How Fluorescent Lights Affect You and Your Health

How Fluorescent Lights Affect You and Your Health Fluorescent lights are a common light source in office buildings and shopping markets. With the advent of compact fluorescent lights, they are becoming commonplace in most homes as well. Fluorescent lights are less expensive to buy compared to how long they last (about 13 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs) and they are much less expensive to operate. They require a fraction of the energy that incandescent bulbs use. But they can have negative impacts on your health. The Problems There were hundreds of studies done over the last quarter of the last century that showed causal links between elongated exposure to fluorescent lights and various negative effects. The foundation of most of these problems is the quality of light thats emitted. Some of the theories about negative effects or dangers stem from the fact that we evolved with the sun as our main source of light. It is only relatively recently, with the proliferation of electricity, that humankind has taken complete control of the night and interior spaces. Before that, most light came from the sun or a flame. Since flames dont give much light, humans usually woke along with sunrise and worked outdoors or, later in our history, by windows. With the light bulb, we had the ability to do more at night and to work in enclosed rooms without windows. When the fluorescent lights were invented, businesses had access to a cheap and durable light source and they adopted it. But fluorescent bulbs do not produce the same type of light as the sun gives us. The sun produces a full spectrum light: that is, a light that spans the entirety of the visual spectrum. In fact, the sun gives a lot more than the visual spectrum. Incandescent lights give off a full spectrum, but not as much as sunlight. Fluorescent lights give off a rather limited spectrum. A lot of human body chemistry is based on the day-night cycle, which is also known as the circadian rhythm. Theoretically, if you do not get sufficient exposure to sunlight, your circadian rhythm gets thrown off and that, in turn, throws off your hormones with some negative health impacts. Health Effects   There are a number of negative health effects that have been linked to working under fluorescent lights that are theorized to be caused by this disturbance to our circadian rhythms and the accompanying body chemistry mechanisms. These negative health effects may include: MigrainesEye strainProblems sleeping, due to melatonin suppressionSymptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder or depressionEndocrine disruption and poor immune systemsFemale hormonal/menstrual cycle disruptionIncreases in breast cancer rates and tumor formationStress/Anxiety, due to cortisol suppressionSexual development/maturation disruptionObesityAgoraphobia (anxiety disorder) Flickering The other main cause of problems with fluorescent lights is that they flicker. Fluorescent light bulbs contain a gas that gets excited and glows when electricity is passed through this. The electricity is not constant. It is controlled by an electric ballast that pulses on and off really quickly. To most people, the flicker is so fast that it looks like the light is on constantly. However, some people can perceive the flicker even if they cant consciously see it. This may cause: MigrainesHeadachesEye strainStress/Anxiety Additionally, fluorescent bulbs, especially cheaper bulbs, may have a green cast to them, making all the colors in your environment more drab and sickly looking. There is some theory that this, at the least, affects mood. The Solutions If you are forced to work/live beneath fluorescent lights for extended periods of time each day there are a number of things you can do to combat the negative effects. The first is to get out in the sun more. Getting sun exposure, especially for stints in the morning, midday, and late afternoon, can help maintain your circadian rhythm. Putting in some windows, skylights, or solar tubes to bring sunlight into your interior environment can help as well. Short of bringing in sunlight itself, you can bring in a light source with a fuller spectrum. There are some full spectrum and daylight spectrum fluorescent lights on the market that have a better color temperature spread than regular fluorescent lights, so they do help, but they dont replace sunlight. Alternately you can put a full spectrum light filter over your fluorescent bulb or light fixture lens that alters the light coming out of the fluorescent bulb and gives it a fuller spectrum. These tend to give off more Ultraviolet (UV) rays that may cause skin problems, prematurely age materials like plastic or leather, and cause photos to fade. Incandescent lights do a decent job of providing a good spectrum of light that most people respond to well. Another benefit of incandescent lights is that they are a constant light source that doesnt flicker. If you perceive the fluorescent flicker, having a single incandescent light bulb on in the room can be enough to cover the flicker and keep it from affecting you. These bulbs can also balance out any green tint given off by the fluorescent bulb. In some cases, phototherapy, or light box therapy, can counteract lack of sunlight exposure. This is a common treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder and it uses an incredibly bright light for a limited amount of time to help keep your body chemistry regulated. Optometrists have long prescribed glasses with a very light rose-colored tint on them to counteract the effects of working under fluorescent lights, especially in women who are experiencing hormonal problems. Finally, flicker problems can be improved by using fluorescent light fixtures that use electronic ballasts as opposed to magnetic ones.

