Updated: Cris Cyborg Tests Positive for Diuretic, Faces …

Posted on by

Cristiane Justino could have bigger problems than not being included in the UFCs inaugural womens featherweight title bout.

While USADA did not reveal the result of the test, Justino announced on her Facebook page that she tested positive for the diuretic spironolactone. According to the fighter, the substance is part of a therapeutic treatment being administered to me by doctor that started the 26th of September and is suppose to last for a period of no less than 90 days, requiring blood exams at the completion.

..We are being fully cooperating with USADA at this time and have already started the process of applying for a retroactive therapeutic use exemption, she wrote.

MMAFighting.com confirmed with a USADA representative that Justino did test positive for spironolactone, which is banned both in- and out-of-competition. As a result, Justino could receive a one-year suspension from USADA.

In 2011, Justino tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol one day prior to a 16-second stoppage of Hiroko Yamanaka under the Strikeforce banner in San Diego. Cyborg was suspended for one year and the victory was changed to a no decision. Justino, who was also stripped of her featherweight crown, blamed the failed drug test on a supplement she used to help with her weight cut.

Justino has not failed a drug test in seven subsequent bouts while competing for Invicta FC and the UFC. She competed twice in the Octagon in 2016, earning TKO stoppages against Lina Lansberg and Leslie Smith in 140-pound catch-weight bouts.

UFC President Dana White said that the promotion offered Justino two title fights at 145 pounds in early 2017, but the Brazilian turned them down, claiming she needed 12 weeks to make the featherweight limit. Instead, Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie will vie for the vacant featherweight crown at UFC 208 on Feb. 11.

Excerpt from:

Updated: Cris Cyborg Tests Positive for Diuretic, Faces ...

Cyborg | Injustice:Gods Among Us Wiki | Fandom powered by …

Posted on by

Cyborg Cyborg as he appears in Injustice: Gods Among Us

Real Name:

Victor "Vic" Stone

Gender:

Male

Species

Human

Height:

6'6"

Weight:

385 lbs (175 kg)

Eyes:

Brown

Hair:

Black

Debut:

DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980)

Voice:

Khary Payton

"It's the man, not the machine."

Cyborg is a playable hero character in Injustice: Gods Among Us. He is classified as a Power User.

Part man, part machine, Victor Stone is able to shift his cybernetic body parts into whatever tech he requires. A member of the Justice League, Cyborg is one of crimes most formidable enemies.

Cyborgs fellow Teen Titans did not survive Supermans rise to power. This trauma, coupled with the influence of other, more experienced heroes, led Cyborg to become one of the oppressive regimes enforcers.

Cyborg answers Batman's priority call to all Justice League members, asking about the identity of the woman who was kidnapped by the Joker. He is not present when Metropolis is destroyed.

Cyborg next appears in the Watchtower to answer Wonder Woman's summons, and after hearing of the Kent's kidnapping and listening to her passionate speech about Superman's current actions in the face of his tragedies, he is the first to step forward and agree to help, saying, "He's Superman. This world would have been destroyed ten times over without him. We owe him this and far more. Let's go fight for him." He then sets the teleporter for Central City to go find the Flash's Rogues and the location of Mirror Master. Cyborg himself battles Captain Boomerang while demanding Mirror Master's location. When they learn the villain's location at the villain's bar World's End, Cyborg waits outside with the other heroes while Wonder Woman and Flash go inside to get Mirror Master.

Cyborg is next seen calling flyers from the League to save a Japanese fleet from an attack from Atlanteans in the southern seas. He gives them coordinates and a plan of action.

Cyborg appears alongside Superman and Wonder Woman as they return Two-Face to Arkham Asylum and ready to take the other patients when they are confronted by Batman and Nightwing.

Cyborg is silent during the Bat-Family's arguing, only confirming to Wonder Woman he has control over Arkham's security after she asks. She then orders him to open the killer Zsasz's cell door, which Cyborg does, and Zsasz disappears moments later thanks to the Flash, who zips him off to what Superman calls a secure facility far away from Gotham. Cyborg opens Mad Hatter's next after Wonder Woman's order and he vanishes as well.

The Riddler begins to say a riddle after witnessing this but Cyborg tells him, "No. You don't get to play your sick games anymore." He begins to move towards his cell door but Batman warns him to stop. When Cyborg refuses, he is suddenly shocked internally and collapses, only managing to gasp out, "V...Virus..." Though Wonder Woman pleads with Batman to stop, he does not and Cyborg lies on the floor, sparking for several seconds until Victor's former Titan partner Nightwing deactivates the virus and asks everyone to calm down.

As Cyborg recovers, he is still in shock over the fact a virus breached his systems, having just up-dated his firewalls when he notices the date signature on it. Enraged, he charges towards Batman, shouting, "You freak! You uploaded this virus the first week you met me!"

Before anything can happen, Green Arrow announces his presence with a warning arrow at Cyborg's feet. Cyborg is silent as Harley Quinn announces her takeover of the Asylum and freeing of the inmates and is not seen as Solomon Grundy rises out of the floor.

Cyborg is revealed to have been attacked by several inmates alongside Green Arrow, who is faring slightly better than him, though later Cyborg manages to gain the upper hand and begins easily dispatching the escaped psychotics with his superior strength and sonic cannon. Cyborg is last seen mournfully watching Batman carry the body of Nightwing out of the Asylum.

Cyborg looks through the crater of rumble and informing Wonder Woman on Flash's rescue of civilians when he is dismayed to find Green Lantern, unconscious and badly beaten. He informs Wonder Woman of GL's status and when asked if he can see his attacker, he responds he can't see anything because of the smoke. Cyborg's scanners quickly pick up something approaching him at fast speeds and he prepares his sonic cannon, preparing to bring whatever it is "Down hard."

Cyborg is eager to see his target so he can fire but his target gets to him first and is revealed to be Black Adam as he tears off Cyborg's left hand. Cyborg only has time for a single shocked and angered glare before Black Adam knocks him out with a single punch.

Cyborg is seen on the Watchtower telling Superman that a distress signal is coming from Metropolis, a recording of the same two words: "I'm alive." Superman decides to investigate, much to the rest of League's hesitance due to their recent actions having upset several powerful people. Cyborg agrees, pointing out that Metropolis is the perfect place to attack the Man of Steel without causing major collateral damage. Cyborg offers to accompany Superman down into the city, but can't due to the high levels of radiation threatening what is left of his organic body. He instead chooses to monitor Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern as they enter the city and alert them to any trouble.

Cyborg is last seen among the gathered League members to listen to Luthor, the one broadcasting the signal, as he requests to join them.

Cyborg is seen towards the end of the chapter, listening to Luthor's explanation and learning of Hawkgirl's kidnapping and sudden, strange return.

When the Parademons begin their invasion, Cyborg recognizes the Boom Tubes they're using and informs the rest of the Justice League when he discovers they're invading all over the world.

Cyborg then goes to the invaded city of Moscow and defends a group a people from the Parademons, while exclaiming that he needs backup.

Cyborg is on the Watchtower along with Green Lantern and Robin when the Watchtower picks up an approaching object. Realizing it is coming in too fast, he orders Hal and Damian to brace themselves as the object pierces the Watchtower's hull. After Hal seals the breached walls, Cyborg is dumbfounded to realize it was a motorbike that rammed through the Watchtower.

Cyborg is among the rest of the Justice League as Luthor presents the enhancement pill and explains its use to them.

Cyborg is among the small gathering of League members who learn of Batman's kidnapping and replacement of Hawkgirl with Martian Manhunter. Cyborg asks where Shiera is and Superman responds that Batman still has her. Superman then decides that they must strike preemptively before Batman and has Cyborg broadcast to all devices all over the world so they can reveal Batman's identity to the world.

During this however, the Watchtower's entire system goes offline, with Cyborg realizing Batman has somehow shut it down remotely. Superman insists that they still reveal Batman's identity before he has a chance to utilize another contingency plan. Cyborg insists there is no way with the Watchtower completely offline but after Damian points out that he's a living computer, Cyborg shares a look with Luthor and the two simply place Bruce Wayne's identity on the internet.

After Superman is satisfied with this, he begins working with Wonder Woman to force the Watchtower to land on Earth. Cyborg urges them to go easy, as he wants to repair it as soon as possible to get it back in space after he figures out how Batman took the tower out.

Cyborg oversees repairs on the Watchtower when he witnesses the real Hawkgirl returning, contacting Wonder Woman seconds later.

Superman contacts Cyborg, who is still repairing the downed Watchtower, to request medical evacuation for a badly wounded Wonder Woman. Cyborg sends Flash before asking if he needs backup, which Superman denies.

Cyborg is among the gathered Justice League before the U.N. as Superman announces his intentions to hunt Batman before unveiling his new army.

Cyborg is among the mourners at Oliver Queen's funeral, silently paying his respects before leaving.

Cyborg is aboard the Watchtower high over Earth. After Kilowog arrives with a strike team of Green Lanterns to apprehend Superman for trial on Oa, the Man of Steel contacts Cyborg, who confirms he has them in his sights before Superman gives him the ok to take the shot. Cyborg then fires a massive beam from the bottom of the Watchtower straight down on the Green Lanterns.

After the beam has stopped firing, Cyborg contacts Superman, asking for confirmation for the Green Lanterns being down. Unfortunately, the Watchtower's beam weapon proved useless as the Green Lanterns were completely unharmed and attacked Superman, Shazam and Hawkgirl, with Cyborg unable to help them.

Seven months later, Cyborg is on the Watchtower, declaring a priority alert to all members of the Justice League when he spots something crashing down on Earth. Though Robin urges him to contact Superman, Cyborg tells him he's on Theymiscra and not responding. When Robin suggests the Watchtower's orbital weapon, Cyborg says the object is moving too fast to be hit.

Cyborg then messages Flash to head to Chicago where the impact is taking place, saying there will be wounded. Cyborg begins a countdown to impact but Sinestro intervenes at the last second.

Cyborg is among the gathered Regime forces outside the Hall of Justice, observing the sky turn green in the opening attack of the war between the Green Lantern Corps and Sinestro Corps. When the Flash asks him what's happening, Cyborg says that the Watchtower cameras are showing a massive blast but he can't see any of their people including Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Sinestro or Superman. Cyborg then attempts to contact Superman, and when the Man of Steel finally responds, Cyborg learns over a quarter of the Sinestro Corps were wiped out by the planet Green Lantern Mogo.

Superman then has Cyborg give the order to their forces to pull back into the upper atmosphere so that the Green Lanterns can't use such an attack on them again. Cyborg complies, but soon after the Hall of Justice is attacked by the Gotham resistance. Cyborg uses his arm cannon to defend himself and Luthor from the super-powered GCPD forces, but Lex soon tells him to retreat to the Watchtower using the teleporter, saying he's too important to get captured.

Though reluctant, Cyborg complies, but right as he is about to teleport, he senses someone has hacked into the League's communication systems and informs Lex. Luthor orders Cyborg to shut the comms down but Cyborg refuses, saying their forces will be blind in the midst of the war. Cyborg tells Lex not to worry and he will trace the person who's hacked them. Cyborg then teleports to the Watchtower, ignoring Lex's orders to shut the communications down.

From the safety of the Watchtower Cyborg continues to search for the person who has hacked the Justice League's communications, saying to himself, "I know you're there." as his mechanical eye transmits and receives data. He manages to hack through several proxy servers before finally learning of someone named "Oracle". When Lex arrives via the teleporter, Cyborg tells him he will have Oracle's location soon, only to be confronted by an armed Commissioner Gordon with Luthor unconscious at his feet.

Gordon demands Cyborg stop the trace, and Cyborg attempts to call his bluff, saying he wouldn't fire a weapon inside a space station, though Gordon does fire a single shot into the mechanical side of Cyborg's face, the bullet leaving a small dent. Cyborg still refuses to believe Gordon would kill him, and after Gordon warns him not to do anything stupid, Cyborg tells him, "I don't have to anything. I just have to wait."

During their short conversation, Cyborg has scanned Gordon's vitals and upon seeing the cancer in his lungs and how weak the Commissioner appears, he concludes, "You're dying, aren't you?" A weakening Gordon drops his gun, and Cyborg tells him it's over and that he will have Oracle's location soon. Cyborg tells Gordon he's out of time before apologizing and asking if there's anything he can do for him.

Refusing to surrender so easily, Gordon charges at Cyborg, who forms his arm into a cannon and blasts Gordon back, but fails to wound him due to Gordon's increased durability. Gordon punches Cyborg, knocking him down, and then tears off the mechanical half of his face. This act knocks a shocked Cyborg out and stops the trace on Oracle's location.

Cyborg, still unconscious and damaged, is in the custody of Renee Montoya and Harvey Bullock.

Cyborg first appears defending the Watchtower alongside Nightwing and Raven against Lex Luthor, Bane, Solomon Grundy, and Catwoman. After Batman arrives to assist them, he and Cyborg receive a warning signal about the Joker setting up a nuclear bomb in the center of Metropolis. After Batman, the Joker, and several of the Justice League members are teleported a parallel dimension, Cyborg, Superman and the Flash begin working tirelessly to locate them and bring them back.

In the parallel dimension, Cyborg is shown having joined Superman's One Earth regime and subsequently undergone enhancements to his body. Green Lantern encounters him and the Regime's Raven on the Ferris Aircraft facility torturing their dimension's Deathstroke, who refused the amnesty offered to him by the High Councilor Superman. Green Lantern confronts the two, causing them confusion at first due to his change of uniform color from the Yellow Lantern they know. After Raven is defeated by Green Lantern, Cyborg confronts him but is beaten.

Back in the Justice League's Watchtower, Cyborg and the Flash manage to locate the alternate dimension where their allies were sent and plan to use the Flash's Cosmic Treadmill to pull them back into their dimension. Upon making the necessary modifications, they put their plan into motion. However, the inter-dimensional gateway belonging to the Insurgents activates at the same time, pulling Cyborg into their dimension, where he's needed to repair the kryptonite weapon Batman built to use against Superman. After encountering Deathstroke and Lex Luthor in the Insurgency's hideout, Cyborg misinterprets their intentions and attacks them. He fights them both to a standstill until Batman's counterpart and the members of the Justice League arrive and explain the situation to him.

When Superman's counterpart announces that the displaced Batman will be executed publicly on Stryker's Island, the Insurgency forms a plan to rescue him using the Watchtower's teleporter. Disguising himself as his counterpart, Cyborg infiltrates the Hall of Justice in order to gain access to the Watchtower, grudgingly accompanied by Deathstroke, who Cyborg doesn't trust, regardless of their lack of history. Cyborg goes to activate the teleporter, when it suddenly activates, bringing Catwoman into the Hall. She greets Cyborg, believing him to be his counterpart, but grows suspicious when he uncharacteristically greets her back. She confirms this suspicion by implying that the two of them are involved with each other, causing Cyborg to play along, unaware that she's lying. His cover blown, Catwoman deactivates Cyborg's disguise and attacks him. He manages to defeat her, only to have his legs remotely locked up by his counterpart, who sends for backup from Wonder Woman, unaware that he's speaking to her displaced counterpart. The two Cyborgs start remotely hacking each other's systems simultaneously, ending in a stalemate. Deciding to settle this like men, the two fight one on one, ending in defeat for the Regime's Cyborg.

