Monthly Archives: July 2020

33 spectacular photos from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist – Insider – INSIDER

Posted: July 21, 2020 at 12:22 pm

London's Royal Observatory has announced its shortlist for its prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, and the photos are out of this world.

Multiple photos featuring the night sky, planets, stars, galaxies, and aurorae made the shortlist. This year's competition has a new award, the Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation, which is awarded to the person that can "transform images already captured and display the wonders of the universe in a fresh light," according to RMG.

The competition allows adults to enter all categories. Photographers under 16 can submit photos for the Young Astronomy Photographer category.

The overall winner of the competition wins 10,000 (about $12,570), and in each category, the winner receives 1,500 (about $1,880), the runner-up receives 500 (about $628), and the highly commended gets 250 (about $315).

Take a look at the stunning shots from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Shortlist 2020.

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How this e-learning platform on Astronomy can answer all your questions about the universe – EdexLive

Posted: at 12:22 pm

Everybody is curious to know about the universe but in the process of knowing it, we also learn and develop some superstitious beliefs. Shweta Kulkarni was also curious to know more about the universe but she channelled her interest in the right direction. That's how she was able to start the digital platform AstronEra. This 24-year-old, who is a Royal Astronomical Society fellow, tells us about her interest in the subject, "I was only 16 years old when my parents bought me my first telescope. I would show my friends the stars and other interesting things in the sky. They were really impressed with me. Gradually, I read more and learnt more about astronomythrough various platforms. When I was 18, I co-founded a non-profit organisation called Astron-SHK."

While educating youngsters about astronomy, she met several experts like Dr Govind Swarup, Professor Jayanth Narlikar and many others. That's when she got the idea to create astronomy-based videos, which eventually won her international fame. Shweta explains, "I wrote to the Department of Science and Technology about the lack of astronomical videos available for learners and our interest to create some of them. They gave us a grant of `2.5 lakh and we were able to produce five videos especially for the beginners in astronomy. We were invited to the International Astronomical Youth Camp held in the UK and were surprised to see that most of the people had already watched our videos. What they liked about them was the contribution of Indian scientists in the field of Astronomy."

With this newfound popularity for her videos, she decided to start AstronEra, an e-learning platform, in 2018. "Everybody has the right to learn about this subject and develop a scientific temperament, and AstronEra facilitates the same. This digital platform, incubated at IIMB'sNSRCEL, provides a wide range of astronomical courses for people of all agegroups." Currently, Shweta who is pursuing a BSc in Astronomy with Honours from theUniversity of Central Lancashire through distance learning, builds the content for these courses with the help of mentors and her friends who are also experts in the field. She explains, "There are different courses including space exploration, Hubble space telescope, a guide to buy a telescope, exploring the solar system, astronomy without a telescope and so on. As many students have shown an interest in studying Astronomy during the lockdown, we are offering most of these courses at half price. Over 2,000 students have taken up these courses so far."

Shweta also goes to government schools or schools in tribal regions to create awareness about the universe and various eclipses so that they don't follow superstitious beliefs. A few months ago, Shweta's team visited around 500 tribal schools in Maharashtra with a telescope and helped students observe the Moon. "They were surprised, happy and found it amazing. What more can I ask for? We also gave them two of our online courses for free which were translated to Marathi and Hindi. All I dream is to spread the knowledge of Astronomy and bring that interest for this subject among the youngsters," she concludes.

To know more about their interesting courses, you can checkastronera.org

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Astronomers Do the Math to Figure Out Exactly When Johannes Vermeer Painted this, More than 350 Years Ago – Universe Today

Posted: at 12:22 pm

Most of us will be forgotten only a generation or two after we pass. But some few of us will be remembered: great scientists, leaders, or generals, for example. But we can add historys great artists to that list, and one in particular: Johannes Vermeer.

Vermeer was largely ignored during the two centures that followed his death, and died as other painters often did: penniless. But as more time has passed, the Dutch Baroque painter has grown in reputation, as historians increasingly recognize him as a master.

Though its not Vermeers best-known work, View of Delft has become recognized as a masterpiece in more modern times. Theres a long-standing mystery around Vermeers masterpiece: when exactly was it painted?

Historians have thought for a long time that he painted it sometime during late spring or early summer of 1660. But Vermeer is considered a master of light and shadow in his work. Many scholars have tried to figure out the lighting in the painting, and at what time of day the scene is based on.

Now a team of researchers might have figured it out. The team is led by Texas State University astronomer, and physics professor emeritus Donald Olson. Their work was published in the September 2020 issue of the magazine Sky and Telescope. Its titled Dating Vermeers View of Delft.

Some say that in the painting the light was coming from the west. Others say the Sun was directly overhead in the scene. After looking over maps of Delft, Olson and his students realized that the view is looking North. After figuring that out, it was clear that the light was coming from the southeast, making this a morning scene. This lines up with what some previous authors have concluded.

