Inside The Mind Of Death

Since the dawn of time, death has been one of the greatest mysteries known to humankind. It has been anticipated, mourned, feared, welcomed, loathed, induced, and, through the poetry of Emily Dickinson, death has almost been explained. Dickinson’s death-related poetic compositions reflect a metamorphosis of style and thought that distinguish her earlier work from that of her two later periods, and provide a means of understanding the mindset of the quasi-necrophobic poet, as well as an insight to the nature of death. Dickinson’s dynamic utilization of personification, metaphor, and euphemism is a key element in fully comprehending both her maturing poetic influences on the human perception of death, and her fear of relinquishing her life to an unknown eternity. Critics have extensively categorized the poetry of Emily Dickinson since her work was first published post-mortem in 1890, but the categorizations of her compositions, especially those describing death, differ significantly among the literary minds responsible for creating the distinctions. Both the chronological and stylistic divisions of Dickinson’s death poetry serve as guidelines to mapping the evolution of her psyche, which is necessary to understanding her varied views of death. In general, her death poems are divided into time periods or by subject description, with some categories containing subdivisions of the primary theme. Of these groupings, the one that is most vital to understanding the maturation of Dickinson’s thought in respect to the human perception of death, is the time period division. The chronological category consists of three time periods, each of which contain poems that exhibit certain common characteristics of Dickinson’s particular style. The first interval of death poetry consists of Dickinson’s 215 works composed prior to 1861. The work of this period has often been labeled “more of a ‘reflection’ in verse than it is a presentation of ideas through concrete images”, and has lacked “the intensity and sense of urgency that is so characteristic of her later work” (Ford 69). Additionally, Thomas W. Ford has noted that “the poetry before 1861, by comparison with that which she wrote later in life, is somewhat conventional and sentimental” (Ford 68). However, the sentimentality expressed in these poems triumphantly escapes the weak maudlinism that prevailed during the period, elevating her poetry to a level that transcended the work of other authors. Despite the underlying sentiment of the work of this period, Dickinson formulated the basic ideas that she would continue to use in her study of death, especially through her varied perspectives of the many aspects of dying (Ford 69). Dickinson’s divisions of perspective within the time period comprise four major subcategories of her early death poetry: “poems dealing with death and immortality, poems dealing mainly with the physical aspects of death, poems that personify death, and elegiac poems” (Ford 73). The first subcategory, poems dealing with death and immortality, is the largest of the four groups. Dickinson’s “primary interest in death in these poems [is] its intimate relation to immortality,” which is one of the major fascinations of her later years. This interest can be observed in nearly all of the poems of this subcategory, especially this 1860 work: I shall know why – when Time is over – And I have ceased to wonder why – Christ will explain each separate anguish In the fair schoolroom of the sky – He will tell me what “Peter” promised – And I – for wonder at his woe – I shall forget the drop of Anguish That scalds me now – that scalds me now! (193) The relation between death and immortality in this poem is ironic, for Dickinson was not a woman of sound faith in God, however, her trust in the belief that the faithful departed find a new home in Heaven when life expires is quite obvious. “Peter’s promise” is a Biblical allusion to Peter’s Pentecostal sermon in the second chapter of the book of Acts, and confirms the prospect of immortality through eternal life. When asked what to do to receive the spirit of Christ, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (ACTS 2:38-39). The “promise” of the Holy Spirit is an acknowledgement of the promise of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which is a direct link to the intimate relation of death and immortality that so intrigued Dickinson. The second subcategory consists of poems that grapple with the physical aspects of death. Dickinson’s primary source of inspiration here was the “observation of the dying, the dead, and the effects or aftermath of death as seen in burials, funerals, and household activities” (Ford 79). Through observing these facets of death, Dickinson gains a closer insight to what death must be like physically. This excerpt reflects the image of the mannequin-like corpse, devoid of warmth and spirit: How many times these low feet staggered – Only the soldered mouth can tell – Try – can you stir the awful rivet – Try – can you lift the hasps of steel! Stroke the cool forehead – hot so often – Lift – if you care – the listless hair – Handle the adamantine fingers Never a thimble – more – shall wear – (187) The adjectives used to describe the parts of the corpse convey an image of a cold and rigid object, which implies that death is representative of these same characteristics. The images of a “soldered mouth” and “adamantine fingers” strongly imply the notion that rigor mortis has undoubtedly set in, and the “cool forehead” indicates that all warmth has left the body. These semi-euphemistic descriptions of the dead body soften the dramatic blow that usually accompanies the sight of a corpse, as well as Dickinson’s qualms about the physical aspects of death. For Dickinson, “watching how a death [happened removed] both the suspense and the fear of it that existed in imagined versions of death” (Ferlazzo 46). Dickinson’s recognition of this fact led her to write in the poem “‘Tis so appalling – it Exhilarates” that “Looking at Death, is Dying – ”, which is the basis of an important technique relied upon heavily in the periods of her later death poetry. “And because Looking at Death, is Dying,” the chief work of her quest becomes a comprehensive perceptual involvement with death” (Johnson 155). Dickinson’s third subcategory is comprised of poems that personify death, and contains the least number of poems in the four divisions. By picturing death as a human, Dickinson could come closer to understanding its purpose. By attributing human characteristics to the non-human entity that is death, she found an avenue for expressing the abstract in terms of the concrete (Ford 89-90). “Dust is the only Secret,” is a prime example of her utilization of personification, as seen in this excerpt: Industrious! Laconic! Punctual! Sedate! Bold as a Brigand! Stiller than a Fleet! Builds, like a Bird too! Christ robs the Nest – Robin after Robin Smuggled to Rest! (153) Dickinson’s attribution of human qualities to death through simple adjectives as well as similes investigates the personality of death, which serves as an aid to understanding death’s true nature. Her description of death an “industrious”, “laconic”, “punctual”, and “sedate” being, and her characterization of death as “bold”, “still”, and as a “builder” help to express her view of the calm, concise side of death. Dickinson formed an opinion regarding death’s character traits through observation of the dead and dying, which aided the relief of her apprehensions about death by allowing herself to familiarize and understand it (Ford 92). The fourth of the subcategories contains elegiac poetry, which were abundant in the first chronological writing period. In many of Emily Dickinson’s elegies, the person for whom she is writing can easily be identified, but even more of these poems are so general that it appears that she has written them for imaginary individuals (Ford 92). Dickinson’s early elegies, like the works of the other three categories, lack the intensity that is prevalent in her later works, as seen in this 1860 elegy, written for her Aunt Lavina Norcross: “Mama never forgets her birds, / Though in another tree – / She looks down just as often / And just as tenderly” (164). Dickinson likens her deceased aunt to a bird who has flown to another tree, but can still look down upon her “sparrows”, or children, with tenderness even though she is physically gone. The sentiment in this elegy is painfully obvious, and could seem trite to an outsider, but it is clear that this mournful lament was intended to be for a specific person, unlike many of her others, addressed to imaginary individuals. The compositions of Emily Dickinson prior to 1861 provide only a glimpse of the poetic talent that Dickinson possessed. Her technique was far from being perfected, but the potential was there, and Dickinson’s ideas were opening and expanding (Ford 96). The next period, however, marked the acme of Dickinson’s career. “The time between 1861 and 1865 was Dickinson’s most creative period, and during these years her talent reached maturity” (Ford 69-70). Characteristics of her poetry such as a sense of tension and urgency, the joining of the like with the unlike, and the combination of abstract speculation on death and immortality with observed fact reached full development, and opened the floodgates of her mind’s eye. It is no mere coincidence that during Dickinson’s most prolific period, the bloodiest war in United States history, the Civil War, was taking place. Although the war did not “figure in her poetry as it [did], for example, in Whitman’s or Melville’s,” it did elevate Dickinson’s awareness of death (Ford 58). Closely related to the poems of 1861-1865 are the works of the 1866-1886 period. Although her later poems are often more pessimistic and characteristic of cynical resentment, they continue to question the purpose of death and express hope for immortality. The focus of these poems, however, tends to center more on the “apparent hopelessness of solving the ‘riddle’ in this life” (Ford 70). The death poems of last two time periods can generally be divided into three thematic categories: the persona witnesses an actual death, the persona’s own death is described, or a non-dramatic work that attempts to state a general truth about death and its effect on the human spirit (Johnson 156). These divisions, coupled with the subcategories of Dickinson’s early poetry, contain the key to her ability to convey her perception of death through the use of figurative language. Dickinson’s primary concern in the writing of her death poetry was to study the effects of death on human perception (Johnson 156). Through her use of varied figurative language such as metaphor, personification, and euphemism, Dickinson shapes the personality of death, and thus, one is forced to alter their perception of death. Dickinson frequently substitutes phrases such as “gone away” and “disappeared,” as well as a number of phrases involving “sleep,” for the words death, died, and dying, which tends to lessen the harshness of her death poetry. The intensity of her poems is still high, however, because “it is the difference between separation and death, missing and mourning, that Dickinson dramatizes” (Weisbuch 89-90). This same quality is also true of Dickinson’s use of personification and metaphor. By making death human, or likening death to something that is representative of physical expiration, Dickinson creates a contrast between what is and what is perceived. In this aspect, Dickinson’s death poetry is perceptively experimental because she could observe death’s effects on the mind through her own thoughts and reactions. Had Dickinson published her work while still alive, this experimentation could have been extended to critics and other readers, which would have truly given her a clearer insight to the way death functions in the psyche. Dickinson’s poetic progression reflects not only her maturing talent, but also the maturation of her own perception. Through her varied perspectives of death and the language used to convey these perspectives, Dickinson records a diary of her spiritual growth that was published for the entire world to read. Emily Dickinson thought that she had failed in her quest to conquer death, however, she came much closer than she anticipated. Dickinson did succeed in gaining a piece of the afterlife through her poetry by “[making] the soul retain its finite identity in spite of physical disintegration in the wake of death, [and this] finite self conscious identity is Emily Dickinson’s only stake in the post-mortal life” (Khan 125). The question of what will happen after death is one that can only be answered by those who have died, but Emily Dickinson came extremely close to explaining death for the purposes of the living.

