https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=1543957&q=identifier_t%3A20200310_nanos_sciplatform2_07%2A&sort=facet_title_s+asc

I was made aware of this very interesting study by u/Epiwa001 (thanks again friend). I haven't seen it being posted before, so I am doing it now.

It proves the theory of Visual Snow being a thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia and found the phasic inhibition of visual processing is completely lost in us.

While the study is very important in terms of progressing towards understanding VSS, the remarks made towards treatment are frustrating and not helpful. They conclude that a lot of work still needs to be put into understanding and therefore treating VSS (what a surprise /s).

The study is from 2020 but has not received a lot of attention so far.

Here's an implementation of the paper Cortical microcircuits as gated-recurrent neural networks

Code: https://github.com/ixaxaar/pytorch-sublstm

A word language model task can be found here.

I thought that a FAQ thread about HPPD, one of the worst disorders that one can get from these drugs could be good. Hopefully it can prevent some from getting it and ruin their lives, like it has done for me and many others. If i had known about it prior to trying cannabis, which caused it for me, i sure wouldn't have been in this boat now. But now i am and if the awareness that i'm trying to spread about it will prevent just one person from getting it then atleast something positive have come out of me getting it.

So, what is HPPD? HPPD stands for hallucinogen persisting perception disorder and there are two different types of it. Type 1 is a good prognosis were the person only experience short flashbacks were they feel like they're under the influence of the drug again, like PTSD. In most cases this fully goes away with time and abstinence. Type 2 is another story, it's a horrible prognosis that often cause the person extreme suffering because of the visual and often non-visual distrubances that can be seen and felt every waking second and seem to be permanent in most cases.

Causes: It seems that pretty much all psychedelic and hallucinogetic drugs can cause HPPD, but the more common ones can be seen below. There's also some indications that SSRIs and other antidepressants combined with the drugs mentioned below increases the risk of getting this disorder, which isn't wierd since they act on the same receptors. There's even some cases were people seem to have gotten it from them alone, but it's hard to know if that should be classified as HPPD or Visual snow syndrome since the people getting it from antidepressants don't seem to get any of the visual hallucinations.

• LSD • Psilocybin and Muscimol • MDMA and MDA • Natural and synthetic cannabis • 2CB • Salvia • Ketamine

Symptoms reported by DSM V: • Visual Hallucinations, usually walls breathing, seeing patterns, objects changing size, lights moving, texts vibrating/moving, ground or sky zooming out etc. • Altered Motion Perception • Flashes of Color • Color Enhancement • Trails or tracers • Palinopsia/afterimages • Halos • Micropsia • Macropsia

Common symptoms not reported by DSM V: • Visual snow (the vast majority gets this nasty symptom) • Disorted perception of distance • Excessive blue field entopic phenomena and floathers • Ghosting (a form of double vision) • Starbursts from lighsources • Glare and pattern glare • Inability to focus on objects/stare; looks a bit out of foc

Hello guys. I made a list of all the scientific models I could find regarding consciousness, and summarized each one of them in 2-3 sentences. Each model argues for a different adaptive purpose for consciousness. Let me know if you have any questions (or if you know of any model I forgot). Enjoy:

1. Synchrony theory (Singer, Engel): Neurons that fire in the same phase (rhythm) at the gamma range (above 30 action potentials per sec) send together stimulus information to consciousness. The purpose of consciousness is binding features into objects (eg binding the shape of a box with its color, sound, location. etc). The theory is now considered incomplete, and is the basis of most theories below.

2. Global neuronal workspace theory (Dehaene, Changeux): Consciousness occurs due to the attention system (dorsal prefrontal and then parietal cortices) synching together the firing rate of neurons (phase) from distant brain areas. The purpose of consciousness is to provide brain regions access to other active brain regions (eg saying a name elicits an image of a face). Consciousness occurs 300 ms after stimulus onset (model tries to explain the p300 EEG signal).

3. Recurrent processing theory (Lamme): Consciousness occurs due to the travel of information in a loop in the brain between higher order and lower order sensory regions (eg V2 and V4). The purpose of consciousness is perceptual organization. Consciousness occurs 100-200 ms after stimulus onset (model tries to explain the VAN EEG signal).

4. Postdiction model of Consciousness (Eagleman): Sensory stimuli arrives to consciousness at different times, but we experience it simultaneously. The brain waits 80 ms and integrates all sensory stimuli into a single united percept (hence post diction - the opposite of prediction). The model is driven by the flash-lag illusion. The purpose of consciousness is integration of sensory information into objects.