The Plains Zebra Essays - Zebras, Equus, Mammals Of Africa

The Plains Zebra Essays - Zebras, Equus, Mammals Of Africa The Plains Zebra The Plains Zebra Deep ebony, blinding cream, these are the colors of the zebra. The zebra is one unique animal. Zebras are one of the marvelous animals in Africa. About the size of a small horse, these amazing animals are about 50-53 inches in height. When a male zebra grows up, he can weigh up to 520 pounds! It's a good thing that the female zebra is friendly. It can weigh a whopping 510 pounds, almost as much as the male! Zebras usually do not attack unless threatened though, whew! The large animal, the zebra, mates all year round, but mostly during the early rainy season. Eighteen male zebras battle it out with the dominant male at that certain time to see who has the rights to mate with the number one female. In three years, female zebras are able to mate, and the is able when he is about five. Found mainly in the Southern Savanna, these hungry zebras can also be found in the arid plains of eastern Africa. They are also found in many national parks because hunters kill countless zebras for their picturesque fur, much as the elephant for its tusks. During the day, zebras are not as active as they are at night. The zebra easily adapts to just about anything Africa can throw at them, from poachers to food shortage. Therefore, one of the most successful herbivores in Africa. These friendly zebras main predator is the lion. When attacked by a lion, the zebra makes it difficult to eat just one zebra, so it is kind of all for one, and one for all! as the Three Musketeers would say. Also, poachers present another problem. People are trying to stop the hunting of endangered animals, but as long as people have the right to bear arms, we will keep running into this horrible problem. The poachers get a large sum of money for killing these poor, defenseless, endangered animals, and selling their fur on the black market. Zebras are Africa's most brilliant painted horses. They are truly astonishing animals. I think one should go see the zebras at the nearby Great Plains Zoo to get a real idea of what they look like. Thanks for reading my report on an extraordinary animal, The Plains Zebra. Bibliography (none)

Facilitating Change in Health and Social Care Assignment

Facilitating Change in Health and Social Care - Assignment Example The researcher therefore focuses at the main factors that drive change in the health sector through cross-examining CQC’s report on Royal United Hospital Bath. Discussing a number of key factors driving change in the health as well as social services through examining strengths, weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats, therefore, remains essential. Strengths relate to organizational aspects that include resources, both physical and financial, expertise staff and other internal factors of an organization. Through identification of opportunities from the external environment that rhyme with the internal capabilities, organizations capitalize on the strengths. Weaknesses on the other hand amount to deficiencies arising from incompetent resources of an organization (Whitten, 2009, pg. 117). Poor services or bad reputation of an organization serves as the major weaknesses within an organization setup. Leaders and managers, therefore, need to work on correcting those weaknesses that reduce organizations effectiveness as well as damaging the organization. Opportunities arise from external environment changes. Changes in government policie s or technology fall under that category. Organizations take advantage of presented opportunities in order to grow current services. Threats, on the other hand, relate to external factors presenting risks to the organization. Change of government policies and technological changes forms the major risks that face existing organizations. Examining the weaknesses and threats posed by these factors will enhance responsible institutions to develop achievable strategies to cope with these challenges. The first factor relates to Legislation. Legislation relates to government programs that involve funding and the NHS as the major body entrusted with controlling the health and social services sector. Government control of the health sector remains an

Mrs Fields Cookies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Mrs Fields Cookies - Case Study Example It has thus created a wider database of new opportunities in the real world. It has also become a necessary business tool with its wide range of applications in the ever-expanding and competitive global environment, especially where acquisitions and mergers are concerned. When Fields’ acquired La Petite Boulangerie or LPB in 1987 from PepsiCo, the company saw the huge potential of successful diversification into new sit-in cafà © that would also serve to complement the delights of Fields’ cookies. LPB was a French bakery cum sandwich retail chain with 119 outlets. Within a month after the acquisition, Fields’ cut down LPB’s administrative staff to 3 from the strength of 53 employees as various administrative functions like accounts, human resource, finance, training, and development were brought within the wider scope of Fields’ in-house information system. It was a major tactical strategy that was used to promote centralized monitoring and uniformity in the work functioning across its various outlets. The prime importance of using technologies is not only improving the various processes within the system but also the overall performance. It also greatly facilitates the merger of diverse ideologies and processes for improved performance. In the case of LPB, it was an essential tool to promote better efficiency in the delivery of the common organizational goals and objectives. In a fiercely competitive business environment, the firm gains the position by leveraging its strengths by improving and improvising its business management and organizational goals. ‘A company can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference that it can preserve. It must deliver greater value to customers or create comparable value at a lower cost, or do both’ (Porter, 1996). The technology-driven organization culture within the parent company needs to become the intrinsic part of all its subsidiaries and acquisitions.