Mental Health And Depression

Human nutrition is the study of how food affects the health and survival of the human body. Human beings require food to grow, reproduce, and maintain good health. Without the food our bodies could not stay warm, build or repair tissues, and maintain a good heartbeat. Eating the right foods could help us rid certain diseases or recover faster other illness occur. These and other important functions are dueled by chemical substances in our food called nutrients. Nutrients p0lya a major role in maintaining the bodies organs in functioning at its proper level. The Basal Metabolism Rate (BMR) is in influenced by the body site and on state of nutrition. The BMR is an important diagnostic tool especially in determines disorders of the thyroid gland. Inadequate secretion of the thyroid may lead to greatly depresses metabolism with mental and physically lethargy. Depression is a complex illness with many facets of which mood is only one. Depression is a form of mental illness which a person experiences great sadness and despair in one. Depression can also be considered as self-destructive hatred, blaming oneself for being full of helpfulness. Depression can also be used to describe the blues a person may feel from time to time. Depressive disorders are at the present the highest-ranking problems in America. A variety of medical conditions can cause and lead to depression. A depressive disorder is a whole body illness involving your body, mood and thoughts. People with severe depressive disorder usually deal with a combination of genetics, behavioral, and environmental factors. People with these feelings have greater thoughts towards committing suicide. Fiftieth percent of depressed people commit and others attempt suicide. Most of these depressed persons suffer from malnutrition. Mental Health a, psychological state of well being, a sense of purpose in life. Self-esteem, self-assurance, and self-acceptance, are all characteristics of mental health. Mental health is term used to refer to the absence of mental disorder. Mental health is focused upon by a person's capability of dealing with strenuous situations. Being able to elude cognitive, emotional, and dysfunctional behavior is good form of mental health. A positive strategy for the mental health and limiting depression is decreasing stresses. Sometimes there is much need for stress management. Psychological make-up also can be linked to depression. A number of different aspects of life can downside an individuals mental health. Depression is a major factor that affects a person's mental state. Many problems such as martial relationships, or financial difficulties in a person's life can lead to stress. Stresses can also onset depression. Stress management can be a positive factor in reducing the risk of depression. Depression is a common and costly mental illness that affects approximately 17.6 million Americans each year. Depression can affect a person's mental health. There are many different forms of depression that are linked to mental health disorders. A number of mental illnesses occur worldwide. The most common disorders are manic depression, schizophrenia, and severe depression. Manic depression is a bipolar disease that causes mood swings from manic to depression. Manic disorders affect a person's way of thinking and judgement Schizophrenia is an abnormal behavior, which distorts thought and perceptions from reality. Severe depression sometimes referred to as major depression enables a person to interact with daily situations. Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms that prohibit the ability to work, eat, and sleep. These episodes may reoccur numerous times throughout a person's life. Certain situations can drive a person into depressed state. Without proper treatment, symptoms of depression can last for weeks. A person must first have a physical and psychological evaluation to determine if in fact they do have a depressive disorder. Physicians have to first rule out all other possibilities before administering a medication. There must be a proper interview of the person's complete history. Lab test is also done to determine the symptoms the person is claiming to be having. Necessary treatment will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. Depression can be treated with antidepressant drugs. The human brain has neurotransmitters, which control our emotion and mood state. Antidepressants act on these neurotransmitters by altering the level of the depressed state. A depressed person will take these drugs for at two-three weeks before they are to notice a change in their behavior. Some people discontinue the medication too early. They are to continue taking the medication months afterwards to avoid a relapse. Antidepressant drugs may cause temporary side effects but are not habit forming. The most common side effects include, dry mouth, drowsiness, and blurred vision to name a few. The most commonly used antidepressant drugs are distinguished into three groups, (MAO), tricyclics, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Selective serotonin antidepressants produce fewer side effects than any other antidepressant drugs. Prozac and Zoloft are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Prozac became the most widely used antidepressant s in the world, soon after its introduction. Nardil is classified under (MAO) monoamine oxide inhibitor. The circumstance of this drug may cause a rise in blood pressure. People who take MAO drugs are to follow a strict diet and avoid alcoholic beverages and certain cheeses. Most patients obtain a list of foods from their physicians. Coping with the situation itself can control maintaining mental health. The ability to cope with stress can be crucial for the mental health of a person. Many people have different ways of dealing with life's scary moments. Coping means dealing with the aspects that arise in everyday life. A person must first come to reality with them and deal with the situation in their own way. Coping strategies may involve distraction from certain situations, sharing your emotions with others, and involving one in numerous activities. Support from friends and family members can encourage good mental health. Individuals go through stages of negative thinking and make situations seen more stressful than they really are. Research has shown that the differences in people's moods are inherited genes of their parents. Life is feel with many stepping stones that people go through and have to overcome. Certain situations may acquire more attention than others may. Mental health and depression are among many mental health disorders; individuals deal with throughout their lives. Eventually individuals are able to cope with their situations and suppress their stress in a progressive way. Protection and improvement of the health of entire populations through community wide action primarily by governmental agencies and OAM. Environmental hazards promote behaviors that lead to good physical and mental health, educate the public about health and assure availability of high quality nutritional health services.

Mental Illness

Mental Illness Mental illness is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a person’s thought, emotions, or behavior. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from those that cause mild distress to those that impair a person’s ability to function in daily life. Many have tried to figure out the reasons for mental illnesses. All of these reasons have been looked at and thought of for thousands of years. The biological perspective views mental illness as a bodily process. Where as the psychological perspectives think the role of a person’s upbringing and environment are causes for mental illnesses. Researchers estimate that about 24 percent of people over eighteen in the United States suffer from some sort of common mental illness, such as depression and phobias. Studies have also shown that 2.6 percent of adults in the United States suffer from some sort of severe form of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, panic disorders, or bipolar disorders. Younger people also suffer from mental illnesses the same way that adults do. 14 to 20 percent of individuals under the age of eighteen suffer from a case of mental illness. Studies show that 9 to 13 percent of children between the ages of nine and seventeen suffer from a serious emotional disturbances, that disrupts the child’s daily life. Major depression is a severe disorder. Symptoms include withdraw from family and/or friends, weight loss, sleeping problems, frequent crying, fleeing helpless, delusions, and hallucinations. This disease is usually diagnosed during adolescence; parents may notice grades dropping, poor self-image, troubled social relations, and suicidal acts. This disease may be fatal if the person becomes suicidal. Phobia is a disease where a person has an irrational fear of an object or situation. Some examples of phobias are fear of flight, cats, heights, enclosed spaces, reptiles, and the most severe is agoraphobia the fear to leave a safe place such as home. Phobias are diagnosed personhows sings of a certain fear many times. This can only affect a person’s life if the phobia is severe. For example, if a person has agoraphobia, fear of leaving a safe place then that person’s life would be very isolated. If a person has the fear ailurophobia, fear of heights then that person can still live a normal life. This disease is not fatal unless the person becomes depressed because of being isolated. Schizophrenia is a disturbance that causes you to have misperceptions of reality; this may also cause hallucinations and delusions. Person may also show inadequate speech patterns, impaired social and occupational functioning, and bad personal hygiene. This disease is usually diagnosed at a young age. Family and/or friends may notice symptoms.