Their way clear, Cyborg and Deathstroke teleport to the Watchtower, where Cyborg easily takes control of the teleporter using his counterpart's stolen security protocols. However, Deathstroke overloads the Watchtower's reactor as an act of revenge against Superman, jeopardizing the mission and giving the Insurgents only 90 minutes to complete their mission. Once they've secured the displaced Batman, Cyborg teleports them to safety despite a brief malfunction in the teleporter's system. Their mission complete, Cyborg teleports himself and everyone else in the Watchtower to safety, just before the reactor explodes, destroying the Watchtower.

In the wake of the attack on Stryker's and the death of Luthor, the Regime's Superman announces to the council his intentions to destroy Metropolis and Gotham to set an example. He orders his Cyborg and Raven to take control of media broadcasts so the entire world can see it. When the Regime begins their attack on Gotham, the displaced Cyborg fights alongside the Insurgents in the defense of Gotham.

In the epilogue, Cyborg is shown visiting Lex Luthor's grave, where he places the chestpiece of Luthor's battle suit as homage to their fallen comrade. Meanwhile his counterpart is taken into custody with the rest of Superman's accomplices.

What little remains of Victor Stone's body is protected by Promethium metal shaped into a mechanical exo-skeleton, armed with advanced weaponry and constantly synced to the internet 24/7, allowing Cyborg complete and total access to all information stored in the world wide web. Cyborg's mechanical body affords him superhuman strength and durability high enough to trade and survive blows from Solomon Grundy, though not overpower the zombie. Cyborg's on-board weaponry includes his trademarked arm cannon, which can fire either high decibel blasts of sound or small spheres of energy, either in a single burst or rapid fire. Cyborg also possesses a large amount of missiles for long range attacks, which he can fire from a launcher on his back or from his shoulders. Cybrog also contains a built in Boom Tube to allow himself instantaneous teleportation from one location to another.

Though his arsenal his impressive, Cyborg's real talent is his computer skills. Victor can navigate and coordinate massive strikes through his natural connection to the web, and hack through almost any security system and take complete control of it himself, so long as he remains conscious during the takeover. If he is knocked unconscious during, or hacked himself, the feedback can knock him unconscious.

Repair Circuit:Cyborg's character trait is the ability to regenerate health. The longer the button is held, the more health Cyborg regenerates.

Basic Attacks:

Air Attacks:

Throws:

Combo Attacks:

Special Moves:

Super Move-1375398843

Injustice Gods Among Us - Cyborg Ending HD

Cyborg's costume is comprised of a metal exoskeleton. Half of his face and the underside of his arms are left bare. He has a red glowing circle in the middle of his chest and he can transform his exoskeleton into different weapons at will.

Cyborg has a more advanced robotic exoskeleton and has flashing red lights on his eye, arms, chest and has flashing red wires.

Injustice Gods Among Us - Aquaman vs. Cyborg

Aquaman vs Cyborg

See more here:

Cyborg | Injustice:Gods Among Us Wiki | Fandom powered by ...

List of the 14 Countries of Oceania by Area

Posted on by

Australia is the largest country in the region of Oceania. Source: CIA World Factbook, 2007

By Amanda Briney

Oceania is a region of the South Pacific Ocean that consists of many different island groups. It covers an area of over 3.3 million square miles (8.5 million sq km). The island groups within Oceania are both countries and dependencies or territories of other foreign nations. There are 14 countries within Oceania and they range in size from the very large such as Australia (which is a both a continent and a country) to the very small like Nauru.

The following is a list of Oceania's 14 different countries arranged by land area from the largest to the smallest. For reference, the capital city and 2011 estimated population has been included for each. All information in the list was obtained from the CIA World Factbook.

1) Australia Area: 2,988,901 square miles (7,741,220 sq km) Population: 21,766,711 Capital: Canberra

2) Papua New Guinea Area: 178,703 square miles (462,840 sq km) Population: 6,187,591 Capital: Port Moresby

3) New Zealand Area: 103,363 square miles (267,710 sq km) Population: 4,290,347 Capital: Wellington

4) Solomon Islands Area: 11,157 square miles (28,896 sq km) Population: 571,890 Capital: Honiara

5) Fiji Area: 7,055 square miles (18,274 sq km) Population: 883,125 Capital: Suva

6) Vanuatu Area: 4,706 square miles (12,189 sq km) Population: 224,564 Capital: Port-Villa

7) Samoa Area: 1,093 square miles (2,831 sq km) Population: 193,161 Capital: Apia

8) Kiribati Area: 313 square miles (811 sq km) Population: 100,743 Capital: Tarawa

9) Tonga Area: 288 square miles (747 sq km) Population: 105,916 Capital: Nuku'alofa

10) Federated States of Micronesia Area: 271 square miles (702 sq km) Population: 106,836 Capital: Palikir

11) Palau Area: 177 square miles (459 sq km) Population: 20,956 Capital: Melekeok

12) Marshall Islands Area: 70 square miles (181 sq km) Population: 67,182 Capital: Majuro

13) Tuvalu Area: 10 square miles (26 sq km) Population: 10,544 Capital: Funafuti

14) Nauru Area: 8.1 square miles (21 sq km) Population: 9,322 Capital: No Capital

References

Briney, Amanda.

continue reading below our video

What are the Seven Wonders of the World

(28 December 2009). "Geographic Profile of Oceania - Learn Important Facts about the World's Oceania Region." Geography at About.com. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/oceania.htm

Rosenberg, Matt. (n.d.). "Countries of Oceania." Geography at About.com. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blrocean.htm

Here is the original post:

List of the 14 Countries of Oceania by Area

Caribbean travel guide – Wikitravel

Posted on by

Caribbean

The islands of the Caribbean Sea or West Indies are an extensive archipelago in the far west of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly strung between North and South America. They've long been known as a resort vacation destination for honeymooners and retirees, but a small movement toward eco-tourism and backpacking has started to open up the Caribbean to more independent travel. With year-round good weather (with the occasional but sometimes serious exception of hurricane season in the late summer and early fall), promotional air fares from Europe and North America, and hundreds of islands to explore, the Caribbean offers something for almost everyone.

The Caribbean islands were first inhabited by the Arawak Indians, then were invaded by a more aggressive tribe, the Caribs. Unfortunately, neither could appreciate their victory forever, although the Arawaks may have had a quiet reign of nearly two millenia. Then the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish, and British arrived, after which the Carib population steeply declined due to various factors. The islands have known many historic battles and more than a few pirate stories.

Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands, often grouped as Greater Antilles, are by far the largest countries in the area and the most visited by travellers. In the north is the Lucayan Archipelago, which includes The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Caribbean also includes the Lesser Antilles, a group of much smaller islands to the east. Further to the west and south, there are various less frequently visited islands that belong to Central and South American countries.

The Lesser Antilles can be further divided into three groups:

These countries are not part of the Greater or Lesser Antilles but are variously close to it, and are commonly associated with the Caribbean (e.g. members of CARICOM, the Caribbean Community).

Numerous companies offer cruises, charters, and boat tours in the Caribbean.

All of the Americas (with 16.3 killed per 100,000 population) suffer from homicide rates far above those in most of Asia (3.0), Europe (3.0) and Oceania (2.9) but some countries in the Caribbean feature in the highest murder rates in the world.

Most visitors are aware of the high rates of gun crime in the United States Virgin Islands (with 52.6) or Jamaica (39.3), but you might be unaware that even sleepy little Saint Kitts and Nevis (33.6) had a murder rate seven times greater than the scary old mainland USA in 2010!

The well policed Bahamas rang up a rate of (29.8), Trinidad and Tobago (28.3), Puerto Rico (26.5), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (with a state Latin motto of "Pax et Justitia" or "Peace and Justice" had 25.6), Dominican Republic (22.1), Saint Lucia (21.6) and Dominica (21.1).

To put this in perspective, rates in more placid countries like Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and New Zealand average well under a single person intentionally killed per 100,000 of their population each year.

Those of a nervous disposition when confronted by these kind of statistics may want to start researching a holiday in Martinique (2.7) or Cuba (4.2) since it's rather uncomfortable to wear stab or bullet proof vests in these warm and humid climates of course, not to mention it make you look a bit of a prat...

See the rest here:

Caribbean travel guide - Wikitravel

Bahamas Vacation Packages & Travel Deals | BookIt.com

Posted on by

Venture into the crystal blue waters of one of the worlds largest marine habitats at Dolphin Cay! In Dolphin Cays Shallow Water Interaction area, youll wade in waist-deep waters to enjoy these magical creatures as they show off their amazing athletic abilities. Then youll get nose to bottlenose for an unparalleled, up-close adventure of touching, hugging and even kissing a new dolphin friend!

The Snorkel Bahamas Adventure takes you to an undersea extravaganza of living coral and tropical marine life! Known as the Worlds Most Exciting Snorkel Trip the dedicated snorkel guides will take you to a combination of Nassaus most famous reefs, Hollywood sites, or shipwrecks each surrounded by Nassaus diverse marine wildlife!

Experience the unique Sunset Dinner Cruise in Nassau, Paradise Island by Seahorse Sailing Adventures! Come and experience a beautiful evening out on one of Seahorse Sailing Adventures state of the art sailing catamaran! This cruise is a truly unique dining experience full memories that will last a lifetime.

Experience unforgettable delights from 7 locally-adored food stores, restaurants and flavorful ethnic eateries! This guided tasting and cultural walking tour takes you on a culinary adventure through historic downtown Nassau while seamlessly combining delicious and authentic food flavors!

It`s not Scuba.It`s not Snorkeling.It`s SNUBA. SNUBA is an underwater adventure with the support of surface supplied air. It`s fun, it`s easy and great for the entire family!

Join the fun crowd of thrill seeking SUB aquanauts for an undersea experience youll be telling all your friends about! You will zoom effortlessly around the coral gardens on your personal submarine giving you the unique opportunity to interact with colorful tropical fish and living coral!

If you have ever wanted to try SCUBA diving, Nassau is the perfect place! Scuba Diving at Stuart Coves is fun and easy with a professional instruction to get you up to speed on the basics and enjoy your first dive alongside your professional instructor!

Stuart Coves Shark Adventure could quite possibly be the most exciting dive you will ever experience! This 2-tank dive program introduces thrill seeking divers these magnificent misunderstood creatures in their natural habitat!

Enjoy morning or afternoon snorkeling trip aboard one of Seahorse Sailing Adventures' state of the art sailing catamarans! This experience takes you to one of the Bahamas' most beautiful reefs where you can experience a variety of exotic fish and astonishing reefs!

No more expensive taxi fees! Enjoy the convenience of round-trip transfers to and from your hotel with Leisure Travel & Tours Ltd! Start your Caribbean getaway right with the stress free convenience of being transferred in air conditioned comfort to and from your hotel with a professional, reliable transportation company with a modern, clean fleet of vehicles.

See original here:

Bahamas Vacation Packages & Travel Deals | BookIt.com

Nassau Paradise Island, Bahamas Where to Stay

Posted on by

Nassau Hotels & Resorts

Stay at one of our renowned Nassau hotels and resorts, where you'll love the fabulous beaches, historic charm and vibrant pulse of The Bahamas-all while having the attractions of paradise right at your fingertips.

Browse Nassau Hotels & Resorts

Paradise Island Hotels & Resorts

From quaint, private beachfront properties to some of the most exclusive and famed destinations in the Caribbean, the hotels and resorts on Paradise Island are as incredibly varied and unique, as they are spectacular.

browse hotels & resorts

Beachfront Hotels & Resorts in The Bahamas

Choose one of our Nassau Paradise Island beachfront locations, and wake up to stunning views of white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and beautiful blue skiesthen fall asleep to the sound of waves gently caressing the shore.

Browse Beachfront Hotels & Resorts

AllInclusive Hotels & Resorts

Experience the ultimate carefree Nassau Paradise Island vacation and book your vacation at an all-inclusive resort. From the moment you arrive at a Bahamas all-inclusive resort, to the minute you depart, everything will be taken care of - including you.

Browse Hotels & Resorts

Small Hotels

Our Nassau Paradise Island small hotels are delightfully different yet joined by an impeccable set of standards. Because when it comes to wonderful accommodations and exceptional personal service, size doesn't matter in The Bahamas.

Browse Small Hotels

Meetings in Paradise

Hosting your next great meeting or event in Nassau Paradise Island has never been easier. We are a short 3-hour flight from the Northeast and are served by several nonstop flights from most major U.S. cities.

PLAN YOUR MEETING TODAY

View post:

Nassau Paradise Island, Bahamas Where to Stay

Welcome to our Parish! | Ascension Catholic Church

Posted on by

A message from our Pastor

MASS TIMES

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Ascensions parish website. We have tabs for general parish information (including links to our weekly bulletin, The Dome), for our Ascension school and pre-school, and for our parish Religious Education program. It is also possible to follow a link here to arrange for automatic Stewardship offerings and other giving opportunities.

Situated just north of the Eisenhower expressway in a neighborhood setting, Ascension is the spiritual home for both young and old- new families, families with children, singles, and seniors. Our large Catholic school draws from Oak Park and its surrounding communities. We offer many programs and activities, and are especially noted for our commitment to issues of peace and justice. Our music program is highly developed and attracts scores of people who participate in our various choirs. Our staff is available to help, and contact information for staff members is available through this site.

Worship on Sunday is the time that our welcoming and diverse community comes together to hear and reflect upon the Word of God, and to enter into Christs saving sacrifice through the Eucharist. If this virtual visit to the parish is your first time with us, I hope that you will be drawn to a more personal visit some Sunday. If you are a parishioner who arrived here looking forinformation that is important to you, I hope that you will find navigation easy so that you can find what you came looking for.

View post:

Welcome to our Parish! | Ascension Catholic Church

Home – Ascension Parish

Posted on by

Welcome to Ascensions Web site. Founded in 1965, the Church of the Ascension will be celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of Louisvilles premier parishes next year. Comprised of 700 registered households and 1,800 parishioners, the Church of the Ascension features vibrant liturgies; several active ministries; an energetic youth ministry program and a solid commitment to social outreach.

I encourage you to explore the numerous opportunities for ministry involvement as well as personal spiritual growth detailed throughout this Web site. Ascension has an opportunity for YOU, so, please consider participating in one of our weekend liturgies (4:00 on Saturday; 8:30 and 10:30 on Sunday) or at weekday Mass (Tuesday through Friday at 8:15).

Ascensions school is first-rate and offers small class sizes as well as state-of-the art learning opportunities for children from preschool through the 8th grade. Our test scores are among the highest in the Archdiocese and many Ascension School graduates go on to attend prestigious schools in the Louisville area. If you are seeking a quality education at an affordable price, I encourage you to consider Ascension today.

