Spirituality And Mental Illness Psychology Essay

Spirituality And Mental Illness Psychology Essay Spirituality is a part of human experience. It often stands as one integral aspect of ones cultural or religious orientation. Likewise, spirituality may also represent ones individual choice, belief, and behavior. Both in terms of traditional and conventional healthcare, there are three aspects of human well-being that should be taken care of: physical, mental, and spiritual health. Physical is for the body, mental is for the mind, and psychic health is for the spirit (Jeitschko et al., 2005). However, in the present idea of healthcare, the thrust of healthcare efforts is given to physical health. However, the other two components also play integral roles in the achievement of humans overall (external and internal) well-being. Oftentimes, these two are overlooked. Although courses of religion and spirituality are common in most medical schools and pastoral care is provided in some hospitals, health policies and insurance in mental healthcare is severely restricted in ways that physical healthcare is not and moreover, to emphasize, very little healthcare is provided for the spiritual healthcare (Jeitschko et al., 2005). Yet, Jeitschko et al (2005) claimed that spiritual claim has repeatedly observed to be an important factor and correlated for the health of both body and minds health. In this paper, we look into the importance of spiritual health as a prerequisite towards mental health improvement and maintenance- to prevent and to treat mental illnesses. First, we describe a brief overview of the situation concerning mental disorders and illnesses as a global phenomenon. Third, we define and contextualize spirituality as a prerequisite to overall spiritual health. Lastly, we discuss how spirituality has been used to 1) prevent a vast array of mental illnesses and 2) treat various cases of mental disability and other psychiatric ability. Mental Illness: A Situation Overview While each is a separate aspect, spirituality and mental well-being are viewed as closely-related, if not dependent to each other. This may be because both are internal mechanisms that may not be measured by medical apparatuses, may not diagnosed via single medical procedure, and cannot be treated by measurable doses of medicine. Rather, these are brought about by internal mechanisms that exist along a continuum of attitudes and behavior. Mental health and mental illness exist along a continuum of attitude and behavior. This covers a wide array of mental diagnostic categories, from mild conditions like depression to more serious cases such as schizophrenic disorders (OBrien, 2003). The main components of looking into mental disorder are: internal psychological dysfunctions, unexpected response to a social phenomenon, and differentiation from deviant behavior. Nonetheless, the universal component of mental illness is the dysfunction of some internal psychological mechanism. Examples of these dysfunctions occur in systems of cognition, thinking, perception, motivation, emotion, language, and memory (Horwitz, 2002). Millions of people all over the world suffer from mental illnesses and adverse mental health. As of 2002, 154 million suffer from depression, 50 million from epilepsy, 25 million from schizophrenia, and 24 million people suffer from Alzheimer and other dementias. It was also observed that 25% visiting healthcare services suffer from mental, neurological and behavioral disorders but most of these cases are not diagnosed and treated. Moreover, people with these disorders are oftentimes subjected to social isolation, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality (WHO, 2010). Barriers of effective mental treatment can be traced into two factors: 1) lack of recognition of the seriousness of mental illnesses among patients, and 2) lack of understanding about the benefits of having cost-effective mental illness treatment. This alleviated by the fact that in most middle and low income countries devote less than 1% of their budget to mental health (WHO, 2010). Defining Spirituality Before going farther in this paper, it is necessary to first define spirituality and to bring forth its importance. Spirituality is defined first by differentiating the concept with that of religion. Religion is strictly linked to formal religious institutions. On the other hand, spirituality does not depend on formal institutions but comes from initiatives of an individual. The similarities of spirituality and religion both focus on belief, sacred, divine entities, and the resulting behaviors and practices and spiritual consciousness. However, this arbitrary definition does not provide comprehensive delineation of the two concepts (George, 2000). National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) defined spirituality as the feelings, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors that arise from search for the sacred. In this definition, search encompasses identifying, transforming, and maintaining. Terms such as knowing, understanding, and embodying can be used as synonyms to search based on this context. Sacred refers to divine being, higher power, and ultimate truth as perceived by the individual collective reinforcement and identity. Hence, from this definition of spirituality, the distinctive characteristic of religion is collective reinforcement and identity (George, 2010). Another comprehensive definition of spirituality came from Murray and Zenter (1989): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦spirituality dimension, a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose, even in those who do not believe in God comes essentially into focus in times of emotional stress, physical and mental illness, loss, bereavement and death. From these definitions, spirituality can be summarized in three elements: comes from within an individual and not collective affiliations; goal-oriented: search, inspiration, well-being, and embodiment of belief; come in times of emotional stress and mental distress. Spiritual Healthcare The idea that spirituality is an initiative of an individual comes with the expectation that there is a wide array of spiritual healthcare procedures depending on how individuals perceive its importance and the procedures encompassing it. Hence, to take care of spiritual health, the individual should be able to have the following skills: being able to create peaceful state of mind, ability to stay alert, attentive, and mentally focused in present circumstances, develop above average empathy and to grieve appropriately and then let go afterwards. Moreover, spiritual values include