Late morning. Carol is washing clothes, bed sheets and the like, you have been watching and playing with Brennan who is now quiet in the rocker – he has been teething which appears bothersome to him from time to time. You have been talking to him, mainly the ABC’s and numbers one to ten in English, German, and Portuguese and you have to be reminded of the French; plus, some good mornings, good evenings, etc.
I should know some French to work with him. Italian is similar to the Portuguese in pronunciation. Paul should go over some Korean. We did this with Kim; I think the basic language sounds help. I have been listening to Chinese and Japanese radio stations from time to time. I am sure there is an app for kids on language variety. The only language Kim learned with any proficiency is French in high school and college. I took Latin and Spanish. Sadly, I did not do well in either as I have a version of tone deafness. Kim was a musician too – playing the flute in junior high and high school. Mom played the piano well and Dad the saxophone; both knew French and Dad also knew German. Carol learned Korean and Vietnamese while overseas and I Portuguese (enough to get along in most everyday situations encountered). I don’t know why I’m saying all this.
If you apologize for it you’ll make it worse, boy. The mind moves into its own mode, you should know that by now. After ‘encountered’ you popped into consciousness. No need to apologize for being conscious. – Amorella
Later, after reading the recent Romney cover Time magazine, and particularly Joel Stein, one of your favorite, nearly always funny writers; and more importantly, after Brennan is finally down for a nap, you are ready and thinking about your conversation with son-in-law, Paul and Kim last night.
I began the conversation with asking Paul about what nerves and muscles are involved with my communication with you, Amorella and we went through the fingers, the radial and median and the sensory nerves and cranial nerve seven which controls the orbicularius oculi surrounding the eye, the only two avenues to yourself as far as I know. Then after a preliminary explanation dealing with Lesson Seven I asked, “How would you know a Presence was in the room?”
Paul mentioned the “sixth sense” and “fear”; then Kim added “fear and flight, the amygdala”, and Paul concurred.
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Fight or Flight
To produce the fight-or-flight response, the hypothalamus activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The sympathetic nervous system uses nerve pathways to initiate reactions in the body, and the adrenal-cortical system uses the bloodstream. The combined effects of these two systems are the fight-or-flight response.
When the hypothalamus tells the sympathetic nervous system to kick into gear, the overall effect is that the body speeds up, tenses up and becomes generally very alert. If there's a burglar at the door, you're going to have to take action -- and fast. The sympathetic nervous system sends out impulses to glands and smooth muscles and tells the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) into the bloodstream. These "stress hormones" cause several changes in the body, including an increase in heartrate and blood pressure.
At the same time, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) into the pituitary gland, activating the adrenal-cortical system. The pituitary gland (a major endocrine gland) secretes the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). ACTH moves through the bloodstream and ultimately arrives at the adrenal cortex, where it activates the release of approximately 30 different hormones that get the body prepared to deal with a threat.
The sudden flood of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dozens of other hormones causes changes in the body that include:
a. heart rate and blood pressure increase
b. pupils dilate to take in as much light as possible
c. veins in skin constrict to send more blood to major muscle groups (responsible for the "chill" sometimes associated with fear -- less blood in the skin to keep it warm)
d. blood-glucose level increases
e. muscles tense up, energized by adrenaline and glucose (responsible for goose bumps -- when tiny muscles attached to each hair on surface of skin tense up, the hairs are forced upright, pulling skin with them)
f. smooth muscle relaxes in order to allow more oxygen into the lungs
g. nonessential systems (like digestion and immune system) shut down to allow more energy for emergency functions
h. trouble focusing on small tasks (brain is directed to focus only on big picture in order to determine where threat is coming from)
All of these physical responses are intended to help you survive a dangerous situation by preparing you to either run for your life or fight for your life (thus the term "fight or flight"). Fear -- and the fight-or-flight response in particular -- is an instinct that every animal possesses.
From: science.howstuffworks
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And from Wikipedia (below)
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The amygdalae (singular: amygdala; . . . are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions memory of, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.
Anatomical subdivisions
The regions described as amygdala nuclei encompass several structures with distinct functional traits. Among these nuclei are the basolateral complex, the cortical nucleus, the medial nucleus, and the central nucleus. The basolateral complex can be further subdivided into the lateral, the basal, and the accessory basal nuclei.
Connections
The amygdala sends impulses to the hypothalamus for activation of the sympathetic nervous system, to the thalamic reticular nucleus for increased reflexes, to the nuclei of the trigeminal nerve and the facial nerve, and to the ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus for activation of dopamine, norepinephirine and epinephrine.
The cortical nucleus is involved in the sense of smell and pheromone-processing. It receives input from the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex. The lateral amygdalae, which send impulses to the rest of the basolateral complexes and to the centromedial nuclei, receive input from the sensory systems. The centromedial nuclei are the main outputs for the basolateral complexes, and are involved in emotional arousal in rats and cats.