As the Churchs new shepherd, having been appointed in June of 2014, I am humbled and privileged to serve this community. Be a part of an energetic and vibrant faith community: join Ascension today!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Originally posted here:

Home - Ascension Parish

Entheogens including Salvia, LSD, Peyote, and Mushrooms …

Posted on by

(Entheogen Defined) "'Entheogen' is a word coined by scholars proposing to replace the term 'psychedelic' (Ruck, Bigwood, Staples, Ott & Wasson, 1979), which was perceived to be too socioculturally loaded from its 1960s roots to appropriately denote the revered plants and substances used for traditional sacred rituals.What kinds of plants or chemicals fall into the category of entheogen is a matter of debate, as a large number of inebriants - from tobacco and marijuana to alcohol and opium - have been venerated as gifts from the gods (or God) in different cultures at different times (Fuller, 2000). For the purposes of this paper, however, I will focus on the class of drugs that Lewin (1924/1997) terms 'phantastica,' a name deriving from the Greek word for the faculty of the imagination (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1973). Later these substances became known as hallucinogens or psychedelics, a class whose members include lysergic acid derivatives, psilocybin, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine; these all shared physical, chemical, and, when ingested, phenomenological properties and, more importantly, have a history of ritual use as cultural tools to cure illness and/or to mediate cosmological insight (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1998; Rudgley, 1994, Schultes & Hofmann, 1992;)."

Source:

(Entheogens as Psychedelics) "Another peculiar effect of these drugs is a dramatic change in perception: it appears to the person as if the eyes (the 'doors of perception') have been cleansed and the person could see the world as new in all respects 'as Adam may have seen it on the day of creation' as Aldous Huxley (1954, p. 17) pointed out in his popular and influential book. This new reality is perceived and interpreted by some individuals as manifestation of the true nature of their mind; hence, the term 'psychedelic' was suggested by Osmond (1957). This interpretation has been embraced not only by professional therapists but also by some segments of the public, and gave rise to the 'Summer of Love' in San Francisco in 1967 with free distribution of LSD. This perception resulted in the formation of numerous cults, communes, and drug-oriented religious groups (Freedman 1968), permeated the lyrics and style of popular music (acid rock), and was viewed by some as one of the contributing sources of the occasional resurgence of popularity of illegal drug use (Cohen 1966, Szra 1968)."

Source:

(Entheogens as Hallucinogens) "The term 'hallucinogen' is widely used and understood in both professional and lay circles, in spite of the fact that hallucinations in the strict psychiatric sense of the word are a relatively rare effect of these drugs (Hollister 1962). What is probably the first reference to hallucinations as produced by peyote appears in Louis Lewins book published in 1924 in German and later translated into English with the nearly identical title Phantastica (Lewin 1924, 1964). In this book by the noted German toxicologist, the term 'hallucinatoria' appears as a synonym for phantastica to designate the class of drugs that can produce transitory visionary states 'without any physical inconvenience for a certain time in persons of perfectly normal mentality who are partly or fully conscious of the action of the drug' (Lewin 1964, p. 92). Lewin lists peyotl (also spelled 'peyote') (Anhalonium lewinii), Indian hemp (Cannabis indica), fly agaric (Agaricus muscarius), thornapple (Datura stramonium), and the South American yahe (also spelled 'yage') (Banisteria caapi) as representatives of this class."

Source:

(Description of Ayahuasca) "Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic tea originally from the Amazon Basin that is supposedly able to induce strikingly similar visions in people independent of their cultural background. Ayahuasca users commonly claim that this regularity across peoples visions is evidence that their visions are not simply the products of their own brains, but rather are representations of spiritual information learned from plant-spirits that one gains access to by drinking the tea."

(Description of Ayahuasca) "Ayahuasca is a psychedelic decoction made from plants native to the Amazon Basinmost often Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridisand which contains harmala alkaloids and N,Ndimethyltryptamine (DMT), the latter being a controlled substance scheduled under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances."

Source:

(Ayahuasca Folk Healers) "Vegetalismo is a Peruvian Spanish term denoting the folk healing traditions of mestizo curanderos, or healers of mixed indigenous and non-indigenous ancestry who use ayahuasca and other 'master' plants for diagnosis and treatment of illnesses (Beyer, 2009; Dobkin de Rios, 1972; Luna, 1986). Known as ayahuasqueros, such folk healers undergo a rigorous process of initiation and training, requiring adherence to strict dietary and sexual abstinence protocols, and sometimes prolonged isolation in the jungle."

Source:

(Ayahuasca Healing Ceremonies) "Cross-cultural vegetalismo refers to ayahuasca ceremonies based, to varying degrees, on vegetalismo or equivalent traditions from other regions of the Amazon, but conducted primarily for (and increasingly by) non-Amazonians. Urban centres in the region are presently witnessing a boom in what has been pejoratively characterized as 'ayahuasca tourism' (Dobkin de Rios, 1994; see also Davidov, 2010; Holman, 2011; Razam, 2009), but cross-cultural vegetalismo ceremonies are also increasingly common outside the Amazon (Labate, 2004). Canadians and other foreigners regularly invite indigenous or mestizo Amazonian ayahuasqueros to their home countries to conduct ceremonies for people in the circles and networks of the sponsors friends and acquaintances (Tupper, 2009asee Appendix). Some individuals are undertaking apprenticeships in the vegetalismo tradition to become neo-shamanic practitioners of ayahuasca healing, in a manner similar to how yoga, Buddhist monastic, ayurvedic, or Chinese medicine practices have been taken up by modern Western disciples exogenous to the respective cultures and traditions of origin."

Source:

(Legal Status of Ayahuasca) "On February 21 of this year, 2006, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Centro Esprita Beneficente Unio do Vegetal (the UDV) in the case Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, et al. Petitioners v. O Centro Espirita Beneficente Unio do Vegetal et al. The UDV is now legally allowed to drink ayahuasca (which contains the controlled substance DMT) in their ceremonies here in the US."

(Therapeutic Potential of Ayahuasca) "Aside from indicating a general lack of harm from the religious use of ayahuasca, biomedical and ethnographic studies have also generated preliminary evidence in support of the therapeutic potentials of ayahuasca or its constituents for alleviating substance dependence (Grob et al., 1996; Labate, Santos, Anderson, Mercante, & Barbosa, 2010) and mood and anxiety disorders (Fortunato et al., 2010; Santos, Landeira-Fernandez, Strassman, Motta, & Cruz, 2007). The study of ayahuasca could thus contribute to advances in ethnopharmacology and the cognitive sciences (Shanon, 2002), yet such studies are severely compromised when these traditions face the threat of legal sanction."

Source:

"LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. It was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains."

(NIDA's Description of the Physical Characteristics of LSD) "LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide)also known as acid, blotter, doses, hits, microdots, sugar cubes, trips, tabs, or window panes is one of the most potent moodand perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. It is a clear or white, odorless, water-soluble material synthesized from lysergic acid, a compound derived from a rye fungus. LSD is initially produced in crystalline form, which can then be used to produce tablets known as 'microdots' or thin squares of gelatin called 'window panes.' It can also be diluted with water or alcohol and sold in liquid form. The most common form, however, is LSD-soaked paper punched into small individual squares, known as 'blotters.'"

Source:

(LSD Effects According to NIDA) "Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs in people under the influence of LSD. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The users sense of time and self is altered. Experiences may seem to cross over different senses, giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death while using LSD. "LSD users can also experience flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, and may do so within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. In some individuals, the flashbacks can persist and cause significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functioning, a condition known as hallucinogen-induced persisting perceptual disorder (HPPD). "Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. However, LSD does produce tolerance, so some users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug. In addition, cross-tolerance between LSD and other hallucinogens has been reported.

(Prevalence of and Trends in LSD Use Among Youth) "LSD, one of the major drugs in the hallucinogen class, showed a modest decline in use among 12th graders from 1975 to 1977, followed by considerable stability through 1981 (Figure 5-4g). Between 1981 and 1985, there was a second period of gradual decline, with annual prevalence of use falling from 6.5% to 4.4%. However, after 1985, annual prevalence began to rise very gradually to 5.6% by 1992, making it one of the few drugs to show a rise in use in that period. The increase continued through 1996, with annual prevalence reaching 8.8%, double the low point in 1985. After 1996, annual prevalence declined, including sharp decreases in 2002 and 2003, reaching 1.7% in 2006, the lowest LSD prevalence rate recorded since MTF began. By 2011 the rate was up slightly to 2.7%, having risen by a significant 0.7 percentage points in 2010. We believe that the decline prior to 2002 might have resulted in part from a displacement of LSD by sharply rising ecstasy use. After 2001, when ecstasy use itself began to decline, the sharp further decline in LSD use likely resulted from a drop in the availability of LSD, because attitudes generally have not moved in a way that could explain the fall in use, while perceived availability has."

Source:

(LSD and Marijuana Use by women) "Our results indicate that this population of sexually active female adolescents and young adults have similar rates of lifetime use of LSD (13%) as reported in other surveys,1,30 and half of these young women report using LSD one or more times in the last year. Prior data suggests that the use of hallucinogens by African Americans is virtually nonexistent across all ages of adolescents and young adults.2,9 In fact, we found that none of our African American young women reported using LSD. However, the proportion of African Americans who reported using marijuana was much greater than either caucasian or Mexican American women."

Source:

(Effects of LSD) "The physiological effects of this powerful drug have been well documented. These effects can be grouped into five general areas of action: LSD works on the sympathetic nervous system (which is involved in regulation of heart muscle, smooth muscle and glandular organs in a response to stressful situations); the motor system (which is involved in carrying out limb movements); the affective states; thought processes; and it has profound effects upon the sensory and perceptual experience.

"LSD is a semisynthetic preparation originally derived from ergot, an extract of the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which grows as a parasite on rye wheat. The dosage that is required to produce a moderate effect in most subjects is 1 to 3mcg per kilogram of body mass, and the effects can last from seven to 10 hours (Bowman & Rand 1980).

"Stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system following LSD ingestion can lead to effects such as hypothermia with piloerection (hairs standing on end, such as can be found in reports of religious ecstasy), sweating, increased heart rate with palpitations, and elevation of blood pressure and blood glucose levels. These reactions of the autonomic nervous system are not as significant as other effects upon the body: action on the motor system can lead to increased activity of monosynaptic reflexes (such as the knee-jerk response), an increase in muscle tension, tremors, and muscular incoordination. This latter effect of muscular incoordination is also a symptom of religious ecstasy in many cultures, where the worshipper has such a profound feeling of love of God that he is said to be 'intoxicated by God.'"

Source:

(Creation of LSD) "Chemist Albert Hofmann, working at the Sandoz Corporation pharmaceutical laboratory in Switzerland, first synthesized LSD in 1938. He was conducting research on possible medical applications of various lysergic acid compounds derived from ergot, a fungus that develops on rye grass. Searching for compounds with therapeutic value, Hofmann created more than two dozen ergot-derived synthetic molecules. The 25th was called, in German, Lyserg-Sure-Dithylamid 25, or LSD-25."

Source:

(Addictive Properties and Tolerance) "Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. However, LSD does produce tolerance, so some users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug. In addition, cross-tolerance between LSD and other hallucinogens has been reported."

(Physical Effects of LSD According to NIDA) "The effects of LSD depend largely on the amount taken. LSD causes dilated pupils; can raise body temperature and increase heart rate and blood pressure; and can cause profuse sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors."

(Description of Peyote) "Peyote is a small, spineless cactus in which the principal active ingredient is mescaline. This plant has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of religious ceremonies. Mescaline can also be produced through chemical synthesis."

(Description of Peyote) "The top of the peyote cactus, also referred to as the crown, consists of disc-shaped buttons that are cut from the roots and dried. These buttons are generally chewed or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating liquid. The hallucinogenic dose of mescaline is about 0.3 to 0.5 grams, and its effects last about 12 hours. Because the extract is so bitter, some individuals prefer to prepare a tea by boiling the cacti for several hours."

(Effects of Mescaline and Peyote) "The long-term residual psychological and cognitive effects of mescaline, peyotes principal active ingredient, remain poorly understood. A recent study found no evidence of psychological or cognitive deficits among Native Americans that use peyote regularly in a religious setting.2 It should be mentioned, however, that these findings may not generalize to those who repeatedly abuse the drug for recreational purposes. Peyote abusers may also experience flashbacks."

(Physical Effects) "Its effects can be similar to those of LSD, including increased body temperature and heart rate, uncoordinated movements (ataxia), profound sweating, and flushing. The active ingredient mescaline has also been associated, in at least one report, to fetal abnormalities."

"Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is obtained from certain types of mushrooms that are indigenous to tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Mexico, and the United States. These mushrooms typically contain less than 0.5 percent psilocybin plus trace amounts of psilocin, another hallucinogenic substance."

(Methods of Use) "Mushrooms containing psilocybin are available fresh or dried and are typically taken orally. Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) and its biologically active form, psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), cannot be inactivated by cooking or freezing preparations. Thus, they may also be brewed as a tea or added to other foods to mask their bitter flavor. The effects of psilocybin, which appear within 20 minutes of ingestion, last approximately 6 hours."

(Effects of Psilocybin) "The active compounds in psilocybin-containing 'magic' mushrooms have LSD-like properties and produce alterations of autonomic function, motor reflexes, behavior, and perception.3 The psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations, an altered perception of time, and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose. Long-term effects such as flashbacks, risk of psychiatric illness, impaired memory, and tolerance have been described in case reports."

(Physical Effects of Psilocybin) "[Psilocybin] can produce muscle relaxation or weakness, ataxia, excessive pupil dilation, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. Individuals who abuse psilocybin mushrooms also risk poisoning if one of many existing varieties of poisonous mushrooms is incorrectly identified as a psilocybin mushroom."

(Psilocybin and Mystical Experiences) "Overall, the present study shows that psilocybin can dose-dependently occasion mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. The observations that episodes of extreme fear, feeling trapped, or delusions occur at the highest dose in almost 40% of volunteers, that anxiety and fear have an unpredictable time course across the session, and that an ascending sequence of dose exposure may be associated with long-lasting positive changes have implications for the design of therapeutic trials with psilocybin. Considering the rarity of spontaneous mystical experiences in the general population, the finding that more than 70% of volunteers in the current study had 'complete' mystical experiences suggests that most people have the capacity for such experiences under appropriate conditions and, therefore, such experiences are biologically normal."

Source:

(Safety of Psilocybin) "An important finding of the present study is that, with careful volunteer screening and preparation and when sessions are conducted in a comfortable, well-supervised setting, a high dose of 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin can be administered safely. . It is also noteworthy that, despite meetings and prior sessions with monitors ranging from 8 h (when psilocybin was administered on the first session) up to 24 h (when psilocybin was administered on the third session) of contact time, 22% (8 of 36) of the volunteers experienced a period of notable anxiety/dysphoria during the session, sometimes including transient ideas of reference/paranoia. No volunteer required pharmacological intervention and the psychological effects were readily managed with reassurance. The primary monitor remained accessible via beeper/phone to each volunteer for 24 h after each session, but no volunteer called before the scheduled follow-up meeting on the next day. The 1-year follow-up is ongoing but has been completed by most volunteers (30 of 36). In that follow-up, an open-ended clinical interview reflecting on the study experiences and current life situation provides a clinical context conducive to the spontaneous reporting of study-associated adverse events. To date, there have been no reports of persisting perceptional phenomena sometimes attributed to hallucinogen use or of recreational abuse of hallucinogens, and all participants appear to continue to be high-functioning, productive members of society."