Importance of Gertrude and Ophelia Essay Example for Free

Importance of Gertrude and Ophelia Essay The love a man has for his mother and the love he has for his girlfriend/fiance/wife are two different kinds of love that always seems to conflict one another. The mother and the female companion usually really like each other or they hate each other. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia has a steady relationship with each other. But Gertrude’s relationship Hamlet starts off as unhappy and ends with death. Throughout the play Hamlet is questioning Gertrude’s love for him and his father which cause their once steady relationship to shaken. For Ophelia and Hamlet, both were so in love, but later in the play shows Ophelia worrying about Hamlet and her love for him slowly diminishing. Gertrude and Ophelia have their own important role in the play with how they affect Hamlet’s decisions all through the play. Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, begins the play with Hamlet upset with her for marrying his uncle, Claudius. She does not see what is wrong with the marriage and tries to tell Hamlet to get over his father’s death. The Act I clearly show that Gertrude’s and Hamlet’s mother-son relationship will never as it once was. Gertrude still tries to help Hamlet throughout the play by trying to convince Claudius to leave Hamlet alone and that Hamlet feels guilt for what he has done. Hamlet hesitate killing Claudius because he is now Gertrude’s husband and Hamlet may unconsciously feel a connection with Claudius as his stand by father. If Gertrude never married Claudius, then Hamlet would probably have the confidence to kill Claudius when he found out that he was the one that killed his father. All through the play Gertrude protects Hamlet. She unknowingly adds fuel to the flame that is Hamlet’s detestation for the marriage. With Gertrude playing the â€Å"victim† in Claudius’, Hamlet has someone who will remain faithful to him. If Gertrude knew about the plan to kill Hamlet’s father, then Hamlet would never have stayed to revenge his father’s death because the Hamlet does not have enough courage to do so. Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius and her life seems to not be under her control. Her decisions are made by what Polonius or Hamlet tells her to do. Ophelia is sweet and innocent ompared to Gertrude’s incestuous act. Ophelia keeps Hamlet calm since she is the most stable person that he has in his life. But later Ophelia goes wild because Hamlet is also crazy. Most of the characters believe that Ophelia is acting this way because of the death of her father, Polonius, but in actuality it is because Hamlet turned on her. Ophelia’s innocence was taken by Hamlet and it caused her to not listen to the advice from her brother, Laertes. Ophelia received most of Hamlet’s anger that was meant to be directed towards his mother instead. She was there for Hamlet to relieve any built up tension he had. Ophelia denied that Hamlet did not lover her, but when she died Hamlet is seen at her funeral confessing his love for Ophelia to Laertes saying that he did not mean to cause Ophelia’s death. Both Gertrude and Ophelia were the safety nets for Hamlet in the play. Even though Hamlet felt as if he could trust know one the two women in the play were meant to keep Hamlet alive as long as possible. Between Claudius killing Hamlet’s father, and Gertrude and Ophelia not knowing this fact helped push Hamlet’s verdict on what he is going to do. Shakespeare put the Gertrude and Ophelia in the play to maintain the balance of good and evil, purity and sin.

Biology, The Five Major Compounds :: essays research papers

Compounds That Compose the Human Body   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are five major groups of compounds that compose the human body. They are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleotides, and water. These are all very important to humans and without them we would not be able to survive. They have many functions that encourage a human cell and a human body to function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carbohydrates include sugars and starches, contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which appears in a ratio of 1:2:1. Carbohydrates are classified according to size as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. The primary function of carbohydrates is to serve as sources of energy. Carbohydrates are some of the most numerous molecules in living organisms. They play a major role as food molecules in the cell, being broken down to produce energy. Polysaccharides play an important role serving as energy reserves also. It provides a quick-release energy source that keeps us going between meals. Small amounts of carbohydrates are also used for structural purposes and others are attached to outer surfaces of cell membranes to guide cellular interactions. For many cells, sugars are the most important source of energy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lipids are important because they function as structural components of cell membranes, sources of insulation, and a mean of energy storage. The lipid molecules are most well known as forming basic structures of cell membranes and as energy storage molecules as well. In this group of lipids, there are about three main types: true fats (triglycerides), phospholipids, and steroids. True fats represent the body’s most abundant and concentrated source of usable energy. When they are oxidized, they yield large amounts of energy. They are stored chiefly in fat deposits beneath the skin and around body organs, where they help insulate the body and protect deeper body tissues from heat loss and bumps. True fats are a storage form for excess food, they are stored energy. Any type of food consumed in excess need to be converted to fat and stored. Phospholipids although similar in structure to the true fats, are not stored energy but rather structural components of cel ls. Lecithin is a phospholipid that is part of our cell membranes and myelin provides electrical insulation for nerve impulse transmission. The third group is steroids and cholesterol is an important steroid. Cholesterol is another component of cell membranes and a form of cholesterol in the skin is changed to vitamin D on exposure to sunlight. All of the sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone are also steroids.