kindness, compassion, generosity, tolerance, creativity, wisdom, honesty, humility, and patience (Culliford, 2002). Some of the elements of spiritual care include: environment of purposeful activity; feelings of safety and security, dignity, belonging and acceptance; having opportunities and encouragement to express feelings and thoughts; and to receive permission, encouragement to develop relationship with God or Absolute and to receive place and privacy for prayers worship, and spiritual education; and to derive meaning from illness experiences (Culliford, 2006). Spirituality for Prevention and Cure of Mental Illness Throughout history, mental illness was closely related to religious faith, demonic possessions and magical enchantments. In a very long time in history, mental illness was misunderstood and misinterpreted and people suspected to have mental disorders were subjected to cruel procedures. In prehistory mental illness perceived to come from supernatural and magical spirits that disrupt minds. Shamans tried to cure mental illness through performing rituals, casting spells, and using mind-altering drugs. Trepanning, or drilling a hole on patients skull to release or exorcise bad spirits. However, fossils show that new bones grew to cover the holes and high survival rates were observed (Thomson, 2007). Ancient Egyptians were the first to implement a form of mental healthcare and the first to cure a patient identified to have mental illness. Temples and temple complexes served as mental hospitals. Mental treatment procedures include: psychiatric texts, rites, rituals and prayers. Egyptians were also able to decipher that mental illness that time was caused by loss of money and status; hence, they suggested that talk therapy will be an effective treatment procedure (Thomson, 2007). However, due to advances in technology, rapid evolution of the society and paradigm shifts in terms of mental illnesses, spirituality becomes a forgotten dimension of mental healthcare (Culliford, 2002). Spirituality, as prevention and treatment for mental illness, was included in the identified misunderstanding of ancient people towards mental disorders. Spirituality was forgotten as an important tool for physical and mental health and spiritual health was also overlooked as a part of overall human well-being. This neglect is attributed to secularization and science-based discipline of psychiatry (Culliford, 2007). Now, importance of spirituality is gradually being rediscovered because of two reasons. First, mental illness patients report spirituality; spiritual beliefs and practices are their major sources of personal strength. Second, there is increased attention in academic and scientific research and psychiatric treatment and practices (George, 2000). In the field of psychiatry, a trending practice is to achieve first, spiritual history of the patients before addressing their mental needs. Spiritual history includes details of the patients religious antecedents, practices, beliefs or the lack or absence of these. Reasons for taking spiritual history include (Culiford, 2007): The field recognizes that nature of spirituality as a source of validity, motivation, and sense of belonging and acceptance which are beneficial for the patients. There is a also a long historical relationship between spiritual healthcare and medicine. Spirituality is oftentimes part of patients needs and wishes. The influence of spirituality and religion to the attitudes and decisions of the staff. Moreover, spirituality is now recognized as an integrating force for various dimensions of human life including physical, biological, psychological, and psychosocial. Although it is acknowledged that spirituality may also have negative effects on mental well-being, there is a growing confidence for mental, and even physical health of spiritual belief and practices. In a wide review of researches on spirituality and mental health, 20% showed negative effects while 80% observed positive results (Culliford, 2007). Some of the negative accounts on spirituality as a beneficial tool for curing mental illness include the studies cited by Fallot (2003). In terms of diagnosis and psychiatric rehabilitation programs, DSM-IV diagnosis involves assessment of spiritual experiences. In a symptom-oriented nosological system, the focus is directed to spiritual or religious behavior of the patient. In DSM-IV, two scenarios may occur: First, spiritual concerns may be problematic and may also be attributable to the actual mental disorder. In cases of severe mental disorder, psychiatric disorder is considered primary while spiritual expression is secondary. There are cases when spiritual experiences disappear, the primary or psychiatric disorder is treated adequately. Second, spiritual issue is problematic but may not be attributed to the mental disease. Patients with severe mental illness are still capable of spiritual activities such as struggles for searching meaning in life, conflicting and confusing relationships with the sacred, and challenges to long-hel beliefs. These further leads to prolonged psychiatric difficulties, problems in understanding religious experiences, loss of hope and demoralization However, Fallot (2003) argued that there is positive spiritual coping that will be beneficial for mental illness patients. Still on a lager scale, patients tend to turn unto religion not just as a significant resource but also as a coping mechanism that is helpful. Spirituality and religion can serve as possible mechanisms with positive impacts of mental health and rarely are the cases in which both pose negative impacts on mental health (Fallot, 2003). Specifically, spiritual well-being is associated to reduce likelihood of anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse that lead to addiction and other mental disorders. Likewise, there is also positive association between spirituality undertaking and recovery from mental disorders such as depression and substance abuse (George, 2002). Mental Healthcare Practices Involving Spirituality This section discusses some mental healthcare treatment practices that are used to emphasize the role of spirituality to mental health (Fallot, 2003). Spiritual Assessment. This refers to understanding of content and the functions of a patients spiritual beliefs and practice. This approach is useful on a diverse religious experiences and cultures. The definition of spirituality can both be broad and inclusive. This approach goes beyond symptom-oriented orientation but rather explore potential significance of spirituality to the patient and his recovery. Spiritually informed groups. The group provides therapeutic context of examination of consumers religious beliefs and