Source:

(Medicinal Potential of Psilocybin) "Today, the medical value of hallucinogens is again being examined in formal psychiatric settings. One substance under investigation is psilocybin, 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, which occurs in nature in various species of mushrooms. Psilocybin is rapidly metabolized to psilocin, which is a potent agonist at serotonin 5-HT1A/2A/2C receptors, with 5-HT2A receptor activation directly correlated with human hallucinogenic activity.16 Psilocybin was studied during the 1960s to establish its psychopharmacological profile; it was found to be active orally at around 10 mg, with stronger effects at higher doses, and to have a 4- to 6-hour duration of experience. Psychological effects were similar to those of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), with psilocybin considered to be more strongly visual, less emotionally intense, more euphoric, and with fewer panic reactions and less chance of paranoia than LSD."17,18

Source:

(Safety of Psilocybin in Clinical Setting) "Our investigations provided no cause for concern that administration of PY [psilocybin] to healthy subjects is hazardous with respect to somatic health. However, as our data revealed tendencies of PY to temporarily increase blood pressure, we advise subjects suffering from cardiovascular conditions, especially untreated hypertension, to abstain from using PY or PY-containing mushrooms. Furthermore, our results indicate that PY-induced ASC [altered states of consciousness] are generally well tolerated and integrated by healthy subjects. However, a controlled clinical setting is needful, since also mentally stable personalities may, following ingestion of higher doses of PY, transiently experience anxiety as a consequence of loosening of ego-boundaries."

Source:

(Psilocybin and Treatment of End-Stage Cancer Anxiety) "Despite the limitations, this study demonstrates that the careful and controlled use of psilocybin may provide an alternative model for the treatment of conditions that are often minimally responsive to conventional therapies, including the profound existential anxiety and despair that often accompany advanced-stage cancers. A recent review from the psilocybin research group at Johns Hopkins University describes the critical components necessary for ensuring subject safety in hallucinogen research.36 Taking into account these essential provisions for optimizing safety as well as adhering to strict ethical standards of conduct for treatment facilitators, the results provided herein indicate the safety and promise of continued investigations into the range of medical effects of hallucinogenic compounds such as psilocybin."

Source:

(Description of Salvia Divinorum) "Salvia divinorum is a perennial herb in the mint family native to certain areas of the Sierra Mazateca region of Oaxaca, Mexico. The plant, which can grow to over three feet in height, has large green leaves, hollow square stems and white flowers with purple calyces, can also be grown successfully outside of this region. Salvia divinorum has been used by the Mazatec Indians for its ritual divination and healing. The active constituent of Salvia divinorum has been identified as salvinorin A. Currently, neither Salvia divinorum nor any of its constituents, including salvinorin A, are controlled under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA)."

(Effects of Salvia Divinorum) "Consistent with results from nonhuman animal research (Mowry et al.,2003), the present results suggest a safe physiological profile for salvinorin A at the studied doses, under controlled conditions, and in psychologically and physically healthy hallucinogen-experienced participants. Salvinorin A produced no significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure; no tremor was observed; and no adverse events were reported. Participants tolerated all doses. However, because of the small sample and the healthy, hallucinogen-experienced status of participants, conclusions regarding safety are limited."

Source:

(Description of Salvia and Its Effects) "Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant that can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of visual and other hallucinatory experiences. By mass, salvinorin A, the psychoactive substance in the plant, appears to be the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen. Its native habitat is the cloud forests in Mexico. It has been consumed for hundreds of years by local Mazatec shamans, who use it to facilitate visionary states of consciousness during spiritual healing sessions.57 It is also used in traditional medicine at lower doses as a diuretic to treat ailments including diarrhoea, anaemia, headaches and rheumatism. Effects include various psychedelic experiences, including past memories (e.g. revisiting places from childhood memory), merging with objects and overlapping realities (such as the perception of being in several locations at the same time).58 In contrast to other drugs, its use often prompts dysphoria, i.e. feelings of sadness and depression, as well as fear. In addition, it may prompt a decreased heart rate, slurred speech, lack of coordination and possibly loss of consciousness.59"

(Effects of Salvia Divinorum) "The putative primary psychoactive agent in SD [Salvia divinorum] is a structurally novel KOR [kappa opioid receptor] agonist named salvinorin A (Ortega et al., 1982; Valds et al., 1984). Consistent with KOR agonist activity, users describe SD in lay literature as hallucinogenic: it produces perceptual distortions, pseudo-hallucinations, and a profoundly altered sense of self and environment, including out-of-body experiences (Aardvark, 1998; Erowid, 2008; Siebert, 1994b; Turner, 1996). SD therefore appears to have the potential to elucidate the role of the KOR receptor system in health and disease (Butelman et al., 2004; Chavkin et al., 2004; Roth et al., 2002)."

(Potential for Abuse or Dependence of Salvia Divinorum) "There was little evidence of dependence in our survey population. At some point, 0.6% (3 people) felt addicted to or dependent upon SD, while 1.2% (6) reported strong cravings for SD. The DSM-IV-R psychiatric diagnostic system in the United States classifies people as drug dependent based on seven criteria. Of the three who reported feelings of addiction or dependence on SD, only one endorsed any DSM-IV criteria (strong cravings and using more SD than planned). When asked about these signs and symptoms individually, 2 additional respondents (0.4%) reported three dependence criteria. None of these individuals reported more than 2 of 13 after-effects characteristic of mu-opioid withdrawal (such as increased sweating, gooseflesh, worsened mood, and diarrhea)."

Source:

(Prevalence of Use of Salvia Divinorum Among Youth) "A tripwire question about use of salvia (or salvia divinorum) in the past 12 months was added in 2010. Salvia is an herb with hallucinogenic properties, common to southern Mexico and Central and South America. Although it currently is not a drug regulated by the Controlled Substances Act, several states have passed legislation to regulate its use. The Drug Enforcement Agency has listed salvia as a drug of concern and is considering classifying it as a Schedule I drug, like LSD or marijuana. The drug has an appreciable annual prevalence: 1.6%, 3.9%, and 5.9% among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in 2011, while lifetime prevalence would be somewhat higher."

Source:

Original post:

Entheogens including Salvia, LSD, Peyote, and Mushrooms ...

Entheogen | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Posted on by

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social | Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Social psychology: Altruism Attribution Attitudes Conformity Discrimination Groups Interpersonal relations Obedience Prejudice Norms Perception Index Outline

The word entheogen is a modern term derived from two Ancient Greek words, (entheos) and (genesthai). Entheos literally means "god (theos) within", more freely translated "inspired". The Greeks used it as a term of praise for poets and other artists. Genesthai means "to cause to be" or becoming. So an entheogen is "that which causes God (or godly inspiration) to be within a person".

In its strictest sense the term refers to a psychoactive substance (most often some plant matter with hallucinogenic effects) that occasions enlightening spiritual or mystical experience, within the parameters of a cult, in the original non-pejorative sense of cultus. In a broader sense, the word "entheogen" refers to artificial as well as natural substances that induce alterations of consciousness similar to those documented for ritual ingestion of traditional shamanic inebriants, even if it is used in a secular context.

The word "entheogen" was coined in 1979 by a group of ethnobotanists and scholars of mythology (Carl A. P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, Richard Evans Schultes, Jonathan Ott and R. Gordon Wasson). The literal meaning of the word is "that which causes God to be within an individual". The translation "creating the divine within" is sometimes given, but it should be noted that entheogen implies neither that something is created (as opposed to just perceiving something that is already there) nor that that which is experienced is within the user (as opposed to having independent existence).

The term was coined as a replacement for the terms "hallucinogen" (popularized by Aldous Huxley's experiences with mescaline, published as The Doors of Perception in 1953) and "psychedelic" (a Greek neologism for "soul-revealing", coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, who was quite surprised when the well-known author, Aldous Huxley, volunteered to be a subject in experiments Osmond was running on mescaline). Ruck et al. argued that the term "hallucinogen" was inappropriate due to its etymological relationship to words relating to delirium and insanity. The term "psychedelic" was also seen as problematic, due to the similarity in sound to words pertaining to psychosis and also due to the fact that it had become irreversibly associated with various connotations of 1960s pop culture.

The meanings of the term "entheogen" were formally defined by Ruck et al.:

Since 1979, when the term was proposed, its use has become widespread in certain circles. In particular, the word fills a vacuum for those users of entheogens who feel that the term "hallucinogen", which remains common in medical, chemical and anthropological literature, denigrates their experience and the world view in which it is integrated. Use of the strict sense of the word has therefore arisen amongst religious entheogen users, and also amongst others who wish to practice spiritual or religious tolerance.

The use of the word "entheogen" in its broad sense as a synonym for "hallucinogenic drug" has attracted criticism on three grounds. On pragmatic grounds, the objection has been raised that the meaning of the strict sense of "entheogen", which is of specific value in discussing traditional, historical and mythological uses of entheogens in religious settings, is likely to be diluted by widespread, casual use of the term in the broader sense. Secondly, some people object to the misuse of the root theos (god in ancient Greek) in the description of the use of hallucinogenic drugs in a non-religious context, and coupled with the climate of religious tolerance or pluralism that prevails in many present-day societies, the use of the root theos in a term describing non-religious drug use has also been criticised as a form of taboo deformation. Thirdly there are some substances that at least partially fulfil the definition of an entheogen that is given above, but are not hallucinogenic in the usual sense. One important example is the bread and wine of the Christian Eucharist.

Ideological objections to the broad use of the term often relate to the widespread existence of taboos surrounding psychoactive drugs, with both religious and secular justifications. The perception that the broad sense of the term "entheogen" is used as a euphemism by hallucinogenic drug-users bothers both critics and proponents of the secular use of hallucinogenic drugs. Critics frequently see the use of the term as an attempt to obscure what they perceive as illegitimate motivations and contexts of secular drug use. Some proponents also object to the term, arguing that the trend within their own subcultures and in the scientific literature towards the use of term "entheogen" as a synonym for "hallucinogen" devalues the positive uses of drugs in contexts that are secular but nevertheless, in their view, legitimate.

Beyond the use of the term itself, the validity of drug-induced, facilitated, or enhanced religious experience has been questioned. The claim that such experiences are less valid than religious experience without the use of any chemical catalysts faces the problem that the descriptions of religious experiences by those using entheogens are indistinguishable from many reports of religious experiences without drugs. In an attempt to empirically answer the question about whether drugs can actually facilitate religious experience, the Marsh Chapel Experiment was conducted by physician and theology doctoral candidate, Walter Pahnke, under the supervision of Timothy Leary and the Harvard Psilocybin Project. In the double-blind experiment, volunteer graduate school divinity students from the Boston area almost all claimed to have had profound religious experiences under the influence of psilocybin. (A brief video about the Marsh Chapel experiment can be viewed here.)

Naturally occurring entheogens such as Datura were, for the most part, discovered and used by older cultures, as part of their spiritual and religious life, as plants and agents which were respected, or in some cases revered. By contrast, artificial and modern entheogens, such as MDMA, never had a tradition of religious use.

Currently entheogens are used in three principal ways: as part of established traditions and religions, secularly for personal spiritual development, and secularly in a manner similar to recreational drugs. A lesser use of entheogens for medical and therapeutic use is rarely pursued due to legislative and cultural objections.

The use of entheogens in human cultures is generally ubiquitous throughout recorded history. The number of entheogen-using cultures is therefore very large. Some of the instances better known to Western scholarship are discussed here.

The best-known entheogen-using culture of Africa is the Bwitists, who used a preparation of the root bark of Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga).[1] A famous entheogen of ancient Egypt is the blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea). There is evidence for the use of entheogenic mushrooms in Cte d'Ivoire (Samorini 1995). Numerous other examples of the use of plants in shamanic ritual in Africa are yet to be investigated by western science.

Entheogens have played a pivotal role in the spiritual practices of most American cultures for millennia. The first American entheogen to be subject to scientific analysis was the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii). For his part, one of the founders of modern ethno-botany, the late Richard Evans Schultes of Harvard University documented the ritual use of peyote cactus among the Kiowa of Oklahoma. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Schultes) Used traditionally by many cultures of what is now Mexico, its use spread to throughout North America in the 19th century, replacing the toxic entheogen Sophora secundiflora (mescal bean). Other well-known entheogens used by Mexican cultures include psilocybin mushrooms (known to the Aztecs under the Nahuatl name teonanacatl), the seeds of several morning glories (Nahuatl: tlitliltzin and ololiuhqui) and Salvia divinorum (Mazateco: Ska Pastora; Nahuatl: pipiltzintzintli).

Urarina shaman, 1988

Indigenous peoples of South America employ a wide variety of entheogens. Better-known examples include ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi plus admixtures) among indigenous peoples (such as the Urarina) of Peruvian Amazonia. Other well-known entheogens include: borrachero (Brugmansia spp); San Pedro Trichocereus spp); and various tryptamine-bearing snuffs, for example Epen (Virola spp), Vilca and Yopo (Anadananthera spp). The familiar tobacco plant, when used uncured in large doses in shamanic contexts, also serves as an entheogen in South America.

In addition to indigenous use of entheogens in the Americas, one should also note their important role in contemporary religions movements, such as Rastafarianism and the Church of the Universe.

The indigeneous peoples of Siberia (from whom the term shaman was appropriated) have used the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) as an entheogen. The ancient inebriant Soma, mentioned often in the Vedas, may have been an entheogen. (In his 1967 book, Wasson argues that Soma was fly agaric. The active ingredient of Soma is now presumed to be ephedrine, an alkaloid with entheogenic properties derived from the soma plant, identified as Ephedra pachyclada.)

The use of entheogens in Europe was all but eliminated with the rise of post-Roman Christianity and especially during the great witch hunts of Early Modernity. European witches used various entheogens, including deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) and henbane (Hyoscyamus niger). These plants were used, among other things, for the manufacture of "flying ointments". In Christian society, witches were commonly believed to fly through the air on broomsticks after coating them with the ointment and applying them to the skin. Consequently, any association with these plants could have proven extremely dangerous and lead to one's execution as a practitioner of witchcraft. The imposition of Roman Christianity also saw the end of the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the initiation ceremony for the cult of Demeter and Persephone involving the use of a possibly entheogenic substance known as kykeon. Similarly, there is evidence that nitrous oxide or ethylene may have been in part resposible for the visions of the equally long-lived Delphic oracle.

In the Christian era the Eucharist plays a symbolic role in religious tradition that has occasionally attracted the label of "entheogen" or "placebo entheogen", even though it does not conform to the original definition involving the use of vision-inducing substances.

The entheogenic use of substances, particularly hashish, by ancient Sufis is well-documented. Its use by the "Hashshashin" to stupefy and recruit new initiates was widely reported during the Crusades. However, the drug used by the Hashshashin was likely wine, opium, henbane, or some combination of these, and, in any event, the use of this drug was for stupefaction rather than for entheogenic use. It has been suggested that the ritual use of small amounts of Syrian Rue is an artifact of its ancient use in higher doses as an entheogen. John Marco Allegro has argued in his book The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross that early Jewish and Christian sects and cults were based on the use of Amanita muscaria,[2] though this hypothesis has not achieved widespread currency.