Impact of Advertising on Customer Loyality

*BEST PRACTICE: Customer *loyalty _The limited number of business contacts, the difficulty of recruiting new business customers and the cost of some business products or services all mean that maintaining customer loyalty is key to B2B marketing success. Sara Goodwins looks at some popular approaches to this problem_ Is it easier and less expensive to sell to existing customers than to find new ones? Of course it is. In the B2B arena, however, sales cycles are longer. If customers are not to be tempted away by competitors, marketing needs to encourage them to develop a relationship with the brand. Anthony Green, sales & marketing director of Concep, comments: â€Å"If businesses keep in touch, customers become familiar with products and services on offer and the company will be taken into consideration when a purchase is made. † When keeping in touch with customers, communication should achieve a number of objectives. Firstly, it should reassure the customer that they made a good choice of partner/supplier. It should also add value to the relationship, above what has been contracted, seek additional opportunities for further business, and inform business and client about new developments. Existing customers, lapsed customers and prospects should be approached differently. Marketers can assume that customers are familiar with the business and currently prefer your products/services or have done so in the recent past. Ideally no customer should ever go elsewhere, but there will be events such as changes in personnel, expiry of contracts, upheavals in the market, that change the relationship. Julie Cooper, co-director of events management company Fab, points out, â€Å"If a key contact within the client company is replaced, you have to establish confidence and trust with a new person – and the new contact may well bring with them pre-existing relationships with competing suppliers. † Keep in touch Lapsed customers, because of the past business relationship, should not be contacted in the same way as prospects. Alan Curnow, communications manager of Grass Roots, explains: â€Å"The distinction between clients and prospects is (more one of) tone than substance; we may need to refresh prospects' memories of who we are, whereas clients – even if they haven't bought from us for some time – know us. † Jan-Pieter Lips, head of business-to-business at Loyalty Management UK, which operates Nectar for Business, adds: â€Å"Experience shows that there is a direct correlation between winning back a lapsed customer and the time that has passed since the last transaction. Simon Ward, director of rewards scheme Seed, considers that the frequency of customer orders is like a pulse. â€Å"Businesses should monitor customertransactions and identify when they change. They can then contact thecustomer and find out why. † David Lebond, executive director of P&MM, agrees: â€Å"Doing something wrong is the best opportunity for getting a customer for life; if you handle a complaint well, put things right and demonstrate that you have the customers' interests at heart then not only will customers be retained, they'll also talk about you in glowing terms. Newsletters Newsletters and customers magazines are one of the most obvious communications methods, which can be used to maintain customerrelationships and loyalty. Richard Bush, managing director of Base One, says, â€Å"The trend for customermagazines – which we saw in the mid 90s – has diminished as many businesses found they were expensive and their success difficult to measure, although the need for what they provided still remains. † Electronic newsletters have taken over as less expensive, more measurable and interactive replacements. To include relevant material, you need to consider things like: life cycle of products/services and how they relate to customers and information held about customers which helps target mailings. Allow readers to choose – for example: offer the flexibility to pick areas of interest, frequency of mailing, etc. but make sure that they can change their selections with each mailing. Denise Cox, newsletter specialist at Newsweaver, says, â€Å"Stay away from complicated password-protected access to subscription profiles; this is a real turn-off and readers may just start deleting your emails instead of trying to change their preferences. Newsletters need a simple lay-out, clear navigation and no fancy graphics such as Flash that could cause them to be filtered. They require a table of contents on each page to provide clear choice and encourage further reading; around five main articles per newsletter of 300-700 words and a 100-word synopsis of each article on the front page with a link. â€Å"It is also extremely important that you have a strong call-to-action in your articles,† says Cox of Newsweaver. â€Å"It's astonishing how many companies don't. Yet it's your key opportunity to incite sales, feedback and make requests for more information. Readers typically decide within eight seconds whether to read on, set the information aside – which probably means they'll never read it – or delete it. The ‘from' and ‘subject' of the email need to tempt recipients to open it. ‘From' should be your brand, helping to build recognition; ‘subject' should be interesting and relevant. Content could include: articles stimulating thought and discussion, pertinent information relating to technological innovations, legislation affecting the industry, links to relevant news, client wins and case studies, industry reports and website links. Email newsletters are extremely cost-effective, popular, and immediate, and offer measurable conversion rates. Their main disadvantage is one of commitment. Companies must be prepared to publish a regular, well thought-out newsletter for it to be of marketing use and to respond to the interest it arouses. Reward/loyalty programmes â€Å"Reward programmes and loyalty programmes are not the same. The former is tactical, the latter strategic,† says Lebond of P&MM, he adds, â€Å"Reward programmes are a form of payment for repeat business; loyalty programmes represent a state of mind created in the customer. Reward programmes are most effective when there is rivalry in a sector (the programme then makes the point of difference); or there are frequent purchases to lock collectors into the scheme; or it's easy to change suppliers so customers need to be induced to stay. Reward programmes are effective anywhere where customer retention is key. Geraldine Tosh, managing director of IP oints, says, â€Å"A client running a website which relies heavily on advertisers, for example, can tempt people to the site using a reward programme. Extra points could be offered to clients making it their homepage for example, or using it frequently, etc. Branded reward programmes are often more cost-effective and less labour-intensive as well as enabling value to accumulate quickly. The main disadvantage is that companies usually have to commit for a period of time. Steve Cooper, marketing manager at Argos Business Solutions says, â€Å"In some cases a tailored scheme is more appropriate for a company where aligning with a different brand may conflict with or dilute the impact of their own brand and communications. † White label reward programmes aim to build value into a company's brand and offer companies more control of how uch value they're giving away. Tosh of IPoints says, â€Å"Reward catalogues can be tailored to include a business's own product or service at a reduced price. Companies could even tailor the earning and redemption around their customers' business needs. † Customers who know that your company is helping to build their business have a powerful incentive to buy from you. Rewards are short-term encouragements; loyalty is long-term commitment. As Lebond of P says, â€Å"If you get the right people with the constant attitude of ‘how can I make my customers even happier' then you don't need a reward programme. Corporate hospitality Customer events are undervalued largely because the value of them is difficult to assess. Face-to-face communications and shared experiences are very personal and the positive associations remain for a long time. Sarah Webster, director of communications at Eventia, explains, â€Å"Corporate hospitality enables suppliers to deepen their relationship with clients and to understand the motivations and constraints that influence buying decisions. † Corporate hospitality also adds value, as Rob Allen, chief executive at TRO, explains. Take the example of an accountancy firm which organises a breakfast briefing for its clients on the morning following the budget. By explaining the full implications of the Chancellor's new financial provisions, the firm is enabling its client companies to make significant savings or profits. The client relationship is enhanced. † Bush of Base One has no doubt, â€Å"Thirty minutes in a room with your top 10 customers is worth thousands of DM pieces. † Dedicated client website Webpages are particularly powerful marketing tools when used in conjunction with other marketing communication. Businesses can track the customer's journey through the site. Marketers can then use the information to tailor communications which recognise each client's interests. The main problem with websites is that the information they contain needs to be frequently refreshed to ensure that customers revisit. Many of the suggestions for newsletters apply equally to websites. Anthony Green, sales & marketing director of Concep, comments: â€Å"Additional information tied into a newsletter article can be put on the webpage. Those who click on the webpage have decided consciously that they want to access further information. Companies can then analyse the click-throughs and understand the specific areas of interest on both a macro and per-recipient level. † Tosh of IPoints is succinct, â€Å"Use microsites and reward schemes to collect information and then use the information in communications. † Communication is the key Relevant, valuable and timely communications are seminal to maintainingcustomer loyalty. Lebond of P says, â€Å"Every piece of communication could potentially be the lowest common denominator in a business's contact with its clients, so each one must be as good as possible. More business is lost by poor communications then by anything else. † Newsletters draw customers to websites where their interests can be analysed and responded to, reward programmes encourage frequent transactions, and hospitality enables personal contact. Curnow of Grass Roots explains, â€Å"Loyalty is not so much a pattern of behaviour as a state-of-mind. The single most conclusive evidence of loyalty is advocacy, not usage. The acid test is not how much the customer spends but how hard it would be to prise him away. And of course you cannot put a value on that