Mental Disorders - 2

A person is not determined to have a panic disorder until they commonly experience panic attacks or when they interfere with normal everyday activities that he or she would usually do. A second type of anxiety disorder is called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, O.C.D. It is the presence of illogical and uncontrollable thoughts that cause an obsession or compulsion. The act of obsessing is defined as “reoccupying the mind with an idea or emotion” (Webster’s Dictionary). A person who suffers from an obsession may consider the thought to be senseless, be he or she cannot stop themselves from doing to them. A common obsession is that a person may be scared that he or she will become infected with germs and become ill. This person may frequently wash their hands and surrounding objects to an extreme. A person who suffers from compulsions believes that if they do not perform a series of events something will happen. Compulsive people usually realize the senselessness of the things that they do but cannot control them. In very severe cases a compulsion may be a person’s main daily activity and in doing this activity over and over again may prevent them from living a normal life. A person who suffers from generalized anxiety may experience hot or cold spells and they may be very irritable and hard to get along with. This may happen because they worry that something will happen to them. These symptoms may last for periods of six months or longer. Physical symptoms include muscle tension, nausea and a rapid heart rate. A person who suffers from a phobia has a constant fear of objects or situations that they could come across, for example the fear of spiders. A phobic person, if forced to face their fear, may panic or become ill. Although nearly all people have at least one or two phobias it is not considered a disorder until it seriously interferes with a person’s everyday life. Dissociative disorder, or psychogenic amnesia, is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to remember his or her past. A person who suffers from the type of dissociative disorder called fugue, not only forgets his or her past, but also travels from their community and begins a new life somewhere else as a different person. A familiar type of this disorder is multiple personality disorder in which a person may have two or more completely separate personalities and one personality will dominate during certain situations. A somatoform disorder is a disorder in which a person experiences physical symptoms with no explainable reasons. Physical symptoms include chest pain, sexual problems or paralysis. A person who suffers from personality disorders may have trouble keeping a personal relationship. Other symptoms of a personality disorder are aggressive behavior, stealing, lying, fighting and resisting authority. They may also have trouble accepting responsibility. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are serious problems that can endanger a person’s life. Both of these disorders are the result of a serious fear of gaining weight. Although eating disorders are more common in women than men, they occur in both. An anorexic person will do anything to lose weight, including dieting or fasting even though they are already underweight. A person with bulimia eats large quantities of food during a binge and vomits it up or takes laxatives to stop weight gain. Substance disorders involve alcohol abuse or the use of other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. An addiction can lead to brain damage and make a person moody and can also lead to death. The treatment of mental illnesses can either be handled with medication or under the care of a psychiatrist. The treatment that a patient undergoes depends on the type of their mental illness, as well as, the severity of their situation. In conclusion, it is obvious that a mental illness is a serious condition. It is important for a person experiencing symptoms, such as those associated with the different types of mental illnesses, to seek out appropriate medical treatment. Having a mental illness is a disease and shouldn’t be associated with a specific weakness in an individual. Seeking treatment is the best thing that one can do to help ensure a life that has more positive situations than negative thoughts and emotions.

Mental Disorders - 1

There are many diseases and disorders that may affect the human mind. Some of these are serious, while others are minor and may not even be noticed. Some of the disorders and diseases to be covered in this report are delirium, dementia, and schizophrenia, also a discussion of specific symptoms and treatments available for the different disorders. A mental illness is defined as any disease that affects a person’s mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. For any mental illness, as in a physical illness, there are symptoms that make it possible to identify when a person is suffering from a mental disorder or illness. Some of the more common symptoms of these disorders include extreme moods, sadness, anxiety and the inability to think clearly or remember well. Just because a person may experience some of these symptoms it does not mean that he or she is suffering from an illness. Almost everyone at sometime in their lives will not be able to think clearly or be in a bad mood. These characteristics are just part of human nature and are more than likely than not just a passing mood that will pass in a few moments. A diagnosis of a mental illness may be necessary if the symptoms occur so often that they interfere with the person’s everyday life. An amazingly large number of Americans have mental illnesses, approximately 43% of the entire population of the United States. Although most of these are not serious, about 3% of the American population have a mental illness that can be classified as serious. This small population of the public will require treatment to either relieve or cure them of their illness. Since the 1950’s, treatment for mental illness has greatly improved and has made recovery faster. These improvements will help the majority of the people who seek treatment return to their normal lives faster. There are two basic terms used to describe the seriousness of mental illness that a person has. The terms used are neurosis, and psychosis. A neurosis is the term used to describe a mild disorder that may cause a small amount of emotional stress, but does not cause a great deal of interference in the patients everyday life. The term psychosis is used to describe a severe mental illness that is strong enough to prevent someone from performing as they normally would. The term “insanity” is used to describe a person with a mental illness. This is not a medical term. It is actually a legal term that is used in court to try to prove a person to not be legally responsible for their actions. There are more than one hundred different types of mental illness. They are divided into ten categories. These categories include delirium, dementia, schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, personality disorders, eating, and finally substance disorders. The first of these categories, delirium is when a person is not aware of their environment and can be distracted very easily or become confused. Sometimes a delirious person may not know where or who they are, their speech may be hard to follow and be very disorganized. Delirium however is not usually a long lasting illness and the person is over it in a week or so. A second form of mental illness is dementia. Dementia can be diagnosed by a loss of the ability to remember and judge things appropriately. A person with dementia may have a difficult time with remembering names, conversations, and not follow rules or laws. Dementia occurs mostly in elderly people and is the result of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease that destroys brain tissue. A third, and very serious type of mental illness, is schizophrenia. This disorder affects a person’s way of thinking, their emotions, perceptions, and their behavior. It is determined that a person has schizophrenia if he or she displays one or more of the following characteristics. One of these characteristics that a person may hear “voices” even tough they are completely alone. Another characteristic is that the person may feel persecuted for no apparent reason.”(World Book Encyclopedia). Other more subtle symptoms of this disease include a decrease in the person’s ability to work, their inability to maintain personal relationships and their inability to perform well in school. The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided up into two categories, positive and negative. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are exaggerations of emotions that a person may feel. These exaggerations of emotions are the cause of the hallucinations, delusions, and strange speech patterns that a schizophrenic may experience. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are the loss of emotions and mental ability. The negative symptoms cause the person to begin to have trouble finishing activities, show a decrease in, as well as, a dulling in their speech and emotions. Although the exact cause of schizophrenia has not yet been pinpointed, scientists believe that schizophrenia is the result of either physical or chemical changes in a person’s brain. These changes begin during the late teens to early twenties. Unfortunately, the person cannot be completely cured with any of the methods now in use. The next type of disorder is commonly referred to as a mood or affective disorder. These disorders are based upon a person’s mood. The two major types of disorders are depression and mania. Depression is when a person undergoes a period of extreme sadness and mania is when a person is overly happy, excited or overactive. A type of illness that falls into these categories is a bipolar disorder, which is when a person will experience periods of extreme mood swings. Although a person has bipolar disorder the episodes of mood changes are usually brief and he or she can return to normal functioning levels after they receive treatment from their doctor. A person with depression may have feelings of extreme sadness and may also suffer from a number of other symptoms. These symptoms include feelings of being worthless, loss of appetite, sleeplessness or lack of concentration during their depressive states. Along with these symptoms some experience a slowing in their thinking, while others become restless and consider committing suicide. Even though there is treatment for depression, about fifteen percent or so of the people who receive treatment actually do commit suicide. Anxiety disorders are another type of mental illness that people experience. These disorders are characterized by feelings of extreme fear and/or anxiousness. The four major types of anxiety disorders are panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, general anxiety disorders and finally phobias. A person with a panic disorder experiences periods of extreme fear. These “panic attacks” are accompanied by shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, numbness, sweating and trembling. Along with these symptoms, the person may also experience a fear of death. Most people will at some time in their life experience a “panic attack”, but again this does not mean that they have a panic disorder.

