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Cortisol, surprise-enhanced cognition, and flashbulb memories: Scaring people with a snake screen and getting a PhD for it!

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Cortisol is a hormone that has a number of important functions. It gets us out of bed in the morning, it cranks up our metabolism in preparation for intense exercise, and it also helps us memorize things and even learn. Yes, it helps us learn . Memorization in particular, and cognition in general, would be significantly impaired without cortisol. When you are surprised, particularly with something unpleasant, cortisol levels increase and enhance cognition. This is in part what an interesting study suggests; a study in which I was involved. The study was properly “sanctified” by the academic peer-review process (Kock et al., 2009; full reference and link at the end of this post). The main hypothesis tested through this study is also known as the “ flashbulb memorization ” hypothesis. Interestingly, up until this study was conducted no one seemed to have used evolution to provide a basis on which flashbulb memorization can be explained. The basic idea here is that enhanced cognition with...
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Mutagenic Metals

The biochemical mechanism by which metals are mutagenic is by their effects on DNA. The main pathway shared by iron, copper, chromium, vanadium and cobalt is by redox-cycling reactions and mercury, cadmium and nickel by depleting glutathione and bonding to sulfihydryl groups (1). Free iron, in particular, can cause oxidative damage on DNA that can cause cancer in the spleen (2). Arsenic, in particular binds directly to critical thiols producing DNA damage (1). Cadmium interferes with and inhibits DNA repair (3;4). Reference List 1. Valko M, Morris H, Cronin MT. Metals, toxicity and oxidative stress. Curr Med Chem 2005;12:1161-208. 2. Wu X, Kannan S, Ramanujam VM, Khan MF. Iron release and oxidative DNA damage in splenic toxicity of aniline. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2005;68:657-66. 3. Slebos RJ, Li M, Evjen AN, Coffa J, Shyr Y, Yarbrough WG. Mutagenic effect of cadmium on tetranucleotide repeats in human cells. Mutat Res 2006;602:92-9. 4. Giaginis C, Gatzidou E, Theocharis S. DNA...
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Faith

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Are you a "Super Souler"?  That's how Oprah affectionately refers to those who watch her Super Soul series on Sunday nights.  Each week she interviews a different thinker, pastor, author, or person who seeks to have a deeper/more meaningful life experience.  She recently had Steven Pressfield on, the author of  The War of Art .  Have you read it?  It was a great conversation about how when we try to go higher or deeper in our lives (be it in our relationships, career, health, parenting, finances, etc.) we will naturally encounter things like resistance, fear, and self-doubt.  But, Steven says, that's when we know we're on the right path.  Two sentences very eloquently written in his book stood out: Whoa.  Is this a lightbulb moment for any of you?  As their conversation continued, Steven shared what I also believe to be true.   Once you commit, and you are on the path to living the life within (the path that resonates with your soul...
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