Why we have the feeling of falling before falling asleep?

Sleeping should be one of the most relaxing moments of the day. We put ourselves to bed, we feel always more comfortable and lose the connection with the world around us to abandon ourselves into the arms of Morpheus. But sometimes, just before falling completely asleep, we have the sensation of falling and feel a sort of spasmodic movement.

It is a small gasp, as when we walk and put our foot wrongly because we misjudged the distance. Although it’s a normal phenomenon, many people are scared or even experience a panic attack. In fact, in extreme cases, when the hypnic jerk is very violent and fast, the person wakes up completely and can no longer fall asleep.

The hypnic jerk: A legacy of our ancestors?

The feeling of falling while we sleep is part of what is known as "hypnic jerk" and in some cases may also be accompanied by visual hallucination, which makes it even more baffling. It is estimated that 70% of people feel often this sensation when it's about to fall asleep, although many do not remember it.

Usually a spasm occurs when muscles, usually in the legs, contract very quickly and unintentionally, something similar to what happens when we’re shoved or suffer a muscle spasm.

One of the theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon refers to the evolutionary point of view. According to this perspective, the movements and sensations that cause the rude awakening would help us monitor our environment for the last time, to ensure that we are definitely safe. That way helps us avoid falling asleep in a dangerous place, simply because we were overwhelmed by fatigue.

In addition, according to evolutionists, the hypnic jerk served our ancestors also to confirm that they had chosen a stable position to sleep. In practice, it was an ancestral mechanism to make sure they have selected a sufficiently strong and stable point of support before falling asleep completely.

But in recent times, thanks to progress in neuroscience, another theory appeared that attempts to find the explanation of the hypnic jerk in the brain.

The brain never disconnect permanently

Neuroscientists, on their side, believe that these movements simply point out that our physiological system is giving up to sleep. In fact, when we sleep, as a precaution, it is produced a paralysis in our body, called "sleep paralysis". During REM sleep, which is the deepest, when we dream, the brain is "disconnected" from the main muscle groups, so we can not imitate the movements we do while dreming and avoid to harm ourselves.

In this regard, the sensation of falling and those jerky movements would be a signal that we are moving from the active muscle control to a state of total relaxation.

But there are some factors that can increase the chance to experience the hypnic jerk or have a more intense feeling of it.

- When we don’t sleep regularly or go to bed too tired.

- When we consume an excessive amounts of stimulants such as coffee and tea, especially in the evening, and do intense physical activity always in the evening.

- When are interferences of external stimuli such as lights and sounds while we are about to enter the deepest stage of sleep.

In all these cases, sleep is interrupted, it develops an irregular pattern that implies that the organism enters the REM stage before being prepared, and this can cause an hypnic contraction or the sensation of falling into the void. In fact, it was seen that the hypnic jerk is more common when the person falls quickly asleep. In practice, our body falls asleep so quickly that the brain is not able to follow the pace and go through the different stages of sleep, so that there is a sort of "short circuit".

Finally, it should be clear that while the hypnic jerk is a natural phenomenon of sleep, which usually decreases with age, it can still become annoying for both the person who suffers it and those sleeping next. In these cases it is advisable to consult a sleep specialist as the cause may be another disorder such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.

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Why we have the feeling of falling before falling asleep?

How does the brain changes after 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation

The Mindfulness Meditation is an ancient practice that we should rediscover, for our weel-being and the mental balance. Mindfulness requires full attention, which means that our mind is in a state of relaxation, but attentive, perfectly in tune with the “here and now”.

Through mindfulness we promote full knowledge and active presence, so our senses are amplified but we get rid of the need to intervene and judge what we are experiencing. We learn to flow. Therefore, systematically practicing transcendental meditation produces very positive changes in our daily lives, in the way we relate to others, we deal with setbacks and even in the way we relate to ourselves.

The inner changes generated by mindfulness meditation are so powerful that many psychologists have included it in their arsenal of therapeutic techniques. In fact, a recent study conducted at the University of Oxford with 1258 patients concluded that “mindfulness therapy is as effective as antidepressants, but doesn’t have the same side effects”. These researchers also found that mindfulness is particularly effective in people who suffer of recurrent depression and, more interestingly, that is very effective in preventing it.

Now a team of Dutch researchers went a step further to show that mindfulness meditation not only acts on a psychological level, but also causes changes in the brain.