Indigenous Australians are generally supposed not to have used entheogens, although there is a strong barrier of secrecy surrounding Aboriginal shamanism, which has likely limited what has been told to outsiders. Natives of Papua New Guinea are known to use several species of entheogenic mushrooms (Psilocybe spp, Boletus manicus).[3] It has been suggested that the Mori of New Zealand used Mori Kava (Macropiper excelsum) as an entheogen (Bock 2000).

Although entheogens are taboo in Christian and Islamic societies, their ubiquity and prominence in the spiritual traditions of other cultures is unquestioned. The entheogen, "the spirit, for example, need not be chemical, as is the case with the ivy and the olive: and yet the god was felt to be within them; nor need its possession be considered something detrimental, like drugged, hallucinatory, or delusionary: but possibly instead an invitation to knowledge or whatever good the god's spirit had to offer." (Ruck and Staples)

Most of the well-known modern examples, such as peyote, psilocybe and other psychoactive mushrooms and ololiuhqui, are from the native cultures of the Americas. However, it has also been suggested that entheogens played an important role in ancient Indo-European culture, for example by inclusion in the ritual preparations of the Soma, the "pressed juice" that is the subject of Book 9 of the Rig Veda. Soma was ritually prepared and drunk by priests and initiates and elicited a paean in the Rig Veda that embodies the nature of an entheogen:

The Kykeon that preceded initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries is another entheogen, which was investigated (before the word was coined) by Carl Kereny, in Eleusis: Archetypal Image of Mother and Daughter. Other entheogens in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean include the poppy, Datura, the unidentified "lotus" eaten by the Lotus-Eaters in the Odyssey and Narkissos.

According to Ruck, Eyan, and Staples, the familiar shamanic entheogen that the Indo-Europeans brought with them was knowledge of the wild Amanita mushroom. It could not be cultivated; thus it had to be found, which suited it to a nomadic lifestyle. When they reached the world of the Caucasus and the Aegean, the Indo-Europeans encountered wine, the entheogen of Dionysus, who brought it with him from his birthplace in the mythical Nysa, when he returned to claim his Olympian birthright. The Indo-European proto-Greeks "recognized it as the entheogen of Zeus, and their own traditions of shamanism, the Amanita and the 'pressed juice' of Soma but better since no longer unpredictable and wild, the way it was found among the Hyperboreans: as befit their own assimilation of agrarian modes of life, the entheogen was now cultivable" (Ruck and Staples). Robert Graves, in his foreword to The Greek Myths, argues that the ambrosia of various pre-Hellenic tribes were amanita and possibly panaeolus mushrooms.

Amanita was divine food, according to Ruck and Staples, not something to be indulged in or sampled lightly, not something to be profaned. It was the food of the gods, their ambrosia, and it mediated between the two realms. It is said that Tantalus's crime was inviting commoners to share his ambrosia.

Even in cultures where they are acceptable, improper use of an entheogen, by the unauthorized or uninitiated, has led to disgrace, exile, and even death. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden can be understood as such a parable of an entheogen misused, for the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge by its very nature is clearly part of what is denoted by "entheogen" a point made clearly by God:

Indeed the entheogen offers godlike powers in many Traditional tales, including immortality. The failure of Gilgamesh in retrieving the plant of immortality from beneath the waters teaches that the blissful state cannot be taken by force or guile: when Gilgamesh lay on the bank, exhausted from his heroic effort, the serpent came and ate the plant.

Another attempt at subverting the natural order is told in a (according to some) strangely metamorphosed myth, in which natural roles have been reversed to suit the Hellenic world-view. The Alexandrian Apollodorus relates how Gaia (spelled "Ge" in the following passage), Mother Earth herself, has supported the Titans in their battle with the Olympian intruders. The Giants have been defeated:

Consumption of the imaginary mushroom anochi as the entheogen underlying the creation of Christianity is the premise of Philip K. Dick's last (science fiction) novel, "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer".

Aldous Huxley's final novel, Island (1962), depicted a fictional entheogenic mushroom termed "moksha medicine" used by the people of Pala in rites of passage, such as the transition to adulthood and at the end of life.

In his book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East", [2] John M. Allegro argues etymologically that Christianity developed out of the use of a psychedelic mushroom, the true body of Christ, which was later forgotten by its adherents.

de:Entheogen es:Entegeno fr:enthogne no:Enteogen

View original post here:

Entheogen | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells – National Human Genome Research …

Posted on by

Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells

The term cloning is used by scientists to describe many different processes that involve making duplicates of biological material. In most cases, isolated genes or cells are duplicated for scientific study, and no new animal results. The experiment that led to the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 was different: It used a cloning technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer and resulted in an animal that was a genetic twin -- although delayed in time -- of an adult sheep. This technique can also be used to produce an embryo from which cells called embryonic stem (ES) cells could be extracted to use in research into potential therapies for a wide variety of diseases.

Thus, in the past five years, much of the scientific and ethical debate about somatic cell nuclear transfer has focused on its two potential applications: 1) for reproductive purposes, i.e., to produce a child, or 2) for producing a source of ES cells for research.

The technique of transferring a nucleus from a somatic cell into an egg that produced Dolly was an extension of experiments that had been ongoing for over 40 years. In the simplest terms, the technique used to produce Dolly the sheep - somatic cell nuclear transplantation cloning - involves removing the nucleus of an egg and replacing it with the diploid nucleus of a somatic cell. Unlike sexual reproduction, during which a new organism is formed when the genetic material of the egg and sperm fuse, in nuclear transplantation cloning there is a single genetic "parent." This technique also differs from previous cloning techniques because it does not involve an existing embryo. Dolly is different because she is not genetically unique; when born she was genetically identical to an existing six-year-old ewe. Although the birth of Dolly was lauded as a success, in fact, the procedure has not been perfected and it is not yet clear whether Dolly will remain healthy or whether she is already experiencing subtle problems that might lead to serious diseases. Thus, the prospect of applying this technique in humans is troubling for scientific and safety reasons in addition to a variety of ethical reasons related to our ideas about the natural ordering of family and successive generations.

Several important concerns remain about the science and safety of nuclear transfer cloning using adult cells as the source of nuclei. To date, five mammalian species -- sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, and mice -- have been used extensively in reproductive cloning studies. Data from these experiments illustrate the problems involved. Typically, very few cloning attempts are successful. Many cloned animals die in utero, even at late stages or soon after birth, and those that survive frequently exhibit severe birth defects. In addition, female animals carrying cloned fetuses may face serious risks, including death from cloning-related complications.

An additional concern focuses on whether cellular aging will affect the ability of somatic cell nuclei to program normal development. As somatic cells divide they progressively age, and there is normally a defined number of cell divisions that can occur before senescence. Thus, the health effects for the resulting liveborn, having been created with an "aged" nucleus, are unknown. Recently it was reported that Dolly has arthritis, although it is not yet clear whether the five-and-a-half-year-old sheep is suffering from the condition as a result of the cloning process. And, scientists in Tokyo have shown that cloned mice die significantly earlier than those that are naturally conceived, raising an additional concern that the mutations that accumulate in somatic cells might affect nuclear transfer efficiency and lead to cancer and other diseases in offspring. Researchers working with clones of a Holstein cow say genetic programming errors may explain why so many cloned animals die, either as fetuses or newborns.

The announcement of Dolly sparked widespread speculation about a human child being created using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Much of the perceived fear that greeted this announcement centered on the misperception that a child or many children could be produced who would be identical to an already existing person. This fear is based on the idea of "genetic determinism" -- that genes alone determine all aspects of an individual -- and reflects the belief that a person's genes bear a simple relationship to the physical and psychological traits that compose that individual. Although genes play an essential role in the formation of physical and behavioral characteristics, each individual is, in fact, the result of a complex interaction between his or her genes and the environment within which he or she develops. Nonetheless, many of the concerns about cloning have focused on issues related to "playing God," interfering with the natural order of life, and somehow robbing a future individual of the right to a unique identity.

Several groups have concluded that reproductive cloning of human beings creates ethical and scientific risks that society should not tolerate. In 1997, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission recommended that it was morally unacceptable to attempt to create a child using somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning and suggested that a moratorium be imposed until safety of this technique could be assessed. The commission also cautioned against preempting the use of cloning technology for purposes unrelated to producing a liveborn child.

Similarly, in 2001 the National Academy of Sciences issued a report stating that the United States should ban human reproductive cloning aimed at creating a child because experience with reproductive cloning in animals suggests that the process would be dangerous for the woman, the fetus, and the newborn, and would likely fail. The report recommended that the proposed ban on human cloning should be reviewed within five years, but that it should be reconsidered "only if a new scientific review indicates that the procedures are likely to be safe and effective, and if a broad national dialogue on societal, religious and ethical issues suggests that reconsideration is warranted." The panel concluded that the scientific and medical considerations that justify a ban on human reproductive cloning at this time do not apply to nuclear transplantation to produce stem cells. Several other scientific and medical groups also have stated their opposition to the use of cloning for the purpose of producing a child.

The cloning debate was reopened with a new twist late in 1998, when two scientific reports were published regarding the successful isolation of human stem cells. Stem cells are unique and essential cells found in animals that are capable of continually reproducing themselves and renewing tissue throughout an individual organism's life. ES cells are the most versatile of all stem cells because they are less differentiated, or committed, to a particular function than adult stem cells. These cells have offered hope of new cures to debilitating and even fatal illness. Recent studies in mice and other animals have shown that ES cells can reduce symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mouse models, and work in other animal models and disease areas seems promising.

In the 1998 reports, ES cells were derived from in vitro embryos six to seven days old destined to be discarded by couples undergoing infertility treatments, and embryonic germ (EG) cells were obtained from cadaveric fetal tissue following elective abortion. A third report, appearing in the New York Times, claimed that a Massachusetts biotechnology company had fused a human cell with an enucleated cow egg, creating a hybrid clone that failed to progress beyond an early stage of development. This announcement served as a reminder that ES cells also could be derived from embryos created through somatic cell nuclear transfer, or cloning. In fact, several scientists believed that deriving ES cells in this manner is the most promising approach to developing treatments because the condition of in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos stored over time is questionable and this type of cloning could overcome graft-host responses if resulting therapies were developed from the recipient's own DNA.

For those who believe that the embryo has the moral status of a person from the moment of conception, research or any other activity that would destroy it is wrong. For those who believe the human embryo deserves some measure of respect, but disagree that the respect due should equal that given to a fully formed human, it could be considered immoral not to use embryos that would otherwise be destroyed to develop potential cures for disease affecting millions of people. An additional concern related to public policy is whether federal funds should be used for research that some Americans find unethical.

Since 1996, Congress has prohibited researchers from using federal funds for human embryo research. In 1999, DHHS announced that it intended to fund research on human ES cells derived from embryos remaining after infertility treatments. This decision was based on an interpretation "that human embryonic stem cells are not a human embryo within the statutory definition" because "the cells do not have the capacity to develop into a human being even if transferred to the uterus, thus their destruction in the course of research would not constitute the destruction of an embryo." DHHS did not intend to fund research using stem cells derived from embryos created through cloning, although such efforts would be legal in the private sector.

In July 2001, the House of Representatives voted 265 to 162 to make any human cloning a criminal offense, including cloning to create an embryo for derivation of stem cells rather than to produce a child. In August 2002, President Bush, contending with a DHHS decision made during the Clinton administration, stated in a prime-time television address that federal support would be provided for research using a limited number of stem cell colonies already in existence (derived from leftover IVF embryos). Current bills before Congress would ban all forms of cloning outright, prohibit cloning for reproductive purposes, and impose a moratorium on cloning to derive stem cells for research, or prohibit cloning for reproductive purposes while allowing cloning for therapeutic purposes to go forward. As of late June, the Senate has taken no action. President Bush's Bioethics Council is expected to recommend the prohibition of reproductive cloning and a moratorium on therapeutic cloning later this summer.

Prepared by Kathi E. Hanna, M.S., Ph.D., Science and Health Policy Consultant

Last Reviewed: April 2006

Read this article:

Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells - National Human Genome Research ...

Social Darwinism – University of Colorado Boulder

Posted on by

Social Darwinism

I. Introduction

Social Darwinism, term coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in "survival of the fittest." Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin. Some social Darwinists argue that governments should not interfere with human competition by attempting to regulate the economy or cure social ills such as poverty. Instead, they advocate a laissez-faire political and economic system that favors competition and self-interest in social and business affairs. Social Darwinists typically deny that they advocate a "law of the jungle." But most propose arguments that justify imbalances of power between individuals, races, and nations because they consider some people more fit to survive than others.

The term social Darwinist is applied loosely to anyone who interprets human society primarily in terms of biology, struggle, competition, or natural law (a philosophy based on what are considered the permanent characteristics of human nature). Social Darwinism characterizes a variety of past and present social policies and theories, from attempts to reduce the power of government to theories exploring the biological causes of human behavior. Many people believe that the concept of social Darwinism explains the philosophical rationalization behind racism, imperialism, and capitalism. The term has negative implications for most people because they consider it a rejection of compassion and social responsibility.

II. Origins

Social Darwinism originated in Britain during the second half of the 19th century. Darwin did not address human evolution in his most famous study, On the Origin of Species (1859), which focused on the evolution of plants and animals. He applied his theories of natural selection specifically to people in The Descent of Man (1871), a work that critics interpreted as justifying cruel social policies at home and imperialism abroad. The Englishman most associated with early social Darwinism, however, was sociologist Herbert Spencer. Spencer coined the phrase "survival of the fittest" to describe the outcome of competition between social groups. In Social Statics (1850) and other works, Spencer argued that through competition social evolution would automatically produce prosperity and personal liberty unparalleled in human history.

In the United States, Spencer gained considerable support among intellectuals and some businessmen, including steel manufacturer Andrew Carnegie, who served as Spencer's host during his visit to the United States in 1883. The most prominent American social Darwinist of the 1880s was William Graham Sumner, who on several occasions told audiences that there was no alternative to the "survival of the fittest" theory. Critics of social Darwinism seized on these comments to argue that Sumner advocated a "dog-eat-dog" philosophy of human behavior that justified oppressive social policies. Some later historians have argued that Sumner's critics took his statements out of context and misrepresented his views.

III. Hereditarianism

Studies of heredity contributed another variety of social Darwinism in the late 19th century. In Hereditary Genius (1869), Sir Francis Galton, a British scientist and Darwin's cousin, argued that biological inheritance is far more important than environment in determining character and intelligence. This theory, known as hereditarianism, met considerable resistance, especially in the United States. Sociologists and biologists who criticized hereditarianism believed that changes in the environment could produce physical changes in the individual that would be passed on to future generations, a theory proposed by French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in the early 19th century. After 1890, hereditarianism gained increasing support, due in part to the work of German biologist August Weismann. Weismann reemphasized the role of natural selection by arguing that a person's characteristics are determined genetically at conception.

IV. The Struggle School

Toward the end of the 19th century, another strain of social Darwinism was developed by supporters of the struggle school of sociology. English journalist Walter Bagehot expressed the fundamental ideas of the struggle school in Physics and Politics (1872), a book that describes the historical evolution of social groups into nations. Bagehot argued that these nations evolved principally by succeeding in conflicts with other groups. For many political scientists, sociologists, and military strategists, this strain of social Darwinism justified overseas expansion by nations (imperialism) during the 1890s. In the United States, historian John Fiske and naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan drew from the principles of social Darwinism to advocate foreign expansion and the creation of a strong military.

