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Post #1: Paranormal & Pseudoscience Assignment 1

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Post #1: Paranormal & Pseudoscience Assignment 1

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Made by: Alyssa Woods & Nicole Panopoulos (Working in a group)

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Definition: All natural doesn't mean safe or non-toxic. Many natural alternatives can be poisonous. These products can be misleading by claiming to be healthy but they can still contain these dangerous chemical additives.
Connection (Website):These teas and shakes claim to naturally detoxify the human body, thus shedding body fat 'naturally'. According to medical officials, these products should be consumed under medical supervision and they should not be consumed the recommended amount on the package. This ties into the Pseudoscience watchlist because companies like this profit from marketing these products as safe and natural when in reality they are dangerous.

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Bundle our Flat Tummy Tea and Flat Tummy Meal Replacement Shakes and Save. Fast shipping worldwide. Getting back on track ain't that easy, we get that. Which is why we've developed programs that are super easy to use, and will help get you results.

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Definition: To interpret new evidence as confirmation of ones beliefs or theories.
Connection (Video): Ghost Adventures Crew are a group of ghost hunters that have a TV show on the travel channel called Ghost Adventures. They claim to be the leading researchers in the world for the paranormal , they travel all across America going to presumably haunted locations and investigate using cameras, voice recorders, night vision , thermal cameras to catch ghosts on camera. However, just because these ghost hunters are using scientific gadgets to catch ghost to prove there existence does not validate that ghosts are real. Videos can be faked by using very good CGI and scientific gadgets that can be tampered with to do a certain thing such as voice phenomenons or unexplained foot steps.

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Ghost Adventures - The Real Ghost Captured on Cam

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Definition: Includes any reference to Ancient beings, knowledge and practices.

Connection (Website): This website connects to the ancient wisdom of Cannabis and it's medical benefits. This connects with how an ancient Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo (c. 140-208) is the first recorded person to use cannabis as an anesthetic. In todays age, we are still using cannabis to relief pain physically and mentally.

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The history of medicinal cannabis goes back to ancient times. Ancient physicians in many parts of the world mixed cannabis into medicines to treat pain and other ailments. In the 19th century, cannabis was introduced for therapeutic use in Western Medicine. Since then, there have been several advancements in how the drug is administered. Initially, cannabis was reduced to a powder and mixed with wine for administration. In the 1970s, synthetic THC was created to be administered as the drug Marinol in a capsule. However, the main mode of administration for cannabis is smoking because its effects are almost immediate when the smoke is inhaled. Between 1996 and 1999, eight U.S. states supported cannabis prescriptions opposing policies of the federal government. Most people who are prescribed marijuana for medical purposes use it to alleviate severe pain.

Cannabis, called má 麻 (meaning "hemp; cannabis; numbness") or dàmá 大麻 (with "big; great") in Chinese, was used in Taiwan for fiber starting about 10,000 years ago. The botanist Hui-lin Li wrote that in China, "The use of Cannabis in medicine was probably a very early development. Since ancient humans used hemp seed as food, it was quite natural for them to also discover the medicinal properties of the plant." The oldest Chinese pharmacopeia, the (c. 100 AD) Shennong Bencaojing 神農本草經 (" Shennong's Materia Medica Classic"), describes dama "cannabis".

The flowers when they burst (when the pollen is scattered) are called 麻蕡 [ mafen] or 麻勃 [ mabo]. The best time for gathering is the seventh day of the seventh month. The seeds are gathered in the ninth month. The seeds which have entered the soil are injurious to man. It grows in [Taishan] (in [Shandong] ...). The flowers, the fruit (seed) and the leaves are officinal. The leaves and the fruit are said to be poisonous, but not the flowers and the kernels of the seeds.

The early Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo (c. 140-208) is credited with being the first recorded person to use cannabis as an anesthetic. He reduced the plant to powder and mixed it with wine for administration prior to conducting surgery. The Chinese term for "anesthesia" ( mázui 麻醉) literally means "cannabis intoxication". Elizabeth Wayland Barber says the Chinese evidence "proves a knowledge of the narcotic properties of Cannabis at least from the 1st millennium B.C." when ma was already used in a secondary meaning of "numbness; senseless." "Such a strong drug, however, suggests that the Chinese pharmacists had now obtained from far to the southwest not THC-bearing Cannabis sativa but Cannabis indica, so strong it knocks you out cold.