A more connected, relaxed and attentive brain

These neuroscientists conducted a systematic review of all studies previously realized on mindfulness meditation, to discover how this practice can change the brain in just 8 weeks.

They based the research on 30 previous studies that analyzed the functional and structural changes that occur in the brain when people began to practice meditation.

It has thus been found that studies reported changes both at the level of that activity, in the volume and the degree of neuronal connectivity in different areas of the brain:

- Prefrontal cortex, an area involved in decision making and emotional adjustment process.

- Amygdala, a structure that serves as protection against enviromental’s dangers and modulates emotional reactions.

- Hippocampus, a structure that plays a key role in learning and memory.

- Insula, a structure related to body representation, which also allows you become aware of emotions, feelings and desires.

- The anterior cingulate cortex, a very important area that is not only involved in the regulation of heart rate and blood pressure, but also in decision-making and empathy.

Changes found in the brain coincide with other experiments in which it was found that meditation helps regulate our emotional state, make better decisions, improve memory and boost concentration.

In fact, researchers at Harvard University and Justus-Liebig University, have studied this practice to understand its action in the brain. Therefore they concluded that mindfulness meditation acts through some fundamental aspects:

1. Helps people to have more control over their mind, helping them, for example, to develop full attention and ignore distractions.

2. Facilitates a greater awareness of the body, allowing people to perceive the small signals sent by the body and be able to cope with stress before it grows too much.

3. Stimulates emotional self-control, in particular the ability to deal with "negative" or unpleasant emotions, making sure that people are using more effectively their experiences.

4. Generates changes in the perception of the "self", as people abandon the idea that their personality is permanent and unchanging, which has a powerful therapeutic effect and promotes compassion towards ourselves.

However, perhaps the most interesting fact is that these changes occur after only eight weeks of systematic practice, which means you don’t have to close yourself in a Buddhist monastery to get all these benefits, it just needs to be consistent. In fact, you can start with these simple activities to transform yourself into a conscious person.

Mindful meditation is for everyone?

Despite the many benefits of mindful meditation some people may not feel comfortable with this practice. In fact, a study of the early 90s indicated that during the first few weeks of practice, some people may suffer loss of motivation or panic attacks.

Another recent study, held at the University of Washington, examined cases in which this type of meditation has been linked with increased anxiety, depersonalization and headaches. Why?

The problem is that mindfulness meditation involves a deep exploration of our "inner space", and not all people are psychologically prepared for this. Be face to face with the suffering and resentment accumulated over the years, bodily tensions, critical thoughts and all those things hidden from consciousness, can be devastating.

So, when people are vulnerable or suffer enormous internal conflicts, they should practice a guided mindfulness meditation under psychological control. Sometimes, venturing into our inner world has some unexpected surprises that not everyone can deal with.

Sources:
Kuyken, W. et. Al. (2016) Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive RelapseAn Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis From Randomized Trials. JAMA Psychiatry;73(6): 565-574.
Gotink, R. A. et. Al. (2016) 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice – A systematic review. Brain and Cognition; 108: 32–41.
Hölzel, B. K. et. Al. (2011) How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science; 6(6): 537-559.
Kathleen, M. et. Al. (2009) Mindfulness Meditation Research: Issues of Participant Screening, Safety Procedures, and Researcher Training. Adv Mind Body Med; 24(1): 20-30.
Shapiro, D. H. (1992) Adverse effects of meditation: a preliminary investigation of long-term meditators. Int J Psychosom; 39(1-4): 62-67.http://www.psychology-spot.com/2016/11/trascendental-meditation.html

How does the brain changes after 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation

The biggest mistake people do choosing a life partner

Getting married is a big decision. In fact, it is estimated that 86% of young people think that their marriage will last a lifetime. But often, we are not fully aware of the implications of “for a lifetime”.

Actually, it means that if we live an average of 90 years, not only we have chosen this person and his family for the rest of our life, but also that we will share about 20,000 meals, 100 vacations and 23,000 days. Think about it!

So it is not surprising that several studies indicate that a conflictual marriage can cause serious health problems and that some women claim that their husbands are more stressful than children. Certainly having problems with the person with whom we share life doesn’t make us happier. At this point the question is, we are more or less aware of that? How we end up choosing the wrong person?

The three factors conspiring against us

1. The society gives us bad advices

If we want to start a new business the society tells us to study deeply this sector to take the maximum profit from it and reduce the number of errors we can commit. It is logical. However, there is no school to teach us how to choose the person with whom we’ll share the rest of our lives.