In a press release from Texas State University, Professor Olson said The students and I worked for about a year on this project. We spent a lot of time studying the topography of the town, using maps from the 17th and 19th centuries and Google Earth. We planned out exactly what we should do. On this research trip, it was the students who told us where to go to find Vermeers viewpoint and when to be there.

The team would not have figured this out without Google Earth, or at least not as easily. It helped the studentsCharles Condos and Michael Snchez from Texas State, and Tim Jenison of San Antoniomap out the landmarks in the painting. Then they determined the angles of view that were closest to what Vermeer would have seen centuries ago.

The team also concluded that Vermeers vantage point was the second floor of an inn overlooking Delft.

Google Earth is spectacularly accurate when it comes to distances and angles, so we used it as our measuring stick, Snchez said. Google Earth is basically another tool in our arsenal of techniques.

Id known about Dr. Olsons work for quite some time, and its always fascinated me, Sanchez said. Combining my appreciation for art and love of astronomy appealed to me. When he approached me about this project, I was excited.

One key to the work was the presence of a landmark in the painting called Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). Its an octagonal tower, and its a feature in Delft now as it was in Vermeers time. Some historians have said that Vermeer enlarged the tower in his painting, and the team wanted to test that claim as part of their work.

The painting itself is at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. Olson and the others visited the museum and took detailed measurements of the work. Then they compared their measurements with high-res photographs of the tower from a similar vantage point. After also taking measurements of the tower itself, they found that Vermeer in fact had not exagerrated the tower.

Understanding that Vermeer painted the tower as it was, was key to the teams overall work. The octagonal tower has stone columns that project from the corners. In Vermeers painting, the center column almost, but not quite, shades the column to the left. A thin vertical sliver of light just grazes past the center column and lights up the left column. The presence of that detail allowed the astronomers to calculate the angle of the sun with great precision.

Vermeer is known to have worked slowly. Completing all the details on the large canvas of his masterpiece may have taken weeks, months or even years.

Vermeer is a master of light and shadow, and that little detailed sliver of light was the critical clue in solving this mystery.

Thats our key. Thats the sensitive indicator of where the sun has to be to do that, to just skim the one projection and illuminate the other, Olson said. The pattern of light and shadows was a sensitive indicator of the position of the sun.

Once the team had a solid understanding of the time of day that Vermeer painted Delft at, a bunch of other details fell into place. One of those details was the clock on the facade of a building. People have placed the hands at just past 7 oclock. But the team wasnt sure.

The team of researchers had reviewed other paintings from the same time period, and noticed that in all other paintings with clocks, both hands were lined up as well. After more research, they discovered that clocks didnt have minute hands until late 19th century. As it turns out, clocks in Vermeers time only had one handthe hour hand.

With that knowledge in hand, the team realized that the clock in View of Delft had only one hand, pointing to a time near 8 AM.

Another clue was present in Nieuwe Kerk too. In Vermeers painting, the belfry openings are clear, whereas the present-day building has bells in the openings. The team consulted historical records, which showed that the carillon and bells were installed starting in April 1660 and was completed by September of the same year. So Vermeer had to have painted the city prior to that.

The team of researchers wasnt finished yet, and as astronomers, they had more tools at their disposal than most art historians do.

They used astronomical software to calculate when the Sun would have been in the right position to cast the shadows on the towers in the painting. There were two answers, but only two. It was either April 6th to 8th, or September 3rd to 4th. But the trees are covered in leaves, which was the final clue. In Delfts climate, the trees would not have burst into full leaf in early April, whereas they would be fully leafed in early September.

The team had their answer. Vermeer painted View of Delft as it appeared on September 3rd-4th, 1659. Or at a similar date on some year just prior to that.

Vermeer is known to have worked slowly. Completing all the details on the large canvas of his masterpiece may have taken weeks, months or even years, Olson said. His remarkably accurate depiction of the distinctive and fleeting pattern of light and shadows on the Nieuwe Kerk suggests that at least this detail was inspired by direct observation of the sunlit tower rising above the wall and roofs of Delft.

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Pastor-astronomer: Recent solar events are gifts of awe – Suburbanite

Posted: at 12:22 pm

"The heavens declare the glory"

NORTH CANTON July has been an auspicious month for stargazers like the Rev. David Ross, a lifelong of student of astronomy.

Hes been watching the Comet NEOWISE, which can be seen unaided in Northeast Ohio, just prior to sunrise. It will not return for 6,800 years.

On Sunday, the full moon, Jupiter and Saturn will align. On July 29, the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower will occur in the northeast skies.

"Theres always something interesting going on up there," he said.

Ross, a retired minister who co-pastors Simpson United Methodist Church in Plain Township with his wife, Barb, said the stars are a gift of Gods creation to provide humans with a sense of awe and wonder.