The Dutch sinologist Frank Dikötter's history of drugs in China says,

The medical uses were highlighted in a pharmacopeia of the Tang, which prescribed the root of the plant to remove a blood clot, while the juice from the leaves could be ingested to combat tapeworm. The seeds of cannabis, reduced to powder and mixed with rice wine, were recommended in various other materia medica against several ailments, ranging from constipation to hair loss. The Ming dynasty Mingyi bielu provided detailed instructions about the harvesting of the heads of the cannabis sativa plant ( mafen, mabo), while the few authors who acknowledged hemp in various pharmacopoeias seemed to agree that the resinous female flowering heads were the source of dreams and revelations. After copious consumption, according to the ancient Shennong bencaojing, one could see demons and walk like a madman, even becoming 'in touch with the spirits' over time. Other medical writers warned that ghosts could be seen after ingesting a potion based on raw seeds blended with calamus and podophyllum ( guijiu).

Cannabis is one of the 50 "fundamental" herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, and is prescribed to treat diverse indications. FP Smith writes in Chinese Materia Medica: Vegetable Kingdom:

Every part of the hemp plant is used in medicine ... The flowers are recommended in the 120 different forms of (風 feng) disease, in menstrual disorders, and in wounds. The achenia, which are considered to be poisonous, stimulate the nervous system, and if used in excess, will produce hallucinations and staggering gait. They are prescribed in nervous disorders, especially those marked by local anaesthesia. The seeds ... are considered to be tonic, demulcent, alternative [restorative], laxative, emmenagogue, diuretic, anthelmintic, and corrective. ... They are prescribed internally in fluxes, post-partum difficulties, aconite poisoning, vermillion poisoning, constipation, and obstinate vomiting. Externally they are used for eruptions, ulcers, favus, wounds, and falling of the hair. The oil is used for falling hair, sulfur poisoning, and dryness of the throat. The leaves are considered to be poisonous, and the freshly expressed juice is used as an anthelmintic, in scorpion stings, to stop the hair from falling out and to prevent it from turning gray. ... The stalk, or its bark, is considered to be diuretic ... The juice of the root is ... thought to have a beneficial action in retained placenta and post-partum hemorrhage. An infusion of hemp ... is used as a demulcent drink for quenching thirst and relieving fluxes.

In 2007, a late Neolithic grave attributed to the Beaker culture (found near Hattemerbroek, Gelderland; dated 2459-2203 BCE) was found containing an unusually large concentration of pollen. After five years of careful investigation these pollen were concluded to be mostly cannabis along with a smaller amount of meadowsweet. Due to the fever-reducing properties of meadowsweet, the archeologists speculated that the person in the grave had likely been very ill, in which case the cannabis would have served as painkiller.

The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC) from Ancient Egypt describes medical cannabis. Other ancient Egyptian papyri that mention medical cannabis are the Ramesseum III Papyrus (1700 BC), the Berlin Papyrus (1300 BC) and the Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus VI (1300 BC). The ancient Egyptians used hemp (cannabis) in suppositories for relieving the pain of hemorrhoids. Around 2,000 BCE, the ancient Egyptians used cannabis to treat sore eyes. The egyptologist Lise Manniche notes the reference to "plant medical cannabis" in several Egyptian texts, one of which dates back to the eighteenth century BCE.

Cannabis was a major component in religious practices in ancient India as well as in medicinal practices. For many centuries, most parts of life in ancient India incorporated cannabis of some form. Surviving texts from ancient India confirm that cannabis' psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for treating a variety of illnesses and ailments. These included insomnia, headaches, a whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, and pain: cannabis was frequently used to relieve the pain of childbirth. One Indian philosopher expressed his views on the nature and uses of bhang (a form of cannabis), which combined religious thought with medical practices. "A guardian lives in the bhang leaf. ...To see in a dream the leaves, plant, or water of bhang is lucky. ...A longing for bhang foretells happiness. It cures dysentery and sunstroke, clears phlegm, quickens digestion, sharpens appetite, makes the tongue of the lisper plain, freshens the intellect and gives alertness to the body and gaiety to the mind. Such are the useful and needful ends for which in His goodness the Almighty made bhang."