Education - 2

Inequality. Some students, subjected to identical classwork, learn rapidly and progress, while others fail. How can we predict success or failure, and compensate the at-risk children? Few practical options may be available to teachers. It is inevitable in universal public schooling that the extreme students, either dull or bright, will be hurt by our emphasis on the average. It is horrible to admit, but our society cannot assume that all members are capable of being well educated. We have unequal physical, mental and environmental status, and the poorer fringe will always exist. Those of us lucky enough to have a conscience, mature enough to see how things really are, must do what we can to help the less fortunate.
Obligation to help. How can a rich person help a poor one? By giving some money? Well, can smart, or educated people give education to those needing it? Sometimes just taking the time to discuss things with troubled people is a great favor and aid. I don't have much surplus money to give to worthy causes, yet donate my time freely. I don't pretend to be able to educate in general -- but do know enough about plant life in Seattle to be valuable teaching that. I suppose I could share my plant knowledge with a single student, or several, and it wouldn't make much difference to me. The whole role of apprenticeship and master-apprentice needs to be expanded beyond its present confines of carpentry, masonry, electricity, and the like.
It is true all of us are genetically capable of only so much; that our upbringing and education can be the same yet we turn out differently because of our genes. Well, how should you or I raise kids? Or if we don't want to be parents, how do we help educate children in general? Most mature adults feel a responsibility to both self-education and assisting others; the majority even tax themselves to help educate others.
Schooling choices are varied. If money was not problematic I would send my kids to the best schools. If money is lacking (and so far, it is) I'd send them to the best public schools within reasonable proximity. Home education is an alternative idea, and I won't rule it out, but need to learn more about it first. My hunch is, even average Seattle public schools can turn out well rounded, capable students, if the students receive excellent support at home. I say this because I've met such students. Also, some private schools kids have turned out to be unsuccessful.
Probably a loving, involved family atmosphere, in which such things as reading, game-playing, shared meals and other activities all go on routinely -- is more valuable than monetary wealth with a sterile family life. Sure, children can always grow up to beat the odds. But I'd rather cast my vote for public schools and the Republicans' "strong family values" over a private school upbringing that had joyless family life. Yes, the best is to have your cake and eat it, too. But although wealth just won't go around, love, sharing, reading, good manners -- are within the reach of all of us.
Can't win 'em all, or predict. Some kids rebel no matter what. If we try our best to raise virtuous, well behaved, thoughtful offspring, and they nonetheless become sociopaths, vulgar ingrates -- then it is sad, but not something we could foresee or help. Sometimes peer pressure, or odd brain chemistry, or some trauma, warps our kids beyond reach. It's just tragic. But likewise, sometimes out of the ashes of broken families, and from squalid conditions, angelic children grow up. Against all odds, some kids grow to be excellent adults, in ways that amaze us.
I once asked a woman who's raised about a dozen kids if she had happy returns with all. "No," she replied, "some did well, others didn't." Same with the kids I grew up with. Isn't it fairly obvious? I say do the best you are able in raising your kids, as in anything else, but don't expect miracles, nor expect that it is a simple formula like in logic. Alas, with educational matters and child-rearing, it is possible to give love, nurturing, superb tutoring or library access, and still end up with an unresponsive child. Such is life.
As for class size, I think kids in quantity learn better, on average, than isolated children. I would like my children to have many friends, not few. This, too, I see as obvious. I'd rather have a house full of mess-making kids, than just one, lonely and uninspired. On the other hand, perhaps a student could learn enormously more from a tutor than in a classroom packed with other students. Again, there must be an ideal ratio, plus age considerations, as well as the nature of the topic being taught, to consider.
A pet peeve of mine is how competitive athletics play an excessive role in schools. Schools cannot limit their scope to mere teaching of abstractions, such as algebra and grammar. They also need to instruct about health, including diet and exercise. Yet sports programs take too much money and time, which otherwise could be used in artistic endeavors, or to buy more computers and books or special tutors. I especially loathe collegiate athletics, which become farm teams for professional clubs. These have no valid role at institutions of higher learning.
The whole issue of scholastic competition needs careful review. Presently, space is so limited at many universities, and demand so high, that only students with the highest grades are accepted. Let us expand our ability to enroll students, and aim to admit all qualified applicants. This exclusion of non-A students bothers me more than high tuition rates do. Students in college can work summer jobs, such as fishing off Alaska, to earn their tuition; it is not necessary for parents or taxpayers to pay their way.
Scholarships, based on deserving factors, are okay if endowed by private giving. I like to hope that even students of poor grades yet much promise might thereby get a chance to excel, as would very poor or otherwise handicapped ones. With the grades I received in high school, I did manage to get accepted by the University of Washington in 1980. But today there is no way I would've made the cut, thanks to increased competition. Yet I am one of many who could justify poor grades; in my case they had to do with factors other than lack of intelligence or studious nature.
Balance and timing are keys to education. Our minds work differently while engaged in various tasks, such as in chess, mathematics, paint, or writing. Each pursuit must be given ample time for the experience to be memorable, yet not eat too much time. I hear of some children who watch excessive television, or who never do any school homework, or are technical wizards yet know nothing of getting their hands dirty outside playing. Even as we must vary the curriculum for the sake of the mind, we must vary it with the ideal seasons and age levels of students.
At what developmental stage children should be exposed to various subjects is wholly unfamiliar to me. I recall my love of art in the 3rd grade, of science in 8th grade, of comparative literature in 11th grade. Probably each student learns at an individual pace, and has personal likes and dislikes, yet overall some fair generalizations can be made about what approach usually works best for most children at various ages.
Education for adults is so much different. Almost all of my teaching has been directed to adults. I've dealt with preschoolers, elementary and junior high school kids exclusively in my role as a plant expert showing them the joy and wonder of wild plants. Until I do more teaching children, I can't say I've developed any insights or made any guidelines, except I know all students respond to enthusiasm and like to become fascinated.

Education

Education is so multifaceted that it is difficult for me to know where to begin discussing it, or how to prioritize the many factors. Relaying my own experience is easy: I had a standard classroom approach, supplemented by inordinate reading. In only the briefest and least memorable instances did I receive any individual tutoring.
Education is commonly thought of as the job of schools. Adults cry "educate our children!" Everyone has opinions about the best way to do the job. It is of urgent importance, and all the numerous factors are much studied, debated, and new (or old) ideas continually tested or retested. Some people say "it's as simple as . . . " and then name their pet peeve or passion. My view is not of an education specialist, but of one who loves sharing what I learn, and owes much to educators. Since I don't have an educational theory neatly worked-out, nor an outline of my perceptions, my intent is to address each educational ingredient that comes to my mind. After I've said what I think about each topic, readers may have a fair comprehension of my philosophy.
First comes sensitivity. If a person be insensitive, be it from numbing cold, exhaustion, drugs, genetic makeup, or upbringing, then the process of education is bogged down, and results come only after great efforts. Sensitivity in my integrated meaning is broad, covering literally the senses, so that deaf and blind people are less sensitive, as well as people whose senses work perfectly, but whose receptivity or thought processes are blunted for whatever reason. A person can be insensitive in one way, such as blind, and extraordinarily sensitive in another way, such as in hearing. It is also possible to be so ultra-sensitive that the result is disadvantageous. I expect no argument in asserting that a normal sensitivity is a healthy, indispensable ingredient for optimal education.
Sensitivity can be heightened or blunted by education. It is intertwined with curiosity. An ideal education affords numerous and varied opportunities for students to touch, see, smell, listen, hear; to spark their curiosity. When I was a child the things that pleased me were largely other than the plants which have earned me a living as an adult. For example, I collected postage stamps, played basketball, was fond of listening to music, played all manner of games, but dealt only in a neutral, uninspired fashion with plants. The one thing that was constant and of supreme importance was my love of reading. I don't recall why, but by an early age, say age 9, I was a phenomenal reader of books, a habit that persisted all the way until college.
Reading expands one's mind immensely. It fires the imagination, demonstrates grammar, teaches vocabulary, informs, challenges, helps one relax. In some cases it forces the mind to concentrate, as to understand. It can help build a moral or ethical framework, and help oneself form an individual worldview. Even an untraveled child, sitting at home, can be transported by a book into any place or time. Fantasy and facts weave together, but the result is almost an unmitigated improvement. If a bookworm grows up to be antisocial or worse, it is not because of too much reading, but because something else was lacking in the education or caregiving.
Hands-on learning is another factor difficult to overrate. Imagine trying to learn to draw from listening to a lecture. You must draw, draw, draw, and with time and tutoring, will improve. This is a truism, just like saying "reading is valuable." I imagine nobody complains about children spending too much time working. If anything the contrary complaint rings loudly. What I don't begin to know is the ideal breakdown, according to age, of reading, listening to instruction, and working or hands-on time.
What about technology in excess? Before the age of printing and cheap paper, comparatively few people could become learned. Now, theoretically, our electronic age makes learning easier than ever. Well, technology is indisputably better. We can store and retrieve data much more efficiently. We can communicate in a flash. But still, at the basic level, we must be well grounded -- we must possess common sense, civil manners, frank discussion skills, reasoning abilities, and moral fiber. It is possible to be a technological genius, say a computer nerd, without social skills or civil conscience. I'd rather have as a neighbor an illiterate janitor with an easy-going, friendly disposition. Hence, I value what we might call character more than specialist knowledge from an antisocial person. God knows we want everyone to be a well-mannered genius. But humans are not cut out to be happy like pigs in a pen. We instead have insatiable brains, with mental appetites. So our goal is to balance the brainwork with hearts and smiles. "Facts served with sauce."
Where does common sense fit on? Is it teachable? To a degree, what we mean by common sense is simply learned experience. Something more exists, though. Those who we praise for common sense may be quick-witted, steady-nerved, and efficient at practical decision-making. It is likely some of those traits depend on genetic brain makeup. In any case, for purposes of an essay on education, I propose to say no more about common sense.
Similarly, where do concentration, reflection, analysis and criticism enter? Are they best taught individually, or learned wholly as byproducts of studying mathematics, geography, history, etc? It is obvious that such skills are more valuable than any single subject which might be used as the vehicle to develop them.