"I grew up in the 60s when the space program was all the rage," he said. "That just kind of stoked my interest over the years. Ive been able to enjoy building a telescope and taking pictures of comets, like Hale-Bopp."

In past years, Ross has done presentations on the Bethlehem Star.

"Certainly the Gospel mentions the Star of Bethlehem," he said. "Over the years, Ive come to appreciate, in terms of faith, the wonder of the world around us."

Ross cites theologians such as William Brown, who have noted that the Bibles "wisdom" literature - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job and others - contributes to the formation of character through extolling natures wonders.

"If youre able to open yourself up through the gift of creation and the strange things which humble us, thats an important element for building character," he said. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Ross recalls being in awe during the last solar eclipse, which he saw in Nashville.

"Its an uncanny feeling to see that. To think that people in earlier times and ages must have wondered what this is all about," he said. "In 2024, its going to be the full megillah. The line goes through Wooster and Cleveland, so we dont have to travel very far."

He noted that ancient people viewed comets as a bad omen. Prior to Comet NEOWISE, there were two others in March and April.

"I think the Lords trying to tell us something," he laughed. "Of course, hes always trying to tell us something. If it takes a comet to do that..."

Ross said he thinks the current pushback against science is a result of institutions being buffeted by scandals.

"So many institutions and authority figures have been undermined," he said. "Everybody seems to think they can go their own way and be their own authority. With the virus, I would have thought the science behind how we stay well would have been one the place where we put some trust.

"In church we pray for people who are sick, but hope the doctors do their best. Some challenge is appropriate, but we see what can happen if everything becomes a matter of opinion. It happened in Bible times when the prophets said, `Everyone went their own way. Its a recipe for chaos."

Ross said his favorite Scripture regarding astronomy is Psalm 19:

"The heavens declare the glory of God."

"C.S. Lewis said he thought those lines were some of the most beautiful written in the English language," he said. "Hes someone who had a real sense of how the stars and sky through the ages have spoken to religious people and nonreligious people."

Lewis "Narnia" series, he noted, makes use of stars and planets in their plots.

In 2014, the Star of Bethlehem Conference observed its 400th anniversary at University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The group was founded by Johannes Kepler, who wrote a theory contending there was an alignment of the planets.

"For me, its less the scientific search than the wonder," Ross said. "I got interested in Bethlehem Star from `Its a Wonderful Life."

The film opens on an image of a group of galaxies known as Stephans Quintet.

"(Director) Frank Capra had a lifelong interest in astronomy," Ross said. "He studied at what became Cal Tech. At the time, those galaxies were the definition of things to wonder about. Its key element of the storyline."

Last year, Ross spoke at festival in Seneca Falls, N.Y., which honors the film.

"Its not until George (Bailey) changes his perspective, its after that hes able to see the stars," Ross said. "Its after he comes back from the bridge that hes able to see the stars again."

Ross urges people to visit Stark County Wilderness Center Education Director Robin Gills Facebook page, which features information on stargazing.

"It doesnt take a group or gathering to enjoy astronomy," he said.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

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Solar Orbiter sends back the closest photos of the Sun ever taken – Astronomy Magazine

Posted: at 12:22 pm

Another instrument, the Solar and Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI), sent back shots of the zodiacal light, which occurs when sunlight reflects off dust particles in our solar system. Although these images dont signify a new discovery, taking them required SoloHI to tamp down the Suns glare to just a trillionth its actual brightness. By successfully completing the task, researchers are confident SoloHI can produce the image quality needed to study the solar wind (the instruments intended purpose) once the mission ramps up.

The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) also beamed back high-resolution data showing the Suns intricate and powerful magnetic field. And in a first, PHI revealed a view of a local magnetic field on the Sun that was not visible from Earth at the time, exemplifying just one advantage of the spacecrafts intentionally tilted orbit.

The Suns magnetic field drives numerous internal processes, which can produce solar flares and other powerful outbursts. Such energetic solar events can affect us here on Earth, too from sparking stunning auroras to knocking out satellite communications and earthbound power grids. But by monitoring the Sun with spacecraft such as Solar Orbiter and the Parker Solar Probe, scientists should be able to better predict when Earth-affecting space weather will occur.

All in all, these first results show that we still have much to learn about our home star, as well as the forces that power its frequently finicky behavior. Solar Orbiter is off to an excellent start, said project scientist Daniel Mller. We are all really excited about these first images but this is just the beginning.

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Eastern Iowa Observatory offers a chance to see the stars and so much more – The Gazette

Posted: at 12:22 pm

By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, for The Gazette

A lifelong interest in astronomy and outer space led Scott Bounds to pursue three degrees in physics. After a stint at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington, D.C., hes worked as a research scientist at the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy for 21 years.

Yet he learned about the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center the way many locals do: His sons Cub Scout pack scheduled a visit.

Up until then, I didnt even know the observatory existed, Bounds said of the facility on the southern edge of Palisades-Kepler State Park near Mount Vernon.