In fact, if we are too rational about this we will be considered “weird”. The society encourages us to trust destiny and be carried away by instinct. But the truth is that because a long-term relationship works you need much more than “chemistry”. Therefore, the plunge may not be based only from the heart, we must also think a lot about the issue. There is no doubt that love is important and helps overcome many obstacles, but it is not the only ingredient that will make survive the relationship.

2. The others push us

After a certain age, which can be 25 or 35 years old, depending on the country in which we live, everyone starts to wonder when we will get married. And there are also those who think that we are weird if we're still single.

In fact, some people are very vulnerable to this social pressure, so they think it is time to choose a partner, without realizing that really doesn’t make sense choosing the first person passing by only to avoid being alone or try to meet others points of view. Fear and pressure are the worst enemies of good decisions because push us to act for the wrong reasons.

3. Also biology plays against us

Biology is not our best friend when it comes to choosing a partner for life. When we meet someone who makes us feel butterflies in our stomach, our brain immediately goes mad and certain hormones are released that ratify that love is indeed blind.

It is understandable, but the process of falling in love is not enough to justify the choice of someone to share all our life with. During this phase, our rational brain doesn’t think clearly because succumbed to the emotions. Therefore, it is better let matters take their course.

Obviously, when we combine all these factors, we can understand why so many people choose the wrong partner "for life" and end up entangled in relationships that make them unhappy.

The worst mistake: Do not know what you want

However, the worst mistake of all is not knowing what we want from a relationship. In fact, when we are sure of what we seek, social and biological pressures don’t have a great influence on our decisions.

In addition, several studies have shown that when we are single, we're not very good at determining what we really want from a relationship.

In this sense, a very interesting study carried out at the universities of Essex and Oxford with people who attended a series of speed dating, has revealed that we are particularly unable to indicate what we want, since after only a few minutes we can contradict ourselves and change our mind. Apparently, our preferences are not as immutable as we thought, but vary depending on the person before us.

Another study conducted at the University of Texas sheds new light on the matter. People who have been analyzed completed a set of psychological tests through which were determined certain personality traits and interests. They also indicated the qualities they wanted to find in a partner. After eleven days, these people attended a series of speed datings. At the end of each appointment they had to indicate if the person seemed adequate to start a serious relationship. It is interesting to note that the attraction degree didn’t depend on the characteristics that the persons were looking in the others, but by the degree of similarity they perceived with themselves. That is, we are convinced to look for something in particular, but in reality, we are attracted by other features.

The truth is that these results should not surprise us because, as with most things in life, sometimes we don’t get what we want until we’ve been wrong many times. Therefore, the main mistake we make when choosing the person "for life" consists of not knowing exactly what we want, because we don’t know well ourself or we don’t have enough experience in relationships.

Of course, this is not to list a number of features that must have the other person absolutely, but it is important that we know what we want and expect from a relationship, what we are willing to give and what not.

There are no perfect people, nor people perfect for you, but when you meet someone who meets many of your expectations and, above all, creates new hopes and interests, then it is worthwhile to grow together. Or at least we must try.

Sources:
Tidwell, N. D. & Eastwick, P. W. (2013) Perceived, not actual, similarity predicts initial attraction in a live romantic context: Evidence from the speed-dating paradigm. Personal Relationships; 20(2):199-215.
Belot, M. & Francesconi, M. (2006) Can Anyone Be "The" One? Evidence on Mate Selection from Speed Dating. IZA Discussion Paper; 2377: 1:36.http://www.psychology-spot.com/2016/11/choosing-the-wrong-partner.html

The biggest mistake people do choosing a life partner

Why we tend to insist in the wrong direction?

It happens to everyone sooner or later. There comes a time in life when we realize that we have to change, we have to take another direction, because what we're doing just doesn’t work or leads to a dead end.

But becoming conscious of the need to change is just the first step. Usually, after, comes a phase in which we get blocked, we feel trapped in the decisions of the past and realize w ego back to bad habits.

Without realizing it, we begin to insist in the wrong direction and, of course, don’t move forward, but we begin to recede. However, the effort we make is so much that we finish exhausted and unmotivated, without realizing what happened. The answer is very simple: we are victims of what could be called the "syndrome of the erroneous insistence".

Insisting in the wrong direction

Imagine it's summer. You are sitting quietly on the couch at home and start to feel hot and stuffy. To refresh you open the window a little. Then you open another window in front to create a little current.