The Existence of Mind

Introduction

The concept of Mind -- using that word in the most commonly understood, or dictionary, sense: "That which perceives, thinks, feels, wills, and desires", as an example given by Webster expresses it -- is probably one of the most important in any human endeavour, whether that endeavour be science, technology, the humanities or any sort of spiritual quest: for without Mind, how can any such endeavour be undertaken at all? Indeed, even most physical human activities cannot be conducted without Mind: certainly not the conscious ones.

Thus it seems essential to get a firm grip on the concept of Mind. Among the questions that need to be asked are: What is Mind?, What is primary, Mind or matter?, How many minds are there?, Can artificial minds ever be created?, and others like them.

The Existence of Mind

The very existence of Mind has, at times, been denied or doubted. In such a case, of course, the question begs to be asked: Can anything be denied or doubted at all, without presupposing a mind doing the denying or doubting? Surely even to suppose that a denial can be made or a doubt can arise without presupposing the existence of a mind sounds preposterous. Thus it might be argued that minds -- or at least one mind -- must exist.

But there are more subtle arguments that have at times been employed to show why Mind (speaking in the most general terms) cannot be said to indisputably exist. One of these is the argument that the only entities that can be indisputably said to exist are those whose existence is available to raw experience. If something is directly experienced, such as pain or joy, then obviously that experience is undeniable and indubitable, and thus indisputable. But anything which is merely inferred from that which is experienced might not exist, for inferences might be wrong! Indeed they often are.

Now Mind is not directly experienced: what is experienced are such things as ideas, thoughts, pain, emotions, perceptions, desires, and so on. All of these are presumed to be a result of the activity of the Mind; but that is only a presumption, after all, and there is no guarantee that there must be any such thing as Mind "behind" them or giving rise to them.

Thus it is argued that since Mind is not directly experienced, but merely inferred from the fact that a denial has been made or a doubt expressed, the existence of Mind is not indisputable. And if so, of course Mind might not exist. In such a case, only the denial or the doubt indisputably exists, without there necessarily being any hypothetical "Mind" that lies behind the denying or doubting, giving rise to it.

This is analogous to the way a storm can exist without there being any hypothetical "God of Storms" (such as the Greek Zeus or Vedic Indra) behind the storm, making it happen. If there need not be any "stormer", as it were -- and pardon the neologism -- of a storm, then there need not be any "thinker" of a thought, any "feeler" of a pain, any "doubter" of a doubt. There need be only the thought, the pain, the doubt: just as there need be only the storm.

As of date this argument -- which is quite old, and often found in ancient literature such as that of Zen Buddhism -- seems to be difficult to challenge, in that a counter-argument does not seem to be forthcoming with any ease; and thus it may provisionally be granted that Mind may or may not exist.

And yet a lingering problem remains: for the argument above, being itself not directly experienced but merely inferred, might not be correct! And if it is not correct, then Mind may exist after all. (But note that this counter-argument does not -- yet -- prove that Mind must exist.)

Refutation of the Hypothesis that Mind Does not Exist

However, such a proof can perhaps be obtained in a round-about way. Even though it has to be granted by the above reasoning that Mind may not exist, it must also be granted that it may. Under such circumstances, there are at least two choices: either Mind does not exist or it does. (Is there a third choice? Or more? There don't seem to be any more than two: but then again, it is perhaps best to keep an open … uh, mind! … about that.)

Anyway, even if there are more choices than the above two, one of them is that Mind does not exist. Now if it be assumed that Mind does not exist, and that only direct experiences exist -- and this has been seriously advocated by several highly educated and very intelligent people, among them e-correspondents of the author -- then there seems to a serious question as to whether most of knowledge can exist either. The vast majority of knowledge is not knowledge of things that are directly experienced. For example, knowledge of how to multiply numbers together is not directly experienced: it is learned, sometimes laboriously. Similarly, knowledge of how to travel from, say, New York to Washington is not (necessarily) experienced directly: indeed it is quite possible to have such knowledge without ever having made the journey!

However, any knowledge, once acquired, is directly experienced. There definitely is knowledge, for example, that the writer of the present essay knows how to write, and the reader knows how to read! That knowledge is now a direct experience, although originally it was learned; and thus its existence at present is undeniable and irrefutable.

Thus it seems that the assumption that Mind absolutely does not exist is not in consonance with other kinds of direct experience.

Also -- and perhaps even more to the point -- it must be acknowledged that in order to make the assertion that only direct experiences undeniably exist, and/or that inferences have been known to be mistaken, Mind is required! Such knowledge is not self-evident: it is itself inferred.

Thus it must be acknowledged that any assertion to the effect that Mind (speaking generally) does not exist presupposes the existence of at least one mind, because it presupposes the existence of knowledge which is not directly experienced; and thus such an assertion cannot be true. Or to put it in another way: any knowledge -- or indeed any belief, whether it be true or false -- about whether the Mind either exists or does not exist, presupposes the existence of Mind.

And as a corollary, without such presupposition there cannot be any knowledge; and without any knowledge at all, it cannot be known that Mind does not exist.

Thus it cannot possibly be true to categorically state "Mind does not exist".

Education in Pakistan - 3

Misconception of Purpose:

It is also a dreadful fact that today’s young ones have changed their motives pertaining to acquiring education. Actually, “the education should be for the purpose of getting education” as it has been wisely said; but, we have changed the slogan, “education should be for the purpose of getting jobs”. If, we keep on remaining this theory in mind then we will be digressed from our way and education will be out of our reach. By getting education we come to the ways that how we could be able to lead our lives in the best and a possible way.

Unemployment:

Unemployment is on full swing throughout the country. Country has been facing huge economical setbacks since its independence. The poor economy of the country cannot meet at once the demand of employment of the countrymen at once. On the one hand the disappointed youth, keeping their degrees in hand, wander the whole day in search of job but ‘No-Vacancy’ sign boards inflate their disappointment on the other. This situation creates negative creation of thoughts in their minds; concluding, they come out as dacoits to waylay and let their names to be enlisted in criminal list; and society faces much more troubles through this kind of misshapenness.

Remedies:

Every one of us takes things differently, so there is a room for different suggestions. All of us should aim at to abreast and pace ahead to take the task of improving the education system in a systematic way by implementation different programmes. Awareness should be created amongst un-aware fellows, the importance of education must be expounded in real terms but in an easy way, different literacy programmes should be commenced throughout the country in order to provide assistance pertaining the impediments faced by the poor. Government should take an active eye and spend much more money for the improvement of primary, secondary and higher education. More schools, colleges and universities, medical and engineering colleges are needed to be opened. Special attention must be paid on the development of scientific and technical education so that the settled trend of people in getting academic education may be diverted to the technical education. Subject relevancy must be paid in mind while induction of staff for the concerned posts. Politics must eliminated from education department. Student should pay attention much more on their studies than chalking walls in propagation of different leaders, by doing so they are just wasting their time; nothing can be got by nefarious means. Honesty of purpose and quality in work should be our motives. Every one of us (parents, students, teachers and the supreme government) should root out the copy culture from top to bottom from educational system that has been eating away the fresh brains of our youth for the times unknown. The education must be got for the purpose of education not for getting jobs. Text books must be updated with current topics and rapidly changing of the scenario of the world must be given in the textual books. These suggestions are not enough but whatever has come in my mind I have honestly jotted down; there is a room for suggestions as already has been mentioned. In the last but not the least let us work together for bringing revolutionary changes for the effective function of educational system in the country. Let us pray to Allah Almighty may He enable us to bring and get our desired results by putting our entire efforts in this respect.

“God helps those who help themselves”


By: Naseer Ahmed Chandio

Education in Pakistan - 2

Causes of Downfall:

There are enormous causes for the downfall of education in Pakistan which are discussed under different sub-headings.

Economical Negligence:

Since its inception, Pakistan has remained a weak economy of the world for it has got nothing in its just assets that were aggressively snatched by India. The conflict between the two countries over Kashmir issue has hardly allowed the government to consider and allocate funds in budget for other sectors, the education is not an exception in this regard. Still, only 2% of GDP is allocated for the welfare of education, which is quite inappropriate to meet the demands of education. And it is worth to note that this allocation budget is too not spent for educational purposes, the whole money is taken away by using unfair means by the concerned officials. All these funds are not given through a proper channel so that a false audit report is submitted that the utilization of funds has been spent on requisite purposes.

Rapid growth in poverty:

According to 2002 Economic Survey of United Nations, “Most of the inhabitants of Pakistan are poor and 40% of them live under poverty line, about 70% of its population dwells in villages. About 300,000, young ones are jobless. They have no access to good education”. The reports shows that how much difficulties and troubles have been faced by this poor and suppressed class of the country. Their main occupation is agriculture and its yearly out put cannot meet their daily and basic needs of life. It is worth to note that only 1% landlords hold almost 95% of lands in Pakistan. This unjust division of land further creates economical problems not only for the poor but also the government does not get the lion’s share in this respect.