An Inconvient Truth

Teachers PreparatoryTichina Class 10R2/19/13 Inconvenient Truth is a descriptive title because it explains the inconvenience towards our global warming problem; and puts the truth towards our planets slow destruction. What makes this a good title is because the truth that Al Gore explains to the viewers is current. He explains the relationship between all the weather changes and global warming and how it is affecting the natural world environment. The inconvenience part explains how discomforted it is towards our planet, people and nature.To explain the basics of global warming I can start off with saying that global warming is mainly caused due to the greenhouse gas pollution. Out in space the sun sends heat waves towards earth which makes earth livable. So when the sun rays are sent down some are supposed to be sent back to the sun creating a mini cycle. But outside of the earth there is an atmosphere of greenhouse gases surrounding the earth. Now that there are more factories more greenhouse gases are being sent up to the atmosphere making the layer of gas thicker.That is causing the sun rays to be trapped in the earth making the temperature rise. What makes the truth of our global warming problem inconvenient is that temperature rises are affecting the animals. In Al Gore’s movie he explains to you that cold environment like glaciers; North Pole, South Pole and Artic are melting slowly. Polar bears and other cold environment species are losing their homes. In his movie he shows you how some glaciers from 1990 till now are fully melted and turning to land or how they are slowly becoming heated.In my case everyone should know that it’s bad and it will only become worse. Another way is how the water temperature is starting to rise. If any hurricanes or water storms were to be created; it would be double the effect because as also stated in Al Gore’s video whenever you have a high water temperature it will increase the wind velocity in any storm making it bigger in size. With that said we can move on to diseases that are another way the truth of global warming is inconvenient.Diseases are a strong life taker and have a long history behind it. The way global warming comes in is that we had some strange heat waves that occurred and caused illness towards people. In 2012 we broke the record for the hottest heat wave. It affected many people through sickness and other different ways. In a previous article I read in class they said that in 2003 a deadly heat wave swept across Europe killing an estimated amount of 35,00 people. Heat waves like that could amp up heat-related illness.In conclusion, as you can see Inconvenient Truth is a descriptive title because it explains the inconvenience towards our global warming problem; and puts the truth towards our planets slow destruction. Global Warming is a serious incident and should be taken care of early before it amplifies in the future. With that said I hope I gave you a desc riptive, explained response of how Inconvenient Truth is a good title. What global warming is and how the truth of global warming is inconvenient.

