Mystical Experience, By Chris Frith

In the article Skin Deep written by Nina Jablonski and George Chaplin, they discuss and look deeper into the diverse differences in skin color. Our skin color has developed over the years to be dark enough to prevent the damaging sunlight that has been harming our skin and the nutrient folate that it carries. At the same time out skin is light enough to receive vitamin D.

The phenomenon of consumerism is quiet powerful due to the impact on individual’s lives. Society has come to the point, happiness is associated with consumption. However, the way consumerism works, is if the items being purchased gives temporary happiness. There individuals are always buying the latest products to remain happy. In the text, “The Cult you’re in” Kalle Lasn, discusses a cult-like nature of consumer culture on Americans. Lasn uses the work ‘cult’ as a metaphor; he does not mean an actual cult but American consumers seem to be in a cult-like nature. The ideal example of Lasns argument is the text, “The man behind Abercrombie and Fitch”, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, goes in great depth of the life of the CEO, Mike Jeffries, of

Applied Theory Paper This applied theory paper will analyze both the macro and micro analysis of the Novel, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman (Fadiman, 1997). In the book “The Spirit Catches You and Falls Down”, the character Lia illness resulted in a cultural divide between

The Vietnam War in the late 1960’s was described as a tragedy, a victory, a win, and a loss, but for whom? The millions of people who loss their lives or the millions of people who fought to save others or is it for the millions of people who had

In the text, “The Cult you’re in” Kalle Lasn, discusses a cult-like nature of consumer culture on Americans. Lasn uses the work ‘cult’ as a metaphor; he does not mean an actual cult but American consumers seem to be in a cult-like nature. The ideal example of Lasns argument is the text, “The man behind Abercrombie and Fitch”, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, goes in great depth of the life of the CEO, Mike Jeffries, of Abercrombie and Fitch. Denizet Lewis’s piece on Jeffries life displays how accurate Lasns claim is about American consumers in the cult-like atmosphere.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, is the story of two very different cultures lacking understanding for one another leading to a tragedy due to cultural incompetence. Today in America there are very many different cultures. Health care providers need to be aware of cultural diversity and sensitivity when caring for patients. If a health care provider is not sensitive towards a patient’s culture it can cause a relationship of mistrust to form, lead to barriers in the plan of care, and increase health care cost. The current guidelines to promote cultural competence in the clinical setting include completing a cultural diversity self-assessment, identify the need of the population served, evaluate barriers in the community and practice, educate staff to cultural diversities, schedule longer appointments, clarify limitations, and identify alternatives offered (Cash & Glass, 2014).

Often times we are at a loss for words when it comes to talking about the person of the Holy Spirit. Beth Felker Jones in her work entitled “God the Spirit” serves as an introduction to the study of the Holy Spirit in a distinctly Wesleyan and Ecumenical Perspective. Jones is working against the notion that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is often the most neglected of all Christian teachings (1). She recognizes her experience within the Wesleyan tradition as one that shapes her pneumatology and this book. She asserts that one of Wesleyan Christianity’s special gifts is it’s “leaning against any tendency to neglect the Spirit” (4). Even with this framework she aims to place the Wesleyan perspective in a larger ecumenical milieu that shows the continuity of a Wesleyan pneumatology with the Tradition of the Church. Overall, her approach is very accessible, as she assumes very little and writes in such a way that allows her to cover large dogmatic topics clearly and concisely. By merit of simply being an introduction only style book, there is the risk of glossing over topics and not providing enough in depth discussion to fully understand and comprehend the doctrine discussed. A reader should feel confident that Jones has indeed provided us with a solid introduction to Wesleyan pneumatology that has the ability to bear fruit and initiate growth in the life of the believer.

Witchcraft Accused witches were forced to admit to various practices believed to be witchcraft. Details from the French Court of Rieux and the insanity that ensued are jaw dropping by today’s standards. Suzanne Gaudry’s judgement confession was no different, being forced and tortured into confessions including having given herself to the devil, renouncement of God, lent and Baptism. Moreover, Gaudry was also forced to confess that she had cohabited with the devil as well received the devil’s mark on her shoulder and being at dances. Of note however, the judgement confession seems to acknowledge Gaudry having technically only confessed to having had killed by poison, Philip Coine’s horse. Nevertheless, Gaudry’s confession was made

Optical Illusions fool your brain by seamlessly, making your brain think that something still, is actually moving. This is a prime example of your brain just perceiving, and not actually seeing the reality of the image. Seeing is not believing because your eyes see things that are different than what is actually happening. This can happen due to many reasons such as, letting your emotions cloud your own judgment, seeing an optical illusion, or even not adding up the details and failing to realize what is actually going on. In these following paragraphs, I will explain why I believe that seeing is not believing.