V. Reform Darwinism

After 1890, social reformers used Darwinism to advocate a stronger role for government and the introduction of various social policies. This movement became known as reform Darwinism. Reform Darwinists argued that human beings need new ideas and institutions as they adapt to changing conditions. For example, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. reasoned that the Constitution of the United States should be reinterpreted in light of changing circumstances in American society.

Some reformers used the principles of evolution to justify sexist and racist ideas that undercut their professed belief in equality. For example, the most extreme type of reform Darwinism was eugenics, a term coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883 from the Greek word egenv, meaning well-born. Eugenists claimed that particular racial or social groupsusually wealthy Anglo-Saxonswere "naturally" superior to other groups. They proposed to control human heredity by passing laws that forbid marriage between races or that restrict breeding for various social "misfits" such as criminals or the mentally ill.

VI. Social Darwinism in the 20th Century

Although social Darwinism was highly influential at the beginning of the 20th century, it rapidly lost popularity and support after World War I (1914-1918). During the 1920s and 1930s many political observers blamed it for contributing to German militarism and the rise of Nazism (see National Socialism). During this same period, advances in anthropology also discredited social Darwinism. German American anthropologist Franz Boas and American anthropologists Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict showed that human culture sets people apart from animals. By shifting the emphasis away from biology and onto culture, these anthropologists undermined social Darwinism's biological foundations. Eugenics was discredited by a better understanding of genetics and eventually disgraced by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's use of eugenic arguments to create a "master race." During World War II (1939-1945), the Nazis killed several million Jews, Roma (Gypsies), and members of other groups, believing them inferior to an idealized Aryan race.

Social theories based on biology gained renewed support after 1953, when American biologist James Watson and British biologist Francis Crick successfully described the structure of the DNA molecule, the building block of all life. During the 1960s anthropologists interested in the influence of DNA on human behavior produced studies of the biological basis of aggression, territoriality, mate selection, and other behavior common to people and animals. Books on this theme, such as Desmond Morris's Naked Ape (1967) and Lionel Tiger's Men in Groups (1969), became best-sellers. In the early 1970s American psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein revived the social Darwinist argument that intelligence is mostly determined by biology rather than by environmental influences.

During the 1960s, British biologist W. D. Hamilton and American biologist Robert L. Trivers produced separate studies showing that the self-sacrificing behavior of some members of a group serves the genetic well-being of the group as a whole. American biologist Edward O. Wilson drew on these theories in Sociobiology: the New Synthesis (1975), where he argued that genetics exerts a greater influence on human behavior than scientists had previously believed. Wilson claimed that human behavior cannot be understood without taking both biology and culture into account. Wilson's views became the foundations of a new sciencesociobiologyand were later popularized in such studies as Richard Dawkins'The Selfish Gene (1976). Wilson's critics have alleged that sociobiology is simply another version of social Darwinism. They claim that it downplays the role of culture in human societies and justifies poverty and warfare in the name of natural selection. Such criticism has led to a decline in the influence of sociobiology and other forms of social Darwinism.

Contributed By:

Robert C. Bannister, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Professor of History, Swarthmore College. Author of Social Darwinism: Science and Myth and On Liberty, Society, and Politics: The Essential Essays of William Graham Sumner.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

"Social Darwinism," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000

http://encarta.msn.com 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

1993-2000 Microsoft Corporation.

All rights reserved.

View original post here:

Social Darwinism - University of Colorado Boulder

Robotics – The Great Courses

Posted on by

Robots. The mere word conjures up a bevy of mind-bending images pulled straight from popular science fiction tales. But robots arent just the stuff of entertainment. Theyre real. Theyre everywhere around you. And theyre transforming your life in ways you cant imagine.

In short, the future of human civilization depends on collaborative robotics: humans and machines working together. According to robotics expert and award-winning professor John Long of Vassar College, Robots are what computers and self-propelled vehicles were to the 20th century: a technological revolution that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, businesses, and security.

Yet for all their seen (and unseen) prevalence, robotics remains mysterious to most of us. How exactly do robots work? What does it take to build a robot that can, for a period of time, perform tasks and make decisions with little human input? What are the most revolutionary robots at work today? How do we balance the technological benefits of robots with the potential risks they pose to pre-existing ways of life?

To answer these and other questions is to take an in-depth journey into an exciting world; a journey Professor Long and The Great Courses present in the 24 incredible lectures of Robotics. Using in-studio robot demonstrations, videos of other state-of-the-art robots, 3-D animations, and other amazing visual aids, Professor Long demystifies the world of robots and provides a comprehensive introduction to these intelligent machines. Whether youre looking to grasp the hard science of how robots work or simply curious about the implications of robots for society, consider this course your official passport to an astonishing new world.

Intriguing Scientific Terrain

Professor Longs course is an encyclopedic yet accessible introduction to one of the most important areas of modern science. From the concept of robotic autonomy to the inner workings of sensors to the intriguing possibilities of the future, Robotics covers every major topic in the field.

As you proceed through this course, youll also get a look at some of the major ideas and ethical dilemmas involved in the world of robotics.

Fascinating Robots of Todayand Tomorrow

Not only will these and other robots open your eyes to the intricate details of how robots are designed, built, and improved upon, theyll illuminate how roboticists tackle everyday challenges and create technological advancements that are central to the way we live today and the way well live tomorrow.

RobotsExplained by a Brilliant Innovator

Transforming our studios into a veritable robotics laboratory, Professor Long lets you experience the trials and triumphs of robotics firsthand. Director and co-founder of Vassars Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory, hes researched, designed, and built robots with funding from major government agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Small Business Administration. He takes you behind the scenes to show you what worked, what didnt, and why.

Youll also witness how robots operate at the level of the wire and sensor; how theyre built, taken apart, and rebuilt for different uses; how theyre designed using the latest technological advancements; and more. Packed with robot demonstrations and 3-D animations, these visually stimulating lectures are an exciting exploration of robotics at every level.

Ultimately, its all in service of Professor Longs overarching goal: to make you more informed and engaged with this increasingly important technology, which brings together the fields of engineering, computer science, neuroscience, and biology. Robotics shows you how we have been using robots to transform our world for decadesand how, in the decades to come, they will continue to revolutionize our lives.

Hide Full Description

The rest is here:

Robotics - The Great Courses

Therapeutic nihilism – Wikipedia

Posted on by

Therapeutic nihilism is a contention that curing people, or societies, of their ills by treatment is impossible.

In medicine, it was connected to the idea that many "cures" do more harm than good, and that one should instead encourage the body to heal itself. Michel de Montaigne espoused this view in his Essais in 1580. This position was later popular, among other places, in France in the 1820s and 1830s, but has mostly faded away in the modern era due to the development of provably effective medicines such as antibiotics, starting with the release of sulfonamide in 1936.

In relation to society, therapeutic nihilism was an idea, with origins in early 20th-century Germany, that nothing can be done to cure society of the problems facing it. Its main proponent was the novelist Joseph Conrad, whose writings reflect its tenets.

In politics, therapeutic nihilism is a defining principle of modern conservatism. The so-called "Father of Conservatism" Edmund Burke's imputation of "unintended consequences" the implicitly inevitable and undesirable results of political engineering, and Peter Viereck's assertion in "But I'm A Conservative!",[1] his also-definitive essay in the April 1940 issue of the Atlantic magazine, that socialists are nave to believe that society can be improved, are two prime examples of conservative arguments for therapeutic nihilism.

The phrase therapeutic nihilism is also included in a modern version of the Hippocratic Oath, traditionally taken by physicians upon graduation. The statement is "I will apply for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism."

The rest is here:

Therapeutic nihilism - Wikipedia

rationalism facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com …

Posted on by

ENLIGHTENMENT RADICALISM AND THE ROMANTIC REACTION

MARX AND AFTER

VARIANTS OF RATIONALISM

CRITICAL RATIONALISM

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rationalism comes in various versions and makes wider or narrower claims. The idea underlying most versions is that reason is the most characteristic faculty of Homo sapiens. Appeal to reason is part of traditional wisdom, yet traditional (ancient Greek) rationalism includes an out of hand dismissal of traditional wisdom. The modern version of this dismissal is the radical demand for starting afresh (Enlightenment radicalism) and admitting only ideas that are proven, absolutely certain, and fully justified by rigorous proof. Science begins with rejecting all doubtful ideas. Francis Bacon initiated the idea that traditional unfounded views are the causes of all error; Ren Descartes tried to ignore all doubtful ideas and start afresh from nothing. David Hume began his investigations in efforts to delineate all that is certain while ignoring all else; he and many others, from Denis Diderot to Pierre Simon de Laplace, took it for granted that Isaac Newtons success was due to his adherence to Bacons advice. Auguste Comte and T. H. Huxley took it for granted that other fields will be as successful if they only jettison tradition more fully; Ludwig Wittgenstein went further and said only scientific assertions are grammatical (positivism, scientism).

Yet what proof is no one knew. Mathematics was the paradigm of proof, and the success of physics was largely ascribed to its use of mathematical methods, a practice for all to emulate. What is that method, and how can it be applied to the social domain? How does the relinquishing of tradition help word theories mathematically? This was unclear even after the discipline of statistics was developed enough to become applicable to some social studies (as in the work of Adolphe Qutelet, 1796-1874). Yet clearly as usefulness gives rational thought its initial (even if not final) worth, at least the rationality of action is obvious: its goal-directedness. Hence the study of rationality is vital for the study of the rational action that is the heart of the study of humanity. Whereas students of nature seldom pay attention to the rationality and the scientific character of their studies, students of humanities are engrossed in them. And whatever their views on this rationality, at least they openly center on it. Thus in the opening of his classic An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), Adam Smith declares his intent to ignore irrationality, no matter how widespread it is. Slavery is widespread, yet everyone knows that putting a worker in chains is no incentive, he observed.

The Enlightenment movement deemed Smiths argument obvious; this led to its dismissal of human history as the sad story of needless pain caused by ignorance and superstition. This was an error. The advocacy of the abolition of slavery came in total disregard for its immediate impact on the lot of slave owners. Smith spoke of rationality in the abstract. Because high productivity depends on the division of labor and because this division leads to trade, freedom is efficient. Selfish conduct is rational as long as it is scientific, that is, undogmatic. Life in the light of reason is egalitarian, simple, and happy. This abstract reasoning led to concrete results, including the French Revolution and its terror and wars. Edmund Burke and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel blamed the radicalism of the revolution for its deterioration into terror. The reaction to the French Revolution was aggressively hostile to radicalism, to egalitarianism, and even to reason (Hegel).

Karl Marx wedded the two great modern movements, the radical Enlightenment movement and the Romantic reaction to it. The former had the right vision, and the latter had the historically right view of the obstacle to its realization. Smith-style harmony between individual and society has no place in traditional society. Hence the institution of enlightened equality is an essential precondition for it. The realization of the radical dream of harmony requires civil war. But it is certainly realizable, he insisted.

Marxs critique of radicalism from within is as popular as ever. We are chained to our social conditions, and rationalism cannot break them. Max Weber, the author of the most popular alternative to Marxs ideas, stressed this; so do all the popular radical critics of the ills of modern (bourgeois) society, chiefly imperialism, racism, and sexism, perhaps also alienation from work. These critics puzzle the uninitiated, as they seem to belabor condemnations of obviously indefensible aspects of modern society. But they do something else; they advance a thesis. Social evils will not go away by sheer mental exercises. Are there any reasonable people who disagree with this thesis? It is hard to say. Perhaps some thinkers still follow the central thesis of the Enlightenment movement. If such people do exist (as seems true but not obviously so), then they are the neoliberals, the Chicago school of economics, which is not confined to economics, as it preaches the idea that a world with free markets still is the best of all possible worlds, even though it is far from ideal (Friedrich A. von Hayek).

What then is rationalism? Of the alternative views on reason, which can count as variants of rationalism? Consider pragmatism, the view of the useful as the true (Hegel, William James, John Dewey). It is unsatisfactory, because assessments of usefulness may be true or not; but is it a version of rationalism? Consider the traditionalist reliance on the test of time (ordinary-language philosophy; neo-Thomism). The assessment of the relative worth of traditions may be cultural (Martin Buber, Amitai Ezioni; communitarianism) or intellectual (Michael Polanyi, Thomas S. Kuhn; postcriticalism). It is unsatisfactory, as these assessments may be true or not; but is it a version of rationalism? There is no telling. The same holds for appeals to other criteria for truth. These are common sense (Hume, Smith, Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, George Edward Moore), the intuitions of Great Men (Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Hegel, Martin Heidegger), higher religious sentiments (Friedrich Schleiermacher, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy), and superior tastes (Richard Rorty). Are these variants of rationalism? Do they lead to more reasonable human conduct? The standard claim is that their asset is in their ability to maintain social stability. But in the early twenty-first century stability is unattainable and even deemed inferior to democratic controls (Karl R. Popper).

There is no consensus about whether the counsel to limit reason and admit religion is rationalism proper (Moses Maimonides, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Robert Boyle, Moses Mendelssohn, Polanyi) or not (Immanuel Kant, David Strauss, Ludwig Feuerbach, Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, Adolf Grnbaum). The only consensus is about the defiance of reason (Sren Kierkegaard, Max Stirner, Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau, Georges Sorel, Friedrich Nietzsche, D. H. Lawrence, Heidegger, perhaps also Paul Feyerabend). The only generally admitted necessary condition for rationalism is the demand to side with reason. Therefore it is fashionable to limit rationalism by allowing the taking of a single axiom on faith while otherwise swearing allegiance to reason (Polanyi, Richard H. Popkin, Pope John Paul II; fideism). The default view should then be that this allegiance suffices. Add to this the consensus around a necessary condition for this allegiance. It is the critical attitude, openness to criticism, the readiness to admit the success of the criticism of any given view. Consider the view that the critical attitude is sufficient as the default option (Popper) and seek valid criticism of it that may lead to its modification, to the admission of some unavoidable limitations on reason, whether in the spirit of Marx or in that of his critics. The need for this limitation comes from purely philosophical considerations. Hume said that we need induction for knowledge and for practice, yet it is not rational (it has no basis in logic); instead, we rely on it out of habit and necessity and this is the best we can do. A popular variant of this is that because induction is necessary, it is in no need of justification (Kant, Russell). Another variant takes it on faith (Polanyi, Popkin; fideism). Is induction really necessary?

This question is welcome. Since finding alternative answers to a worthy question improves their assessment, they are all worthy. Hence all versions of limited rationalism are welcomeas hypotheses to investigate (Salomon Maimon, Popper). This is the power of the method of always trying out the minimal solution as the default.

Critical rationalism is revolutionary because it replaces proof with test; it replaces radical, wholesale dismissal of ideas with the readiness to test piecemeal (Albert Einstein, Popper; reformism). The demand to prove thus yields to the critical attitude (William Warren Bartley III, Willard Van Orman Quine; non-justificationism), recognizing that theories possess graded merit (Einstein, Leonard Nelson, Popper; critical rationalism)by whatever rule we happen to follow, no matter how tentative. Rules are then hopefully improvable (Charles Sanders Peirce, Russell, Popper; fallibilism). Hence diverse rules may serve as competing criteria or as complementary. Being minimalist, critical rationalism invites considering some older theologians as allies, although not their contemporary followers. Unlike radical rationalism, critical rationalism is historically oriented. (It is the view of rationality as relative to contexts and of truth as absolute, as a guiding principle la Kant.)