When you get back on the couch you feel much better, but after a few minutes you start thinking that if you opened a little more the windows you’d feel even less heat. You get up and do it. And continues like this until windows are fully opened.

Finally you sit quiet on the couch, ready to relax and enjoy the pleasant air flow, but after a few seconds you realize that the heat is back. Why?

The answer is simple: according to the laws of physics, it comes a point when the more you open the windows and much more slowly the air circulates.

Often in our lives we put in practice this kind of behavior. In fact, we insist in the wrong direction when:

- We cling to past behaviors that were effective at the time, but now aren’t not anymore and lost sense.

- We insist in criticizing, thinking that if we do it often the other person will change, when in fact we only get him/her on the defensive.

- We persist about a dream or an idea we think is brilliant, without taking into account the information the real world sends to tell us that we are moving in the wrong direction.

- We remain tied to a couple relationship, that no longer works and has become a source of conflict and dissatisfaction.

In all these cases, at the beginning certain behaviors, beliefs or ideas were perfectly valid and effective. However, at some point in the journey of life the conditions have changed and we didn’t realize it, so we keep on repeating old behaviors or apply beliefs that have become maladaptive. Obviously, at this point the results we get are not what we expected, instead of going forward we feel stranded or even move backwards.

Then we get into a vicious circle, because we start to insist in the wrong direction, wasting strength and energy. Therfore, instead of reflecting on our fundamental beliefs, we think that the problem is that we don’t make all we can, then we redouble our efforts in the wrong direction.

Of course, living within this cycle, swimming constantly against the current, can be devastating, because we end up believing not to be enough capable, when in reality the problem is that we need to change direction.

How to get out of this vicious circle?

If lately you feel trapped in a situation that is consuming your strength and energy without getting the expected results, perhaps the problem is that you are insisting in the wrong direction. Ask yourself these questions:

- Life is constantly changing, are you changed enough? A Chinese proverb says “you can not control the wind, but you can control the sails of your boat”. Life changes constantly, but sometimes we are not able to adapt quickly enough to these changes. But repeating continuously the past behaviors, only because once worked, it’s no guarantee of success, but of failure.

- Look around you, what signals is the world sending to you? Often we insist following a path because we are focused too much on ourselves and ignore the signs the world sends to show us that we are going in the wrong direction. Therefore, make a stop along the way, establish an emotional distance and try to decipher the meaning of all these obstacles, problems and conflicts that arise and block you. Maybe they are only there to tell you that it is better you take another direction. In fact, if your life plan doesn’t work doesn’t mean that you should change goal, but project.

- What are you afraid of? Sometimes we insist in the wrong direction because the other possibilities frighten us. In fact, it is a common mistake in relationships. We remain tied to a person because we think we won’t find another one anymore, and we are afraid to remain alone. Obviously, this is not a good reason to condition our lives. Make sure your decisions express your dreams and hopes, not your fears.

Source:
Goienetxea, I. & Lladó, E. (2014) La estupidez de las organizaciones: 7 metáforas para el camino. Barcelona: Rigden.http://www.psychology-spot.com/2016/11/to-err-is-human.html

Why we tend to insist in the wrong direction?

What would happen if instead of punish children we teach them to meditate?

When children misbehave are punished. It happens at home as well as at school. It always has been like that and always will be. However, if we want things to change, if we want a better society, maybe we should change our educational model.

This is exactly what has been proposed by the elementary school "Robert W. Coleman" in the United States, his teachers do not punish children, but offer them something totally different: meditation.

The school, which is located in Baltimore, has created a "Mindful" room where all children go, even those who had a disruptive behavior. Once there, rather than scold them, children are encouraged to breathe and meditate, to find calm, relax and reflect on what happened.

This project was created in collaboration with the "Holistic Life Foundation", a foundation that spent over a decade providing holistic school programs for children. In fact, its director says that although it may seem impossible for children to sit and meditate in silence, they do it without any difficulty.

In addition, the school director says that since they launched this project, the students improved their behavior and was not necessary to resort to punishment or suspension.

The amazing benefits of mindfulness meditation for children

Mindfulness meditation has been around for thousands years, but only now the Western world is rediscovering its benefits. In fact, this technique has already been introduced in many psychological therapies and is slowly gaining ground in education.

It has been seen that this type of meditation improves attention, making it ideal for children with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It also reduces stress, promotes empathy and enhances emotional self-control, so it is recommended for children suffering from oppositional defiant disorder or showing aggressive behavior.