The Ancient Greeks used cannabis to dress wounds and sores on their horses. In humans, dried leaves of cannabis were used to treat nose bleeds, and cannabis seeds were used to expel tapeworms. The most frequently described use of cannabis in humans was to steep green seeds of cannabis in either water or wine, later taking the seeds out and using the warm extract to treat inflammation and pain resulting from obstruction of the ear.

In the 5th century BC Herodotus, a Greek historian, described how the Scythians of the Middle East used cannabis in steam baths. These baths drove the people to a frenzied state.

In the medieval Islamic world, Arabic physicians made use of the diuretic, antiemetic, antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties of Cannabis sativa, and used it extensively as medication from the 8th to 18th centuries.

In the mid 19th century, medical interest in the use of cannabis began to grow in the West. In the 19th century cannabis was one of the secret ingredients in several so called patent medicines. There were at least 2000 cannabis medicines prior to 1937, produced by over 280 manufacturers. The advent of the syringe and injectable medicines contributed to an eventual decline in the popularity of cannabis for therapeutic uses, as did the invention of new drugs such as aspirin.

An Irish physician, William Brooke O'Shaughnessy, is credited with introducing the therapeutic use of cannabis to Western medicine. He was Assistant-Surgeon and Professor of Chemistry at the Medical College of Calcutta, and conducted a cannabis experiment in the 1830s, first testing his preparations on animals, then administering them to patients to help treat muscle spasms, stomach cramps or general pain. Modern medical and scientific inquiry began with doctors like O'Shaughnessy and Moreau de Tours, who used it to treat melancholia and migraines, and as a sleeping aid, analgesic and anticonvulsant. At the local level authorities introduced various laws that required the mixtures that contained cannabis, that was not sold on prescription, must be marked with warning labels under the so-called poison laws. In 1905 Samuel Hopkins Adams published an exposé entitled " The Great American Fraud" in Collier's Weekly about the patent medicines that led to the passage of the first Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. This statute did not ban alcohol, narcotics, and stimulants in the medicines; rather, it required medicinal products to be labeled as such and curbed some of the more misleading, overstated, or fraudulent claims that previously appeared on labels.

At the turn of the 20th century the Scandinavian maltose- and cannabis-based drink Maltos-Cannabis was widely available in Denmark and Norway. Promoted as "an excellent lunch drink, especially for children and young people", the product had won a prize at the Exposition Internationale d'Anvers in 1894. A Swedish encyclopedia from 1912 claim that European hemp, the raw material for Maltos-Sugar, almost lacked the narcotic effect that is typical for Indian hemp and that products from Indian hemp was abandon by modern science for medical use. Maltos-Cannabis was promoted with text about its content of maltose sugar.

Later in the century, researchers investigating methods of detecting cannabis intoxication discovered that smoking the drug reduced intraocular pressure.[unreliable source? ] In 1955 the antibacterial effects were described at the Palacký University of Olomouc. Since 1971 Lumír Ondřej Hanuš was growing cannabis for his scientific research on two large fields in authority of the University. The marijuana extracts were then used at the University hospital as a cure for aphthae and haze. In 1973 physician Tod H. Mikuriya reignited the debate concerning cannabis as medicine when he published "Marijuana Medical Papers". High intraocular pressure causes blindness in glaucoma patients, so he hypothesized that using the drug could prevent blindness in patients.[citation needed ] Many Vietnam War veterans also found that the drug prevented muscle spasms caused by spinal injuries suffered in battle.

In 1964, Dr. Albert Lockhart and Manley West began studying the health effects of traditional cannabis use in Jamaican communities. They discovered that Rastafarians had unusually low glaucoma rates and local fishermen were washing their eyes with cannabis extract in the belief that it would improve their sight. Lockhart and West developed, and in 1987 gained permission to market, the pharmaceutical Canasol: one of the first cannabis extracts. They continued to work with cannabis, developing more pharmaceuticals and eventually receiving the Jamaican Order of Merit for their work.