Shamanism in Human Consciousness Essay

Shamanism in Human Consciousness Essay Shamanism in Japanese Culture Essay Example Shamanism in Japanese Culture Essay Example After analyzing several sources, the definition of shamanism, which is most often found in scientific literature and reference books, can be comprehended. Shamanism is one of the earliest forms of religion based on the belief in the existence of spirits that inhabit the surrounding world. This transcendental practice involves a special intermediary – the shaman, who was elected by the spirits. Thus, he is able to establish connection between these spirits and people through immersion in a trance. However, there is still no uniformity in the definition of shamanism. Moreover, the age of shamanism also remains ambiguous since it varies from the Paleolithic Era to the Middle Ages. Until now there are discussions about the location of shamanism: some believe that it is practiced only in Siberia, Central Asia, and Northern Europe; others argue that it is spread almost over the whole world, particularly Asia, North and South America, Africa, and the Caucasus. In Europe, the first in formation about shamans appeared in the notes of travelers, diplomats, and researchers in the XVII century. During the XVIII-XIX centuries, the number of researches and literature about them was constantly growing. In the XX century, interest in shamanism did not disappear, but intensified. This paper will define the terms of the basic concepts that constitute the essence of a complex multifaceted phenomenon of shamanism. Furthermore, it will reveal its reflection in the ancient traditions of healing, rituals, trance, unusual states of consciousness, as well as its integration in modern Japan. Etymology of the Term The term â€Å"shamanism† is widespread in many languages. According to one of the versions, the word â€Å"shaman† is derived from the Sanskrit  «Ã…›ramaá ¹â€¡a ». It means a wandering hermit or ascetic spiritual seeker, which primarily embodies traditions of ancient India. Along with Buddhism, the term has spread across Asia and penetrated Russian and Western languages. According to the other version, the word â€Å"shamanism† has a primordial Tungus-Manchurian origin. Every nation has its own names for shamans, which can vary even in one nation depending on the functions and categories of shaman. However, a man was called shaman in any society if he was a mediator chosen by spirits and had the ability to see the other reality and travel in it. Time of Occurrence of Shamanism The occurrence of shamanism cannot be determined accurately. The time of occurrence of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam is determined fairly accurately because those religions are connected with the dates of life of their original founders and preachers. Shamanism does not have such a starting point. Perhaps, it arose many times in each part of the world at different times and in various ways. Currently, there is evidence that peoples who lived in Western Europe, particularly in France, knew shamanism. In France, a cave of Three Brothers (Trois Frà ¨res) was discovered. On its walls, there are several images from the Upper Paleolithic period. Among others, there is the earliest known image of a shaman, which depicts a figure of a dancing man with an animal skin draped over his shoulders, deer antlers on his head, and a horses tail. Similar images are often found in Asia and Africa. Who Becomes a Shaman The term professional shaman can be found in modern scientific literature. This suggests that a shaman is a profession. Those who believe in shamanism argue that its practitioner inherits a special gift from his ancestors, more often on the maternal than on the paternal side. Moreover, the shaman must be chosen by the spirits. The spirits of ancestors or spirits that inhabit the surrounding mountains, passes, forests, lakes, and rivers choose a particular person to be an intermediary between them and people. In cases when people have some difficulties or troubles (these can be illnesses, loss of property, death of a loved one, or any strange phenomena) or, on the contrary, when the spirits blame people (for example, for intrusion into the habitats of the spirits, or misperformance of sacrifice), the shaman acts as an intermediary, making people and imploring the spirits to do what is necessary. However, an individual must pass an initiation ritual and undergo testing before he acquir es the shamanic power that can make people and spirits obey him. The ritual can last from several months to several years. Outwardly, it is manifested in the form of acts that are incomprehensible for other people. A young shaman can be often considered a mentally ill person. The Concept of Trance or Ecstasy The shaman communicates with the spirits in a trance state. The French term â€Å"trance† is interpreted as stupefaction, detachment, and self-hypnosis. Another term â€Å"ecstasy† can be used to describe the condition in which the shaman acts. This Greek word means frenzy and enthusiasm, a special state that is inherent in poets and seers. Those who observe the behavior of the shaman during the ritual notice such things as convulsions, bulging eyes, froth at the mouth, fainting, and seizures. However, as a rule, during the trance the shaman does not lose connection with people who are present at the session. He often explains where he is currently located, and what he sees. The shaman uses self-hypnosis, concentrates his will, and mobilizes his mental and physical powers in order to achieve the state of trance. There is no doubt that a tambourine, from which the shaman extracts different sounds, plays an important role in the shamanic ritual. The shaman often sings to the beat. Some shamans take hallucinogens, substances that can cause hallucinations and contribute to offensive of trance. Shaman’s Doubles The shaman has so-called compulsory items, which accompany his actions. They are tambourine, costume, and shamanic tree. Each item has its purpose and function. Shaman’s tambourine is not just a musical instrument. In shamanic practice, it is considered a rideable animal, a deer or a horse, which carries the shaman to the world of the spirits. According to other traditions, a tambourine was conceptualized as a boat on which the shaman sails the mythical river of time. After shaman’s death, his tambourine is not hereditary. It is believed that the power of the owner does not die with him but continues to live, being enclosed in his tambourine. The second shaman’s double is his power suit. The full shamanic costume includes a coat, pants, boots, gloves, a hat, as well as a bandage with slits for eyes, which resembles a soft mask over the face. The shaman cannot obtain an entire suit immediately. He receives each part gradually as soon as he proves his proficiency in communicating with spirits. Spirits give their permission for the shaman to gain another item of the costume. It is believed that the shamans outfit, similar to his tambourine, is related to his soul and life. Finally, the third shaman’s double is a shamanic tree. The practitioner chose it himself. According to shamanistic mythology, the spirits of birds sit on the shamanic tree. At the request of the shaman, they can fly into