When he visited the observatory that night about 10 years ago, he was floored by what he saw.

They took us out to this big 24-inch telescope, that, unless youre a fairly wealthy astronomy buff, youre not going to have anything like that, Bounds said. Thats what really wowed me.

He learned that the Linn County Conservation Department and a club, the Cedar Amateur Astronomers, ran the observatory. He joined the club almost immediately, Bounds said. And hes been involved ever since, currently serving as the clubs president for the second time and scouting program coordinator.

LIFELONG ASTRONOMY BUFF

A childhood interest in space was almost inevitable: Bounds grew up in Huntsville, Ala., also known as the Rocket City. Thats where NASA did much of the early rocket design work for the Apollo space missions.

He visited NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville at least twice a year, read science books and magazines, and owned a small telescope. In college, Bounds joined the astronomy club and considered studying astronomy in graduate school before sticking with physics.

But I always maintained an interest in astronomy, he said.

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Bounds moved to Iowa City in 1999. As a research scientist in the space physics realm the field that acclaimed UI scientist James Van Allen effectively started he builds instruments for spacecraft and rockets. His specialty is near-earth phenomena, such as aurora and radiation belts.

The UI Physics and Astronomy department has a couple of telescopes, but he never used them. At home, his backyard wasnt ideal for viewing the night sky. Years went by until his wife suggested he join their son on the Cub Scouts visit to the observatory.

Thats when Bounds found his home as an amateur astronomer.

For Bounds, part of the appeal of astronomy is the unknown.

What is out there? Where do we fit in this universe? he said. We can see the stars but cant go to them, at least not in our lifetime.

Cedar Amateur Astronomers started with a dozen members in 1979. The club now has more than 100 members. The group raised $700,000 to build an indoor learning center and create a permanent home for a two-ton, 1960s research telescope, donated by the University of Iowa, that club members refurbished and reassembled.

The club holds monthly meetings virtually since March because of the coronavirus and maintains the observatorys equipment and grounds. The club also organizes public events and hosts private tours for scouts, school field trips and other groups.

If you have an interest in astronomy, the club is a good stepping-off point, Bounds said. The club caters to any level of experience in amateur astronomy.

They learn from each other what equipment to buy and what not to buy. After becoming a club member, Bounds said he bought a telescope a 10-inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain LX200. The downside of owning a telescope is having to set it up and align it before every use. The telescopes at the observatory are already set up and aligned.

You can just go up there and start using them almost immediately, Bounds said.

Grants secured by the club to build the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center came with a caveat: The club must open the facility and equipment to the public. And so it does.

The club schedules 12 public events each year, from March through November, including two each month in the summer. Typically, a speaker gives a 45-minute presentation on his or her area of expertise. For example, club member Carl Bracken organizes a Solar Day each July with daytime viewing of the sun.

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The astronomy clubs close relationship with the University of Iowa has played a vital role in the observatory having professional-grade equipment. The university donated the 24-inch Boller and Chivens Cassegrain professional-grade telescope used by researchers from the 1960s to the 90s.

The 4,600-square-foot observatory also has a 16-inch computer-controlled telescope and several portable telescopes. Members also bring and set up their own telescopes for visitors to look through. On cloudy nights, visitors can still go out to the telescopes and see how they work.

Theres a lot out there to see, to do. Its more than they expect, Bounds said. We try to keep everything in good shape, working order and very presentable.

The coronavirus pandemic hit just as the clubs 2020 schedule began. Public events were canceled and now, Bounds said, we are taking things month by month.

As soon as public events resume, they will be listed on the clubs website, cedar-astronomers.org/events.

If the skies are clear, we have the scopes up and operating, Bounds said. The club will be out there, operating telescopes until the last person leaves.

What: Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center at Palisade-Dows Preserve

Who: Only open for public events and to Cedar Amateur Astronomers club members

Where: 1365 Ivanhoe Road, Ely (about halfway between Ely and Mount Vernon at the Palisades-Dows Preserve)

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Website: cedar-astronomers.org

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Discover: ‘You’re getting sleepy’ the amazing science of hypnosis – Sudbury.com

Posted: at 12:21 pm

Trance states can be fun when youre on stage, but they can also have profound effects in relieving pain and changing behaviour

When you hear the word hypnosis, you may be immediately reminded of that stage show you saw, and the man that had a great time clucking like a chicken on command. Perhaps you think of being out of your own mind, unable to control your body, and something you never want to experience.

But the thing is, you probably already have. Ever fallen into a trance watching the snow come at the windshield? So engrossed in a book or movie that you forget the world youre in, felt the relaxation of a flickering flame, or even, the calm meditation of the Zamboni making its rounds?

And you know everybody watches the Zamboni you cant take your eyes off it.