The debate in the academic study of mysticism between Steven Katz and Robert Forman primarily refers to the origins and essence of mystical experiences. Katz’s argues that, “There are NO pure (i.e. unmediated) mystical experiences” (Katz, 26). Additionally, Katz articulates the problem of interpreting and verifying mystical experiences, thus alluding to the issue of whether or not mystical experiences can be classified. Comparatively, Robert Forman argues for the existence of what he refers to as Pure Consciousness Events (PCEs), whereby mystical experiences extend beyond language and culture. Each argument has its merits, however, I contend that Forman’s argument is the most articulate and accurate.

Media & Propaganda The film, Control Room by Jehane Noujaim, is a very tragic film that occurred between the Middle East and the United States. Control Room seems to assert the possibility that though we my see many pictures and videos of an event, we may nevertheless not be getting a complete picture. In my opinion, I believe that pictures can lie because photos can be manipulated, media picks and chose what to show, and use false hopes and lies to cheer on their country.

In the 1950’s the melodrama genre came to age and there is no better example than Douglas Sirk’s All that Heaven Allows. The melodrama followed some basic characteristics which can be identified in the film. First and foremost the narrative of the melodrama focused on the family. All that Heaven Allows follows the narrative of the typical melodrama but at the same time also challenges the social conventions. While Sirk follows many of the key themes he does so in a more detached fashion. The protagonist Cary is bound to her community by her social class. Change was occurring in society and the melodrama displayed people’s restraint to this. In All that Heaven Allows Sirk began his focus on the female and her desires in contrast to the more conservative male focused melodrama. As with the melodrama the legibility of the story, displayed through the plot, is simple and easy to follow. “Our engagement with the story depends on our understanding of the pattern of change and stability, cause and effect, time and space” (Bordwell and Thompson, 2008). The linear time flow of the film allows for it’s simple understanding. This is added to by the expressiveness of the melodrama, where everything is brought into the open and nothing is left unsaid. The expressiveness of the melodrama is also represented in the highly expressive mise-en-scene. Sirks use of colour, the human figure, camera work, lighting and music allow him to portray suppressed meaning and significance.

Open minds, Open Faith. “… God wants us to speak life by responsibly honoring his name as we serve our audience-neighbors” (32). Quentin Schultze talks about becoming a better public speaker, by using your voice to speak life and truth. By becoming a better public speaker I will be enabling my ability to inform, please, and persuade my audience, in a way that is open minded but still direct. Speaking well publicly to my neighbors for God motivates me so that I may serve in a way that is declaring my faith. Confessing my faith is good to become a disciple of God, that is what I was put on this earth for, to declare my Lord and Savior loud and clear for all to see. To become a better disciple means that I need to be able to Speak publicly about

Hans Memling’s altarpiece depicts an array of significant and rather specific features of Revelation. Directly in the center of the piece we see the four horsemen. Moving from the left (or the back), to the right (or the front), is the white horse whose rider carries an archer’s bow and wears a crown, the red horse whose rider is given a sword, the black horse whose rider holds a yoked scale, and a green horse whose rider’s name is death and hell follows behind him. Less obvious is the depiction of the red dragon crouched before the apocalyptic women in the top right corner of the painting. She is illustrated as described in Revelation as being clothed by the sun, however, she is not seen standing on the moon. Explicit detail is given to the

Meditation and the Brain When discussing the relationship of brain and behavior, the materialist view of human experience runs into conflict with the historically dominant religious accounts. Recent studies, however, suggests that there may be a "middle view" between the two world-views. Religions, especially Buddhism, stress the role of meditation in one's spiritual growth. Meditation has tangible psychological and physiological benefits, though, which can be explained strictly in neurobiological terms. Understanding of how meditation affects the brain, and, by extension, human behavior, also gives insight into consciousness, the role of feedback loops, and the nature of the I-function.