Later, in the 1970s, a synthetic version of THC was produced and approved for use in the United States as the drug Marinol. It was delivered as a capsule, to be swallowed. Patients complained that the violent nausea associated with chemotherapy made swallowing capsules difficult. Further, along with ingested cannabis, capsules are harder to dose-titrate accurately than smoked cannabis because their onset of action is so much slower. Smoking has remained the route of choice for many patients because its onset of action provides almost immediate relief from symptoms and because that fast onset greatly simplifies titration. For these reasons, and because of the difficulties arising from the way cannabinoids are metabolized after being ingested, oral dosing is probably the least satisfactory route for cannabis administration.

Voters in eight U.S. states showed their support for cannabis prescriptions or recommendations given by physicians between 1996 and 1999,[needs update ] including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, going against policies of the federal government. In May 2001, "The Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program: An Examination of Benefits and Adverse Effects of Legal Clinical Cannabis" (Russo, Mathre, Byrne et al.) was completed. This three-day examination of major body functions of four of the five living US federal cannabis patients found "mild pulmonary changes" in two patients.

Among the more than 108,000 persons in Colorado who in 2012 had received a certificate to use marijuana for medical purposes, 94% said that severe pain was the reason for the requested certificate, followed by 3% for cancer and 1% for HIV/Aids. The typical card holder was a 41-year-old male. Twelve doctors had issued 50% of the certificates. Opponents of the card system claim that most card holders are drug abusers who are faking or exaggerating their illnesses; three-fourths male patients is not the normal pattern for pain patients, it is the normal pattern for drug addicts, claim the critics. After the implementation of medical cannabis in Colorado has also the past 30-day use of marijuana by teens increased significant compared with the average in the U.S. (Prescription to teens is not allowed in Colorado).

1. ^ Bretschneider, Emil (1895). Botanicon Sinicum: Notes on Chinese Botany from Native and Western Sources. Part III, Botanical Investigations in the Materia Medica of the Ancient Chinese. Kelly & Walsh. p. 378.

2. ^ de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD). Leiden: Brill Publishers. p. 332. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0. OCLC 71779118.

3. ^ Pain, Stephanie (15 December 2007). "The Pharaoh's pharmacists". New Scientist. Reed Business Information Ltd.

4. ^ (Webley, Kayla. "Brief History: Medical Marijuana." Time 21 June 2010.)

5. ^ Bloomquist, Edward (1971). Marijuana: The Second Trip. California: Glencoe Press.

6. ^ Touw, Mia (1981). "The Religious and Medicinal Uses of Cannabis in China, India and Tibet". Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 13 (1): 23-34. doi:10.1080/02791072.1981.10471447. PMID 7024492.

7. ^ Butrica, James L. (2002). "The Medical Use of Cannabis Among the Greeks and Romans". Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics. 2 (2): 51. doi:10.1300/J175v02n02_04.

8. ^ Lozano, Indalecio (2001). "The Therapeutic Use of Cannabis sativa (L.) in Arabic Medicine". Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics. 1: 63. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.550.1717. doi:10.1300/J175v01n01_05.

9. ^ Tom Decorte; Gary W. Potter; Martin Bouchard (2011). World Wide Weed: Global Trends in Cannabis Cultivation and Its Control. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-4094-1780-4.

10. ^ The Antique Cannabis Book. antiquecannabisbook.com (16 March 2012). Retrieved 2012-05-19.

11. ^ Alison Mack; Janet Joy (7 December 2000). Marijuana As Medicine?: The Science Beyond the Controversy. National Academies Press. pp. 15-. ISBN 978-0-309-06531-3.

12. ^ Adams, Samuel Hopkins (1905). The Great American Fraud (4th ed., 1907). Chicago: American Medical Association.

13. ^ Zimmerman, Bill; Nancy Crumpacker; Rick Bayer (1998). Is Marijuana the Right Medicine for You?: A Factual Guide to Medical Uses of Marijuana. Keats Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87983-906-2.[page needed ]

14. Dr Farid F. Youssef. "Cannibis Unmasked: What it is and why it does what it does". UWIToday: June 2010. ^ http://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/june_2010/article9.asp

15. ^ Baker D, Pryce G, Giovannoni G, Thompson AJ (May 2003). "The therapeutic potential of cannabis". Lancet Neurol. 2 (5): 291-8. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(03)00381-8. PMID 12849183.