Emotional learning
In complex vertebrates, including humans, the amygdalae perform primary roles in the formation and storage of memories associated with emotional events. Research indicates that, during fear conditioning, sensory stimuli reach the basolateral complexes of the amygdalae, particularly the lateral nuclei, where they form associations with memories of the stimuli. The association between stimuli and the aversive events they predict may be mediated by long-term potentiation, a sustained enhancement of signalling between affected neurons.
Memories of emotional experiences imprinted in reactions of synapses in the lateral nuclei elicit fear behavior through connections with the central nucleus of the amygdalae and the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BNST). The central nuclei are involved in the genesis of many fear responses, including freezing (immobility), tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), increased respiration, and stress-hormone release. Damage to the amygdalae impairs both the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian fear conditioning, a form of classic conditioning of emotional responses.
The amygdalae are also involved in appetitive (positive) conditioning. It seems that distinct neurons respond to positive and negative stimuli, but there is no clustering of these distinct neurons into clear anatomical nuclei. However, lesions of the central nucleus in the amygdala have been shown to reduce appetitive learning in rats. Lesions of the basolateral regions do not exhibit the same effect. Research like this indicates that different nuclei within the amygdala have different functions in appetitive conditioning.
Memory modulation
The amygdala is also involved in the modulation of memory consolidation. Following any learning event, the long-term memory for the event is not formed instantaneously. Rather, information regarding the event is slowly assimilated into long-term (potentially life-long) storage over time, possibly via long-term potentiation. Recent studies suggest that, while the amygdala is not itself a long-term memory storage site, and learning can occur without it, one of its roles is to regulate memory consolidation in other brain regions. Also, fear conditioning, a type of memory that is impaired following amygdala damage, is mediated in part by long-term potentiation.
During the consolidation period, the memory can be modulated. In particular, it appears that emotional arousal following the learning event influences the strength of the subsequent memory for that event. Greater emotional arousal following a learning event enhances a person's retention of that event. Experiments have shown that administration of stress hormones to mice immediately after they learn something enhances their retention when they are tested two days later.
The amygdalae, especially the basolateral nuclei, are involved in mediating the effects of emotional arousal on the strength of the memory for the event, as shown by many laboratories including that of James McGaugh. These laboratories have trained animals on a variety of learning tasks and found that drugs injected into the amygdala after training affect the animals' subsequent retention of the task. These tasks include basic classical conditioning tasks such as inhibitory avoidance, where a rat learns to associate a mild footshock with a particular compartment of an apparatus, and more complex tasks such as spatial or cued water maze, where a rat learns to swim to a platform to escape the water. If a drug that activates the amygdalae is injected into the amygdalae, the animals had better memory for the training in the task. If a drug that inactivates the amygdalae is injected, the animals had impaired memory for the task.
Buddhist monks who do compassion meditation have been shown to modulate their amygdala, along with their temporoparietal junction and insula, during their practice. In an fMRI study, more intensive insula activity was found in expert meditators than in novices. Increased activity in the amygdala following compassion-oriented meditation may contribute to social connectedness.
Amygdala activity at the time of encoding information correlates with retention for that information. However, this correlation depends on the relative "emotionalness" of the information. More emotionally-arousing information increases amygdalar activity, and that activity correlates with retention. Amygdala neurons show various types of oscillation during emotional arousal, such as theta activity. These synchronized neuronal events could promote synaptic plasticity (which is involved in memory retention) by increasing interactions between neocortical storage sites and temporal lobe structures involved in declarative memory.
Rorschach blot 03
Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, "Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity."
Edited from: Wikipedia: Amygdala
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Upon reading this material it shows (thankfully for me) that science can do much of the explanation as far as Amorella’s pathways are concerned. A good example of this is a selection from the report (from three or four years ago) I received from my neurologist Dr. Ten Pas:
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Here is what Dr. Ten Pas said as she went through your MRI brain scans and blood work.
You have a small benign tumor between the two halves of the brain. Not to worry, as it should not grow further as you are older. Your cerebellum looks very healthy. The rest of your brain looks good except for a bit of hardening of the arteries at the top left of the lateral ventricle (the central cavity). This has been caused by high blood pressure even though the blood pressure has been treated on and off since 1960 (mostly on since 1972). You have no autoimmune diseases and no inflammations in the brain. You do not have multiple sclerosis though this was suggested as a problem. You do have:
12.6: Occipital neuralgia
The IHS description of occipital neuralgia is the following: occipital neuralgia is a paroxysmal jabbing pain in the distribution of the greater or lesser occipital nerves, accompanied by diminished sensation or dysaesthesiae in the affected area. It is commonly associated with tenderness over the nerve concerned. Diagnostic criteria are:
A. Pain is felt in the distribution of greater or lesser occipital nerves.
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1420 hours. Again, the original question: How does the soul exist? And the sub-question: How does the attendant enter the soul? But first, the immediate question: How did I know a Presence was in the room before the dance with the Amorella began? Today's material above shows the various channels I probably went though to note your Presence in the room, starting with the initial suspicion that someone/something is watching me.