traditions. The role of this group is to provide a positive connection between spirituality and the present conditions of the patients. In spite of religious diversity, patients may find it helpful to share and listen to others search for meaning and purpose of life. It will not exacerbate symptoms of mental health but will rather support and clarify ones purpose in life which shall give sense of worth, value, and trust to themselves. Individual psychotherapy. Psychotherapeutic approaches coming from a wide variety of religious beliefs such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others attuned the present approaches for individual psychotherapy. Aside from overview of religious interventions, this approach can also be used to specify roles of meditation and mindfulness, prayer, and other spiritually and cognitive-behavioral techniques. This approach is also integrated in counseling relationship. Relationships with faith communities. One important factor for treating mental illness is to restore social supports and relationships. Religious or faith communities can offer empowerment, sense of acceptance and belonging to the patients. However, it should be taken into consideration that the patient shall not feel any sense of rejection from the community. How Does Spirituality Prevent and Treat Mental Illness Empirical analysis regarding the effects spirituality to mental health is continuously studied. Researchers and mental health practitioners continue to seek means by which spirituality will prevent and facilitate treatment, if not completely treat mental illnesses. Nonetheless, for the present studies, the following two mechanisms were attributed as the factors by which spirituality is helpful to mental health: First is the ability to establish social support. Spiritual participation may be one major avenue for developing social bonds and other social support. People with high religious participation have larger social networks, higher interaction with social network, receive more assistance from others, and have higher levels of satisfaction of the social support they receive. This is important as rejection is one of the major causes of disturbed mental health and acceptance is one of the best recovery apparatus. Second is the coherence spirituality offers. Through coherence within the group, patients tend to understand their role in life, their purpose, and to develop courage to face sufferings. Moreover, coherence with others is also an effective buffer to stress on mental health. As a conclusion, it can be acknowledged that in spite of the gaps between the benefits of spirituality and mental health, it can still be safely implemented as a tool to prevent and facilitate cure of mental illnesses through the approaches and because of the mechanisms mentioned in the later part of the paper.

Impact of Carbon Fees on Mobility of Passengers

Impact of Carbon Fees on Mobility of Passengers Changes in the mobility pattern of air passengers due to the introduction of a CARBON FEE Other titles Estimating air travel demand under the implementation of an emission trading scheme Passenger air travel demand and carbon emission fee impact assessment The effect of environmental policies on consumer’s preferences for air travel How could environmental policies change air travel pattern in US? GMM estimation of a supply-and-demand model for air travel and the effects of the introduction of a carbon fee (for the journal) Incorporating a carbon trading scheme in supply-and-demand model for air travel Titlos TRB: AIR TRAVEL DEMAND IN U.S.: THE EFFECTS OF A CARBON EMISSIONS FEE Ioanna Pagoni Voula Psaraki-Kalouptsidi Aviation environmental policies aim to mitigate emissions generated from air transportation through the use of policy tools. These may include Regulatory Measures, such as aircraft emissions/noise certification standards, Technology/Operational Measures, such as improvements in engine and aircraft technology and Market-based Measures which include emissions trading, emissions charges and taxes and emissions offsetting. A wide range of market-based measures are currently implemented in aviation sector. Within these measures, a price is set on the â€Å"non-priced† emissions in order to account for the negative environmental externality of aviation. The scope is to create incentives for aviation stakeholders to implement fuel-efficient techniques to reduce aircraft emissions. The result is an extra cost to the airlines which may in-turn be reflected in the ticket price in case the airlines decide to pass-through this cost to the passengers. The most known market-based measure for aviation is the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) which was launched in 2012 and initially planned to cover every flight landing in or departing from the EU, regardless of where the operator is incorporated. After serious international opposition, mainly by American and Canadian airlines, and in expectation of a global market-based mechanism, EU proposed that only emissions from the proportion of the flight within EU territory are to be charged until 2016. In this context, several U.S. and Canadian airlines have already taken action. Delta, Air Canada and United have introduced a voluntary carbon offsetting program, where the passengers can offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from their travel by making charitable contributions to several environmental projects, such as forest conservation and renewable energy. Based on the United’s on-line carbon calculator, a passenger travelling from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) would pay a carbon offset cost of $12.59 to support forest conservation in California. Furthermore, major U.S. airlines, including Delta, United and American Airlines introduced a $3 surcharge per passenger for European flights so as to cope with the EU-ETS. Motivated by these actions, this paper identifies room to research the implementation of a carbon fee on U.S. airlines. Such a policy may influence many aspects of the aviation system, including ticket prices and demand. Various studies have examined the impact of environmental policies on air travel. However, most of these studies use price elasticities of demand based on previous studies. This paper contributes to the existing literature by incorporating the carbon emissions’ cost into a structural model with a discrete choice modeling for consumers’ demand and an airline supply side to investigate the impacts on airlines’ market share and their competition strategies after the introduction of a carbon fee in United States. Airlines offer differentiated products (airline-route specific) in each market (O-D city