16. ^ Russo, Ethan; Mathre, Mary Lynn; Byrne, Al; Velin, Robert; Bach, Paul J.; Sanchez-Ramos, Juan; Kirlin, Kristin A. (2002). "Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program". Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics. 2: 3. doi:10.1300/J175v02n01_02.

17. ^ Medical Marijuana Regulatory System, Part II. Department of Public Health and Environment, Department of Revenue Performance Audit, June 2013

Zuardi, Antonio Waldo (2006). "History of cannabis as a medicine: A review". Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria. 28 (2): 153-7. doi:10.1590/S1516-44462006000200015. PMID 16810401.

Martinez, Martin (4 August 2008). "History of Medical Cannabis".

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The history of medicinal cannabis goes back to ancient times. Ancient physicians in many parts of the world mixed cannabis into medicines to treat pain and other ailments. In the 19th century, cannabis was introduced for therapeutic use in Western Medicine. Since then, there have been several advancements in how the drug is administered.

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Post #5: Red Flag - Appeal to Authority 

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Post #5: Red Flag - Appeal to Authority 

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Definitions:  Using images to create a sense of authority to appear credible.
Connection (Social Media Post): This supplement gummy claims to make your hair stronger, reduce breakage and make your hair shiny. Sugar Bear Hair is endorsed by Kylie Jenner a famous social media influencer and reality TV star. Because she advertises these hair gummies it validates to the mass pubic that they work because she is famous. However,  you should consult with a doctor before taking this supplement because it may not be right for everyone.

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Blue for my hair + pink for my body! @sugarbearhair has the most delicious vitamins #ad #sugarbearhair

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3m Likes, 234.3k Comments - Kylie ✨ (@kyliejenner) on Instagram: "Blue for my hair + pink for my body! @sugarbearhair has the most delicious vitamins #ad..."

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Post #10: Critical Thinking Process Responses

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Post #10: Critical Thinking Process Responses

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We chose to evaluate the video: The Chilling Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

Define the problem:
A 16 year old girl named Anneliese Michel experienced demonic possession.

Gather Information:
Anneliese was experiencing episodes of falling unconscious, her mother took her to a family doctor Dr.Vogt and a neurologist Dr.Luthy , they did brain scans and found nothing. Anneliese continued to experience these episodes , she was prescribed anticonvulsants and other drugs. Anneliese started to hear unexplained knocking , she also reported hearing voices damning her to hell. Her mother caught her staring at a religious icon and watched Anneliese eyes turn black. She also reported seeing demon faces staring at her. Anneliese also met with a Freudian psychiatrist that diagnosed her neurotic with possible epilepsy. Her condition continued to worsen , a priest told the family that she was possessed by a demon , and that is why she is exhibiting un-natural behaviour like blacking out, hearing demonic voices, exhibiting super strength and speaking in tongue.
Evaluate Evidence:
Her pupils were dilated and unusual absence of ulcers on her body, which are frequently found in starvation cases. The defence (the church) had recordings and eyewitness testimony that wasn't taken seriously.

Recognize Assumptions, Emotions, Biases:
Her and her family were very religious, they believed in possession and demons and they trusted the beliefs of the church more than what the doctors diagnosed Anneliese with.

Synthesis Evidence, Identify Alternatives:
1) The prosecution had argued that Analiese had epilepsy and psychosis and that her parents and two priests were liable for failing to act to save her life. Analiese's autopsy came back that she did not have epilepsy. They also found that father Alt (the priest who helped Analiese from the beginning, but didn't do the exorcisms) had signs of Schizophrenia.
2) Demons were possessing Analiese and the church was doing everything in their power to help her, but she ended up dying from possession.

Select Best Alternative:
Her family should have sought out more medical attention for Anneliese's condition. It was clear that she was suffering from epilepsy and neurosis.