This invites critical rationalism to enlist rational thought as a category of rational action (Ian C. Jarvie and Joseph Agassi). And this in turn invites the study of rationalism as an aspect of extant scientific research. It also invites comparison of the various versions of rationalism as to the degree of their adequacy to this task: take scientific research as it is, warts and all, and examine its merits and defects according to the diverse alternatives. This attitude is new and expressed in various studies of the sociology of science, so-called, that often spread over diverse disciplines, including political science and even criminology no less. This renders a part of the project of rationalism the assessments of the intellectual value of the outcome of research, theoretical, practical, or culturalor even aesthetic. The only intellectual justification of a scientific theory, said Einstein, is its ability to explain; its best reward is its successors admission of it as approximate. In this way he stressed that the aim of research is to explain in the hope of approximating the truth. This is open to debate. Social science as a whole may serve as a test case, with the sociology of science at the center of the debate on this matter.

Historically, rationalism doggedly accompanied studies of nature, not social studies. What in these should rationalism approve of? Discussion of this question allowed rationalism to inform the social sciences. A conspicuous example is the vagueness in social studies of the boundaries between philosophy, science, and practice that still invites open discussion. Anything less is below the minimal criterion of the critical attitude.

Critics of minimal rationalism find criticism insufficient, since positive criteria of choice need justification. If so, then rationalism is back to square one. If not, then positive criteria must be tentative, and the issue must shift from their justification to efforts at their improvement. Some do not like this, as it rests on their initial choice that was too arbitrary. They prefer to return to the initial criterion and replace it with the least arbitrary one. They are radicals. The clash is thus between the radical and the critical version of rationalismas well as between them and fideism.

The agenda of rationalismin philosophy, in science, or in practiceis the same: heightening the critical attitude, seeking improvement through criticism everywhere. Where is the starting point? How are we to decide on our agenda? Parliamentary steering committees decide on agendas. The commonwealth of learning, however, is its own steering committee. Those concerned to promote rationalism should do their best to put discussions of it high on the public agenda.

Agassi, Joseph. 1996. The Philosophy of Science Today. In Philosophy of Science, Logic, and Mathematics in the Twentieth Century. Vol. 9 of Routledge History of Philosophy, ed. Stuart G. Shanker, 235-265. London: Routledge.

Agassi, Joseph, and Ian C. Jarvie, eds. 1987. Rationality: The Critical View. The Hague: Nijhoff.

Baumgardt, Carola. 1952. Johannes Kepler: Life and Letters. Introduction by Albert Einstein. London: Golancz.

Burtt, E. A. 1926. The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science. London: Routledge.

Churchman, C. West. 1968. Challenge to Reason. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Einstein, Albert. 1954. Ideas and Opinions. New York: Bonanza Books.

Festinger, Leon. 1957. Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Feyerabend, Paul. 1987. Farewell to Reason. London: New Left Books.

Haakonssen, Knud, ed. 2006. The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Philosophy. 2 vols. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Hayek, Friedrich August von. 1952. The Counter-Revolution of Science: Studies on the Abuse of Reason. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Hayek, Friedrich August von. 1960. The Constitution of Liberty. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Jarvie, Ian C. 1964. The Revolution in Anthropology. London: Routledge.

Jarvie, Ian C., and Joseph Agassi. 1987. The Rationality of Magic. In Rationality: The Critical View, ed. Joseph Agassi and Ian C. Jarvie, 363-383. The Hague: Nijhoff.

John Paul II, Pope. 1998. Fides et Ratio. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.

Koyr, Alexandre, 1968. Metaphysics and Measurement. London: Chapman and Hall.

Kuhn, Thomas S. 1970. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lakatos, Imre, and Alan Musgrave. 1970. Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Mill, John Stuart. 1843. A System of Logic. London: J. W. Parker.

Naess, Arne. 1968. Scepticism. London: Routledge and K. Paul; New York: Humanities.

Nelson, Leonard. 1949. Socratic Method and Critical Philosophy: Selected Essays. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; repr. New York: Dover, 1965.

Nisbet, Robert A. 1966. The Sociological Tradition. New York: Basic Books.

Osler, Margaret J., ed. 2000. Rethinking the Scientific Revolution. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Parkinson, G. H. R., ed. 1993. The Renaissance and Seventeenth-Century Rationalism. Vol. 4 of Routledge History of Philosophy. London: Routledge.

Phillips, Derek L. 1973. Abandoning Method. London: Jossey-Bass.

Pitte, Frederick P. van de. 1971. Kant as Philosophical Anthropologist. The Hague: Nijhoff.

Polanyi, Michael. 1958. Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy. London: Routledge.

Polanyi, Michael. 1962. The Republic of Science. In Criteria for Scientific Development, ed. Edward Shils, 1-20. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Popper, Karl R. 1945. The Open Society and Its Enemies. 2 vols. London: Routledge.

Rees, Graham, and Maria Wakely. 2004. Introduction. In The Instauratio Magna. Part 2, Novum Organum and Associated Texts. Vol. 11 of The Oxford Francis Bacon. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Russell, Bertrand. 1912. The Problems of Philosophy. London: Williams and Norgate; New York: Henry Holt.

Russell, Bertrand. 1945. A History of Western Philosophy. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Simon, Robert L., ed. 2002. The Blackwell Guide to Social and Political Philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell.

Solomon, Robert C. 1988. Continental Philosophy since 1750: The Rise and Fall of the Self. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wettersten, John R. 1992. The Roots of Critical Rationalism. Amsterdam: Rodopi.

Joseph Agassi

Link:

rationalism facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com ...

Pantheism | Neo-Paganism.com

Posted on by

When holy water was rare at best It barely wet my fingertips But now I have to hold my breath Like Im swimming in a sea of it It used to be a world half there Heavens second rate hand-me-down But I walk it with a reverent air Cause everything is holy now

Peter Mayer, Holy Now (song)

Pantheism means All (pan-) is God (theos). Pantheism is the belief that the divine is not remote or separate from nature, but immanent within it. Pantheism is closely related to panentheism.According to David Waldron, pantheism, the perception of divinity as manifest or immanent in the physical world, isthe quintessential component of Neo-Pagan identity.

Many Pagans call this immanent divinity Goddess. She is everywhere and in everything, writes Karen Clark:

She is the burning ember of light interwoven with matter that shines forth in all living things. She is the unending, outrageous beauty of the wild world. She is the driving force that calls us to strive and struggle, and to grow and blossom. Her cupped hands hold us in the shifting seasons of our joys and sorrows, and life and death moments.

Neo-Pagan activist and author ofThe Spiral Dance, Starhawk, writes that the concept of immanence

names our primary understanding that the Earth is alive, part of a living cosmos. What that means is that spirit, sacred, Goddess, Godwhatever you want to call itis not found outside the world somewhereits in the world: itisthe world, and it is us. Our goal is not to get off the wheel of birth nor to be saved from something. Our deepest experiences are experiences of connection with the Earth and with the world.

Starhawkexplains how belief in a pantheistic god is unnecessary:

People often ask me if I believe in the Goddess. I reply Do you believe in rocks? It is extremely difficult for most Westerners to grasp the concept of a manifest deity. The phrase believe in itself implies that we cannot know the Goddess, that She is somehow intangible, incomprehensible. But we do not believe in rocks we may see them, touch them, dig them out of our gardens, or stop small children from throwing them at each other. We know them; we connect with them. In the Craft, we do not believe in the Goddess we connect with Her; through the moon, the stars, the ocean, the earth, through trees, animals, through other human beings, through ourselves. She is here. She is within us all. She is the full circle: earth, air, fire, water, and essence body, mind, spirit, emotions, change.

Pantheism may be understood in contrast with transcendentaltheism whichposits a God who is not a part of the world or creation, a God who is radically other or transcendent. Monotheism is an example of transcendentaltheism.The logical outcome of transcendental theism is either a fundamental dualism, in which God and the world are radically separate and humankind is alienated from God, or a monism which conceives of the world as unreality or illusion. Most forms of Christianity fall into the former category, while some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism are examples for the latter. Both of these propositions are unacceptable to Neo-Pagans, who view the world as neither fallen nor illusory.

Related Pages:

Panentheism

Nature Religion Pantheism Mother Earth Goddess Interconnectedness Re-enchantment Connecting with Nature The Gnostic Temptation

Updated 8/16/14

Like Loading...

Read more from the original source:

Pantheism | Neo-Paganism.com

Fifth Amendment – U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights

Posted on by

The Fifth Amendment, as with the rest of the Bill of Rights, is a superfluous restraint on federal power. It can be argued that the Fifth Amendment is not superfluous because it imposes certain specified limits and conditions on the federal governments use of legislative powers pursuant to its Enumerated Powers under Article I, Section 8. However, this distinction is of little significance.

The Fifth Amendment can be broken down as follows. In any federal matter, an individual:

- must be indicted by a grand jury to answer for a capital crime, unless certain conditions are present;

- may not face trial more than once for the same crime; may not be compelled to testify against oneself in a criminal case;

- may not be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process.

Lastly, the federal government may not take private property for public use (pursuant to its Enumerated Powers), without providing fair compensation to the property owner.

Fifth Amendment and Eminent Domain Abuse

There was an uproar throughout the United States in 2005 when the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Kelo v. City of New London.

The Supreme Courts decision, written by Justice John Paul Stevens, said private property seized by the city of New London, Connecticut was constitutional under the Fifth Amendment, even though the seized land was to be used for private development as part of a local economic redevelopment program. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment says, nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The issue in Kelo centered on whether it was public use to give private property seized under Imminent Domain laws to a private developer. In other words, does permissible public use include private use. The city of New London argued this was public use because the economic redevelopment program would create jobs, revitalize an economically distressed part of the city, and would result in increased tax revenue for the city. The Supreme Court agreed with the city of New London.

Much of the country was in an uproar because this meant any government (state, local, or federal) with Eminent Domain power could seize private property and give that property to another private party if the stated use was for economic redevelopment and increased local tax revenues. This public uproar was understandable and justified, but the decision in Kelo resulted in a strange situation where the ultimate result of the case was correct, though the Supreme Court conjured up an absurd decision.

The Fifth Amendment, and the rest of the Bill of Rights, does not apply against state and local governments. The Fifth Amendment was erected as a superfluous restraint on federal power. To say the Fifth Amendment applies against state and local governments would mean the Fifth Amendment and the Bill of Rights actually granted power to the federal government and its courts. This would be ludicrous.

An early Supreme Court case involving the Takings Clause was Barron v. Baltimore, 1833. This was one of the few cases Chief Justice John Marshall got right. The decision held the Fifth Amendment does not apply to the state governments and any remedy for the plaintiff would need to be settled under Maryland law. In addition, Justice Marshall acknowledged the federal courts did not have jurisdiction in the case since the taking of property at issue was not a federal matter.

The plaintiff, John Barron, sued the city of Baltimore claiming the value of his wharf property had been so impaired by the citys development/improvement project that it constituted a taking of his property under the Fifth Amendments Takings Clause. John Marshalls decision said the issue presented in the case was, of great importance, but not of much difficulty. Marshalls decision explains the text of the Constitution, the purpose of the Bill of Rights, and the context in which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were ratified. The opinion concludes, [w]e are of opinion that the provision in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution declaring that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation is intended solely as a limitation on the exercise of power by the Government of the United States, and is not applicable to the legislation of the States. As such, the court can take no jurisdiction of the cause.

The Kelo House, New London, Connecticut

The Supreme Court in Kelo v. City of New London should have reached the same conclusion as the court in Barron v. Baltimore, namely, that the Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case because the Fifth Amendment and the Takings Clause do not apply against state and local legislation. The result of the Supreme Courts decision in Kelo was correct because it affirmed the decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court. The Connecticut Supreme Courts decision was dubious, but the Supreme Court does not have legitimate authority to overturn bad state supreme court decisions unless the Supreme Court has jurisdiction. State action under the Fifth Amendment does not fall within federal subject matter jurisdiction and does not involve a federal question.

Why did the Supreme Court assume jurisdiction in Kelo? Because, like other branches of the federal government, the Supreme Court loves power, and because of a judicial doctrine the Supreme Court created in the early twentieth century called the Incorporation Doctrine. For more on the Incorporation Doctrine, click here.

For more on Eminent Domain, generally, click here.

Another reason why the Fifth Amendment matters today would be so-called, Miranda rights.

Miranda rights were created out of thin air by the United States Supreme Court in 1966 with no basis whatsoever in the text, history, plain meaning, or logic of the Constitution.

Miranda rights create an obligation for police officers throughout the United States to warn criminal suspects being interrogated or in custody that they have certain rights prior to interrogation (e.g., right to remain silent, right to an attorney, etc). Generally, statements made to police without suspects first receiving Miranda warnings cannot be used against the suspect in court.

Ernesto Miranda convicted kidnapper, rapist and armed robber.

According to the Supreme Court, so-called Miranda Rights are based on the language from the Fifth Amendment, nor shall any person be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself. The Fifth Amendment had been around for one-hundred and seventy-five years before the Supreme Court discovered these rights.

Whether requiring police officers to Mirandize criminal suspects is good policy or not is a separate matter. What matters is the Supreme Court took the Fifth Amendment a superfluous restraint on federal power, a shield erected by the states against the federal government and turned it into a weapon whereby federal judges could create laws out of thin air and impose their arbitrary personal opinions on all fifty states. Requiring police officers throughout the United States to follow rules made up out of thin air by federal judges is a radical, sweeping and dangerous power grab.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Visit link:

Fifth Amendment - U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights

Genetics & Medicine – Site Guide – NCBI – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Posted on by

Bookshelf

A collection of biomedical books that can be searched directly or from linked data in other NCBI databases. The collection includes biomedical textbooks, other scientific titles, genetic resources such as GeneReviews, and NCBI help manuals.

A resource to provide a public, tracked record of reported relationships between human variation and observed health status with supporting evidence. Related information intheNIH Genetic Testing Registry (GTR),MedGen,Gene,OMIM,PubMedand other sources is accessible through hyperlinks on the records.

A registry and results database of publicly- and privately-supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world.

An archive and distribution center for the description and results of studies which investigate the interaction of genotype and phenotype. These studies include genome-wide association (GWAS), medical resequencing, molecular diagnostic assays, as well as association between genotype and non-clinical traits.

An open, publicly accessible platform where the HLA community can submit, edit, view, and exchange data related to the human major histocompatibility complex. It consists of an interactive Alignment Viewer for HLA and related genes, an MHC microsatellite database, a sequence interpretation site for Sequencing Based Typing (SBT), and a Primer/Probe database.

A searchable database of genes, focusing on genomes that have been completely sequenced and that have an active research community to contribute gene-specific data. Information includes nomenclature, chromosomal localization, gene products and their attributes (e.g., protein interactions), associated markers, phenotypes, interactions, and links to citations, sequences, variation details, maps, expression reports, homologs, protein domain content, and external databases.