All of these times, you have been in whats really, at its base level, a trance. It is this state whether it is an altered state of consciousness or simply a relaxed one (this is still up for debate) that allows the power of suggestion to work to its true potential. And in the right hands, that could mean that changing your perception of the world while in this state.

Hypnotherapy, the practice of accessing the subconscious mind in order to change behaviour, has been around for some time more than 200 years really. And though it began as a pseudoscience, without much in the way of standard practice and some outlandish theories to say the least hows the idea of disease called animal magnetism featuring an internal liquid magnetic force it has now been shown not only to have an effect on the subconscious mind, but a measureable one.

A landmark study in 1999 by Pierre Rainville from the University of Montreal tested pain response in conjunction with hypnotism. In the study, hypnotized participants briefly placed their left hand in water one heated to a painful 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) and the other left at room temperature. Some participants were instructed that as they put their hand in the water they may feel some pain, but not a bothersome amount. For instance, if the usual pain register would be a ten, then they might only feel it as a five.

The participants had neurological scans while the test was happening, and there were remarkable results. Those who put their hand in the 116-degree water but were told the pain would be less showed less activity in their brains. Specifically, less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, associated with pain processing.

A more recent Stanford university study in 2016 found changes in the brains functions as well. Dr. David Spiegel, professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, and his colleagues screened 545 healthy participants and found 36 people who consistently scored high on tests of hypnotisability (your ability to follow orders and pay careful attention), as well as 21 control subjects who scored on the extreme low end of the scales.

Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) to measure brain activity, each person was scanned: while resting, while recalling a memory, and during two hypnosis sessions.

What they found and what they found only in the patients who scored highest on the hypnotisability test, and only while they were in one of the two hypnosis sessions was three distinct changes.

First, they saw a decrease in activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate, part of the brains salience network, which detects behaviorally relevant stimuli and co-ordinates the brain's neural resources in response to these stimuli.

Then, an increase in connections between two other areas of the brain the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula. Spiegel describes this as a brain-body connection that helps the brain process and control whats going on in the body.

Finally, Spiegels team also observed reduced connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network, which includes the medial prefrontal and the posterior cingulate cortex.

This decrease in functional connectivity could potentially be the disconnect between someones actions and their awareness of their actions.

When it comes to weight loss with hypnotherapy, small scale studies are showing it could be a more effective long-term weight loss tool, and highly complementary to other behavioural changes. Other small studies seeking to show if hypnosis can help with smoking, treat a drug addiction, or even self-hypnosis in order to avoid relapse have found it is a very viable therapy.

One of the most fascinating aspects though, is hypnotherapys potential within healthcare.

There is beginning research into hypnotherapy as a complement in treating Pediatric Crohns Disease.

As well, Montreal Childrens Hospital Interventional Radiology department took part in a pilot project to better understand medical hypnosis. More than 120 children and teens have now undergone medical hypnotism, and the results are astounding.

Patients who were hypnotized prior to procedures rated their discomfort at an average 1.4 out of 10 for pain those without rated it a 5.4. The use of medical hypnotherapy is now resulting in the use of less or no sedation for procedures that previously depended on the time, cost and risk of anesthesia. As well, as children are known to be medical wigglers, the hypnotic state is allowing the medical professionals to better and more easily perform the required medical procedures.

Imagine making the life of a child in pain better, without needing to do more than to teach them to relax.

But if youre a skeptic, you might still wonder about the placebo effect. Well, youre not wrong. The thing is, the placebo effect can be quite healing.

In her book, Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body, journalist and author Jo Marchant details the placebo effect, and the fact that the brain is still responding in the desired capacity. For instance, she notes that a placebo painkiller can actually trigger the release of the same pain-relieving endorphins that pain medication would. Or patients with Parkinsons disease can take a placebo pill and still feel the same release of dopamine that they would if they took their actual medication.

That is, of course, unless the patient knows its a placebo. That is one of the stickier issues when it comes to studying the effects of hypnosis. In order to accurately capture it, the study participant cant know its happening. And that can make for an ethical dilemma.

Using the method as treatment however, requires you in the drivers seat, says Gilles Brideau, Sudbury-based registered psychotherapist and practitioner of hypnotherapy since 2002.

What hypnosis is really like, he says, is like we're driving in a car, and I have a map. While he can gently advise you that your turn is coming up because his map says so you can still drive right past. Its this choice, this free will, which will help your experience with the process as well.

According to Brideau, the success of hypnotherapy comes from your brains inability to distinguish what is happening now, and what you are imagining is happening.

Im sure youve had a dream, says Brideau, a very vivid dream in which you were being chased. If you wake up and you do a carotid (pulse) check, your heart would be racing. But what were you doing? Laying down, resting. We get a physiological response to an action that wasnt taking place, because your brain perceived it to be real.

Its this power to bring the brain into a moment that hasnt happened yet that allows for help during medical procedures, hypnobirthing, even upcoming medical procedures that are causing anxiety for the prospective patient.

The session would begin with some questions, mostly geared to your desired outcomes. Then, some helpful tool of distraction. A pair of glasses that flash small lights in your eyes at a quicker pace before slowing, as well as a noise-canceling headphones that only allow the chosen musical cues and the voice of Brideau to enter. My clients laugh and say youre in my head.

Its then that Brideau uses not only his training as a psychotherapist to determine his plan of action, but also his background in cognitive behavioral therapy, and other modalities. While its easy to get someone into a trance, the rest takes a skillful hand.

Then, its a matter of practice makes perfect. If you are terrified of airplanes, your time spent taxiing should not be the moment where you try to deal with the fear for the first time. With hypnotherapy, you could begin your journey 10-20 times before setting foot in the airport, simply by practicing with a hypnotherapist to help to access a calm state, and listening to their hypnotic suggestions.

Suggestions are made based on the desired outcome of the client, says Brideau, but if it is not their true desire, it wont work, says Brideau.

So if I get a wife who would really like her husband to quit smoking, but he doesnt want to, its not going to work, he said.

The outcome is discussed in detail in advance of any sessions, and very often scripted according to protocols from other eminent sources. There is one for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) that Brideau often employs, as well as also working with the clients to refocus on positive outcomes. Its not I want to be 150 pounds, says Brideau. Its about what is going to happen, will you be able to stop eating and feel full sooner, will you be able to choose foods that are better for your health.

And while there are no regulatory bodies governing hypnotherapy, the training in other areas will tell you when you have found someone you can trust. Hypnotherapy should be but one tool of an educated professional.

But if youre still worried about being made to bark like a dog, know that hypnosis cannot make you do anything youre not open to. When you see someone acting like a fool onstage, know that they are having a great time, because that was their desired outcome.

You go to a stage show to have fun, says Brideau. A lot of times, because I've done a stage show, it's kind of like I can't believe I'm doing this but I don't really care. Because you're aware the whole time. In that moment, I want to live, I want to have a good time, I want to enjoy myself right now.

So whether you are interested in hypnobirthing, help for a medical procedures, easing fears or anxieties, trouble with relaxation, smoking, and weight loss even animal noises then a hypnosis session could be of interest to you. While there are no large-scale, long-term studies at the moment, there is the beginning of fascinating research into the field, and a new understanding of the brain.

Jenny Lamothe is a freelance writer, proof-reader and editor in Greater Sudbury. Contact her through her website, JennyLamothe.com.

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Discover: 'You're getting sleepy' the amazing science of hypnosis - Sudbury.com

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Dance Bii with WesdaRuler, And More Music News and Gossip | Flagpole – Flagpole Magazine

Posted: at 12:21 pm

A PARTY AINT A PARTY UNLESS THE RULER IS AROUND: Hot off the burned rubber of the most scorching political track in recent Athens history, WesdaRuler just released a new mix named Dance Bii. The single-track mix slides around through Wes many moods, but mostly has him out front with his strong lyricism and his signature sing-song flow. Stylistically, this dips deep into 70s R&B and proto-disco (I mean, hell, peep the cover art), but also has some of Slick Ricks oddball-ness, Kendrick Lamars sense of structure and even sparse instances of DJ Screw-style slowdowns. This is also a very personal record, much like his LP Ocean Drive, and lyric heads will take much appreciation of Wess attention to detail and unbridled openness. This runs at just about half an hour long, and theres no reason I can imagine that would keep this from being on a near-constant loop for a good while. Check it out at wesdaruler.bandcamp.com. Its also available on limited edition CD and cassette via HHBTM Records at hhbtm.bandcamp.com.

TRIPLE PLAY: Sensational pop maestros Heffner have been on a slow tear all year long, evidenced most recently by the new single All Alone Baby. Its the third for the group this year. Whereas earlier singlesYou Dont Even Know Him and Higher Education (Electronic Dance Music)traded on pub rock masculinity tempered with fashionable melodicism, All Alone Baby pulls the throttle back into crafty reverb territory. First, its a much gentler tune than the other two, and the vocals are a lot more lethargicspecifically so and not merely slow. The buried guitars provide much of the power here. There are slight traces of a vapor wave aesthetic, so slight it can hardly be an apt descriptor, but mostly this is the sound of the band performing that crucial third-track on a mixtape action. They took it up two notches and now pulled it back a little. Find all three on Spotify or your favorite streaming service. Follow along at facebook.com/Heffnerband.

LAY YR MONEY DOWN: Austin, TX label Chicken Ranch Records (current home to Athens own Five-Eight) is now taking pre-orders for the upcoming two-song vinyl debut single by Pinky Doodle Poodle. The featured songs are Are You Readywhich you can stream at the pre-order linkand Go Ahead. Featured guests on the first track include Athens folks Lucy Calhoun, Sienna Chandler (Monsoon) and Timi Conley. Please see facebook.com/pinkydoodlepoodle for more information, and head over to store.chickenranchrecords.com to order.