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The Chilling Exorcism Of Anneliese Michel

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Definition: The reason for belief agenticity occurs when people assign a meaning to invisible agents (ex. ghosts, God, aliens)
Connection (Video): In this video a man named Jim  didn't believe in god, but his wife did, and she prayed that he would believe. Then he had a near death experience of taking too much of his medication, and then was found by his wife who called an ambulance. While Jim was in a coma state in the hospital he saw both of what he depicts as the Devil and God and then he spoke to God who had forgiven him. After his experience he wakes up and finally believes in God.

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Near Death Experience Puts Man Face-to-Face With God

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Post #9: Reason For Belief - Unexplained

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Post #9: Reason For Belief - Unexplained

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Definition: Some event or thing that defies human reasoning and it's existence is completely unknown or indescribable.
Connection (Image): This photo is a photograph of a family names the Cooper family. This is an example of unexplained because a lot of people believe that it is a paranormal experience. Meanwhile skeptics believe that this could be a result from photo manipulation, a dead family member or a life size doll.

https://shortoncontent.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/the-cooper-falling-body-photograph/

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Definition: Emotions and process within the human body that could not be explained, and explain it through crystals, light, and energy, having positive or negative effects.
Connection (Website): People claim that crystals produce energy that can heal people. Different crystals heal and protect different things, for example rose quarts is said to heal a broken heart. It is not a proven science, and it is an unseen "energy" that helps process within the body.

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Created over the millennia, healing crystals harness the life giving elements of the Earth and the universe. Harnessing the energy of the Sun, the Moon, and the oceans, semi-precious stones connect us to Earth as soon as we come into contact with them. Many people wonder if crystals have healing powers, and while there are many anecdotes describing the curative effects of healing stones, it really depends on your own experience. It takes a conscious effort to open your heart and mind to the power of crystal healing, but once you begin, the journey is studded with beautiful, mysterious, and unique crystals that will rock your world.

What can crystals do for me?

If you're just beginning to use crystals, a great way to harness their healing power is by using healing stones for manifesting your intentions and what you want to create in your life. When it comes to crystal basics, these otherworldly rocks connect us to the Earth because they are tangible, physical forms that have powerful vibrations. This energy continues to connect with you when you wear these intention crystals close to the skin or place them in your environment. With every thought and intention, these crystals pick up on your unique vibrational energy and amplify the positive vibes that you're cultivating.

In this magical world of vibrations, crystal energy helps you on your spiritual journey because it works to hold your intention and remind you of your connection to the Earth. A well thought out intention is the starting point for healing crystals because specific intentions instilled into your daily thought patterns also become part of its energy.

Why do crystals work?

Clear Quartz has been on Earth since the beginning of time and ancient civilizations have used crystals as protective talismans, peace offerings, and jewelry. Today, quartz makes up 12% of the Earth's crust and is used in almost every kind of technology, including time keeping, electronics, information storage, and more. If it's possible for crystals to communicate through computer chips, then isn't it possible that this vibrational energy could be transformed in other ways? And with its connection to the Earth and its life giving elements, it makes sense that crystals are universally healing, especially since they've made their mark in almost every civilization before us.

One of the first pieces of scientific evidence relating to the power of crystals is the work done by IBM scientist Marcel Vogel. While watching crystals grow under a microscope, he noticed that their shape took the form of whatever he was thinking about. He hypothesized that these vibrations are the result of the constant assembling and disassembling of bonds between molecules. He also tested the metaphysical power of quartz crystal and proved that rocks can store thoughts similar to how tapes use magnetic energy to record sound.

Albert Einstein said everything in life is vibration, and just like sound waves, your thoughts match the vibrations of everything that manifests in your life. Therefore, if you think crystals have healing potential, the positive vibes of the stones will amplify those thoughts.

At every moment, we have the ability to choose our thoughts and as we continue our journey, each day presents us with new challenges and wonderful beginnings. Healing crystals remind us to quiet the chatter of the mind and reconnect to the universally healing vibrations of the Earth. An important lesson to learn from crystals is patience, because just like the eons of time it took for these semi-precious stones to evolve and transform, working with the healing power of crystals also takes time. As you learn, grow, and evolve, use crystals as a reminder to be grateful for the abundance of Mother Nature and the great mysteries of the universe.

