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There's a good chance you hallucinated this week without ever knowing it
Inverse ^ | October 11, 2019 | By Jack Barton on

Posted on 10/14/2019 10:45:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin

In the 1950s, researchers stumbled upon a new class of drugs that provided relief for those suffering from schizophrenia. These drugs were known as antipsychotics and, as the name suggests, they reduced symptoms like hallucinations and delusions — primarily by reducing the levels of dopamine in the brain. This led clinicians and scientists to argue that dopamine was linked to the experiences of psychotic symptoms, and a concerted research effort ensued, seeking to solve the puzzle of why excess dopamine might produce hallucinations.

Although it was later shown that increasing dopamine could produce hallucinations, establishing a consistent link between them, it has not been clear why.

They achieved this by taking advantage of a simple fact: Your brain is lazy. It makes shortcuts to understand the deluge of information that bombards it daily. If you’re presented with consistent information, consistently, your brain adjust its expectations of reality in turn. This is the basis of Bayesian theories of how we perceive the world – that is, the brain makes inferences about the world around us based on statistics and probabilities on what is likely to occur.

[I]ncreasing dopamine made it more difficult for participants to adjust their perception — an effect comparable to how the hallucinators had struggled. Moreover, the extent to which participants struggled was strongly associated with the severity of hallucinations — but not with any diagnosis of schizophrenia. In other words, the difficulty appeared to be associated with a symptom, not a diagnosis.

Using brain imaging, the researchers also showed that an increased capacity for dopamine release, from a part of the brain known as the striatum (an area involved in schizophrenia), was associated with the severity of hallucinations. Together, these experiments showed that excess dopamine was associated with difficulty in accurately predicting reality.

(Excerpt) Read more at inverse.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dontreadthetag; dopamine; hallucinations; hearingvoices; jayaubreyjones; koalaoil; laurel; molassesmaiasma; monkeyfacerules; pangolin; penguinhumor; psychosis; schizophrenia; undeadthread; undeadthreadhere; unghandmoose; yanni; yannilaurel; yourbrainondrugs
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To: Tax-chick; NicknamedBob

Ah, jellyfish hive mind.
More intelligent with more members in the group.


1,941 posted on 12/26/2019 4:04:40 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Tax-chick
"How many jellyfish are there?"

The peanut-butterfish gave up during the Carter administration.

1,942 posted on 12/26/2019 4:06:07 PM PST by NicknamedBob (If you can't do something well, you won't do anything good.)
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To: Darksheare

I’m still praying for your family’s peace and comfort. Difficult at this time of year, I know, but the comfort will come in odd moments, when you need it most.

{{{hugs}}}


1,943 posted on 12/27/2019 1:33:25 AM PST by Monkey Face (I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.)
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To: Monkey Face; Tax-chick; Darksheare; ArGee; NicknamedBob; Silentgypsy

I thought I was done for the day when I went to pick up Beaker, but I was just getting ready to take my shoes off when the vet’s office called and said they forgot to give me the medication (antibiotic) for Beaker, so I had to take the cover off the windshield and head back out. I was so tired!

A nice young man named Casey (not to be confused with the nice old man named Casey the Tracker Guy) showed me how much medication to administer. A drop, literally! I was told to remove all the perches but one, and make sure that was low. I also had to lower the food and water bowls, and that meant that Gonzo was going to have to make some adjustments.

So I get up this morning, take the cover off the cage, and there’s poor little Beaker, with her head cocked to one side, lying limply on the floor of the cage and where is Gonzo? On the side of the cage, right next to the top of it.

I gather up Beaker, and she’s too dizzy and wobbly to try to peck me, and the hard part was trying to force her beak open as gently as possible to get the medicine in. I wrapped her in a soft washcloth to cut down on her stress level, so that helped.

Five days of this, twice a day.


1,944 posted on 12/27/2019 3:09:10 AM PST by Monkey Face (I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.)
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To: Monkey Face

Poor Beaker. I’m glad she made it through the night. And poor Gonzo!