pairs) and the passengers choose to â€Å"buy† one product or take the outside option of not â€Å"buying† (not flying). In each market, p rices and product shares are determined in Bertrand-Nash equilibrium. The carbon fee is then included in the model as it is believed that it will affect costs, prices and demand. Demand specification plays a critical role when examining policy measures. We estimate a two-level Nested Logit (NL) model for air travel demand using aggregate Origin-Destination data. We incorporate a NL model, instead of a multinomial logit (MNL) in order to capture correlations among airline products and differentiate them from other travel modes (rail, car etc). This feature helps overcome the limitation of the Independence from Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) property of MNL that may lead to incorrect elasticities and choice probabilities. For the supply side, we establish the airline’s profit function which is equal to the airline’s revenues from ticket sales minus the airline’s costs. We assume that airlines conduct differentiated Nash competition to determine ticket prices. It is noted that after the implementation of the carbon fee, the airline’s costs include the â€Å"carbon cost† which depends on the unit carbon price (per tn CO2) and the amount of emitted CO2. Overall the model is solved in two â€Å"steps†: first, we estimate the model to find the determinants of traveler’s and airline’s behavior. Several variables were included in the demand (such as ticket price, frequency, delays, airline dummies etc ) and cost equations (such as distance, number of connections etc). Other variables that have not been examined by previous papers are also included in the model and are found to be statistically significant. The model is jointly estimated by the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to correct for bias caused by the endogenous variables of ticket price and market shares. Next, we modify the airline’s costs by introducing the carbon cost and simulate changes in the equilibrium behavior of players. To estimate the model we use publicly available data provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation. A variety of databases are merged to construct our sample for estimation: the Airline Origin and Destination Survey (DB1B), the T-100 Domestic Segment for U.S. Carriers and the On-Time Performance database. The analysis is conducted on market level (Origin-Destination city pairs) where routes provided by different airlines (unique combination of Origin-Connecting-Destination airports and airline) compete with each other. One important part of this work is the computation of CO2 emissions. The computation is done flight-by-flight using fuel burn data from ICAO Engine Exhaust Emissions Databank and EUROCONTROL’s Base of Aircraft Data. The results are presented for different markets so as to identify the impact of the various degrees of competitiveness in the marketplace (monopoly, oligopoly etc) on the examined carbon policy. The results indicate that price adjustment is a reactive measure as it is intended to eliminate the impact of the carbon fee on airline costs. Across different markets, the effects vary, depending on the size and number of firms serving the market and the prevailing ticket prices. It is also found that the implementation of a carbon fee will be effective only if the market carbon price reaches a sufficiently high level to create incentives for airlines to invest in abatement measures and thus reduce carbon emissions. Keywords: discrete choice, nested logit, generalized method of moments, carbon fee, Nash equilibrium

Rites of Passage in Henry IV Essay example -- William Shakespeare

A Rite of Passage Rites of passage mark and celebrate important changes in life. For many, this is the transition between adolescence and adulthood. In the play 1 Henry IV, by William Shakespeare, Prince Henry’s transition to adulthood is indicated when he shows his bravery in battle and proves to be an honorable King. The play shifts between two different views that of the Scottish rebels versus the English royalty and the strain between Prince Henry and his father. Throughout the play, Prince Henry develops from a rascal to a responsible adult and by doing so, earns the respect and acceptance from his father King Henry IV. In act one, Shakespeare introduces the idea that Prince Henry is an inadequate heir to the throne. The play opens with King Henry IV, Prince Henry’s father, speaking to his council of a war with Scotland. Quickly the subject of the discussion turns to Prince Henry, or Harry’s, indifference to the affairs of war. The King then compares Harry to Hotspur, son of the Duke of Northumberland in his dialogue: KING. Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin (Harry) In envy that my Lord Nothumberland Should be the father to so blest a son, A son who is the theme of honor’s tounge, Amongst a grove the very straightest plant, Who is sweet fortune’s minion and her pride (Hotspur), Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, See riot and dishonor stain the brow Of my young Harry. O that it could be proved That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged In cradles clothes our children where they lay, (1.1.78-88) King Henry IV is saddened and ashamed of Harry’s drinking and stealing and wonders if he will ever become a capable leader. King Henry IV even questions if some... ... his soliloquy by proving that he is an admirable leader, and fulfils his solemn oath to kill Hotspur which makes his word honorable. Prince Henry completes his rite of passage after his defeat of Hotspur. Henry entered the battle field as a boy and has formed into a responsible adult and an adequate heir to throne. In 1 Henry IV, Prince Henry’s gradual development was evident throughout the play. A comparison of Harry’s character during the first act against Harry in the fifth act almost seems like two different people. Prince Henry has carried out his plan to prove to people that he will be a worthy King by following his father into battle and killing the leader of the rebel army. Prince Henry’s act of bravery marks the transition between the young Henry and the mature Henry but more importantly, has earned Henry the respect and acceptance from his father. Rites of Passage in Henry IV Essay example -- William Shakespeare A Rite of Passage Rites of passage mark and celebrate important changes in life. For many, this is the transition between adolescence and adulthood. In the play 1 Henry IV, by William Shakespeare, Prince Henry’s transition to adulthood is indicated when he shows his bravery in battle and proves to be an honorable King. The play shifts between two different views that of the Scottish rebels versus the English royalty and the strain between Prince Henry and his father. Throughout the play, Prince Henry develops from a rascal to a responsible adult and by doing so, earns the respect and acceptance from his father King Henry IV. In act one, Shakespeare introduces the idea that Prince Henry is an inadequate heir to the throne. The play opens with King Henry IV, Prince Henry’s father, speaking to his council of a war with Scotland. Quickly the subject of the discussion turns to Prince Henry, or Harry’s, indifference to the affairs of war. The King then compares Harry to Hotspur, son of the Duke of Northumberland in his dialogue: KING. Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin (Harry) In envy that my Lord Nothumberland Should be the father to so blest a son, A son who is the theme of honor’s tounge, Amongst a grove the very straightest plant, Who is sweet fortune’s minion and her pride (Hotspur), Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, See riot and dishonor stain the brow Of my young Harry. O that it could be proved That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged In cradles clothes our children where they lay, (1.1.78-88) King Henry IV is saddened and ashamed of Harry’s drinking and stealing and wonders if he will ever become a capable leader. King Henry IV even questions if some... ... his soliloquy by proving that he is an admirable leader, and fulfils his solemn oath to kill Hotspur which makes his word honorable. Prince Henry completes his rite of passage after his defeat of Hotspur. Henry entered the battle field as a boy and has formed into a responsible adult and an adequate heir to throne. In 1 Henry IV, Prince Henry’s gradual development was evident throughout the play. A comparison of Harry’s character during the first act against Harry in the fifth act almost seems like two different people. Prince Henry has carried out his plan to prove to people that he will be a worthy King by following his father into battle and killing the leader of the rebel army. Prince Henry’s act of bravery marks the transition between the young Henry and the mature Henry but more importantly, has earned Henry the respect and acceptance from his father.

The House on Mango Street Cisneross Style :: House Mango Street

The House on Mango Street Cisneros's Style Sandra Cisneros's writing style in the novel The House on Mango Street transcends two genres, poetry and the short story. The novel is written in a series of poetic vignettes that make it easy to read. These distinguishing attributes are combined to create the backbone of Cisneros's unique style and structure. The novel has confused many critics and readers because it reads like poetry, yet in actuality it is a narrative. Cisneros admits that many of the vignettes are "lazy poems." This means that they could be poems if she had taken the time to finish them (Olivares 145). At many times throughout the novel the words rhyme and can almost be put to a catchy tune. For example, the chapter "Geraldo No Last Name" reads like a poem with end rhyme and a structured pattern. "Pretty too, and young. Said he worked in a restaurant, but she can't remember which one" (Cisneros 65). At the other end of the spectrum, the novel is a series of vignettes. "I would affirm that, although some of the narratives of Mango Street are 'short stories,' most are vignettes, that is, literary sketches, like small illustrations nonetheless..." says critic Julian Olivares (145). Cisneros has stated that she wants a reader to be able to pick up the novel and understand its meaning from any point within; therefore, the novel is told in a series of vignettes, each of which makes it own point. The vignettes are combined to create a larger story (Olivares 145). "Chanclas" is an example of Cisneros's sound prose vignettes. "Meanwhile that boy who is my cousin... asks me to dance and I can't" (Cisneros 47).This chapter is a literary sketch which illustrates Esperanza's insecurity about being poor. Mango Street isn't necessarily structured in chronological order. There are no drastic nor specific changes in time. The reader understands that the character is growing up, but the existing structure can be rearranged without compromising the reader's understanding. The chapters "Hips" ("They(hips) bloom like roses, I continue because it's obvious I'm the only one who can speak with any authority...") and "The First Job" ("So the next morning I put on the navy blue dress that made me look older.

The fellowship of the ring :: essays research papers

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the first book in the fantasy-based trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. The book begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday. After his party, he then decides to leave everything behind and join a Fellowship, which has a task of destroying the ruling ring, which will give supreme power to whoever has possession of it. Just before he leaves, Gandalf asks Bilbo for this ring. Due to the power in which the ring possesses while it is in his possession, he does not want to give it up. The novel ends with the destruction of the Fellowship due to the power in which the ring contains. One of the prime facts of the Middle Earth is power. Power is not neutral, but is always evil. It gives wicked the chance to dominate. The good is corrupting and inescapable. This is shown repeatedly throughout the novel, from when Bilbo gives up the ring, to when Boromir tries to take the ring, and finally, t o seeing the control that the ring has over Frodo. One incident in the book, which corresponds with how power is evil, would be when Bilbo had to give up the Ring. The ring is very powerful. The power is so enticing that Bilbo is very weary to give up that ring. When Gandalf asks Bilbo if he wishes to give up the ring, Bilbo seems unsure saying yes and no. When it came to having to give it up he didn't like parting with it at all and didn't see why he should have to . Due to the power in which Bilbo feels that the ring had given him, he doesn't want to part with it. By no means does Bilbo want to use the power in an evil manner to dominate all. It is just the thought of power itself that causes this greed to come over him. Although Bilbo in general is a good character, the power of ring corrupts his ways, showing his thirst for power, which he deserves. Another incident, which portrays this corruption of goodness to evil, is when Boromir approaches Frodo and tries to take the ring f rom him. Boromir has authority, which is being heir to the throne of Gondor, but not the supreme power that he desires.