How do I choose a crystal?

Healing crystals have been used since ancient times, so there is a wealth of knowledge and experience that has been handed down from generation to generation. Once you know the crystal basics, use your intuition to choose the right healing stones for your spiritual journey. Crystal experts often say that the crystal chooses you instead of the other way around. Walk around the room and see what crystals stand out to you. Whether it's the dazzling colors or otherworldly shapes and patterns that draw you in, each crystal has a unique vibrational energy that works to clear blockages and ward off negative energy.

Finding the right stone is like any practice of wellness. It requires patience while you quiet the mind and realign the mind/body balance. Hold the stone in your hand and quietly think of your intention. Notice if you feel sensations such as hot or cold, pulsations, or calmness and tranquility. These are all signs that this particular rock is perfect for your healing needs.

It also helps to identify a particular problem or challenge you're currently facing. If you're having trouble concentrating, Fluorite help clear mental and emotional confusion, which can prevent concentration. To bring abundance into your life, citrine helps you manifest your dreams by channeling the positive vibrations of the sun. Carnelian is a powerful crystal to get the creative juices flowing.

If you have difficulty letting go of old ideas that are no longer serving you, Black Tourmaline is a powerful gemstone for releasing unwanted patterns that may have turned into bad habits. It helps release all the negative energy in your body and within your energy field. This stone also serves as a talisman for protection, which is essential if you're the type of person that easily picks up on other people's energy. Hematite is great for deflecting the negative moods of others by grounding you and reconnecting your spirit to the energy of the Earth.

If you're seeking more tranquility and calm in your life, amethyst is one of the best intention crystals for relieving stress and bringing balance back into your life. Another gemstone that helps balance out emotions is moonstone, which gives you support when you're feeling overly emotional or out of touch with your feelings. Rose quartz is also helpful for emotional well being because it opens and realigns the heart chakra, which magnifies feelings of self-love and the unconditional love of others.

Whether you're seeking out gemstones for their physical beauty or to bring peace and tranquility into your life, they all work to increase your vibrational frequency. If you feel good when you hold the crystal in your hand or have it touching your skin, get ready for opportunity to rock with this ancient healing art.

What is an intention?

Thoughts create vibrations throughout the universe, which makes setting intentions a powerful tool for achieving happiness and well-being. Having a clear purpose provides us with insight into our aspirations, dreams, and values. It also helps us live in the present moment instead of being caught in negative thought patterns. Intentions are like magnets. They attract what will make them come true. Setting an intention is a powerful tool for achieving happiness. Crafting an intention starts by setting goals that align with your values, aspirations, and purpose.

1. Decide what matters to you. Your values drive the actions in your life, and you'll need to recognize what truly matters to you if you want to find fulfillment.

2. Explore areas of your life that need an upgrade. Consider how you can improve your relationships, career, social life, spirituality, health, and community.

3. Be specific about what you want to achieve, when you want to achieve it, and why.

4. Bring your intentions to life. Certain rituals in the following chapters will ask you to write them down. Make sure you write them in the present tense, as if they're happening now, and affirm only what you want. You should also write down your goal, the end result of what you wish to manifest. Put feeling into it!

I have my crystal. Now what do I do?

One of the most important, and often overlooked, components to working with healing crystals if setting your intention, or programming. In our own words, you have to give your crystal a job and a purpose! Crystals want to work for you, but you have to tell it what to do. In the moments when you're vibrating at a lower frequency, your intentions can fly out the window. When you reconnect with your programmed crystal, it will help you remember your goals and limitless potential.

Programming your crystal is simple. The first step is to cleanse your crystal. You can choose your preferred method of clearing, and what resonates with you the most. Immerse your crystal in the smoke of a burning sage stick, Frankincense resin or Copal incense. Place your crystal out under the light of the sun or the full moon for at least 4 hours. Bury your crystal in the Earth and allow it to become recharged with Earth energy. If it's a smaller crystal, you can place it on top of a Clear Quartz crystal or selenite crystal to clear and cleanse any stuck energy.