5. Predictive coding theory of consciousness (Hohwy): We are not conscious of stimuli, but to the expected stimuli, which explains illusions. Consciousness of sensory stimuli occurs because the brain tries to guess the current stimulus based on the previous stimulus, and then projects a positive/negative feedback signal. The purpose of consciousness is to form cause-effect associations between sensory representations.

6. Attention Schema theory (Graziano): The model suggests similarity between the usage of the body schema (awareness for th

Loads of scientific talk and I don't even understand half of it, but here's a part of the conclusion:

Overall, these results confirm our proposal that attentional changes underpin the visual processing changes we revealed previously, demonstrating that the differences identified in tasks that exogenously direct attention, are similarly found in those that endogenously direct attention. Specifically, both exogenous and endogenous shifts of attention appear to more strongly increase saccade-related activity in VSS, resulting in increased errors and altered saccade latencies. As attention networks are complex and widespread in the cortex, the precise nature and location of dysfunction in VSS cannot be determined from these saccadic tasks alone. However, inferences may be made, and the combination of latency and error differences are consistent with earlier, lower level changes in visual processing, and not later executive processing of visual stimuli.

This heightened activation by either a visual stimulus or endogenous shift of attention may reflect increased excitability directly within visual processing regions, as theorised to occur in VSS4,9,11,31. Lauschke, et al.2 proposed that cortical hyperexcitability may be associated with disruption to thalamocortical communication. Although simplistic, the thalamus acts as a gatekeeper for the flow of sensory information to cortex, and influences the ongoing cortical processing of sensory information through recurrent feedback loops32,33. We have previously shown that perceptual surround suppression is altered in those with VSS11. While the mechanisms involved in neuronal surround suppression in the primary visual cortex involve both feedforward, horizontal, and feedback connections, the thalamocortical feedforward connections can strongly influence suppression strength34. Hence, if thalamocortical communication is altered in VSS, alterations to perceptual su

0.How do you all memorize in situations that require word per word memorization for school?

For example things like, 1.Memorizing the Bill of Rights 2.Lines for a school play 3.I'm considering law school. Anyone else attorneys? How did you go through memorizing the law for your classes?

My original post ends here. The below is if you feel compelled for further discourse..

After seeing so many people reply in a short time frame to the above questions, I thought I'd ask a "few" more questions out of personal curiosity for those willing to answer and are interested.

Feel free to answer any or none of the below. I've also included a lot literature that I've read in the process of organizing my thoughts verbally here. Perhaps, some of you will also find it very interesting.

The below is a compendium of research, insights, connections/thought associations, conjectures, hypothesis, theories, general thoughts, I accured and had after all the reading..

4.How did you all do in formal schooling, good grades elementary, middle, high, college/university, masters, PHD?

6. How do you all do with memorizing visuals (diagrams, models, charts) exactly/precisely as possible for a test?

For example, what strategies or how would you appoach memorizing visuals like Krebbs Cycle, Maslow's hiearchy of needs, Bullish Rectangle (stock chart pattern)?

7. Demographic survey

College? Major? GPA? Age? Location? (Country, State, or City)? Gender? Race? Career? MBTI?

I have an interdisplinary social sciences BA from the University of Rochester with a GPA of 3.72 . I studied film/journalism, business/economics, and brain/cognitive science. I'm 22, CA, male, Korean, English tutor, ESTP.

8.Why you replying to this post LOOOL? What's the incentive/motivation?

9.Where do you all fall on the aphantasia scale/spectrum?

Meaning out of the 5 senses, how many do you have/lack?

I'm total aphant with a soundless internal monoluge/voice of the mind

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_monologue

I use this voice to sub vocalize (silent speech in the mind) when reading. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocalization

Also able to hum/sing unaudible tunes/melody using this soundless voice

I also have "invisbile imagery". I can recall "invisible imagery/pictures" but can't recall "invisible movies" so I'm guessing my "spatial card" of the mind/brain is on the weaker end or non-exsistent.

