Childhood trauma always leaves its scars. Children can experience or be exposed to violence, mental abuse, neglect, vehicle accidents, natural disasters, rape, or other circumstances of extreme fear and shock.

As a result, they change for the worse. Their play becomes repetitive and often involves their trauma. They can’t sleep by themselves or be alone at any time. They distance themselves from people, have a low self-esteem, and have difficulty with trust. Aggression is a common symptom, as well as self-harm and abuse of drugs or alcohol. (1)

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the trauma is blocked by the child’s brain and cannot be remembered. An adult may become disgusted or terrified when smelling a particular type of liquor, or inexplicably angry or afraid when touched by an older person. The brain could have blurred a memory about being raped by an older individual who was drunk.

The adult wonders, “Am I crazy?” (2)

Traumas Hidden by the Brain

Many people suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety as a result of their childhood experiences. However, it’s difficult for them to receive the phycological counseling they need if they cannot recall the incident that is causing all this hardship. This seems like a lose-lose situation for trauma victims. Continue reading →

Maureen was sitting with her friends in a park. The weather is sunny, and the girls are relaxing after a busy day at school. Suddenly Maureen declares that a boy with a very funny haircut will appear. Her friends stared at her in amazement as that particular person walked by their bench. They asked Maureen how she had known he was coming. She couldn’t explain. She didn’t understand it herself.

Derrick was ecstatic, as any seven-year-old would be to see a medieval castle for the first time. His parents were shocked as he described every detail of each of the twelve rooms.  Before they entered them.(1)

Deja vu is a curious phenomenon that almost everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It only lasts a few seconds when an experience or dream feels eerily familiar. It comes from the French meaning ‘already seen.’

Who Gets Deja Vu?

About two-thirds of our population have this experience at least once in our lives. Studies found that gender makes no difference, yet age is significant. It seems the older a person is, the less likely he will have an episode of deja vu. In fact, the majority of these reports were issued from 15-and-25-year olds. It is also more common with those who watch movies or travel often. (6)

1. Mercury

Mercury is the messenger of the ancient Roman gods, and was also known as the Bringer of Dreams. He can assume any human form and enter the dreams of gods and man alike to relay messages, insights, and premonitions. Perhaps he delivers a hint of the future for the dreamer. When you experience his prediction, you cannot fully remember the vision of Mercury from your dream, and it is quickly dismissed. (2) Continue reading →

Keeping vaccines at a regulated temperature through transportation across developing countries has been a main concern among health officials for years. Thanks to a portable cooling system designed by a  22-year-old student, that might not be a problem for much longer.

Will Broadway is  an industrial design and technology graduate from Loughborough University, and created the concept for the device during a project at school. It seems to have done rather well, considering it has recently been awarded the highly regarded James Dyson Award for the UK participants. James Dyson will personally select the international winner on October 27th.

The device, known as the Isobar, maintains a stable temperature of 2 – 8 degrees Celsius for one month.  It might seem like a complex idea, but it’s really just basic chemistry. Ammonia is heated with water to create ammonia vapours. These vapours are then released into the main chamber when cooling is required.

2012 was when Will found his inspiration to design the portable refrigeration, after he visited Cambodia and parts of south east Asia.

“These trips sparked an interest,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “It pushed me. Something needs to be solved for this major issue.”

The best part, besides helping millions of people fight illness, is that Will doesn’t want to patent the design.

“I don’t think that it should be patented to restrict use,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “I make things every day for people who have everything. I wanted to make something for people who have next to nothing. It should be a basic human right, in my opinion, to have a vaccination.”

Continue reading →

Say the word hallucinate and the first thing that comes to are drugs. Psychedelics and their image as dangerous have led the word hallucination to be rife with negative connotations. However, hallucinating itself isn’t a dangerous act. It allows you to expand your mind and help you make sense of exactly who you are.

Mainstream media has tried to demonize hallucinations as a symptom of mental health issues or mental instability. Although uncontrollable visions can be a sign of a deeper issue, using a controlled technique can be hugely beneficial. Daydreams become reality, allowing us to put a plan together of how to realise our dreams when we return to ‘reality.’

If you’re looking for a natural way to delve more deeply into your own psyche through hallucinations, the Ganzfeld effect could be the force that liberates your consciousness from our perceived reality.

What is the Ganzfeld effect?

The Ganzfeld effect was first theorized in the 1930s by a psychologist by the name of Wolfgang Metzger (1899-1979), although it has roots in Ancient Greek culture. The term when translated from German into English means complete field, an apt title given its ability to allow you to access the hidden depths of your brain, through a process of complete sensory deprivation.

Metzger decided to test the theory that a complete shut off from your external senses (sight and hearing) would open up the brain for further activity. The Greeks had begun the idea by retreating to pitch black caves to hallucinate, as well as modern stories of trapped miners experiencing visions as a result of the perpetual darkness they lived in. Most interestingly, arctic explorers staring out at an unalterable expanse of white have been shown to experience an altered state of mind by their conditions. Continue reading →

This Friday’s lunar eclipse has two important themes behind it: truth and creativity.

Let’s get right down to it, shall we?

This lunar eclipse is a powerful one, and is going to release some painful emotions for many of us. All full moons hold energy relating to relationships, and this one isn’t going to be any different. Whether it has to do with the relationship with ourselves, or others, this eclipse is going to give us a little clarity and insight.

You know that baggage you’ve been carrying around for the past few months? It’s all about to come to the surface, so get ready.

When this happens, it is important to remember that you are seeing all of this come to light for a purpose; you can only determine which thoughts are helping and which ones are hurting, if you acknowledge them first. So yes, it might be a painful time wrought with frustration and anger, but there is a reason for everything.

Since this lunar eclipse encompasses the energy of truth, you can expect all those feelings and emotions you’ve been ignoring to rise to the surface. Pushing aside those things in your life you really should’ve been paying attention to? Well, it’s all about to burst forth into the spotlight.

Of course, going through the process of all those emotions, and facing those things we have hidden away from can be painful. But you’re strong enough to handle it. You’re strong enough because you know it is what you must do if you are to expand your consciousness and attain higher understanding. Continue reading →

Love has no limit, no shape and no condition. If we could understand this, we wouldn’t have the need to buy chocolate ice-cream and watch sad love movies while we sit wallowing in self-pity.

The most fatal relationship killer goes by the name, attachment. This nasty little thing disguises its self as love at first and later becomes jealous and needy.

You see, attachment is also known as co-dependency, it makes us believe we cannot live without the person we love. And this puts both them and us in a dangerous cage. When being so deeply “in love” we forget about the importance of ourselves and our needs because the sensation of pleasing our loved ones feels so good.

When we love unconditionally, the pains of attachment can’t affect us. Loving unconditionally is the acceptance of all that is. When we can’t accept someone for everything they are we start to try and change them and we convince ourselves that we know best. This is often the start of toxic relationships.

Keeping pure love from turning into attachment isn’t easy, but here are 3 of the best kept secrets to realizing before it’s too late, with one extra – to conclude it all.

1. Ask yourself what you felt the first few days after meeting your loved one. Continue reading →