Psychology

Have you met yourself?

Sheikh Saud bin Al Thani is a passionate collector of art. Over the past few years, the sheikh — a cousin of the emir of Qatar — has been frantically buying artworks and objects related to the erstwhile Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore, another passionate patron who led […]

Fireworks trigger stress in war vets

July 02–The random pop-pop-pop of firecrackers will reach its seasonal peak with Monday’s Fourth of July celebrations, but this most patriotic — and pyrotechnic — holiday can drive many combat veterans away from parade routes and picnics. Rather than hang around the house for barbecues with friends, some veterans who […]

Researchers warn against ‘Facebook depression’

Emma Mills-Rittmann quit Facebook because, she says, other kids ruined it for her. “[Your friends] hang out with other people and they didn’t call you,” said the 14-year-old, who goes to St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Savage. “Then you see the pictures.” Minnetonka teen Allison Jensen knows the feeling. […]

Lebanon County’s mushrooming suicide rate

Financial burdens. Relationship difficulties. Loneliness. Whatever the reason, the number of suicides occurring in Lebanon County this year has local officials concerned. Thirteen people committed suicide in Lebanon County last year, one more than in 2009. Now, only midway through 2011, 13 people have already taken their lives, according to […]

Pornography and sexual addiction

It is hard to ignore how many highly visible men in recent years (indeed, months) have behaved in sexually self-destructive ways. Some powerful men have long been sexually voracious; unlike today, though, they were far more discreet and generally used much better judgment in order to cover their tracks. … As […]

Islam and Psychology

The case of those who take helpers besides Allah is like unto the case of the spider, who makes for herself a house; and surely the frailest of all houses is the house of the spider, if they but knew!  (Al Quran 29:42)     Sigmund Freud remembered all his […]

Even bees feel the blues

Even bees feel the blues when life gets them down in the mouthparts, scientists have discovered. A study suggests the insects can display negative emotions just like humans, dogs, rats and birds. Scientists upset a group of bees by shaking them violently to simulate an attack on the hive by a […]

The Optimism Bias

Source / Courtesy: Time Magazine By Tali Sharot We like to think of ourselves as rational creatures. We watch our backs, weigh the odds, pack an umbrella. But both neuroscience and social science suggest that we are more optimistic than realistic. On average, we expect things to turn out better […]

Stress leads to forgetfulness

Many of us know it: We feel frazzled, harried and forgetful. Sometimes we can’t remember where we put our glasses or car keys. This modern affliction has the medical name “subjective cognitive impairment” or “busy life syndrome,” as the CPS researchers call it. Sufferers describe feeling chronically stressed and having […]