Political Negligence:

“If you want to destroy the future of any nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct their education, they will remain no more live on the map of the world.”
No politician has paid attention in improving the standard of education so far, as far as the question of history of development of education in Pakistan is concerned. In case of Sindh, in early 1970s, lingual riots took place and a new cancer of copy culture was introduced and boosted up by politicians to prevail among the people. No official steps were taken in curbing this fatal disease. Now, the result is that throughout the country Sindhi students are understood the out come of copy culture and basic rights in every walk of life are denied to them, because however, they may be genius and creators but the fact remained that they lack in management and unable move the economy of the country just because they bear a title of COPY CULTURE. It was a political conspiracy based on totally bias. Being a Sindhi, I do not favour Sindhis that they are not given a proper share in different walks of life, whatever is happening to them is the only out come of wrong and misled policies which have been blindly followed up by them. Patriotism is the very hinge for all virtues, living in the same country every one at first is Pakistani then Sindhi, Punjabee, Balochee and or Pathan, respectively. So, now it is our turn to turn a new leaf and pace with our other provincial brothers to improve the management of our beloved country Pakistan, believing in “united we stand, divided we fall”. Education has become a question of survival for us; less developed man cannot bring the change in improving the skills that are vital for the uplift of the education.

Irrelevant Induction of Staff:

It has been a dilemma of our educational system that it has embodied irrelevancy in inducting its staff; broadly speaking, I personally have come across enormous experiences in my minute observation, as it has been generally observed that if a person has some specialization in some particular subject but he seems to be teaching something else. More openly, if some one has got his/her masters in English Literature, he seems to be teaching Mathematics to his/her students. The fact remains that students cannot learn first hand and ground information regarding their subjects. Nepotism is kept on priority while inducting staff, the induction of staff on quota system has made impotent the working format of the education system, ministers choose their relatives for induction without thinking that either they could serve better or will create complications for others.

Education in Pakistan - 1

“Education is the third eye of a man”

Education is only the weapon by which one can fight and conquer the battle of life. The education has been a very essential part of the different civilization of the world in historical perspectives. In olden times, cave men had no ideas regarding communicating themselves with one another; the first step was taken in this regard was the formation of language, and it had become the very inceptive source of communication in the earliest history of mankind. They came to know that they had already been bestowed upon a tongue as a source of communication by the Allah Almighty, and now, it was their emphatic job to be civilized and moral etiquettes were required to be shaped.

Then, the early sages made a format of alphabets and thoroughly worked on philology. Thus, gradually grammar was made up, in which, different bifurcations were made; as, man could easily operate the language as a source of communication.

Since then, the world has witnessed the outflow of knowledge that has crossed the boundaries of the different regions and made a world like a global village in recent times, all it was done by the untiring efforts of mankind that has been imparting valuable contributions in different walks of life especially ‘EDUCATION’.

Here, it is necessary to focus on the system of education in Pakistan; and how long this department has been a victim of negligence by the people from different strata of our society and it will be observed, being an individual, who is responsible for the downfall of education in the country.

Before independence, in 1875, a Primary School was established at Ghazipur, (India) by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, later a High School was established at Aligarh by the same mighty man. But through out India, Muslims were denigrated and the basic needs of life were denied to them by the English. Keeping this in view, Sir, Syed Ahmed Khan aimed at to open a college for the Muslims of India so that they may be able to get the best in higher education. In 1876, Mohammadan Anglo College was established at Aligarh as to meet the demand of education of Muslims of India.

The college was affiliated to the Culcuta University; degrees were conferred upon the graduates by Culcuta University for about 43 years, and in 1919, the colleges was upgraded upto a university level and renamed as ‘Aligarh University’. The university produced thousand of graduates who spread throughout India and started to champion the cause of un-educated and fought for the freedom for a separate homeland.

The Muslims of India, of course, were backward in education than their Hindu counterparts. The Muslim could not follow the way that was directed by the English and the Hindus, as, it was against their religion. The poor type of education made the Muslims unable to get good jobs in English offices; hence, they remained out of politics for they had the scarcity of consciousness. This came to them through the light of education and they went successful in getting the freedom of Pakistan.

Standard of Education in Pakistan:

In Pakistan, unfortunately the people have been introduced the double standard of education. The one, which prevails through out the country is related to public sector and the other is an out come of private investors.

Let us examine that how far the public sector has fulfilled the requirement of the people of Pakistan by providing them in education. The country had got independence 58 years ago, since then, the contribution imparted by this sector is a little bit worth to be mentioned. The result produced by the sector is very poor and the quantity has outdone quality as far as the contribution and creation is concerned. The education system in Pakistan faced enormous problems after independence. A little attention was paid in this respect. The education has remained an orphan child in our society by facing double standard and has created an atmosphere of frustration among the young ones.

Government has established schools, colleges and universities throughout the country that have been imparting education in different respects and studies of life. The students from these departments are wandering due to lack of opportunities. Everywhere they are denied services because they bear a label of government academies. Now one can imagine that why the government system of education is being neglected throughout the country and why the establishment has allowed private sector with its tails up to introduce another standard of education.

Parents are scared about their children and they even do not allow their children to be admitted in public sector school, they prefer their child to get education in private sector as, it suits them more. This does not mean that public sector schools are not producing the cream of the future, most of our genius and sages who are imparting their valuable services, are out come of public sector schools. The only submitted reason by their parents is lack of management in public sector schools. The well management is offered at private schools.
The relation between teacher and student is sacred. Children are taught social and moral etiquettes with more comfort at private schools, the behaviour of teachers is quite frank and the student can come in direct contact to their teachers. On some scale, this is true that contact between learner and learned lacks in public sectors but the thing they are learning must be the same for both sectors, I mean the curricula. The Curriculum Board has been established but it has allowed private sector to run their own syllabus. Now, the degrees are same but the scope of knowledge got by the two is too different to be compared. Here, students face many complications by studying under different curricula. This has created a big rift between the two sectors.

Mental arithmetic

Being able to do calculations in your head has some obvious uses, like checking your change in the supermarket, or figuring out the scores on the cricket ground. But is it useful for anything else in this age of computers and calculators?

The most important thing mental arithmetic does is to give you a feel for numbers, relationships between them and the patterns they make. This is obviously essential if you want to do well in maths at school, or go on to take a job that uses a lot of maths. But even if you plan to move into a completely different field after school, you will need a good grip on numbers and the ability to solve simple maths problems in your head. It’s a bit like learning a language: even though you can resort to a dictionary whenever you don’t know a word, you will never be able to speak fluently unless you know a lot of the vocabulary off the top of your head.

A safety net

Doctors and nurses, for example, need to do complicated calculations to work out the doses of the drugs they have to give to their patients. Even if they do have a calculator to hand, they have to be able to spot if they have made a mistake – punching in an extra zero or forgetting a decimal point can lead to the dose being ten times too high or low, with disastrous consequences for the patient. Being good at mental arithmetic is like having a safety-net that will guard you against mistakes.

Visual imagination

People whose work is very visual, like designers, architects and artists, for example, need to be able to imagine the way three-dimensional objects move in space. A look at a fashion designer’s sketch pad will show you that he or she has an intuitive feel for proportions and perspective. Such a feel for space and the objects in it can only come through practice and experience. The mental arithmetic you learn at school helps you exercise your visual imagination.

Maths in music

If you play a musical instrument, you will already have learnt how maths is important in music. Certain combinations of sounds are pleasing to us, because of the mathematical relationships between their frequencies. This is all about fractions, and musicians and sound engineers need an intuitive understanding of the relationships between numbers.

These are just three examples of how a good understanding of maths and numbers helps even in areas which, on the face of it, have nothing to do with maths. But also in your private life such an understanding is essential. When you open the paper or switch on the TV, you are bombarded by statistics, issued by politicians to get you to vote for them or by companies to get you to buy their products. When you open your mail, you will find bank statements and bills. You won’t always have the time to sit down and check them with a calculator and a maths book. But if you understand numbers, a quick glance can give you a good indication as to whether what is presented to you makes sense or not. If you’re good at mental arithmetic, you’ll glide much more smoothly through a world that is, after all, made up of numbers and patterns.

Location Influences Your Mental Distress Level

Increased mental distress may be somehow influenced by where you live, suggests a new study. There is an uneven distribution among groups of people who experience frequent mental distress (FMD), based on geographic location.

Frequent mental distress is defined as experiencing depression or emotional upset for more than fourteen days in the previous month. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that certain geographic locales are associated with greater frequencies of mental distress.

Data from surveys conducted 1993-2001 and 2003-2006, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was used to obtain the study results. Variances were found in the incidence of frequent mental distress, related to time and geographic location within individual states.