Salman Rushdie

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie is unarguably one of the most controversial contemporary English novelist. His novelistic sensibility is individualistic and entrepreneurial, making him a literary risk-taker even at the age of 58. He hates all orthodoxies-religious as well as literary. His literary iconoclasm has won him a distinguished place in pantheons of worlds contemporary writers. Whereas his religious iconoclasm has made him an infamous figure amongst the Muslims worldwide. He stands for free speech in writings. His novels are often political statements. ‘The Satanic Verses’ brought this Indian born Muslim uthor violent ire from Muslim world. The novel was interpreted as blasphemous and an insult to prophet Muhammad. Overnight Rushdie became an iconoclast for his blasphemy. It was the first instant in modern times that a government had issued a death sentence ‘ fatwa, in Islamic fashion’ to a foreign national. And the censorship on this novel by the Islamic c ountries caused much international diplomatic crisis. The Western and the Muslim world was now culturally divided. The core value of ‘ freedom of expression ‘ was pitted against the ‘intolerance for insult to Prophet. Muhammad’ , the messiah of Muslims. The novels of Salman Rushdie evoked much controversy even before The Satanic Verses. Rushdie as a writer played the role of an ‘antagonist to the state. ’ Many have called Rushdie an intellectual who criticizes or ridicules nearly everything. It is this intellectual daring that offends and embitters people. His books attack and revile the Gandhis and modern India, the leadership in Pakistan,American foreign policy,fundamentalist Islam and Britain et al . He critisizes the West for their social, cultural and political colonialism. His ttacks come with his charecteristic non-chalance, typical of him. If Rushdies views are to be interpreted, ‘ insults’ are justified as a part of artistic freedom which should ensure liberty to ‘offend’ cherished beliefs. Rushdie is a self-confessed aposta te. This further provokes the ire of Muslim clerics. This essay begins by assuming that ‘intellectualism’ is not an end in itself and therefore should be sensitized to the needs of global audience. Reason in art should not evoke passions, else, it shall defeat it’s own purpose. An artists reason should be in harmony with his own passion for art. In ‘Kahlil Gibran’s’ words , a man’s reason and passion are the rudder and sails of the seafaring soul. If either of them is broken he can but toss and drift or be at standstill in mid-seas. There is even a school of thought advocating ‘Art for art’s sake’. Politicizing art has it’s own perils . A political statement made through a literary or artistic work in truth further divides the society. History is replete with examples of civil unrest caused when artist makes a political statement through his work of art. Hence, the people are ‘right to be offended’ by Rushdies novels. However, Rushdies novels have often offended people because of misinterpretation or rumors. He has been considered to be siding with the West instead of the Islamic Orientalists. The language of the book ‘ English’ was a matter controversy. His novels have been considered to be based upon flights of literary imagination, subjectivity and unscientific facts. Hence there have been numerous complaints about the novels inaccuracies; lack of critical appraisals and historical research. The Muslim world limits free speech as a part of it’s religious ethics and ethos. They are not yet prepared for he concept of free speech and blasphemy against religion. The gulf between the Christian West and Muslim Middle-East remains and has Historical roots mentioned in the holy books like Bible and Qur’an. Hence any artistic work by an individual iconoclast might be considered as a war propaganda of America and Britain against Islam. What adds fuel to this fire is that despit e the passionate protests by the Muslim world many Western governments didn’t ban The Satanic Verses. The Western media widened the gulf between the Muslim protesters and Rushdies supporters. Far from peace making efforts it spiced the affair. Rushdie earned $ 2 million USD in the first year of publication of ‘The Satanic Verses’. The ‘ Fatwa’ ,bans and international protests only gave Rushdie more publicity. The public got the much wanted spice. The West has become immune to taboo and sacrilege. Blasphemy is nothing new. Many controversial and dangerous works of art are freely available in the West. Blasphemy against Jesus doesn’t shock the West anymore. The Nazi holocaust portrayed in many films sells defying controversies. There is much cynicism in the West. Perhaps a consequence of too much progress with materialism. Consequentially, there is utter disregard to human sensitivities. The West just can not understand the cultural apparatus in which the Muslims are brought up. Islam is most sacred to them. Satanic Verses thus caused hurt and anger to the Muslims. The media too turned away from the Muslims during and after the Rushdie Affair. Muslims felt estranged and isolated. The West gauges other societies with their ability to assimilate into their own society. Muslims were portrayed as narrow- minded ‘fanatics’ and ‘fundamentalists’ because they were ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘anti- liberal’. After the Rushdie Affair the anti-Islamic sentiment was reborn in the West. The anti-Islamic tradition has been depicted in Western literature even in the Medieval period. Rushdie offended the Muslims with direct derogatory references to Prophet Mohammad and his companions. The texts in his novel ‘ The Satanic references ‘ cast aspersion on the chastity of the supremely revered prophet Muhammad. He rebukes the Muslim society to the extent of calling it Jahil ( Ignorant). Western critiques use their own yardsticks to measure Muslim reactions and literary attacks on them. Muslims have been ontinually offended by Rushdie. Adding insult to injury his publishing company, Random House, announced publishing a new paperback edition of The Satanic Verses on April the 7th 1998; the day Muslims celebrate Eid Ul-Adha, the holiest day of the Islamic calendar ( Abdul Adil's article ‘Rushdie Provokes Muslims', The Muslim News, 24th April 1998). Rushdies adventures with the pen don’t end up with ‘The Satanic Verses’. He paints a dismal and grotesque picture of Pakistan. Many orthodox patriotic Pakistani Muslims would protest it. He describes Pakistan as being caught between bscurity