the afterworld and learn everything that interests him. Everything is interconnected and spiritualized in the shamans world. He is a living person, and his tambourine, suit, and tree are also living creatures. The shaman addr esses to the spirit world with their help, and the spirits move into his body through their intermediation. The Shamanistic Practice and Theory The shaman performs complex rituals in order to heal sick people, introduce the child’s soul into the barren woman, change the weather, and a plenty of other actions. The religious scholars name these actions a shamanic practice. Furthermore, there is a special shamanic theory. Many scientists affirm the existence of an exceptional shamanic worldview. The most important components of it are the following: The whole world is spiritualized. Everything that surrounds us, the forests, fields, mountains, rivers, lakes, trees and even stones, is inhabited by spirits who can help a person if he or she performs a special ritual. However, they can also do much harm if they are forgotten and accidentally or intentionally insulted. A man is not a wreath of creation, but only a part of this world. The appearance of a man is just a shell that can be changed. The stories of people turning into a bear, fish, deer, birds, marine animals have their origins in this belief. The insuperable boundary between the world of the living and the dead does not exist. The shaman’s ability to pass through this line in any direction is considered unconditional. Moreover, it is believed that the shaman can restore the soul of the deceased person and regain his life. These features can be considered as the basis for a general shamanic worldview. Shamanism in Modern Japan Japanese shamanism, as we know it today, is different from shamanism in the strict sense. Primarily, it is a technique of spirit possession of the dead, which is practiced by women. Many Japanese shamans are blind from birth. However, they have a wide range of functions and abilities. According Eliade, Trask, and Doniger, the main actions of shamans are the following: â€Å"they can heal illness, interpret dreams, predict the future, and compatibility with husband or wife. Shamans are also able to communicate with the souls of the dead and send them messages from living relatives. They can inform the inquirer about the future happiness and unhappiness or find missing things.† (p. 234) The Role of Shamanism in the Traditions of Healing Shamans play an important role in the healing traditions. Their main function is magical healing. However, in modern society, shamans-healers do not try to take the place of qualified doctors. Their approach to any problem is concentrated on integrity and harmony of a personality. They banish diseases and provide religious cleansing. The methods modern Japanese shamans use are very complex and diverse. However, all these various rituals and beliefs are based on the same idea of injury. It promotes a belief that a persons soul can be separated from his body if he is dazed and shocked by something. According to Eliade, Trask, and Doniger, many shamans state that stealing of the soul is the most common and devastating reason for the huge number of diseases (p. 256). From the shamans perspective, the disease is a consequence of the man’s spiritual captivity. If in shamanic medicine the illness is attributed to the lost or stolen soul from the body, the process of its treatment is aimed at searching for the soul in order to make it return to its place in the body of the patient. The shaman healers catalyze powerful healing powers given to them by nature in their patients with the help of the bright and impressive rituals. The atmosphere of understanding and support, reinforced by drumming, dancing and chanting, as well as state of ecstasy, creates the environment in which the phenomenon of healing occurs. Besides, shamans can ask their god to name a drug that should be used against a specific disease. Shamanistic Rituals and Trance in Modern Japan Nowadays, shamanism almost lost its position, becoming a decorative element of modern Japanese life. Funeral rites of shamanism in Japan can be seen during the folk festivals or national holidays. However, in order to solve complex problems or difficult situations, the Japanese turn to shamans for their help even in contemporary times. During the ritual, shaman communicates with spirits, singing, dancing, and immersing into a trance. The ecstatic state of shaman generated the word ute. According to the American researcher George J. Tanabe, this term is derived from the verb yuyung, which means shake or tremble. The shaman, who does not tremble and shake during the performance of the ritual is considered to be weak, showing no control of his spiritual power(p. 123). Shamanistic ritual contains three main elements. They are the spirit that personifies an object of worship, the person who invokes the spirit and the shaman as a link between them. There are several main rituals, which are performed in modern Japan. They can be aimed at the prosperity and development of a separate village or township, as well as expulsion of evil spirits. As it was mentioned above, the ritual can be also used to cleanse the soul of the sick person. The Role of Shamanism in Human Consciousness and Maintenance of Physical and Mental Health in Modern Japan Despite the seeming primitiveness of the shamanic culture, its consecrate practitioners perfectly understand human psychology and skillfully use the secrets of traditional medicine. They are the guardians of religious and philosophical worldviews of different nations. The shamanic culture is characterized by simultaneous existence of the reality of the primitive life with a number of troubles and worries and the world of spirits, visions, and ecstatic emotional states. Japanese shamans have strongly contributed to the culture and mental strength of the nation. Moreover, some unusual states of mind, inspired by shaman’s activities through the immersion in trance, helped the people to adapt to conditions of hardship, hunger, wars, epidemics, and disasters. Thus, shamans can be considered the psychotherapists who conduct social work, assisting their compatriots in crisis. They are the intermediaries between the internal life of people and their external occupations. Blacker argue s that, modern shamans can handle all the rites of passage: birth, initiation when reaching puberty, marriage and death, as well as rituals of power, which , in fact, are the attempts to increase the capacity of the nation with the help of the powerful forces of nature during hardship, calamities and psychological crisis (p. 231). In everyday life, shamans maintain impact on the psyche of the people within a particular culture, using special tools and procedures during the ritual. This ensures mental stability of people in terms of normal functioning of their consciousness. Over time, in the framework of modernization and technological progress of society, the traditions of shamanism have changed. However, nowadays, people of different professions, education, and social status still seek help from shamans. They obtain relief, advice, and support. Perhaps, this is a simple answer to the question why the tradition of shamanism is still alive.

