Supernatural Creatures or The Perception of Human Brain

Recently my article about "Supernatural Creatures" is published in World Times Magazine (Vol-6, Issue/III, December 2011)


This article attempts to explain difference between Illusions, Hallucinations and experiencing Supernatural.

Supernatural Creatures

Or

The Perception of Human Brain?

By: Prof. Ayesha Kashif

Does Supernatural exist? Or they exist in human brain only? Contemporary world; consider it to be myth of past. Call them ghosts, spirits, or whatever. Have you ever observed or met a ghost or a spirit? Many will answer in negation. Majority of the people who can reply the above question in “yes” their experiences lack evidence; but share commonality. Those who have not experienced any such supernatural; can argue that here exists simply no support and this topic shall not be discussed, but still literature, movies and tales include super naturals.

Super Naturals are bifurcated in 3 major categories:

1) Spirits

2) Ghosts /Jinnis

3) Angels

Spirits are said to be human soul which comes out from the body as a result of transformation from life to death. Ghosts, commonly known as “jinn” in Urdu, are said to be altogether different species, having capability of living over more than this planet. They are believed to be mortals like humans, yet made of light/fire. Angels, according to different religious believes may differ; but they are believed to be made of light/fire like ghosts, but they are immortals and execute commands of God.

Most common traits about super naturals are:

1) They can vanish and appear any moment.

2) They are free from constraints of space and time.

3) Capability to look like any human or animal.

4) In their presence strange wave passes within body.

5) At times; strong feeling of fear may be experienced; even person willing to commit suicide will not enter in room, where presence of Super Natural is assured.

6) Often said to be big white un-identifiable or non-explainable object.

7) If in form of human, they are said to have big red pepper styled eyes.

Let me share experiences of those, who claim to have conversation with super naturals. Such incidents quoted by sane and educated people, raise question as why will they lie about it? If they are telling truth then what was that? Most common traits quoted with respect to observation are:

1)

They may communicate in dream like situation; where one can hardly differentiate his/her state was fully awake or sleeping.

2) While listening, weeping due to fear may trigger.

3) Communication may not necessarily follow any language. Just feeling gets transferred about what supernatural is saying.

4) Speech is often with echo effect i.e. humans speak in state of flu

5) And when it is not conversation; but voices are heard from large distance. Language is said to be native like. Yet cannot be understood.

Other than observations and communication; few instances have taken in my consideration which seems too difficult to comprehend for those who have never experienced. Few cemeteries are said to be haunted, where spirits can be observed at certain time. Stories of haunted houses, where people get terrified, kicked, slapped or shaken up while sleeping.

Being a psychologist, people often share such experiences with me. A student of mine, who is a house wife, shared her experience with me. She was living in big old house and she forgot the TV remote control at top floor of house and came down to ground floor; she heard allot of stories about presence of ghost in that house but she never believed. Being extremely fatigued; she just wished and communicated in her heart. If here is really some ghost; please bring that TV remote control from top floor. In less than fraction of second, TV remote control was thrown at table. She experienced intense fear and had to shift house.

One of my friend claimed that he had experienced such incidents twice. He told that around 2:00 am he was shook by somebody to wake up. Perceiving someone unfamiliar in his room, made him terrified. He claimed that the jinn penetrated in his body and communicated with him. His other family members witness the change in his voice during that state. Second time when the jinn came he was not even terrified as the atmosphere of the room became enlightened and peaceful. This time the jinn gave him few advices to offer prayers and respect and love few identified people and then vanished.

It is not necessary that everyone one of us have experienced conversation, but provided minor incidents might have been experienced by us; and we tagged it as false observation. Common observations include feeling as if someone has walked from back, or false observation of movement in another room. In some instances few people claims to hear clear sound of reading/recitation from some abandoned room of house; sound of footsteps from upper floor, sounds as if some furniture is being dragged; all these observations become strange when it comes from residents who may live in single story villa. Having no possibility to have furniture over their roof top; to which any thief may wish to adjust at mid of night.

All these stories may be categorized as fiction; but having huge set of people claiming almost same experience? Provoke higher level interest; yet, those who deny, in their natural need wish to either experience it or prove it to be wrong; this is why here attempt has been made to enlist, time, places or other circumstances where super naturals have said to be observed.

1) Abandoned Places

a. It can be vacant house, ruins of some castle/house

b. Jungle (Where humans hardly visit)

c. This can be even some room of house i.e. store room or some place at top floor where hardly anyone visits.

d. Grave Yards (Sound of cries or laughter)

2) At Night, often late hours

3) Abandoned and old trees

4) Buildings with 20 to 30 years of age (less or not populated).

5) Places, where you fear for no reason. It may be any room of your own house.

6) Dirty places/Wash room

Modern science is not able to provide satisfactory evidence in its support. Although; observing something that cannot be observed by others, is known as hallucination. But this is often due to serious malfunctioning of brain; which can be medically diagnosed. And it seems impossible for normal people to experience anything which we call super naturals. But some of the normal people can experience hallucination in severe depression. For example majority of the people after the loss of a loved one claim that the spirit comes to visit them or after a break-up one can feel the presence of the loved one around him/her.

This opens door for another possibility; to which we call Illusion; Illusions are circumstances where humans misinterpret physical object, with respect to visuals. For example, having one’s unconscious mind already occupied by fears; some illusions may take place; i.e. hanging kite may be misinterpreted as some ghost's face or hanging cloths may feel like dead body to some. Although Illusions are visual misinterpretations only; But here exists set of people who are neither suffering from hallucination nor have fears. But still they claim to have experience of conversations as well.