This is because mindfulness meditation causes changes in the brain, especially in the regions associated with attention, processing of sensory information, thought and decision making.

In a study conducted by the University of Harvard it was seen that these areas of the cerebral cortex show a thickening when practicing mindfulness meditation, something we naturally get over the years. This means that some areas of the brain develop faster when you meditate, so this is a very powerful tool to stimulate the maturation of the brain in children.

In addition, a meta-analysis conducted by psychologists at the University of Chicago that included data from 270,034 children of 213 schools which applied mindfulness meditation programs, concluded that this technique not only improves social and emotional skills, but also academic performance, with an average of 11 points.

These results are not random. In fact, it has been shown that mindfulness meditation also increases the density of gray matter in the hippocampus, an area closely linked to memory and learning. It is therefore not surprising that children who learn to meditate also improve their learning.

Mindfulness Meditation: The antidote to stress of modern life

Mindfulness meditation is not simply a technique, doesn’t involve putting the kids to sit and meditate for a while and then forget about everything, involves assuming a different lifestyle and understand that children need to be happy and not to be the best, they need to play and have a more relaxed pace of life, rather than being under constant pressure to get good grades.

So, meditation can become a kind of antidote to many modern problems. Parents and teachers can use it to:

- Teach children to stay calm instead of losing control

- Teach children to be fully present, instead of be elsewhere with their mind

- Teach children to enjoy little things, instead of focusing exclusively on technology

- Teach children to be empathetic and compassionate, rather than distant and selfish

- Teach children to look within themselves, to be more aware and responsible, instead of letting them look constantly out looking for culprits

- Teach children to take a break when necessary, rather than push them to pursue "success"

Undoubtedly, it is a major change in the education of children, both at homes as at school.

3 exercises to develop a mindfulness attitude in children

To develop a mindfulness attitude in children is important that adults are patient and persistent. When it comes to small children, 4 or 5 years old, are enough as little as 5 minutes a day of "meditation." When they are older you can devote 15 minutes a day to this activity.

It is always recommended to practice at the same time, at least three days a week and in a quiet place where’s not the risk of being interrupted. The idea is to propose activities in a fun and interesting perspective. It is also important to ask the child to say what were his/her feelings at the end. Obviously, it is essential not to judge him/her because all the results are good. In fact, it is normal that some day he/she will be more distracted than others, you should not criticize or reprimand him/her for this.

1. The “Astronauts” technique

The goal of this technique is that children learn to focus on the present moment with all their senses. To do that you tell him/her that you will play the astronauts visiting other planets. He/she will be the terrestrial and you the extraterrestrial.

So, give him/her a fruit and tell him/her to experiment it with all his/her senses, as if he/she had never seen it. It is important that he/she does not escape the details, because his/her intergalactic mission is to describe the result to an alien who doesn’t know what it is and wants to replicate it on his planet.

2. The “Weather forcast” technique

In this case, the goal is to increase the emotional awareness of the child, increasing the introspection. Just sit there and close your eyes, to find out how you are feeling in that moment. At first you can help by asking: “What's the weather inside there?” If he/she feels relaxed and calm can say that the sun is shining, if he/she is concerned can say that there are clouds and is very tense, that a storm is coming.

The idea is that he/she looks at the "weather" within him/her, from a detached position. Take the opportunity to explain that moods change like the weather, and it makes no sense to grasp them. He/she must learn to observe them, understand and let them pass. You’ll see that, to the extent that you keep doing it, the child will go adding more details to his interior “weather”, which means he/she is expanding his/her emotional awareness.

3. The "frog” technique

The goal of this technique is that the child learn to breathe deeply and move the first steps in mindfulness meditation. You can start saying that you will imitate the frog, an animal that can make big jumps, but also remain motionless, watching what happens around without reacting in any way.

Ask him/her to breathe like the frog, slowly inhaling the air through the nose, while swollen the belly and dropping it very gently through the mouth, while deflates the belly. Thus seated, the frog will not be carried away by the thousands of thoughts that cross her mind, but focuses on her belly movement while breathing. This way you teach him/her self-control and, consequently, help him/her to breathe properly.

Sources:
Durlak, J. A. et. Al. (2011) The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: a meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Dev; 82(1): 405-432.
Hölzel, B. K. et. Al. (2011) Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1): 36–43.
Lazar, S. W. et. Al. (2005) Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport; 16(17): 1893–1897.http://www.psychology-spot.com/2016/11/child-discipline-methods.html

What would happen if instead of punish children we teach them to meditate?