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay Essay Example

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay Essay Example I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay Essay I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay Essay Essay Topic: Invisible Man Through work to convey stuffs from women’s surveies into the remainder of the course of study. I have frequently noticed men’s involuntariness to allow that they are overprivileged. even though they may allow that adult females are disadvantaged. They may state they will work to women’s statues. in the society. the university. or the course of study. but they can’t or won’t back up the thought of decreasing men’s. Denials that amount to taboos surround the topic of advantages that work forces gain from women’s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being to the full acknowledged. lessened. or ended. Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon. I realized that. since hierarchies in our society are meshing. there was most likely a phenomenon of while privilege that was likewise denied and protected. As a white individual. I realized I had been taught approximately racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage. but had been taught non to see one of its corollary facets. white privilege. which puts me at an advantage. I think Whites are carefully taught non to acknowledge white privilege. as males are taught non to acknowledge male privilege. So I have begun in an unschooled manner to inquire what it is like to hold white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an unseeable bundle of unearned assets that I can number on cashing in each twenty-four hours. but about which I was â€Å"meant† to stay unmindful. White privilege is like an unseeable weightless backpack of particular commissariats. maps. passports. codebooks. visas. apparels. tools. and clean cheques. Describing white privilege makes one freshly accountable. As we in women’s surveies work to uncover male privilege and inquire work forces to give up some of their power. so one who writes about holding white privilege must inquire. â€Å"having described it. what will I make to decrease or stop it? † After I realized the extent to which work forces work from a base of unacknowledged privilege. I understood that much of their oppression was unconscious. Then I remembered the frequent charges from adult females of colour that white adult females whom they encounter are oppressive. I began to understand why we are merely seen as oppressive. even when we don’t see ourselves that manner. I began to number the ways in which I enjoy unearned tegument privilege and have been conditioned into limbo about its being. My schooling gave me no preparation in seeing myself as an oppressor. as an below the belt advantaged individual. or as a participant in a damaged civilization. I was taught to see myself as an person whose moral province depended on her single moral will. My schooling followed the form my co-worker Elizabeth Minnich has pointed out: Whites are taught to believe of their lives as morally impersonal. normative. and mean. and besides ideal. so that when we work to profit others. this is seen as work that will let â€Å"them† to be more like â€Å"us. †

Islamic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Islamic - Assignment Example Muslims and non-Muslims have some similarities and differences inherent in their faith. To begin with, both are sensitive to political and other issues affecting people in the society. However, Muslims tend to be more religious than non-Muslims. Muslims rate the importance of God in their undertakings higher than non-Muslims; most Muslims do not accept abortion, divorce and have a particular opposition towards homosexuality. However, some Christians have a soft stand on some of these issues. Muslims do not allow intermarriage with non-Muslims, unlike Christians, and if they do, the spouse from non-Muslim faith must change their religion. Further, female Muslims do not shake hands with non-Muslims, but other religions do. These differences, which prevail between Muslim and non-Muslim individuals, have a negative effect in the social interaction of these two groups in the entire world. Most non-Muslims view Muslims as a segregated religion whose followers give priority to people who share the same faith. In addition, since terrorists are considered to be Muslims, non-Muslims are always conscious in dealing and interacting with Muslims (Mussarat 11). Therefore, good strategies should be put in place in order to establish tolerance, justice and compassion in the relationship between Muslims and non

Pairs Trading And Strategies And The CAPM Dissertation

Pairs Trading And Strategies And The CAPM - Dissertation Example Besides testing a model, this study will also be testing market efficiency and using use Cointegration as a decision rule for pair selection, try to ascertain whether different and more efficient rules may be implemented. In order to calculate asset returns we need the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) which gives predictions on how to measure risk and the relationship between risk and return. The relationship of expected return is linear and is necessary to explain differences in returns among securities. Introduction Pairs trading include tested methods used to identify and invest in pairs. This was developed by Morgan Stanley in the 1980’s and is today one of the most commonly used strategies in the finance and trading industry. Using this strategy, an investor looks at two assets, whose prices have moved together in the past. As the price spread widens, the investor takes a short position in the outperforming asset and a long position in the underperforming asset hoping t hat the spread will move back again, thereby generating profits. If history then repeats itself, prices will congregate and the arbitrageur will earn revenue. For example, if the U.S. equity markets were efficient at all times, risk-adjusted returns from pairs trading would never be positive. The Morgan Stanley group disbanded in 1989 after a couple of bad years of performance, pairs trading has since then become an progressively more well known market-neutral investment strategy used by investors as well as hedge funds. The increased popularity of quantitative based statistical arbitrage strategies has also been affecting the profits. The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a vital area of financial management that has contributed to finance becoming a scientific and fully fledged discipline of study. There abounds criticism that the Capital Asset Pricing Model is somewhat unrealistic due to the assumptions that it is based upon. This includes the assumption that investors would only require returns on the systematic risking of their portfolios, due to the removal of the unsystematic risk which can hence be ignored. The market neutral portfolios are constructed using just two securities, consisting of a long position in one and a short position in the other, in a predetermined ratio. The two versions of pairs trading in the equity markets are statistical arbitrage pairs and risk arbitrage pairs. A Statistical arbitrage pair trading is based on the idea of relative pricing. The underlying premise in relative pricing is that stocks with similar characteristics must be priced more or less the same. The spread in the case may be thought of as a degree of mutual mispricing, so the greater the spread, the higher the magnitude of mispricing and hence a greater scope of profit. The strategy involves assuming a long-short position when the spread is substantially away from the mean. It is expected that the mispricing will be correct. The position is then reversed an d profits are made when the spread reverts. The pairs trading strategy might be justified within an equilibrium asset-pricing framework with non-stationary common factors as noted in Fund & Hsieh (1999). Asset returns can be computed by Capital Asset Pri