Most Commented Education Blogs (1,148)

It’s known as “Ghost Depression” in China, “Kanashibari” in Japan, meaning to be bound or fastened by metal strips, and “Karabasan” or ‘The Dark Presser’ in Turkey. The latter sounds oddly like a 1980s metal band, but these three terms all refer to the same thing – the often terrifying and little understood ordeal of sleep paralysis, which is believed to have left various imprints on our culture throughout the millennia, from tales of ghosts in the night to visits from aliens.

Studies suggest that around 8% of the general population, 28% of students and 32% of psychiatric patients have experienced sleep paralysis at least once.

But what exactly is sleep paralysis, and why does it occur?

REM is when we experience our most vivid dreams and during this spell, the brain sends your body into a state of complete paralysis. This is a perfectly normal event which occurs every night and we believe it’s a mechanism to prevent us from acting out our dreams which could be highly dangerous. But when sleep goes wrong, you can actually wake up during the REM period, while your body is still paralysed.

Many people who suffer from these abnormal occurrences only experience paralysis. But because they are both awake and still in the REM stage of sleep, some will begin hallucinating with their eyes open, projecting vivid and often threatening dreams into their bedroom surroundings.

Trapped in this semi-wakened state, with shadowy figures filling the room, anxiety levels understandably peak. “You have this vague sense that there’s something in the room with you. You feel a bit like a prey animal. And this is why people see ghosts, demons, aliens or even figments from their past appearing to attack them.”

In many cultures, humanity’s attempts over the centuries to seek explanations, have led to deep- held superstitions about witches and dark magic. Such fairytales act as a primer for the hallucinations.

Once movement returns to the body, the hallucinations disappear almost immediately. The length of the whole episode can last from a few seconds to 20 minutes. Scientists believe that sleep paralysis may be behind many of the medieval folklore narratives describing vampires and ghosts terrorizing villages at night, before suddenly vanishing into the ether.

“It seems to be a major part of culture going back through time. And that’s pretty understandable. I mean, how would you explain it in a pre-scientific world? You go to bed and you wake up and you see a shadowy figure hovering on top of you, doing things to you.”

For those who experience it as a recurring problem, psychologists have a few simple tips which can help. These include trying to establish a more regular sleep cycle and avoiding sleeping on your back or stomach. “People are statistically less likely to have it, if they sleep on their side. We think there’s something about the extra weight when we’re in a supine position that makes it more likely.”

“People don’t tend to make the supernatural attributions anymore but their experiences have such a vivid quality, they tend to think there’s something deeply wrong with them. And these days it seems to be more palatable to put it down to extra-terrestrials.”

A 2012 National Geographic survey found that up to 77% of Americans believe there are signs that aliens have visited the Earth and a 2008 poll suggested that 55% are convinced they have had an alien abduction experience.

Perhaps sleep paralysis could be at the root of these findings? “It may well be”. “It’s these cultural explanations which embed themselves into the whole experience. And because it seems so real, it encourages these pockets of beliefs to spread.”

Abridged from article at:



Have you ever had such an experience?

What was it like?

All Comments Welcome!

Anyone who wants to watch live Rugby South Africa vs New Zealand heres the link:

cricfree.me/rugby/south-africa-vs-new-zealand-crf7ficj

Click on: Rugby - Cricfree.tv
cricfree.sx/rugby-live-streaming

close the adds and voila.

Well, it appears that the Jordanian pilot shot down by ISIS was burned alive in a cell. Evidently the man was burned in early January.

This alleged Islamic group has to me made up of a bunch insane fools! How can they try and make a deal to release a woman jihadist that was captured by Jordan for the pilot if he was already burned to death and have any credibility? If you can call it that! Jordan has now announced they will execute the woman!

The Islamists like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban I believe are in for problems if ISIS decides to turn against them for not being "Muslim' enough. I say this since ISIS has also been murdering educated women, school children and others. Why not these groups.

I also believe that many Islamic countries will now turn against them and start to hunt them down as Nigeria is doing to Boko Haram!

Jordan is making plans to go after these guys too.

I'm all for that!

If you travel abroad frequently for work, or if you have an e-commerce store with customers from all over the world, it’s worth noting that there are a number of English words that, phonetically, don’t work in other countries and can lead to double entendre or unintended offence territory. Here are 20 of them to help you ensure that your communication isn’t lost in translation.

France

Preservative. Avoid asking about preservatives in France; you’ll probably be met with strange looks. It means ‘condom’ in France.


Norway

Pick. If you’re visiting Norway, don’t use the word ‘pick’. Your Norwegian colleague is unlikely to be impressed - it means ‘d*ck’ over there.


Turkey

Peach. Going to Turkey? Avoid asking for a peach in the supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. It means ‘bastard’ in Turkish.

Germany

Gift. ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’, we’re told; perhaps more so in Germany where the word means ‘poison’.

Korea

Salsa. Out for a Mexican in Korea? It’s probably best not to ask for salsa: it means ‘diarrhoea’ in Korean.

Sweden

Speed. Try not to talk about speed when in the company of others in Sweden. It means ‘fart’.


Portugal

Pay Day. If you’re in Portugal, refrain from singing with happiness that it’s ‘pay day’. No one will be impressed. In Portuguese it means “I farted”.

Hungary

Cookie. If you’re visiting Hungary, whether on business or for pleasure, avoid asking for a cookie. It means ‘small p*nis’ in Hungarian.


Japan

Jerry. It’s perhaps a little late for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, but if you’re in Japan, avoid using the word – it means ‘diarrhoea’ over there.


Italy

Tremendous. Refrain from boasting about the tremendous prices you offer your clients. In this country, ‘tremendo’ is the word for ‘terrible’.


Netherlands

Bill. Asking for the bill might raise a few guffaws in the Netherlands: ‘bil’ means ‘buttocks’ there.



Spain

Cool. The word cool is too close for comfort to the Spanish word 'culo'; a crude term for 'bum'. Best avoided.

What's the sense in you commenting on a persons blog if you don't fully comprehend it ?

At the end of the day you twist and turn a blog to something totally different from what it originally was.

Sad.

No need to quarreal, rant and rave over someone's blog which obviously you don't fully get the sense of.

Anyway the blogging section on here is just for fun. Why take some of them to a larva level ?

Reading is one aspect - comprehending is another level.

Yet it's a cut and paste but as I am semi-illiterate and a bastard to boot
What more can you expect from me





Just another example of how the angry white man has mistreated indigenous people ...

You can also Google how the white Australians hunted the aboriginal people for sport much like shooting wild game in Africa. ..

Crime is everywhere.

If you are thinking this might never happen to you then you are living in a dream world.

Now that syndicates and criminals see how soft targets are getting its going to escalate, especially with the influx of people into Europe and else where from war torn countries.

We have adapted to crime to the best of our ability in SA and this keeps one on your toes so to speak.

22 Hours Ago.




Take Care.

When I worked at a bank, I had been asked to pick up some snacks for the boardroom meeting. I wasn't crazy about shopping for the bigwigs but I did take a moment to consider the people attending. None were under the age of 50 and their BMI was over a healthy number. Compounding the issue was the stress level I imagined a VIP would have. Any type of junk food would be deadly! I could have just made some sweet tea with a little antifreeze. Because of my great concern for their health, I opted for the sugarfree muffins and cookies. In the words of my Indiana mother, it went over like "a lead balloon".

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all..
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles..
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

WD-40 Well, Who Knew...? A WONDERFUL FIXER UP

WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewellery chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favourite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers."
38) The favourite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no
time.
Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and
. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.