The two studies included more than 1.2 million people, conducted as part of the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The study was broken up into counties, and takes into account results influenced by variations in less populated counties.

Average frequent mental distress was 9.4%. The survey showed a one percent increase in overall mental distress between the first and second study in 27 states. Surveys from people living in Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia showed a four percent increase in frequent mental distress, comparing the first and second survey. Living in the Appalachian and the Mississippi Valley areas showed increasing and high rates of mental distress.

The least amount of mental distress was found among those living in the Midwest –the incidence of frequent mental distress actually declined from the first to second survey.

Dr. Matthew M. Zack, lead investigator for the study suggests living in an area that does not meet health and social service needs may explain why frequent mental distress varies with where people live. “The continued surveillance of mental distress may help these programs to identify unmet needs and disparities, to focus their policies and interventions and to evaluate their performance over time.”

The study article, titled Geographic Patterns of Frequent Mental Distress: U.S. Adults, 1993 and 2003 may help communities develop strategies to eliminate mental distress associated with where people live, through awareness of the causes.

(By: Kathleen Blanchard RN)

Mental Illness Awareness Week Reaching Out

About 60 million Americans experience mental health problems in a given year. Mental awareness week is from October 4th-10th and this year a focus will be on reaching out to more and more Americans.
The National Mental Health Awareness Campaign is a nationwide non-partisan public education campaign that was launched as part of the 1999 White House Conference on Mental Health. They are dedicated to battling the stigma, shame, and myths surrounding mental disorders that prevent so many people from getting the help they need.
Mental Health Awareness Month is designed to increase awareness about mental illness and attempt to erase some of the social stigma that prevents many people with mental illnesses from seeking help.
This year The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) hopes for change. They want to reach out to more people and having more free public screenings for mental health issues. "We know that with early detection, appropriate treatment and support from family and friends, people with mental illness can lead healthy, rewarding lives," said Michael Fitzpatrick, NAMI executive director. "NAMI members connect to educate each other and encourage their loved ones during their personal journeys to wellness. NAMI offers hope to people during difficult times."
Kim Arnold, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Arkansas, said about 60 million Americans experience mental health problems in any given year. One in 17 lives with the most serious conditions. “Mental illnesses are medical illnesses,” Arnold said. “That is the starting point for understanding, as well as treatment and recovery. Mental Illness does not discriminate. No one is immune.”
She said a mental illness such as anxiety disorder can be life altering. “They can’t an ordinary life if they can’t finish their ritual,” Arnold said. “Think about when you are panicky. Imagine what it would be like to feel like that all the time.”
With the increasing economical troubles and unemployment, mental health agencies want to increase their awareness so they can help people better cope with the demands and everyday stresses. NAMI hopes to reachout to more and more Americans.
Every city in every state will be having events to help promote the changes to reach out to more people this year more so than ever. Specials workshops, conferences, walks, and other events will be focusing on treatment and recognition of mental illness in our nation. Be sure to check with you local listings of events and screenings this week.
In addition, visit the website Live your life well http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/ for information tht can help you and your family become more aware that there is help and hope.
Materials from NAMI and Mental Health America are used in this report. ( By: Tyler Woods Ph.D.)

How To Decide What Is Normal in Mental Health

Approximately 26.2 percent of Americans age 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, but how do you decide what’s normal or not normal when it comes to mental health? How do you know if your feelings of sadness or anxiety or occasional panic are signs of mental illness or that your state of mental health is normal?
First of all, the 26.2 percent statistic provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, which translates into 57.7 million people, can be shaved down significantly when you consider that the proportion that suffer from a serious mental illness is only 6 percent—still a substantial number but significantly less than 26.2 percent.
Second, determining whether what you are feeling is considered normal mental health or an indication that you should seek advice from a mental health professional is not always easy. Unfortunately, some people still believe it is a sign of weakness or a stigma to have or admit having a mental illness. This belief prevents them from seeking and getting advice or treatment that could benefit them greatly. Many people also do not know where to turn to get the information they need to make a decision about whether they should seek further help.
People who try to diagnose themselves and determine if their feelings and behaviors are normal will likely only become more frustrated and confused. It is not easy to distinguish normal mental health from a diagnosable mental illness because there is no one easy test anyone, even mental health professionals, can use to make that determination. Mental health providers gather much of the information they need by talking with the individual who is experiencing some mental health issues.
To help them make a diagnose, mental health providers use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which defines mental disorders as “behavioral or psychological syndromes or patterns that cause distress, disability in functioning, or a significantly increased risk of death, pain or disability. And that syndrome or pattern can’t just be an expected and culturally accepted response to a particular event, such as grieving the death of a loved one.” As you can see, this definition still does not provide a precise idea of what normal mental health is.
So what can you do to help you decide what’s normal? You can begin by turning to various mental health individuals, agencies, organizations, and groups to get information and guidance to determine whether what you (or a loved one) are experiencing is something that requires or would benefit from treatment, be it support groups, counseling, some type of psychotherapy, alternative therapies (e.g., biofeedback, guided visualization, meditation), medication, or a combination of these and other approaches.
The best place to begin is by consulting your family physician or another physician you trust. If you know any counselors, therapists, or other mental health professionals, including religious or spiritual counselors, you can contact them for a consultation. You might also contact any one or more of the following organizations. This is only a representative list; there are other organizations that focus on mental health issues that can provide professional information and guidance.

Mental Faculties

Thought is a mental process which allows an individual to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. Words referring to similar concepts and processes include cognition, idea, and imagination. Thinking involves the cerebral manipulation of information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reasoning and making decisions. Thinking is a higher cognitive function and the analysis of thinking processes is part of cognitive psychology.
Memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and subsequently recall information. Although traditional studies of memory began in the realms of philosophy, the late nineteenth and early twentieth century put memory within the paradigms of cognitive psychology. In recent decades, it has become one of the principal pillars of a new branch of science called cognitive neuroscience, a marriage between cognitive psychology and neuroscience.
Imagination is accepted as the innate ability and process to invent partial or complete personal realms the mind derives from sense perceptions of the shared world. The term is technically used in psychology for the process of reviving in the mind percepts of objects formerly given in sense perception. Since this use of the term conflicts with that of ordinary language, some psychologists have preferred to describe this process as "imaging" or "imagery" or to speak of it as "reproductive" as opposed to "productive" or "constructive" imagination. Imagined images are seen with the "mind's eye". One hypothesis for the evolution of human imagination is that it allowed conscious beings to solve problems (and hence increase an individual's fitness) by use of mental simulation.
Consciousness in mammals (this includes humans) is an aspect of the mind generally thought to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, sentience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment. It is a subject of much research in philosophy of mind, psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science. Some philosophers divide consciousness into phenomenal consciousness, which is subjective experience itself, and access consciousness, which refers to the global availability of information to processing systems in the brain. Phenomenal consciousness has many different experienced qualities, often referred to as qualia. Phenomenal consciousness is usually consciousness of something or about something, a property known as intentionality in philosophy of mind.

Evolutionary history of the human mind

The nature and origins of hominid intelligence is of natural interest to humans as the most successful and intelligent hominid species. As nearly a century of archaeological research has shown, the hominids evolved from earlier primates in eastern Africa. Like some non-primate tree-dwelling mammals, such as opossums, they evolved an opposable thumb, which enabled them to grasp and manipulate objects, such as fruit. They also possessed front-facing binocular vision.
Around 10 million years ago, the earth's climate entered a cooler and drier phase, which led eventually to the ice ages. This forced tree-dwelling animals to adapt to their new environment or die out. Some primates adapted to this challenge by adopting bipedalism: walking on their hind legs. The advantages of this development are widely disputed. It was once thought that this gave their eyes greater elevation and the ability to see approaching danger further off but as we now know that hominids developed in a forest environment this theory has little real basis. At some point the bipedal primates developed the ability to pick up sticks, bones and stones and use them as weapons, or as tools for tasks such as killing smaller animals or cutting up carcases. In other words, these primates developed the use of technology, an adaptation other animals have not attained to the same capacity as these hominids. Bipedal tool-using primates evolved in the class of hominids, of which the earliest species, such as Sahelanthropus tchadensis, are dated to about 7 million years ago although hominid-made tools were not developed until about 2 million years ago. Thus bipedal hominids existed for 5 million years before they started making tools. The advantage of bipedalism would have been simply to be able to carry anything with survival value from an unfavorable environment to a more favorable one. Anything too big or heavy would have to be broken or cut. This would be an insight that led early minds to develop tools for the purpose.
From about 5 million years ago, the hominid brain began to develop rapidly, some say this was because an evolutionary loop had been established between the hominid hand and brain. This theory says that the use of tools conferred a crucial evolutionary advantage on those hominids which had this skill. The use of tools required a larger and more sophisticated brain to co-ordinate the fine hand movements required for this task. However this theory has not been confirmed and many other theories have been developed based on scientific evidence. It is likely that a tool-using hominid would have made a formidable enemy and that surviving this new threat would have been the loop that increased brain size and mind power. By 2 million years ago Homo habilis had appeared in east Africa: the first hominid to make tools rather than merely use them. Several more species in the genus 'homo' appeared before fully modern humans developed, known as homo sapiens. These homo sapiens, which are the archaic version of the modern human, showed the first evidence of language, and the range of activities we call culture, including art and religion.
About 200,000 years ago in Europe and the Near East hominids known to us as Neanderthal man or Homo neanderthalensis appeared. They too had art, such as decorated tools for aesthetic pleasure, and culture, such as burying their dead in ways which suggest spiritual beliefs. Hotly debated in the scientific community is whether or not Homo sapiens developed from neanderthals or a combination of hominids. Some scientists say that the Neanderthals were wiped out by homo sapiens when they entered the region about 40,000 years ago. What is known is that by 25,000 years ago the Neanderthal was extinct. Between 120,000 to 165,000 years ago Homo sapiens reached their fully modern form. The first evidence of this was found in Africa, although once again the origins are widely debated between three theories, the Single-origin theory, the Multiregional model and the Assimilation model.