GREEN GROW THE RUSHES: Every few months, like dependable clockwork, Love My Truck releases a new batch of songs. On Independence Day, the duo released the four-song set, Girth Of A Nation. It opens with the metaphorical hymn to perseverance Gumby, slides into the mixed-media heft of Odd Shape, heads into the buoyantly lowly celebration of friendship Beer Smoke, then closes with the clarity of See It. On this set, Love My Truck heads back into the heady use of empty space, which serves their drop-dead gorgeous melodies very well. I mean, whats left to say? Celebrate this all by yourself at lovemytruck.bandcamp.com.

STOP. POTTER TIME: I swear, yall, the sun never sets on Michael Potters empire. To wit, yet another album by his long-running solo and ensemble project The Electric Nature just came out. This time credited to Michael Potter and The Electric Nature, its titled Trance Music and is composed of four long tracks (Trance I-IV), but theyre arranged in the order of III, II, I, IV. These live recordings are described by Potter as ambient primitive, which is pretty much on the mark and nods heavily toward what I can only imagine is a trove of heroes for Potter running from Eno to Fahey. While Trance III develops the records tone with minor swells near the middle, the very next track, Trance II, brings a pretty big howl-n-scrape in its midsection as well as some acoustic noodlin. Trance I follows in much the same fashion with similar construction. Closer, Trance IV begins with very audible audience chatter and the music builds in a lonely manner off in its own corner. By the end, though, the volume has increased, and the audience seemingly recedes. Its the audio equivalent of a camera slowly moving in for a closeup. This album is available via streaming and also as a cassette tape, and pre-orders are being accepted as we speak. To do either or both, please see gardenportal.bandcamp.com

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Dance Bii with WesdaRuler, And More Music News and Gossip | Flagpole - Flagpole Magazine

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MCs, Stunts and Doing Keys: Behind the Scenes With Bad Boy Chiller Crew – VICE UK

Posted: at 12:21 pm

It's the tail end of 2019 and Bradford's Bad Boy Chiller Crew are setting the stage alight at Trance Party, a regular night at South London's Corsica Studios. Alongside electronic artists like Varg2 , Total Freedom and Lisa Pinup, the three of them stick out like a ket halo. But their frenetic topless bassline MCing quickly turns the crowd into instant fans PC Musics Danny L. Harle is at the front with his hands in the air, and the atmosphere is sweaty and full on. Afterwards, BBCCs Gareth Kelly otherwise known as GK heads to the green room, getting emotional. It's the biggest night they've ever played, he says, and it means a lot.

BBCC made up of GK, MC Clive and Kane are more than a crew. They're an autonomous media company. They've remixed UK garage tunes into Bradford-style bassline bangers. They've released branded music partnerships with a carwash. They've created their own universe of comedy characters online, based on their experiences growing up on council estates. And their Jackass-style skits have been getting serious organic numbers over 150 million, according to their manager Darren AKA Dr Google (his dad used to run an adult website, Go Ogle, hence the name.) In one video, Clive (the one with the mullet), puts a traffic cone to his mouth while the rest of them pour whatever drinks they can find down it, cans and all. I had to go and meet them for myself.

VICEs Tir Dhondy with S-Dog, Kane, GK and Scum.

Myself and VICE host Tir Dhondy wound up driving to Bradford to film BBCC and the West Yorkshire rapper S-Dog for a documentary about the trio, which you can watch below. Crowded into a small studio in someone's back garden, they came across like a hit-making machine; churning out two brand new belters in a few hours, with each MC taking turns to spit bars about doing keys, copping three Phantoms and local fiends robbing goldfish from Pets At Home.

Tir asked them why they chose to MC over bassline rather than something like drill. Kane shrugged. Its what we like. Its what we listen to, he said, simply. Its always been popular in Bradford, GK laughed, 'cause were still 20 years behind!

GK might be joking but he's got a point: breathing new life into forgotten genres is a rich tradition in regional scenes in the UK. BBCCs music and antics could be seen as belonging to a bygone era, one we recognise from the 2000s, but which now only exists in Facebook echo chambers. Their world is an irresistibly nostalgic jacuzzi bubbling with UK bassline, stunts, sesh culture and people calling each other charva. Even so, it seems to have built them an army of new young fans, and in quite a short space of time.

S-Dog, Kane & MC Clive in their mates studio in Bradford

After their studio sesh, Tir and I jumped in their BBCC branded van. They took us to a spot affectionately dubbed, Top O World a hill overlooking their estate so I popped off some stills.

MC Clive next to BBCCs branded van

A week later, we returned to Bradford to catch them performing a gig for their underage fans at a local social club ahead of their then-upcoming world tour, which before the coronavirus pandemic was supposed to take them to destinations as far-flung as China, according to Dr Google.

