind of us moments in the past.


3. You’ll be happier spending your money on experiences, rather than material possessions – Happiness is becoming increasingly popular in the scientific field of study on emotional well-being. Research in this area suggests that people often sacrifice things that make them happy, such as going on vacation or attending events, in order to afford possessions (like property).











4. Kids are more high-strung these days, with high school students showing the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950’s – About 49% of the general population suffers or has suffered from anxiety, depression, or substance abuse at some point in their life.

There is actual proof that the human race, collectively, is becoming more and more anxious with each passing decade. There are many speculations as to why this is, a common one being that people move more often, interact less with their communities, change jobs, are less likely to get married and more likely to spend their time alone.



5. Surrounding yourself with happy people helps you to become happier too – New research published in the Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal shows that stress and happiness are both contagious, and that being around either one of these groups influences us in a direct way.