Another very strong argument would be that “Our eyes see, what our mind wants to perceive” i.e moon can be perceived as “Roti” (bread) by a severely hungry or starved person, as our perceptions are greatly influenced by our desires, feelings, wishes, apprehensions, fears and motivations.

Here is great amount of information available and discussed regarding ghosts, daemon, evil spirits, holy spirits, vampires and several observations about haunted places. But it never reached to any conclusion; those who have experienced, believe, others deny. But it definitely identifies human thirst to know more.

How to Manage Aggression

Aggression, is one of most interesting motive in field of psychology. Here attempt has been made to elaborate its practical side with respect to its management in day to day activities. I hope; it will be valued learning and enjoyable reading.

I have provided text of my article; some of my readers requested that due to slow internet and restriction over picture files in offices and universities, they fail to enjoy reading. I believe they all shall be delighted now.

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How to Manage Aggression?

By: Prof. Ayesha Kashif

Aggression is considered to be one of the human motives. It comes under the category of psychological or social motives. Although psychological/social motives are not important for one’s existence or survival; but these motives play so much important part in our lives that sometimes our whole life is spent to achieve these motives. Sometimes these motives are so persistence in us, that they became the permanent characteristics of our personality.

What is Aggression/Anger?

Aggression refers to any behavior that is hostile, destructive and violent. Aggression is considered to be a psychological plus physiological state in which you try to hurt the other party. We hurt; attack, or sometimes kill each other during aggression. Broadly speaking aggressive behavior has the intention to inflict injury or to harm the targeted person. Examples include physical assault, using abusing language, throwing or destroying objects or even self harming.

Categories of Aggression:

Broadly speaking aggression is classified into 2 main categories

1) Hostile Aggression

2) Instrumental Aggression

Hostile Aggression:

As described earlier, hostile aggression has the aim of harming, hurting, injuring or sometimes killing the other person; examples of hostile aggression are slapping, punching, kicking, abusing etc. The hurting in hostile aggression may be physical, mental or both.

Instrumental Aggression:

Instrumental aggression is somewhat different from the hostile aggression. Its aim is not to hurt or injure the other party, but the person uses aggression in order to satisfy some other motive. In fact the person uses aggression as a way to achieve his/her goals. For example a teacher shows aggression in the class to maintain the discipline of the class or a child throwing things to get an ice-cream of his choice.

In this article, we will be focusing more on the Hostile Aggression. Hostile aggression in itself has few sub-classifications; all these types are interrelated and interconnected to each other. One can show his/her aggression either by choosing one way or more then one way. We will briefly discuss them.

i) Physical/Verbal Aggression

ii) Active/Passive Aggression

iii) Direct/Indirect Aggression

Physical/Verbal Aggression:

As the name indicate this type of aggression aims to hurt or injure the victim either physically or by words, and sometimes both. The typical example of physical aggression is when we physically injure the other party. The physical torture might also be accompanied by different weapons like hunters, guns and pistols etc. Whereas in verbal aggression the purpose of the person is to harass or harm the victim by his/her words. This type of aggression is most common as in our day to day life we often see people using abusive language or shouting at others.

Active/Passive Aggression:

In this type of anger, people show their aggression either by their overt behavior of they show their aggression in a passive way by frustrating the other party by their behavior. In active aggression your aggression is obvious and visible to the victim. Example of active aggression could be stabbing, shooting or killing an enemy. Passive aggression has even more interesting characteristics in itself. People adapt this way of aggression when the other party is more influential or powerful or he/she does not have enough courage to show the aggression overtly. In passive aggression the aim of the person is to frustrate the other person and in that way they satisfy their aggression. One of the most common examples in husband and wife relationship is when one spouse deliberately stops talking to the other one or start ignoring his/her partner, or listening to loud music when the other one is sleeping, or a servant deliberately burning the clothes while ironing or putting intense salt or spices in the dish to satisfy his anger.

Direct/Indirect Aggression:

The difference between direct and indirect anger is that in direct aggression to come at the front or show face to face aggression, whereas in indirect aggression you take the help of the 3^rd party to harm the victim without showing yourself at the front. The most common example of indirect aggression is when someone hires a profession killer to shoot the enemy.

A few of the common examples in which the person shows a blend of aggression categories are discussed here for further clarification.

· Kicking or slapping the victim (direct, active, physical)

· Abusing or shouting over the victim (direct, active, verbal)

· Cracking a dirty joke over the victim (direct, passive, physical)

· Spreading wrong propaganda against victim (direct, passive, verbal)

· Pushing someone standing in a queue (indirect, active, physical)

· Stop talking to the other person (indirect, passive, verbal)

· Rejecting or refusing to do an important assignment (indirect, passive, physical)

Few Tips to Manage Your Anger/Aggression:

· Give a vent to your anger. Anger gets aggravated if it is accumulated inside you for long period of time. So instead of shouting at the people in anger it’s always a good idea to shout loudly in an empty room. Shout, scream, cry or even breaking a plate can calm down your aggression.

· Try to relax yourself by taking deep breaths. It usually helps a lot.

· Involve yourself in some physical work like cleaning the bathroom or washing dishes or sometimes its good to throw your cloths out of your wardrobe and start arranging them again.

· Learn to act and not react. Reaction towards something usually embarrasses you when you come out of the sate of anger.

· Avoid the anger provoking situation. Try not to discuss those hot topics that vent your anger. Try to have less interaction with those people who stimulates your anger.