Not sure if "invisible movie recall" or "movie imagination/visualization" capacity

I have made some DD and it appears to me that the company has good growth potential with Rilonacept as the only potential alternative to treat and prevent pericarditis other than steroids. The FDA approval is expected 03/21. There are around 30,000 people suffering from recurrent pericarditis in the US, and if they would manage to cover half of that market the annual revenue could become approx 3.75B dollars since the annual treatment charge of the drug currently stands at 250,000 USD per patient. I should also add that that there is multi-billon dollar market potential for Rilonacept outside the US as well. Although half of the revenue would go to Regeneron, KNSA has a license for all indications including pericarditis. Speaking of other indications, I can see the use of Rolinacept being expanded to other indications over the short-term. It should also be noted that the company has other drugs in the pipeline with promising results. It is also has a drug against Covid-19 associated ARDS in the pipeline. To me this appears to be a promising company to invest in both for the short-term and long-term. If you think that the market cap of this company is high look at IOVANCE therapeutics, which has a market cap that is 3 times higher than that of KNSA yet it doesn’t have any revenue in sight. A short-term price target at 40+ is very fair in my opinion. I encourage you to do your DD to realise the potential of this company. Enjoy your weekend!

I've been trialing Imidazenil as this article mentions and it has definitely been helping with my negative symptoms. I guess it's helping the most by eliminating my ruminating thoughts and giving me clarity in that regard.

It is technically a benzo, however it doesn't cause sedation, amnesia, ataxia or cognitive impairment or tolerance.

>In contrast [to diazepam]... Imidazenil, which fails to allosterically and positively modulate the action of GABA at GABA(A) receptors with alpha(1) subunits that selectively allosterically modulate cortical GABA(A) receptors containing alpha(5) subunits, contribute to the anxiolytic, antipanic, and anticonvulsant actions of these ligands without producing sedation, amnesia, or tolerance.

...

>The remarkably unique features of the pharmacological profile of imidazenil (compared with diazepam or alprazolam) warrant the investigation of this drug as a prospective agent to treat psychotic symptoms in SZ and BP patients with mania. Our interest in the study of imidazenil is justified by the increasing consideration given to the role of GABAergic inhibition in control of the thalamo-cortical afferent and reentrant cortico-thalamic pathways, as well as afferent septal hippocampus and reentrant hippocampal–septal glutamatergicpathways(Mountcastle1998).Thesetwopathways have an important GABAergic component that participates in the regulation of sensory gating and memory acquisition and perhaps in the consolidation of these functions. These cognitive functions are altered in SZ and BP patients with mania(LewisandLieberman2000).Since theexpression of GAD67 is decreased in the PFC and other brain areas of SZ and BP patients with mania (Impagnatiello et al. 1998; Guidotti et al. 2000; Lewis et al. 2004; Woo et al. 2004), one might reason that if imidazenil were used in the treatment of SZ, it could increase cortical GABAergic tone, thereby correcting the symptoms associated with the specific cortical GABAergic downregulation typical of SZ. Imidazenil’s action on the mouse methionine model of SZ To investigate the hypothesis that imidazenil may correct the behavioral consequences of the GABAergic transmission deficit operative in SZ, we studied the effects of imidazenil on the behavioral abnormalities induced in mice by protracted treatment with methionine (Tremolizzo et al. 2002; Tremolizzo et al. 2005 ). These mice exhibit frontal cortex and hippocampal expression deficits o

Hi all, having a recurrent issue of resonance / feedback when behind a lectern and could do with some help.

Our eq and volume is nice and crisp when testing but when the lectern is introduced we would have to totally kill the sound on our stage monitors in order to get rid of it.

Are there any solutions where we don’t have to compromise on volume / clarity on the monitors?

For reference of equipment, we are using a Sennheiser G4 with a 935 cardioid capsule.

Monitor wedges are K-Array KM112 (x2)

Thanks in advance, any advice is greatly appreciated as I’m all out of ideas.

Tyrannosaur is a bleak film. Perhaps the bleakest you will ever see. This is a crushingly depressing story about abuse, trauma, and the recurrent failure to overcome both. Well-drawn characters are played with staggeringly fine-tuned acting. Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman give two world-class lead performances, and Eddie Marsan is absolutely contemptible in a brief but impactful supporting role. This is truly an actor’s showcase, as one may expect with an actor as talented as Paddy Considine in the director’s chair.

(This essay is also available in video form) https://youtu.be/_5mVZF_OwRY

I will be covering elements from all points in the film throughout this essay, so consider this your spoiler warning. If you want to cry and be horribly depressed by an expertly acted drama, then watch Tyrannosaur.