and march towards modernism. In the novel ‘Shame’ he makes a mockery of the political turmoil, military coups, corruption and censorship on art in Pakistan. In his characteristic style he chooses the characters of his novels based upon real life political figures. He writes political satires that insensitively ridicule these political figures and the political establishments themselves. In ‘The Moor’s Last Sigh’ Salman Rushdie lashes at Hindu fanaticism. Rushdies ‘Hindu fanatic character’ is convinced of eliminating Muslims from India. Bombay bursts into flames of communal riots. He comments Bombay is no more the city of his youth days – the bustling metropolis. He now describes it as a city of religious fanatics and mafia dons. The book is about the countries departing from harmless and innocent way of life. In the novel the downfall of a family portrays the downfall of a nation. The Rushdie compares Hindu fundamentalism with the Nazi racist ideology justifying minority genocide. Rise in Hindu fervor, popularly known as ‘the saffron surge’ can be considered as a representation of a Hindu political stance. His comparative analysis with Nazism in World War –2 Germany is taking things a little bit too far. This might offend many Hindu conservatives. In this way Rushdie exaggerates the spurt in Hindu activism to the extent of being destructive to India as a secular nation. In ‘Midnight’s Children’ he accuses Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India of assuring the Hindu majority vote by appropriating the images of Hindu Goddesses. He accuses right wing Hindu’s of distorting History and accuses them of taking revenge from History. He criticizes all political parties in India on some or the other ground and spares none. Conclusion : Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the people are right in being offended by Rushdies novels. He doesn’t censor his own flamboyant spirit as a writer. His personal dislikes bias his literary works. Iconoclasm should be ventured if it is tolerable. Rushdies daring intellectual attacks in his literary works reflect his insensitivity towards peoples core beliefs. What offends people even more is that he doesn’t regret the damage that people assume he causes. Perhaps he is too ahead of the people in time. A fact that he himself doesn’t realize. The gulf between the liberal West and the predominantly Oriental. East can’t be bridged overnight. Especially not with a few strokes of the pen. In an ideological conflict between these two rival parties other groups with vested interests make gains. For example : the Western media, the oil companies etc. 9/11 and it’s aftermath have heightened the tension and sensitivity in the relations between the West and the Muslim world. In this scenario his novels could be even more offensive. They could act as catalysts and trigger violent protests. The 9/11 terrorist attack has once again opened the wounds and the scars left by crusades in the course of History. Rushdie is anti-establishment. He has to take this stance as he is by nature against all orthodoxies. His works are political statements in themselves. The political satires he writes win him political ire. He makes rivals not only out of individuals and groups but also out of political establishments. Even the purpose of his intellectual activity, journey and destination are unknown. Sheer intellectual activity leads nowhere. Intellect is like a knife that cuts both ways. It hurts both the parties. The sea of life can be crossed only in an arc of faith.

Music and Cognitive Functioning Essay

Music is an art form and one of the most popular media utilized to convey ideas, views, and emotions. It plays various, significant part in everyone’s life. It can calm one’s mood and emotion. It can relax a person’s tensed body. However, it can also hype and motivate people. Music is also a means that we can use to express our ideas and messages. It can also be an extension of our personality and a manifestation of our identity. The type of music that we listen reflects what kind of person we are. It is often suggested to pregnant women to listen to classical music for it is believed that listening to classical music stimulates the baby’s activity inside the mother’s womb. It is also believed that listening to music by pregnant women increases the probability that their child will be intelligent. Some students can also study their lessons well while listening to music. The melodies and tunes make the environment conducive to learning. They tend to absorb and understand their lessons well while they are listening to their favorite songs. This idea poses the possibility of enhancing people’s cognitive capacity through music. Thus, this paper aims to discuss the relationship of music and a person’s cognitive capacity, and whether music increases a person’s intelligence. Music Music is an art, a craft, and an organized representation of sounds, silence, notes, and melodic tunes subjected in a time framework. Music includes a wide array of activities. It could be in the form of a mother putting her child to sleep through a lullaby, a group of kids singing their favorite nursery rhyme, a rock band playing their heart throbbing hits, or simply a person humming unconsciously (Miller 3). Music is a succession of arranged tones that produce a rhythm (Miller 3). This definition does not cover the characteristics of music, but it covers the description of the different genres people may be affiliated with. Music is relative and subjective. It conforms to the taste and preference of the person. Music lessons taught us that music is comprised of notes, staffs, pitch, and voice. These are the superficial discernible characteristics of music. These are the things you will learn in your music class. Music has different forms in various cultures, and it is experienced by individuals through different ways. Music has two subdivisions based on culture. These are the â€Å"high culture† and â€Å"low culture† types of music. High culture music is eminent in U. S. and Europe. This type of music includes the music of the western world formed during the different periods—Classical, Baroque, and Romantic, among others. It is considered as the art music and is performed in the concert halls and churches. It is treasured by people in the conventional music industry. The other type of music includes the contemporary kinds of music like jazz, blues, country, rock, pop, etc. Nowadays, the distinction between the high and low culture of music is widely accepted for it separates the