What about the “sixth sense” that Paul mentioned? – Amorella
I looked up ESP on Wikipedia.
I selected the one section that is relevant in your situation, and the only one on which you also agreed to first. - Amorella
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Extrasensory perception and hypnosis
There is a common belief that a hypnotized person is able to demonstrate ESP. Carl Sargent, a psychology major at the University of Cambridge, heard about the early claims of an hypnosis–ESP link and designed an experiment to test whether they had merit. He recruited 40 fellow college students, none of whom identified themselves as having ESP, and then divided them into one group that would be hypnotized before being tested with a pack of 25 Zener cards and a non-hypnotized control group that would be tested with the same cards. The control subjects averaged a score of 5 out of 25 right, exactly what chance would indicate. The subjects who were hypnotized did more than twice as well, averaging a score of 11.9 out of 25 right. Sargent's own interpretation of the experiment is that ESP is associated with a relaxed state of mind and a freer, more atavistic level of altered consciousness. [citation needed]
Slightly edited from Wikipedia: Extrasensory perception
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In a further online search I found an article in Psychology Today, April, 2009:
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Visceral Fear of Harm
Although it can occasionally seem similar to anxiety, there is one kind of nervous reaction that does not give many false alarms and that you must never doubt. I call it visceral fear of harm. It's a feeling in your muscles and in your gut that you will be physically injured. Unlike anxiety, which is based in part on your imagination, visceral fear of harm is a response to physiological cues that your brain picks up when you are close to someone who feels aggressive. This visceral feeling comes over you more abruptly and with greater intensity than mere anxiety about having a bad evening or even a dread of distress, depression, and other worries that go with conflict or emotional abuse.
Visceral fear of harm is not cognitive; you sense aggressive impulses in others before your brain can formulate thoughts about possible danger. That's why you get tense in certain situations, like seeing certain strangers, without knowing why. Women, like the females of most social animals, have a heightened sense of this early-warning system, which is why your man remains perfectly calm and might even get annoyed with your nervousness as you walk near a stranger in a darkened parking garage.
From: An Early Warning that Conflict Might Turn Dangerous
Your body senses danger better than your head.
Published by Steven Stosny in “Anger in the Age of Entitlement” in Psychology Today, April, 2009
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Although I feared no harm in ‘sensing’ a Presence in the room it still may have been the source of connecting my unconscious awareness to consciousness. (I remember this [the above] was also a part of last night’s conversation with Kim and Paul.) Does the above material posted today answer your question Amorella? (1505)
How does the attendant enter the soul? I have in mind the attendant is as an endosymbiotic spiritual presence. The spiritual symbiotic relationship is similar to that I used in the development of Diplomat’s AC. In other words, the spiritual attendant (at least since the time of higher consciousness in the physical world) has always existed. References below:
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Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Most other DNA present in eukaryotic organisms is found in the cell nucleus.
Edited from: Wikipedia
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The endosymbiotic [symbiosis in which one of the symbiotic organisms lives inside the other] theory concerns the mitochondria, plastids and possibly other organelles of eukaryotic cells. According to this theory, certain organelles originated as free-living bacteria that were taken inside another cell as endosymbionts. Mitochondria developed from protecobacteria and chloroplasts from cyanobacteria. . . .
Primary endosymbiosis involves the engulfment of a bacterium by another free living organism. Secondary endosymbiosis occurs when the product of primary endosymbiosis is itself engulfed and retained by another free living eukaryote. Secondary endosymbiosis has occurred several times and has given rise to extremely diverse groups of algae and other eukaryotes. Some organisms can take opportunistic advantage of a similar process, where they engulf an alga and use the products of its photosynthesis, but once the prey item dies (or is lost) the host returns to a free-living state.
Selected and edited from Wikipedia: endosymbiotic theory
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This will do as it is reasonable in construction. Now, the final question for this Lesson Seven: How does the soul exist? – Amorella
The soul exists as a condensed spiritual dropping formed from a vapor of a natural decorum, a foreshadowing of light, a halo if you will, of Presence. As dignity forms into substance it communicates ‘humanity’ in the form of the spiritual thought: dignity and freedom exist even within adversity. As the attendant exists in the soul to receive the flowering heart and mind, thus protecting physical individuals with higher consciousness from spiritual death after the physical body has perished so does dignity and freedom exist with the heartansoulanmind of those beings who have evolved and developed a higher spiritual consciousness.
This will do, thus concludes Lesson Seven. Post. - Amorella
If there are degrees of Presence (in context) I do not know how to graduate the degrees of Presence.
In here, boy, Presence is never more than Presence need be. - Amorella
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