Philosophy of mind

Philosophy of mind is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body. The mind-body problem, i.e. the relationship of the mind to the body, is commonly seen as the central issue in philosophy of mind, although there are other issues concerning the nature of the mind that do not involve its relation to the physical body.
Dualism and monism are the two major schools of thought that attempt to resolve the mind-body problem. Dualism is the position that mind and body are in some way separate from each other. It can be traced back to Plato, Aristotle and the Samkhya and Yoga schools of Hindu philosophy, but it was most precisely formulated by René Descartes in the 17th century. Substance dualists argue that the mind is an independently existing substance, whereas Property dualists maintain that the mind is a group of independent properties that emerge from and cannot be reduced to the brain, but that it is not a distinct substance.
Monism is the position that mind and body are not physiologically and ontologically distinct kinds of entities. This view was first advocated in Western Philosophy by Parmenides in the 5th Century BC and was later espoused by the 17th Century rationalist Baruch Spinoza. According to Spinoza's dual-aspect theory, mind and body are two aspects of an underlying reality which he variously described as "Nature" or "God". Physicalists argue that only the entities postulated by physical theory exist, and that the mind will eventually be explained in terms of these entities as physical theory continues to evolve. Idealists maintain that the mind is all that exists and that the external world is either mental itself, or an illusion created by the mind. Neutral monists adhere to the position that perceived things in the world can be regarded as either physical or mental depending on whether one is interested in their relationship to other things in the world or their relationship to the perceiver. For example, a red spot on a wall is physical in its dependence on the wall and the pigment of which it is made, but it is mental in so far as its perceived redness depends on the workings of the visual system. Unlike dual-aspect theory, neutral monism does not posit a more fundamental substance of which mind and body are aspects. The most common monisms in the 20th and 21st centuries have all been variations of physicalism; these positions include behaviorism, the type identity theory, anomalous monism and functionalism.Many modern philosophers of mind adopt either a reductive or non-reductive physicalist position, maintaining in their different ways that the mind is not something separate from the body. These approaches have been particularly influential in the sciences, particularly in the fields of sociobiology, computer science, evolutionary psychology and the various neurosciences. Other philosophers, however, adopt a non-physicalist position which challenges the notion that the mind is a purely physical construct. Reductive physicalists assert that all mental states and properties will eventually be explained by scientific accounts of physiological processes and states. Non-reductive physicalists argue that although the brain is all there is to the mind, the predicates and vocabulary used in mental descriptions and explanations are indispensable, and cannot be reduced to the language and lower-level explanations of physical science. Continued neuroscientific progress has helped to clarify some of these issues. However, they are far from having been resolved, and modern philosophers of mind continue to ask how the subjective qualities and the intentionality (aboutness) of mental states and properties can be explained in naturalistic terms.

Purification on the Mental Level

by Julie Redstone

It is not uncommon as the intensity of light increases, for people to be troubled by repetitive thoughts that they would rather not have. Even where worry and obsessive patterns of thinking have not been pronounced before, increased light begins to purify the body by sending energies from both the physical organism and the subconscious mind into the conscious mind. As a result, 'flooding' is often felt or unwanted mental activity.What is important about this is to know that a purification process is underway. Also that such heightened mental activity often comes in waves that reach peak intensity then subside. While these waves are active and intense, it is useful to know how to bring energy to the heart. Bringing energy to the heart and disconnecting from mental activity allows the releasing from the body to continue unabated, while the conscious self becomes more able to dis-identify with the mind. Thus, a separation is created between one's awareness or point of focus and one's thought process.To bring energy into the heart, the easiest and most effective route is through sacred breathing which brings light and love into the heart center. Sacred breathing is a means of aligning with God's light and love and in the presence of overactive mental acitivity, it focuses attention on a different energy than the one which the mind carries. To re-direct energy to the heart, the Practice of Alignment is useful, as is any other spiritual or meditative practice which brings light into the heart center. During times of intense purification, it is important to not force things - to not get into a struggle with one's thoughts, but rather to have a different direction to turn to so that peace and stability can be created, even in the midst of a mental storm.

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Hope must depend on feeling God with you as you go through a time of difficulty with uncertain relief on the physical/emotional/mental level. This can happen through yoga, through prayer and alignment, and also through knowing and feeling your own higher purpose which can stabilize you through this time. A sense of purpose gives meaning to one's experience, and so it is important to consult your heart and to ask for guidance to show you what the outcome of this time of purification will be. Have faith that your heart knows. Have faith that it shall be so. This will take you through the time of waiting.

Improve Mental Computational Skills

How to Improve Simple Mental Computational Skills
After the first part of this article had been published, I began to get letters with another question. Is a need of improving the skills of simple mental computations so important, that we must spend time on filling in tables or on any other exercises, while we have not enough time for other topics of curriculum? My previous articles (Elementary Mental Computational Skills and Success in School Math, Prognosis of Failure in School Math) contain the detailed answer. Now I want to cite one more reason. If we grudge the time for improvement of simple mental computational skills, we will waste much more time when teaching other math topics. Let us consider addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of the numbers expressed by several figures. Every such operation calls for carrying-out many simple mental operations. For example, it is necessary to carry out 14 simple mental operations to multiply 587 by 96. My studies show that pupils spend about 8 seconds in the average on each operation. We can reduce the running time of one operation by training to 2.5 seconds in 95% cases. As a result we will have much more time for development of more complicated skills. If we take into account that all topics of arithmetic and algebra require simple mental computations, the profit becomes evident. The stochastic tables described in the first part of this article may be used both for individual work with one pupil and for work with a class. Furthermore for individual work you can use two computer programs, which you can download free at my site Prevention of Failure in School Mathematics (references – Simple Test and Improvement of Simple Mental Computational Skills). Now you will find there renovated versions. I tried to finish with errors and difficulties which prevented effective work with the applications (at present, for example, there is no need in entering code). You can test whether the modifications are sufficient or not.The first of these programs is a simple computer test for diagnostics of a level of simple mental computational skills. It can be used both to clearing up whether a pupil’s skills need to be improved and to make sure that using of the stochastic tables turned out successful. If your pupils have learnt the multiplication table already, offer them this simple test and you will see that many of them will not pass it. A pupil must implement a sequence of 64 simple operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in disorder) not only nearly error-free but quickly also. The second program is designed to improvement of simple mental computational skills. The application is intended for individual work with one pupil. Therefore it is necessary to load a private database for each pupil. You may begin to use the application after the multiplication table and the corresponding cases of division have been learnt completely. It will be very useful to repeat the work every year during next five years.The program performs the next functions: 1) diagnoses quality of elementary mental computational skills; 2) carries out the work on improvement of elementary computational skills; 3) watches the psycho-physical state of a pupil and a level of permissible educational load; 4) allows overseeing all results of the working.During each testing a level of simple mental computational skills is studying. Two criteria are used for the ascertainment of it: number of errors and an average running time of one operation. The speed of mental computations is one of the two criteria of automatism – the top quality of skills. While a minimal number of errors is permissible (an error may be caused not only by lack of knowledge), a testing will end in failure because of slowness even if there are no mistakes. The values of parameters using in the testing were figured out experimentally in accordance with pupils’ age (during five years after the multiplication table had been completely studied).Initial results are the basis for the following work. They are used for the examination of pupil’s psycho-physical state (warming-up) and for forming the tasks for improvement of his/her skills (working upon errors). To accelerate progress in mental computations, you may print the tasks for working upon errors after each session. The pupil must do the tasks in written form before the next session. The program stops the work with the pupil when his/her computational skills meet the established demands. Number of required sessions depends on pupil's grounding in math and mental faculties.