quality of music of better quality, more advanced art music from the music played in the nightclubs and dance halls. Music and Intelligence People always look for ways and means to increase their intelligence. This is inherently true for parents, especially the first-time parents who want to practically boost the cognitive functioning of their children. There is news proliferated by the media that the music of Mozart can actually make a person smarter. Due to this evidence, some educators and policy makers even suggest that playing Mozart’s music in elementary schools should be mandated (Nairne 346). Everyone has been bestowed a gift to excel in different fields. Everyone has his or her own discernible characteristics that enable him or her to take on tasks. However, it was believed that people with high musical aptitude possess low academic aptitude. Nevertheless, in reality, there is no clear correlation between musical inclination and affinity and the academic performance or ability of a person (Gordon 22). Recently, there has been a media fuss questioning if the involvement in music makes a person smarter. There is a significant query of whether there is a â€Å"Mozart effect† if a person is involved in music. Does music enhance a person’s cognitive capacity? There are various studies reporting that music increases learning capability, while other research conducted shows otherwise. Hence, this only shows the limitations and the discrepancy in studying the impact of music on cognitive ability (Crowe 143). The researches conducted regarding the relationship of music and cognitive skills fall under music cognition. This particular field of study involves examination of the different aspects of cognition, including how music is processed by its listeners. It seeks to understand the underlying processes over the standard practices of analyzing, composing, and listening to music. Music has a significant impact on the brain processes. Learning is a complex process that cannot be reduced to a simple human process or experience. In learning, the development of a particular ability will enhance the abilities of a person (Crowe 143). There are really no sufficient analyses on the cognitive effects of long-term exposure to music and passive listening of music on intelligence. The most celebrated short-term effect of music on the increase in intelligence was the interpretation of the 1993 Mozart Effect study. Researchers claimed that 10 minutes exposure to compositions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart could increase general IQ scores by 8 points (Brown and Volgsten 137). However, there are claims that the study lacks sufficient evidence that exposure to Mozart songs actually render the improvements on the cognitive functioning of an individual. An interesting article that was written by the proponents of the studies on Mozart effects states that there are other types of music which render similar effects, such as folk music, minimalist music, and other types of music that cause relaxation. They also compared the tests of their participants and saw no particular difference on the results on the tests which required remembering numbers and general tests of intelligence. Yet, the Mozart effect manifested in tests which required recognizing visual patterns and mentally rotating objects. The researchers, therefore, concluded that the exposure to Mozarts composition only affects the person’s spatial-reasoning abilities (Miche 16). Mozart songs may result in improvement for its omnificent and innovative schema. These songs activate the part of the brain which controls our spatial-reasoning tasks. Thus, this suggests that the persons involved may feel so relaxed and in a good mood, which allows them to perform the reasoning tasks better (Nairne 346). Furthermore, listening to Stephen King’s stories could also render Mozart effect, for the listeners find it enjoyable and entertaining. It relaxes them and enhances their spatial-reasoning skills. On the other hand, a study was conducted exposing participants to slow and sad selection of classical music, and significant findings failed to produce the Mozart effect. It greatly suggests that it is indeed the setting of the mood and arousal that are responsible for the improvements of the spatial-reasoning abilities of people (Nairne 346). The numerous studies mentioned earlier in the text only shows how psychological findings could be inaccurate and misused by the popular media. Although the various studies present valid findings, the improvements on the people’s abilities attributed to music were relatively minute and merely focused on a particular part of brain functioning. There are no stipulated evidences that suggest listening to Mozart or Stephen King produce lasting increase on the general intelligence. However, there may be ephemeral effects on the level of intelligence of a person. For instance, consuming anything that will make a person feel good and light would render the same improvements discussed by the researchers of Mozart effect. Thus, relaxing music makes one feel better about performing tasks, but it does not make hi or her smarter in any way (Nairne 346). Conclusion Music plays a significant role in everyone’s life. It is a tool for expressing our ideas and messages through the lyrics, melody, and rhythm of a song. It is an extension of our personality. We manifest ourselves—the kind of people we are—through the genre of music we listen to. Music inclination and intelligence have no significant correlation. There is a celebrated study which created hype in the media that exposure to Mozart’s composition have a significant increase on the general intelligence of a person. The Mozart effect is a study conducted which concluded that exposure to his music activates the brain functioning which controls the spatial-reasoning abilities. Another study conducted suggests that using slow and sad classical compositions to increase cognitive capacity. However, these types of music failed to render similar effects as the impact of Mozart’s songs. It therefore concludes that anything that makes you feel good and relaxed can make you perform a task better. Works Cited Brown, Steven and Ulrik Volgsten. Music and Manipulation: On the Social Uses and Social Control of Music. New York: Berghahn Books, Inc. , 2006. Crowe, Barbara J. Music and Soulmaking: Toward a New Theory of Music Therapy. Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. , 2004. Gordon, Edwin E. A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, Inc. , 2003.