Sunday, September 29, 2013

MindTrip Magazine Issue 15 Now Available for iPad and iPhone!

MindTrip No. 15
Freedom. Happiness. Weirdness. The lastest issue of our new digital magazine is now available at iTunes
  • The Secret Life of Plants
  • Top 10 Strange How-to Books
  • Music That Makes You Smarter
  • 10 Humans with Real Superpowers
  • How to Slow Down Time With Your Mind
  • WTF Videos, News from the Future, Weird Facts
  • and much more...

Receive Your First Month FREE when you subscribe to MindTrip Magazine at iTunes...

Saturday, September 28, 2013

This Simple Video Can (Sorta) Predict Your IQ

OK, you want to try it? Then watch this video — the whole thing, preferably full-screen — before you read any further. Got it? Good. Let's see how smart you (maybe) are.


In a study run by researchers at the University at Rochester and published in Biology, researchers had subjects watch that same video you just did. They also had them take a standard IQ test. What they found was that people who had an easier time seeing movement in the smaller bars as opposed to the larger ones had — drum roll please — higher IQs. Generally.

Why? That's a little tougher to explain. The theory seems to be that people with higher IQs tend to filter out the larger fields of bars kind of like filtering out background noise. And filtering out background noise and focusing on little things happens to be something that comes naturally to folks with high IQs.

Of course, having a high IQ doesn't mean you are "smart." IQ is obviously a very specific kind of measurement whereas overall intelligence is something a bit more nebulous. More than anything, the study just reveals another little quirk of how the human brain works and provides a point of insight, rather than cracking open the whole idea of "smartness."

Still, it's an interesting little experiment, and one you can run on yourself, on your own. And then completely dismiss when it doesn't give you the results you wanted to see.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Tylenol vs. Existential Dread

Acetaminophen, the main ingredient in some pain relievers like Tylenol, may ease minor aches, reduce a fever, and apparently make you feel less weird after watching a David Lynch movie or thinking about your own death.

New research shows Tylenol may have the unseen psychological side-effect of easing existential dread. The findings suggest anxiety about finding meaning in life and feeling physical pain may be rooted in the same part of the brain.

"When people feel overwhelmed with uncertainty in life or distressed by a lack of purpose, what they're feeling may actually be painful distress," said study researcher Daniel Randles, a doctoral student in psychology the University of British Columbia.


Friday, September 20, 2013

3 Evil Ways to Manipulate People

By Melanie Pinola 

You can do a lot of things to be more persuasive, from learning better ways to communicate to more shady manipulation techniques. Here are some of the easiest (and possibly evil) ways to get someone to say "yes."

1. Scaring The Hell Out of You: The Fear-Then-Relief Procedure

What it is: Arguably the most evil manipulative technique is what psychologists call the "fear-then-relief technique." The technique preys on a person's emotions. Here, the manipulator causes someone a great deal of stress or anxiety and then abruptly relieves that stress. After this sudden mood swing, the person is disarmed, less likely to make mindful or rational decisions, and more likely to respond positively to various requests.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

"Everything I Have I Owe to Alternate Universes"

By Burt Goldman / Creator of Quantum Jumping

I’m 81 years old, and in many ways, I’m just like any other person my age—I relish peace and quiet, I like spending time with my grandchildren, and I enjoy nothing more than sitting down to a good book.


I think it’s fair to say I’ve gone past my physical prime. No surprises there. But in the past few years, I’ve accomplished a variety of things that even I can’t wrap my head around. A handful of them include:


  • Took up painting just before I turned 80—and my artwork hangs in a museum to prove it.
  • With no knowledge of photography, got my photographs into the International Photography Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
  • Out of nowhere, found the inspiration to write multiple novels—including my first Western.
  • Started a million-dollar online business.

In the space of just a few years, how on earth did a normal American senior citizen like myself accomplish not one, but multiple goals that some people spend their entire lives chasing?


CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Can Evolution Explain the Placebo Effect?


On the face of it, the placebo effect makes no sense. Someone suffering from a low-level infection will recover just as nicely whether they take an active drug or a simple sugar pill. This suggests people are able to heal themselves unaided - so why wait for a sugar pill to prompt recovery?

New evidence from a computer model offers a possible evolutionary explanation, and suggests that the immune system has an on-off switch controlled by the mind.

It all starts with the observation that something similar to the placebo effect occurs in many animals, says Peter Trimmer, a biologist at the University of Bristol, UK.


Monday, September 16, 2013

The Art of Lucid Dreaming in 7 Easy Steps

We recently looked at lucid dreaming and touched on some of the methods to bridge the gap between reality and your dreams. In this article, we'll be exploring these techniques further and building a foundation for your lucid dream training… ensuring even sweeter dreams!

While it takes time to have your first lucid dream (averaging between three weeks to two months) don't be discouraged if you try for a while and don't succeed. By following these rules, and with a bit of practice, you'll be lucid dreaming in no time.


Psychic Dreaming

Sunday, September 08, 2013

The Subconscious Mind Never Forgets

Today we would like to focus your attention on the topic of memory; more specifically we would like to discuss how you can access your subconscious mind and its limitless capacity to retain information.

This message is specifically for those who are having trouble remembering, as well as for those who are interested in learning about yet another ability of your conscious and subconscious mind.

Why is it that some people have wonderful memories while others seem to forget just about everything? You see the human memory is a funny thing.

In actuality everyone has a flawless memory. How can this be? All information which you consciously encounter is instantly downloaded into the subconscious mind however you can only access this "memory" if your conscious mind allows you to do so. 

Saturday, September 07, 2013

Superstitions Bring Good Luck

By Amber Angelle / Life's Little Mysteries

The next time you cross your fingers or tell someone to break a leg, you may actually be bringing some luck.

Superstitious ways of bringing good luck are found in cultures around the world, and it turns out they may be ubiquitous for a very good reason: To some extent, superstitions work.

New research shows that believing in, say, the power of a good luck charm can actually help improve performance in certain situations, even though the charm and event aren't logically linked.


This is what a team of psychologists at the University of Cologne in Germany report in the May issue of the journal Psychological Science. In a series of experiments employing tasks involving memory and motor skills, the scientists studied the effect of behavior and "object superstitions" – which rely on good luck charms – in college students.


READ THE FULL STORY HERE...

Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Indian State Bans Black Magic

Maharashtra, India, heralds a progressive new era with a comprehensive law banning black magic, witchcraft and other superstitious practices coming into effect, officials said Sunday.

Governor K. Sankaranarayanan signed an Ordinance Saturday evening which will curb all these practices, and award stringent punishment for practitioners. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to enact such a law.


Sunday, September 01, 2013

The Digital Drug That Gives An All-Natural High

Digital Drug
Source: All Natural High

All Natural High is an audio recording which uses special sounds to help shift your brainwave patterns -- recreating states of euphoria, excitement and mental agility.



In this article, we'll look at why this happens, and the science behind it.

Brainwaves and how they affect you

Every state of mind has a particular "signature" attached to it. This is represented by your brainwave patterns (or "frequency").



For example, if you're in a state of deep focus, your brainwaves are likely to be in the Alpha frequency range of 8-12Hz. Other specific frequency patterns exist for states such as sleep, creativity, and general happiness.

These frequencies can be measured using powerful scientific tools, such as an EEG machine. (Also known as an electroencephalograph machine.)

In the 1830s, scientists discovered that by playing certain frequencies through the ears, the brain "followed" those frequencies. This is a powerful process known as "brainwave entrainment."



By changing your brainwave frequencies, you could change your state - encouraging focus, creativity, sleep, or mood improvement, for example.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE...