We all know that internet porn is tremendously popular. Its dominance on the Internet is nothing short of stunning. According to Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, there are more visits to pornography sites each month than to Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined. A quick Google search reveals some startling stats: “Sex videos”: 480 million links “Video porn”:…
Writing about visiting her mother who has Alzheimer’s disease, Priscilla Warner observes, “I try not to go with expectations, but that’s hard, since… I want my visits to go well. But it’s hard to define ‘well’ when my mother doesn’t know who I am.” Watching her mother deteriorate over time, Warner sometimes forgets herself and asks (then immediately regrets), “What…
We know that stress—especially of the traumatic variety—can affect the shape and function of structures in the brain. For example, studies on survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reveal that the amygdala (the almond-shaped threat and danger detection center of the brain) can actually enlarge in the presence of an ongoing, unmitigated survival response. Conversely, the hippocampus (a horseshoe-shaped entity…
Music can provide therapeutic benefits
Watching and being watched are no longer confined to how newborns bond with their mothers or apprentice chefs learn from sushi masters. Watching now changes how we identify ourselves and how others understand us. “Selfies” are not an anomaly; they are personal reflections of a wholesale adoption of the new culture of watching. We are watching so many—and so many…
By Brittany Shoot What is Somatic Experiencing? Somatic Experiencing works from the relationship of the body to the trauma. For example, when we feel threatened or in danger, our bodies respond in a particular way. We mobilize energy to flee, or if we perceive a mortal threat, we’ll collapse. Somatic Experiencing helps people become aware of their bodies’ responses and…
Horror stories. Love stories. True crime. Fairy tale. Myth. Parable. The evening news. Stories help us form our beliefs and values. They shape our fears and dreams. They help us decide how we want to fall in love, what we think is fair, and how to negotiate the world. We are story-making, story-devouring creatures, and our personal stories often rule…