Virtual Reality Therapy to cure anxiety

We have all experienced on some occasions anxiety and fear before an important exam, a job interview or a situation that we considered dangerous. It is a normal response. But when these feelings don’t leave us they end up causing discomfort and influence our behavior. In these cases we can refer to the anxiety disorder, a problem that affects about 18% of the world population.

One of the most used therapy, both for generalized anxiety, phobias and panic attacks, is the “exposure therapy”, a cognitive-behavioral cornerstone, which has amply demonstrated its effectiveness.

In this therapy, the person has to face the feared situation, gradually and systematically, so that his limbic system, the emotional part of the brain, stops reacting with fear and reduces anxiety. In fact, the person who has a phobia of spiders, for example, is aware that this small animal can not hurt, knows that the situation in itself is not dangerous, but still the limbic system continues to send warning signals, which can be corrected through systematic exposure.

In some cases can be applied the exposure therapy, by placing the person in front of the real situations, but in other cases it is virtually impossible and the psychologist is forced to resort to the imagination. However, we now have at our disposal a more effective tool: virtual reality.

Why virtual reality is effective in treating anxiety and phobias?

Fear is an emotional response to an imminent threat, real or imagined, while anxiety is a proactive response to a future threat. In any case, the activation takes place at an emotional and physiological level and is very difficult to control. Virtual reality takes advantage of this condition to ‘confuse’ the brain.

In fact, it has been found that the brain of people with a phobia works differently in virtual environments. Neuroscientists have found that those who do not suffer from phobias quickly recognize the small details that indicate that objects or situations are not real, like how an animal moves or the lack of movement on a plane.

But people who suffer from a phobia do not perceive these details, because they concentrate in the fundamental aspects for survival. For example, the mere presence of a spider which goes to them triggers a strong emotional response, especially at the level of the insula and amygdala.

Similarly, if a person suffers from panic attacks before speaking in public, simply telling him that should stand in front of an audience will trigger a series of responses at emotional and physiological level. When there is a phobic disorder or anxiety, the fear is not only activated before the stimulus but also just thinking, because it is connected to the memory of the past.

All this takes place in just 12 or 15 milliseconds. Therefore, even if the situation that the person lives in the virtual environment is not real, are activated the same mechanisms that are the basis of the phobia, and this is more than enough to start the corrective learning. In fact, the scans show that once the treatment is finished, the brain returns to normal operation and the person is able to notice the details that had not seen before for fear and anxiety.

Moreover, we can not forget that virtual reality has a higher acceptance rate. Systematic desensitization, including exposure therapy, is one of the most effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but about 27% of people refuse to undergo it, simply because they have too much fear. In contrast, only 3% of people refuse to use virtual reality knowing that they can face their fears in a completely secure and controlled therapeutic environment, where they can decide when to stop.

A virtual reality environment created by psychologists

Virtual reality is applied in the United States since three decades. In fact, the underlying technology has begun to be explored in 1960, although it has not been applied on a large scale until the 90s.

Of course, over the years have been developed various studies to analyze the effectiveness of this tool in a clinical environment. In this regard, an experiment conducted at the University of Georgia have shown that virtual reality is not only effective in the treatment of the easiest anxiety disorders but also in more complex cases. After eight sessions, four of them with virtual reality, participants in this study have achieved to significantly reduce anxiety when speaking in public.

In addition, a meta-analysis that included 13 studies comparing the use of virtual reality to the exposure therapy in nearly 400 patients, concluded that this tool is not only more effective, but the results will last longer over time.

At the moment there are applications for the treatment of eight different types of phobias (acrophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, social phobia and fear of flying, fear of needles, public speaking, driving and animals).


Sources:
Bouchard, S. et. Al. (2012) Description of a Treatment Manual for In Virtuo Exposure with Specific Phobia. Virtual Reality in Psychological, Medical and Pedagogical Applications; 82-108. Rijeka: InTech.
Powers, M. B. & Emmelkamp, P. M. G. (2008) Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. J Anxiety Disord; 22: 561-569.
Anderson, P. L. et. Al. (2005) Cognitive behavioral therapy for public-speaking anxiety using virtual reality for exposure. Depression and Anxiety; 22: 156-158.http://psychology-spot.blogspot.co.id/2016/07/virtual-reality-therapy-for-anxiety-disorders.html

Virtual Reality Therapy to cure anxiety

7 things happy people don’t do

In life there are situations beyond our control and may cause us great pain, move deep in sadness or beget a deep anger. Everyone, sooner or later, will have to live these experiences.

