Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Spirituality Spot Found in Brain

What makes us feel spiritual? It could be the quieting of a small area in our brains, a new study suggests.

The area in question - the right parietal lobe - is responsible for defining "Me," said researcher Brick Johnstone of Missouri University. It generates self-criticism, he said, and guides us through physical and social terrains by constantly updating our self-knowledge: my hand, my cocktail, my witty conversation skills, my new love interest ...

People with less active Me-Definers are more likely to lead spiritual lives, reports the study in the current issue of the journal Zygon.

Most previous research on neuro-spirituality has been based on brain scans of actively practicing adherents (i.e. meditating monks, praying nuns) and has resulted in broad and inconclusive findings. (Is the brain area lighting up in response to verse or spiritual experience?)

So Johnstone and colleague Bret Glass turned to the tried-and-true techniques of neuroscience's early days - studying brain-injured patients. The researchers tested brain regions implicated in the previous imaging studies with exams tailored to each area's expertise - similar to studying the prowess of an ear with a hearing test. They then looked for correlations between brain region performance and the subjects' self-reported spirituality.

Among the more spiritual of the 26 subjects, the researchers pinpointed a less functional right parietal lobe, a physical state which may translate psychologically as decreased self-awareness and self-focus.

The finding suggests that one core tenant of spiritual experience is selflessness, said Johnstone, adding that he hopes the study "will help people think about spirituality in more specific ways."

Spiritual outlooks have long been associated with better mental and physical health. These benefits, Johnstone speculated, may stem from being focused less on one's self and more on others - a natural consequence of turning down the volume on the Me-Definer.

In addition to religious practices, other behaviors and experiences are known to hush the Definer of Me. Appreciation of art or nature can quiet it, Johnstone said, pointing out that people talk of "losing themselves" in a particularly beautiful song. Love, and even charity work, can also soften the boundaries of "Me," he said.

The greatest silencing of the Me-Definer likely happens in the deepest states of meditation or prayer, said Johnstone, when practitioners describe feeling seamless with the entire universe.
That is, the highest point of spiritual experience occurs when "Me" completely loses its definition.

"If you look in the Torah, the Old Testament, the New Testament, in the Koran, a lot of Sufi writings, Buddhist writings, and Hindu writings, they all talk about selflessness," said Johnstone.

We may be finding the neurological underpinnings of these writings, he said.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Raya Defines

baby's chew toy: what ever delicate item you are currently working on (like eating the hair brush while you are trying to brush your hair. Then when I took the hair brush away, she chewed on my hair). Or the papers that I have so carefully organized on my desk..... and when all else fails- your fingers.

baby's favorite chew toy: the one of the many you spent money on, and then lost. So the child refers back to the first definition of chew toy.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Because I'm a sucker for this sort of thing....

Year Review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Birth Alone

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?Well, I kept some of them, until I changed the goals. Other got lost in the business of life, and of course I will make more for next year- maybe if a I put "brushing my hair everyday." on enough of them it will eventually happen.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?My sister, her friend, my cousin, me, friends at church... I'm just hanging with a fertile crowd.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yup, and I miss him, but life keeps going.

5. What countries did you visit?No countries- how about states- like denial, apathy, excitement?

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
sleep... apples from my orchard... more organic eggs

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?
June 16, Oct 19

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Had a girl! and closed a business with out debt (I hope)

9. What was your biggest failure?
besides not brushing my hair?..... probably something about keeping the house clean- but that is not so much of a failure as it is yet a mountain of habits to make.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nope- healthy as an ox and enjoying it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
no easy answer- all "things" traditional bought with money pale in comparison to what I bought with my time and effort. Like reading time with kids, family home evening, and the fruit of having the kids closer to us.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The kiddos! they did great in school and with chores.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Besides Bush's?

14. Where did most of your money go?
to groceries

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I had a girl!

16. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier/sadder,thinner/heavier,richer/poorer?
happier, richer ( in spirit)- and I refuse to worry about weight

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
play with the littles.. enjoy my woods

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
time spent on my computer

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
quietly (relatively speaking) with family

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Yvette- my business's right hand lady- and my friend.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
over and over and over again (with the same man)


24. What was your favorite TV program?
I like Eureka.... and the Muppets.


26. What was the best book(s) you read?
A listened to a few good ones, but haven't had too much time for reading. But the spot for "best" clearly goes to the Book of Mormon.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The primary children- they are talented and sounds like angels!

28. What did you want and get?
a girl!

29. What did you want and not get?
an earth friendly way to heat my house (will keep trying though)

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
nothing stands out- I am still waiting for one to sweep my off my feet.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I had an old fashioned sleep over with my best friend. We watched movies, ate sweet and made love... wait ! I never did that as I kid.


33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"Is it warm enough?"

34. What kept you sane?
the promise that tomorrow would be another day, the promise the kids grow up and the knowledge that only I can change me.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage issues- trying to understand the complexities and religious/ moral stands.

37. Who did you miss?
my pattern maker

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I feel in love with another mother with an autistic child. I adore her because her problems always make mine look easy.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
don't share unusual birth plans with people who never question the box they think in
gravity never fails
look up
stand in awe- at all time
don't trust permanent markers in the hands of anyone under 30

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
" Press forward Saints..."

Monday, December 15, 2008

12 Days Of Christmas





On the first day of Christmas my children gave to me A wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my children gave to me 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my children gave to me a 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

On the 4th day of Christmas my children gave to me 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

12 Days Of Christmas (cont)





On the 5th day of Christmas my children gave to me 5 little piggies! 4 matching faces, 3 hour naptime, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.


On the 6th day of Christmas my children gave to me 6 birthday candles. 5 little piggies! 4 matching faces, 3 hour naptime, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.



On the 7th day of Christmas my children gave to me 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles. 5 little piggies! 4 matching faces, 3 hour naptime, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.






On the 8th day of Christmas my children gave to me 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles. 5 little piggies! 4 matching faces, 3 hour naptime, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

12 Days Of Christmas (cont)

On the 9th day of Christmas my children gave to me 9 loads of Laundry. 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles, 5 little piggies, 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.


Oh the 10th day of Christmas my children gave to me "just 10 minutes longer." 9 loads of laundry. 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles, 5 little piggies, 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.






On the 11th day 11 scripture readings, 10 minutes longer, 9 loads of laundry, 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles, 5 little piggies, 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

On the 12th day of Christmas my children gave to me 12 lego creations!
11 scripture readings, 10 minutes longer, 9 loads of laundry. 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles, 5 little piggies, 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.


On the 12th day of Christmas my children gave to me 12 lego creations!
11 scripture readings, 10 minutes longer, 9 loads of laundry. 8 answered questions, 7 sinks of dishes, 6 birthday candles, 5 little piggies, 4 matching faces, 3 hour nap time, 2 chewed on fingers and a wiggly Shanny waiting for me.

Friday, December 05, 2008

boys and thier balls

Boys do love their balls, especially my Clayton.
And the other day, when I pulled off his pull up to get him dressed for school, I saw the biggest set of balls I ever would have imagined would reside in a boy's crotch.

2 tennis balls came rolling out-

it is amazing what can hide in a pullup.