Outside the venue, legions of kids sporting MC Clives trademark mullet were hanging about in groups. Tir asked one of them if the mullet was a popular haircut in Bradford. Oh yeah, mullets and curtains are, he said, before going on to promo his own MC crew. These kids are barely in their teens, meaning they definitely wouldn't have been around for the first wave of UK bassline. It might be a stretch to claim that BBCC are kickstarting a bassline renaissance, but they're definitely ushering in a moment right now.

From left to right: GK, S-Dog, MC Clive and Kane.

A couple of the kids had bunked off school to get tickets and a glimpse of the crew. Do you actually do coke? one of them asked BBCC, followed by fits of laughter from GK and Kane. With lyrics like, Lines of the flake to get my heart pumping, and Put your guns in the air and get your keys out, it's not an off-topic question. Tir asked them why they mentioned drugs so much. Were just demonstrating what weve been brought up around, explained GK. We believe taxpaxers' money dont make Bradford go round, its white and brown powder. More fits of laughter followed.

MC Clive, Kane, S-Dog and GK at 'Top O World' in Bradford

As the gig kicked off, hundreds of kids started shouting along and even grabbing the mic themselves to perform their own renditions of their favourite BBCC tracks. The vibe had the same energy as the time I watched the Vengaboys at a Mecca Bingo in Southend-on-Sea euphoric, candy blasts of bassy pop where you unconsciously knew most of the words but had no idea why. (The lads also cite the Vengaboys as a major influence.)

After the show, Dr Google took to the stage to announce the winners of a raffle another way of generating income and we spoke to the lads for the last time IRL. Whats next for the Bad Boy Chiller Crew? asked Tir, congratulating them on their performance. Kane seemed hyped. Were goin on tour mush and were goin divvy, he replied, oblivious, like the rest of us, to the global pandemic which lay ahead.

Since COVID-19, the lads are having a Beatles-style Hamburg moment. They've relocated to Dr Googles permanent residence in Minsk, Belarus, to escape the UK, hone their craft and for GK to finally get the chest reduction surgery hes always wanted. In the meantime theyve been pumping out the social content, from GK documenting his hospital experience to bottle service club appearances with live snakes to MC Clive necking an entire bottle of voddy and shitting in Dr. Googles prosthetic leg.

Right before the documentary's release, I arrange a Zoom screening with BBCC and the London label House Anxiety, who released their recent single 450 ft. S-Dog and EP Full Wack No Breaks. The crew all answer the call topless while getting massages in their hotel room. Its probably the strangest screening Ive ever done, but I'm relieved to hear they enjoyed the film, with Dr Google giving us his seal of approval. I reckon thisll put VICE on the map, he says.

@avantgrant

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MCs, Stunts and Doing Keys: Behind the Scenes With Bad Boy Chiller Crew - VICE UK

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Blackpool nurse is a hit as guest DJ on Dave Pearce Delirium show as a thank you to key workers – Blackpool Gazette

Posted: at 12:21 pm

Nurse Chris Gorse who played a DJ guest set for Dave Pearce Trance Anthems

Father-of-two Chris, who turned 50 last month, was surprised by wife Janet with the chance to play the guest DJ mix on Pearces Delirium slot after writing to him and telling him of Chriss dream.

The amateur DJ from Cleveleys said Janet was stunned to receive a response from the former Radio 1 DJ inviting Chris to record a set, as a thank you for his work during the Covid crisis.

He said:Janet handed me a letter the day of my birthday with this opportunity and I couldnt believe it. To play in the club alongside someone of Daves calibre has always been an ambition, to have the chance to do it even online was just unreal.

He is a genuinely lovely bloke who really champions NHS causes and a couple of months back supported Blue Skies so it was really touching.

I then had to get the decorators in to sort the room quick as I had cleared it out of all my decks and needed to set it back up!

Chris played a 25 minute set of some of his most meaningful and favourite trance anthems and then sent the track list to Pearce for approval. The set can now be listened to on his official Dave Pearce Facebook page.

Chris, grandad to Archie and Alfie, even recorded a voiceover with a special shout-out to his team at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary where he works.

He added: On the night it was a real family, team effort as my daughters Clair and Cody set up laptops so we could respond to everyone tuning in from all over the world - it was great to see people enjoy it.

DJ Dave Pearces Trance Anthems show streams every Sunday via his official Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DavePearceOfficialPart-time amateur DJ Chris Gorse was given the guest DJ slot by Pearce as a thank you to Keyworkers through the Covid 19 crisis.

Chris who has been playing his decks for 21 years said: It is my passion and a way for me to just switch off from it all - I can close my eyes and transport myself anywhere in the world.

It was a fantastic experience to put my own imprint on a guest set and work with a DJ who really flies the flag for trance music.

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Blackpool nurse is a hit as guest DJ on Dave Pearce Delirium show as a thank you to key workers - Blackpool Gazette

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