One of the most highly-acclaimed books on screenwriting is Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat. Setting aside whether or not the advice in the book is any good, the titular mechanism of the book is to provide your protagonist with a figurative “save the cat” moment early on in the film; have your protagonist do something commendable, selfless, or heroic near the start of a film in order to make them a likable protagonist that audiences will want to root for. A great many films utilize this tactic, whether on the advice of this book or just out of common sense for establishing an admirable or redemptive character.

But there’s no redemption to be found in Tyrannosaur. In fact, it has just about the farthest thing from a Save the Cat scene as you can get. Instead of a Save the Cat opening, Tyrannosaur has a Kill the Dog opening… and not in a John Wick way where it makes us feel bad for the main character, no, he’s the one killing the dog.

Right from the outset, Tyrannosaur does everything it can to make you hate this guy. Joseph is his name, and the first thing we see him do is lay some misplaced anger into his poor dog, kicking it to death. Joseph is thoroughly established as a nasty, racist, homophobic, violent, unlikable protagonist.

As we follow Joseph’s story and learn more about him, Tyrannosaur never asks you to forgive this man or absolve him of his sins. What it does instead, is provide a context through which someone might feasibly forgive him. He’s a product of his environment, and that is what the film asks us to understand, not to accept the man himself but to understand his circumstances. The ends don’t justify the means, the means rationalize and

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 1) über/unter — die Morgenröte (the dawn)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 2) der Seiltänzer (the tightrope walker)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 3) die grosse Verachtung (the great contempt)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 4) das erbärmliche Behagen (pathetic comfort)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 5) Ich liebe Den... (I love he who...) The New Beatitudes

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 6) verschwenden (to squander)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 7) die Bildung (education/culture)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 8) der Possenreißer (the jester)

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 9) die Einöde (the wilderness)

In Part 2 and Part 8 we explored two enigmatic characters from the Prologue: the tightrope walker (der Seiltänzer) and the jester (der Possenreißer). We are still missing the two other enigmatic characters from the Prologue: the saint (der Heilige) and the hermit (der Einsiedler). We now continue with Part 9.

Zarathustra Lost in Translation (Part 9)

Zarathustra's very first interlocutor is the saint of the forest. The saint recognises Zarathustra when they greet and they both laugh when they part because they share a secret: the secret pleasure of ascetic solitude. Zarathustra, too, used to enjoy the solitude of his mountain cave before "a change came over his hear

Hello guys. I made a list of all the scientific models I could find regarding consciousness, and summarized each one of them in 2-3 sentences. Each model argues for a different adaptive purpose for consciousness. Let me know if you have any questions (or if you know of any model I forgot). Enjoy:

1. **Synchrony theory** (Singer, Engel): Neurons that fire in the same phase (rhythm) at the gamma range (above 30 action potentials per sec) send together stimulus information to consciousness. The purpose of consciousness is binding features into objects (eg binding the shape of a box with its color, sound, location. etc). The theory is now considered incomplete, and is the basis of most theories below.

2. **Global neuronal workspace theory** (Dehaene, Changeux): Consciousness occurs due to the attention system (dorsal prefrontal and then parietal cortices) synching together the firing rate of neurons (phase) from distant brain areas. The purpose of consciousness is to provide brain regions access to other active brain regions (eg saying a name elicits an image of a face). Consciousness occurs 300 ms after stimulus onset (model tries to explain the p300 EEG signal).

3. **Recurrent processing theory** (Lamme): Consciousness occurs due to the travel of information in a loop in the brain between higher order and lower order sensory regions (eg V2 and V4). The purpose of consciousness is perceptual organization. Consciousness occurs 100-200 ms after stimulus onset (model tries to explain the VAN EEG signal).

4. **Postdiction model of Consciousness** (Eagleman): Sensory stimuli arrives to consciousness at different times, but we experience it simultaneously. The brain waits 80 ms and integrates all sensory stimuli into a single united percept (hence post diction - the opposite of prediction). The model is driven by the flash-lag illusion. The purpose of consciousness is integration of sensory information into objects.

5. **Predictive coding theory of consciousness** (Hohwy): We are not conscious of stimuli, but to the expected stimuli, which explains illusions. Consciousness of sensory stimuli occurs because the brain tries to guess the current stimulus based on the previous stimulus, and then projects a positive/negative feedback signal. The purpose of consciousness is to form cause-effect associations between sensory representations.

6. **Attention Schema theory** (Graziano): The model suggests similarity between the usage