However, there are people who focus on these issues, and come to believe that life is just suffering. Others, however, prefer to focus on the things they can control, prefer to do everything’s possible to be happy or at least try.

If we assume this perspective, we can understand that happiness is a personal decision that we take every day. And to achieve this is essential to be aware of these behaviors and attitudes that eventually can turn our life bitter.

What differentiates people who bet on happiness?

1. Happy people accept the change. Unhappy people fear it

Accepting change is one of the most difficult challenges we face in life. For most people it is easier to stay sheltered in their comfort zone, where they know exactly what to expect and have everything relatively under control. But in that area happiness is scarce, because happiness is to live new experiences, to have the courage to go beyond our limits and to be in constant evolution. In fact, happiness is not inconsistent with fear and anxiety, but is intertwined with these to allow us to grow.

2. Happy people talk about ideas. Unhappy people speak of the others

Happy people are focused on themselves, they strive to have clear what they want and mark the path to achieve it. In fact, one of the greatest secrets of happiness is to abandon unhealthy criticism, the unhealthy need to depend on others and, above all, the belief that we are superior and we can become the judges of the behaviors and attitudes of others. Unhappy people, by contrast, are dedicated to criticize others, so that they waste valuable energy that could be used to improve their lives.

3. Happy people take responsibility for their mistakes. Unhappy people blame the others

In our society there is the belief that mistakes are something negative, making it very difficult to people to assume them voluntarily. But blaming others is the most direct route to unhappiness. Conversely, happy people have an internal locus of control that allows them to take responsibility for their actions, without feeling that they have failed or have shouldered the burden of guilt. These people understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn and take the opportunity to grow. So, when they are wrong, rather than crying over spilled milk, or look for a culprit, learn the lesson and go on providing a set of tools that will help them to live more fully.

4. Happy people forgive. Unhappy people hold resentment

One of the most damaging feelings we can experience is the resentment, it is like be consumed on a low heat for our own will. Resentment not only makes us unhappy, but also triggers a series of physiological reactions that increase our propensity to disease. So happy people know they have to forgive and move on. In fact, forgiveness is deeply liberating because prevents us from remaining prisoners of the past and enables us to live fully in the present. If we are not able to forgive we remain prisoners of resentment, we are tied to this situation that made us so much harm and keep doing it.

5. Happy people focus on the positive. Unhappy people see only spots on the sun

Happy people are not naive optimists, on the contrary, can become very realistic and are able to keep their expectations under control. But they rather focus on the positive aspects of situations, because they know they can motivate themselves and feel better. These people are aware that the glass is half empty, but choose to focus on the fact that it is also half full. In contrast, unhappy people focus on the negative aspects of situations, so they end up developing a pessimistic view of the world that ends up bittering their life. These people prefer to see the spots on the sun, instead of appreciating the warmth and light that gives us.

6. Happy people are taking advantage of opportunities. Unhappy people cross their arms and complain

One of the keys to have a full and happy life is to seize the opportunities. Happy people know this and are always willing to consider alternatives. These people know they can make mistakes, but they prefer to risk rather than sit idly by and then repent for not having seized the opportunity. In contrast, unhappy people wallow in bitterness and leave that opportunity pass next to them and are constantly inventing excuses to complain for their “bad luck”, they do not realize that they are those who build their own destiny.

7. Happy people follow their dreams. Unhappy people remain tied to the opinions of others

Happy people dream as if they could live forever, and live as if they were to die tomorrow. This means they have big plans for the future but, at the same time, do not miss out on the here and now. They do not postpone happiness or subject it to a distant goal, but they know how to take advantage of the little things that give them joy and satisfaction. In contrast, unhappy people let others dictate their goals, rely on their opinions and insights. This is the most direct route to dissatisfaction, bitterness and remorse, follow a trail blazed by others, and depend on their opinions. The key to true happiness is to know what we really need and have the courage to fight to get it.

Benjamin Franklin already told it, “human happiness is not achieved with great blows of unexpected luck, which rarely occur in life, but with little things that happen every day”.
 artikel,http://psychology-spot.blogspot.co.id/2016/07/happy-people-happiness.html

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7 things happy people don’t do