A collection of expert-authored, peer-reviewed disease descriptions on the NCBI Bookshelf that apply genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients and families with specific inherited conditions.

Summaries of information for selected genetic disorders with discussions of the underlying mutation(s) and clinical features, as well as links to related databases and organizations.

A voluntary registry of genetic tests and laboratories, with detailed information about the tests such as what is measured and analytic and clinical validity. GTR also is a nexus for information about genetic conditions and provides context-specific links to a variety of resources, including practice guidelines, published literature, and genetic data/information. The initial scope of GTR includes single gene tests for Mendelian disorders, as well as arrays, panels and pharmacogenetic tests.

A database of known interactions of HIV-1 proteins with proteins from human hosts. It provides annotated bibliographies of published reports of protein interactions, with links to the corresponding PubMed records and sequence data.

A compilation of data from the NIAID Influenza Genome Sequencing Project and GenBank. It provides tools for flu sequence analysis, annotation and submission to GenBank. This resource also has links to other flu sequence resources, and publications and general information about flu viruses.

A portal to information about medical genetics. MedGen includes term lists from multiple sources and organizes them into concept groupings and hierarchies. Links are also provided to information related to those concepts in the NIH Genetic Testing Registry (GTR), ClinVar,Gene, OMIM, PubMed, and other sources.

A project involving the collection and analysis of bacterial pathogen genomic sequences originating from food, environmental and patient isolates. Currently, an automated pipeline clusters and identifies sequences supplied primarily by public health laboratories to assist in the investigation of foodborne disease outbreaks and discover potential sources of food contamination.

A database of human genes and genetic disorders. NCBI maintains current content and continues to support its searching and integration with other NCBI databases. However, OMIM now has a new home at omim.org, and users are directed to this site for full record displays.

A database of citations and abstracts for biomedical literature from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. Links are provided when full text versions of the articles are available via PubMed Central (described below) or other websites.

A digital archive of full-text biomedical and life sciences journal literature, including clinical medicine and public health.

A collection of clinical effectiveness reviews and other resources to help consumers and clinicians use and understand clinical research results. These are drawn from the NCBI Bookshelf and PubMed, including published systematic reviews from organizations such as the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, The Cochrane Collaboration, and others (see complete listing). Links to full text articles are provided when available.

A collection of resources specifically designed to support the research of retroviruses, including a genotyping tool that uses the BLAST algorithm to identify the genotype of a query sequence; an alignment tool for global alignment of multiple sequences; an HIV-1 automatic sequence annotation tool; and annotated maps of numerous retroviruses viewable in GenBank, FASTA, and graphic formats, with links to associated sequence records.

A summary of data for the SARS coronavirus (CoV), including links to the most recent sequence data and publications, links to other SARS related resources, and a pre-computed alignment of genome sequences from various isolates.

An extension of the Influenza Virus Resource to other organisms, providing an interface to download sequence sets of selected viruses, analysis tools, including virus-specific BLAST pages, and genome annotation pipelines.

View post:

Genetics & Medicine - Site Guide - NCBI - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Department of Genetic Medicine – Weill Cornell Medical College

Posted on by

Our translational research program includes many projects in the fields of genetic therapies and personalized medicine. The field of genetic therapies comprises gene and stem cell therapies and our laboratory has extensive expertise in both areas. Our group was the first to use a recombinant virus as a vehicle for in vivo gene therapy and we have carried out human trials of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis, cardiac ischemia, cancer and central nervous system disorders. Among the current projects are gene transfer strategies for cancer, inherited CNS disorders, 1-antitrypsin deficiency, anti-bioterrorism applications and development of vaccines. We also operate the clinical vector production laboratory of the Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility, which has produced adenovirus and adeno-associated virus vectors that have been used in numerous human studies. Current projects in the field of stem cell therapy include characterization of the roles of cancer stem cells in lung cancer and the role of airway epithelium stem cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Personalized medicine is the use of information and data from an individual's genotype, or level of gene expression to stratify complex diseases, select a medication or dose of a medication, provide a therapy, or initiate a preventative measure that is specifically suited to that patient. In addition to genetic information, other factors, including imaging, laboratory, and clinical information about the disease process or the patient are integrated into the process of developing personalized medicine. Our group utilizes microarray technologies for genome-wide characterization of gene expression, single nucleotide polymorphism and copy number variation profiles on clinical samples as the basis for projects aimed at indentifying candidate genes associated with complex disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The overall research program of the group includes close collaborations with other laboratories at Weill Cornell and elsewhere, including Malcolm Moore's group at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for stem cell projects. Of particular note are our collaborations on personalized medicine projects with colleagues at Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar and Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar and collaborations on Bioinformatics and Biostatistical Genetics with several laboratories at Cornell-Ithaca, including Andy Clark and Jason Mezey.

View original post here:

Department of Genetic Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College

Trance (Final Fantasy IX) | Final Fantasy Wiki | Fandom …

Posted on by

June 2014

Steiner in battle

Trance (, Toransu?) is the Limit Break system in Final Fantasy IX that temporarily transforms a character into a more powerful form, increasing all physical damage by a factor of 1.5x (except for Steiner, who becomes even more powerful). While in Trance party members have their innate unique skills enhanced in some fashion.

Trance is induced by a surge of powerful emotions. Thus, in three battles during which time they are particularly emotional, Zidane, Vivi and Steiner automatically enter Trance at the beginning of the battle: Zidane in Evil Forest, Vivi on the Cargo Ship, and Steiner during the battle of Alexandria.

During a time she is going through emotional turmoil, Dagger's Trance bar will not fill and is not even displayed. The temporary player charactersMarcus, Blank, Cinna, and Beatrixhave no Trance gauges. Besides these exceptions, the plot events do not affect characters' Trance.

Trance is accumulated as the character is attacked by enemies, filling the gauge underneath their ATB bar. If a character is afflicted with Zombie, the Trance bar is reduced to zero. Once the Trance bar is filled, the character immediately enters Trance, changing their appearance and giving the character a mysterious glow. All attacks are equal in filling the Trance bar, and thus even attacks that do no damage count towards it. As the character enters Trance as soon as the filling blow has been dealt, it is possible for an enemy's final attack to trigger it, giving a character a Trance at what is the end of the battle, effectively wasting it, or for it to be triggered by weak opponents that can easily be defeated without it. Thus, using Trance strategically can be tough as one cannot easily control which enemies attack and how often. Additionally, the usefulness of the ability tends to diminish for certain characters later in the game. For example, since characters cannot break the damage limit of 9999, Zidane's Dyne abilities become relatively less potent later in the game if the player has developed the character to the point that he can reliably hit for 9999 damage with other attacks.

Steiner enters Trance.

Being in Trance raises the character's attributes, and they are healed of all status ailments (but do not become immune to them). In Trance special abilities become available, depending on the character who has entered Trance. The Trance bar decreases with every action taken and Trance is reverted when the bar is depleted, when the battle ends, or the character becomes afflicted with the Zombie status. If the battle ends while the Trance bar is still partially full while in Trance, the bar is emptied after the battle.

The amount that the Trance gauge fills up is equal to a random MOD Spirit. If the support ability High Tide is equipped, the gauge fills up equal to the character's Spirit stat instead.

The amount that the Trance gauge decreases while in Trance is as follows:

Certain types of actions unique to a character empty out the Trance gauge less than other actions. For instance, when Vivi uses Black Magic in Trance, the action expends less of the Trance bar, than it would have if Vivi used an item.

IX

Trance is a surge of powerful emotions that momentarily enhances one's inner capabilities, and thus the effects are unique to each individual. As explained in Final Fantasy IX Ultimania, Kuja lacks the ability to express complex emotions due to having been denied a childhood, and thus is unable to naturally enter Trance. Garland saw the flaws in his design, and created Zidane to one day replace Kuja, but created Zidane as a child, allowing him to grow and thus develop a full range of emotions, granting him the ability of Trance and thus making him ultimately superior to Kuja. Kuja, jealous Garland had created another Genome, kidnapped Zidane and abandoned him on Gaia, where Zidane was raised by Baku and his Tantalus Theater Troupe.

Zidane grows up on Gaia never learning of his Terran origins, and by the age of 16 is a full-fledged member of the troupe and able to enter Trance. After Tantalus kidnaps Princess Garnet and crashes in Evil Forest, Zidane enters Trance when trying to save her from the forest's monsters. Even the young members of the party like Eiko and Vivi, and despite the latter being an artificially produced black mage, have the emotional capacity for Trance, Vivi spontaneously Trancing when his brethren are attacked by a Black Waltz on the cargo ship.

Trance Kuja.

Eiko's pet moogle, Mog, enters Trance as a result of her strong desire to protect Eiko, revealing her true form as the eidolon Madeen. Kuja witnesses the feat and realizes the true power of Trance, and abandons his quest for powerful eidolons, beginning to seek the power of Trance instead. Being a Genome, he can absorb dormant souls into his being, and thus absorbs the souls from within the Invincible. Using the soul of Queen Brahne as a catalyst, Kuja has the souls all enter Trance simultaneously, giving him an incredibly powerful Trance that he is able to sustain for an extended period of time.

Reveling in his new-found powers, Kuja kills Garland but is driven to madness upon learning of his impending death. He destroys Terra before setting out to destroy the crystal, source of all life. Zidane and his friends follow Kuja to the Crystal World and defeat him, and as Kuja returns to the Iifa Tree, his Trance is gone.

Spoilers end here.

Description

Zidane's Skill command changes into Dyne while in Trance. It grants special attacks that cost MP. The more Skills Zidane learns, the more powerful Dyne abilities become available. In Trance, Zidane's hair turns pink and becomes longer, and his clothes are replaced with pink fur, as an allusion to Terra Branford's Trance from Final Fantasy VI.

Description

Dagger's Summon command changes to Eidolon, increasing the chance of a summon having a stronger attack (full animation) and the summoned eidolon has a chance of reappearing during the rest of the battle as long as Dagger stays in Trance, continuing to reappear at random intervals. If Dagger summons multiple eidolons, the last eidolon she summons will be the one to reappear. The random summons do not use MP or expend the Trance gauge, but are weaker than regular summonings, always using the short animation. As the random summons don't deplete the Trance gauge, one can let Dagger idle. When Garnet enters Trance, her hair turns blonde, her skin turns pink with white glyphs along her legs, and her outfit transforms into a white leotard with a low neckline and light green sleeves and boots.

Description

Vivi's Blk Mag command changes to Dbl Blk, allowing Vivi to cast two consecutive Black Magic spells per turn, providing he has MP for both. The spells count as two actions, and deplete the Trance gauge individually. In Trance, Vivi's clothes are replaced by a full-length white robe, gloves, and a hat that stands at a point, as opposed to his usually steeped hat. The straps crossing over his chest are replaced by a stylized design down the middle of his robe, including a wing-like design on his chest. The black shadow under his hat gives off a dark bluish hue while his eyes become stark white instead of yellow.

Steiner does not have any unique Trance skills, but his physical attack power triples. If attacking with the Blood Sword, Steiner will only get the normal 50% increase bonus instead. When in Trance, Steiner's armor is replaced by paladin armor complete with a faceplate with runes on the torso and gold highlights on his gauntlets, chestplate, and the spiky decorative metal jutting out of the front at his ankles. His lower mail is replaced by black pants and silver shin armor. The feather in his hat turns black and becomes jagged.

Description

Freya's Jump ability gets powered up, but doesn't receive a name change. Freya stays in the air instead of landing after a Jump and while airborne, rains spears on all enemies whenever it is her turn. When her Trance gauge expires, or the battle ends, she performs a final attack and lands. Her trance can be exploited when all party members except Freya are KO as while she stays in the air most enemies will do nothing except supportive moves since they can't target Freya, or even attack themselves with their own attacks when it is their turn, and Freya will deal damage to them until the Trance expires. During Trance, Freya's clothing is replaced with full platemail armor, complete with a pair of gauntlets and greaves that cover her hands and legs, and her hat is replaced with a knight's helmet that covers all but the back of her head.

Description

Quina's Eat command changes to Cook. This means Quina can attempt to eat the enemy when it has 50% or fewer HP instead of the usual requirement of having lost 75% of their total HP. In Trance, Quina's face disappears into a void with only bright white eyes showing. His/her clothes are replaced by an obese armor set, his/her chef's hat turning into a helmet.

Description

Eiko's Wht Mag changes to Dbl Wht, allowing Eiko to cast two consecutive White Magic spells in one turn, providing she has MP for both. The spells count as separate actions and will deplete the Trance gauge individually. In Trance, Eiko's horn lengthens and turns sky-blue and her ornamental wings grow bigger and transform into actual white feathered wings. Her hair and sleeves turn light green; her bow, chest plate, pants, and boots become white; and her turtleneck and bodysuit change to purple.

Description

Amarant's Flair changes to Elan, making all of Amarant's Flairs apply to multiple targets. While in Trance, Amarant's clothes disappear and his skin turns dark with purple highlights, and his facial hair and dreadlocks turn black.

Dissidia

Zidane enters Trance

Kuja enters Trance

Zidane and Kuja enter their Trance forms during their EX Modes, but the nature of these abilities is different from their Trance abilities in Final Fantasy IX. Zidane gains the abilities Aerial Jump, which allows him to jump ten times in a row, and Dodge Jump, which makes him invincible to some attacks while jumping.

Kuja gains the abilities Hyper Glide and Auto Magic. Hyper Glide lets him maintain altitude longer while Gliding, and Auto Magic leaves Flare and Holy orbs as Kuja moves through the air to damage opponents. Both execute their EX Bursts while in their Trance forms.

Dissidia012

Zidane and Kuja retain Trance as their EX Mode, though their abilities are modified. Zidane's Trance has a new effect that resets his jump count when he dodges, letting him jump again, while Kuja's Auto Magic has lower damage priority. Dodging to reset jumps was available to all characters in the first Dissidia Final Fantasy, but was removed in Dissidia 012 for all but Zidane's Trance mode.

Dissidia When Zidane goes into Trance, he will use Mug instead of Steal, which adds the effect of inflicting Bravery damage.

PFF When using his Ultima Premium Skill, Kuja goes into his Trance form to fire off the attack.

FFAB Zidane and Garnet appear in their Trance forms on certain Legend cards in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade. In addition, most of Zidane's Legend cards have him performing abilities from his Dyne skill set and Eiko also uses her Dbl Wht. ability.

FFRK The characters from Final Fantasy IX use their Trance skills in Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

FFBE

TCG One of Eiko's cards has W-White [Holy] as its ability. W-White [Holy] requires the discard of an Eiko card, Dulling Eiko, and paying two Earth CP, and allows the player to select up to two Forwards and deal them 8000 damage, if the player has taken at least 5 damage.

Quina's card has Eat, requiring the discard of a Quina card and two Water CP. Eat allows the player to select an opponent's Forward that has taken damage the turn Eat is used, and if it has a Special Ability or Action Ability, the player can Break it.

Trance in Final Fantasy IX is homage to Terra Branford's ability from Final Fantasy VI. [view edit purge]Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. In general, it simply means 'idle and motionlessly resting' or 'mesmerized'.

See the original post:

Trance (Final Fantasy IX) | Final Fantasy Wiki | Fandom ...