Next, hold your crystal in your hands, close your eyes, and take three deep breaths. Reflect on your faith, the Earth, and what makes you happy. This will connect you with your highest vibration. Your highest vibration may be associated with a religious or spiritual belief, God, or simply a divine power that's greater than you. Or it may be associated with a scientific connection-zero point energy. You decide what to call it. Then, while in this space of love and light, ask that your crystal be cleared of all unwanted energy or previous programming.

Aloud or in your head, say: "I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy or any previous programming. I command this crystal to hold the intention of . . ." To finish the sentence, add three intentions for your crystal-energies that you wish it to hold for you. End by repeating "thank you" three times. By saying it three times, you emphasize that what you're asking for already exists in the universe.

What are 5 simple ways to use crystals?

If you're just beginning to use crystals, start with these 5 powerful and essential intention crystals for encouraging balance, harmony, and peace of mind.

Clear Quartz and How to Use it

One of the most popular crystals for beginners, clear quartz further amplifies your intention, which makes it a key component to a crystal collection. It is also the most versatile stone because it magnifies the vibrations of stones that surround it. In fact, clear quartz wands are often used to cleanse and re-energize crystals. This is because of its powerful cleansing effects and the ability to counteract negative energy blockages.

Sit quietly with the stone and feel its white light fill your body with positive energy. Contemplate your intention for the healing crystal and trust in the power of its vibrations harnessed from the Earth over the millennia.

Selenite and How to Use it

Selenite is another powerful cleansing stone because it ensures a positive flow of vibrations between you and other rocks in your collection, which makes it an ideal crystal for beginners.

Quickly remove negative energy from the body and clear the aura around you by moving selenite down the body from the top of your head to your feet. Repeat this cleansing ritual until you feel completely rejuvenated with positive vibrations. Afterwards, you'll have a restored sense of balance and the protection of a white light that connects you to the universe.

Shungite and How to Use it

One of the rarest stones on Earth, shungite contains antioxidants, which gives it potent healing properties, including protection from hazardous energies that are harmful to the body. Shungite is often used to soothe anxiety and speed up the detoxification process. This healing stone has powerful effects on the body, so it's best to introduce it slowly.

Place a piece of Shungite next to your computer, wi-fi hub or any other electronics in your home. We also recommend placing a piece of Shungite on your cell phone, to diminish the effects from EMFs.

Amethyst and How to Use it

Known for its powerful spiritual properties, beautiful amethyst is an ideal stone to place around the home as décor. This visually striking rock is also a wonderful meditation tool because it boosts inner strength and provides spiritual protection.

While focusing on your intention, place amethyst in your office or bedroom to emanate calming energies and invite in abundance. This stone also works well as a complementary healing tool in yoga and meditation.

Citrine and How to Use it

A stone that harnesses the power of the sun, citrine is infused with light, which makes it perfect for putting in the windowsill. Everyday, its daily infusions of natural light restores and regenerates its powerful vibrations. Considered on of the most powerful stones for manifestation, citrine is a must-have crystal for beginners because it helps make your intention a reality. Citrine also instills a positive outlook and stimulates the mind so that you're motivated to form good habits and are always filled with optimism.

Place a piece of citrine (we like to use a Citrine Point) on top of a list of your dream manifestations to manifest them into reality much faster.

Not only are they glittering eye candy, but healing crystals also reconnect us to Mother Earth and its incredible abundance. In the ancient art of crystal healing, gemstones truly rock when it comes to good vibrations!

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Crystal Crash Course: A Beginner's Guide to Healing Crystals

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Created over the millennia, healing crystals harness the life giving elements of the Earth and the universe. Harnessing the energy of the Sun, the Moon, and the oceans, semi-precious stones connect us to Earth as soon as we come into contact with them.

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Post #8: Reason For Belief - Paternicity

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Post #8: Reason For Belief - Paternicity

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Definition: When a person sees a pattern where it naturally does not exist. This was suppose to help us in the caveman days depict faces in order to survive.
Connection (Image): This particular patter is called Pareidolia. Pereidolia is when we see faces in objects or nature where faces are not actually there. Our brains try to see patterns where they don't actually exist. In this image there is a flower that looks like it has a human skull in it.

https://www.lenstore.co.uk/eyecare/pareidolia-science