1,945 posted on 12/27/2019 3:18:26 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We should find strength and pride in being an idol-smashing people." ~ Bari Weiss)
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To: Monkey Face; fanfan; ColdOne; Cyber Liberty; null and void; Tax-chick; Anoreth; ...

1,946 posted on 12/27/2019 3:21:24 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We should find strength and pride in being an idol-smashing people." ~ Bari Weiss)
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To: Tax-chick

The Cat Floof makes me forget my bird pains!

Good morning.

Gonzo is pouting, by sitting on the gravel dish since it’s the highest item in the cage to perch on. I did put one small perch back in, but its not his favorite, so I’ll be surprised to see him use it.

And I’m thinking that with Beaker having the wobblies, she won’t be getting off the bottom of the cage any time soon. She’s still got her head tilted at that odd angle and I’m thinking it’s because in any other position, the vertigo is overwhelming. Poor little thing.


1,947 posted on 12/27/2019 3:58:03 AM PST by Monkey Face (I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.)
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To: Darksheare

Maybe working the holiday was a blessing this time.

I lost my dad in 2004 and my mom in 2016. It does get a little better with time. But that doesn’t help you much now.


1,948 posted on 12/27/2019 4:01:18 AM PST by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
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To: Darksheare

The part that really scares me is that those people are allowed to vote.

I don’t for a minute think AOC is as dumb as the things she says make her sound. I do think she believes her constituents are that dumb. And I think she’s right.


1,949 posted on 12/27/2019 4:03:38 AM PST by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
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To: Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NicknamedBob; null and void; no-to-illegals; Silentgypsy; ColdOne; ...

Well, happy Friday, everyone. Back to the wildlands tonight.


1,950 posted on 12/27/2019 4:06:15 AM PST by ArGee (Excellence or diversity? Ask for diversity, you get diversity. Ask for excellence, you get both.)
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To: ArGee

Wishing you a safe trip!

We’re going hiking this morning. I need to get the boys up.


1,951 posted on 12/27/2019 4:18:01 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We should find strength and pride in being an idol-smashing people." ~ Bari Weiss)
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To: Monkey Face; Tax-chick; Darksheare; ArGee; NicknamedBob

Dropped by last night to see news of Beaker and prayed thanks that she’s home. Now, a setback. Rats. Prayers up for her recovery and comfort and to ease your birdie husbandry duties (I hate giving rx to them).


1,952 posted on 12/27/2019 4:49:08 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Tax-chick

Thank you. Sounds like your Boxing Day was smashing.


1,953 posted on 12/27/2019 4:50:16 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Silentgypsy

Pretty good, pretty good. It needed a nap with Jake, but that didn’t work out.


1,954 posted on 12/27/2019 4:53:03 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We should find strength and pride in being an idol-smashing people." ~ Bari Weiss)
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To: ArGee; Tax-chick; Monkey Face; NoCmpromiz; Darksheare; NicknamedBob; no-to-illegals; Covenantor; ...
Have a great weekend, y'all.

One of the locals told us that people who move to these wildlands usually bail within five years. What we've observed is that people who become involved in community service are the ones who stay. Just an observation.

1,955 posted on 12/27/2019 4:58:05 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Silentgypsy

I will never know.


1,956 posted on 12/27/2019 5:07:47 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We should find strength and pride in being an idol-smashing people." ~ Bari Weiss)
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To: Silentgypsy

Then you’ll be happy to know that Beaker is actually on her feet, this morning. I went in to clean up the cage and make sure she had some food that she could reach, and she was standing. However, she still has her head held sideways and slightly facing up, so I’m thinking that position is the one that produces the least amount of vertigo.

Poor little fluffy thing. I feel so bad for her!


1,957 posted on 12/27/2019 5:08:27 AM PST by Monkey Face (I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.)
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To: ArGee

Did I miss something? I recall you saying you were off and working from home in the wildlands, but I don’t recall you saying you would go back to the city immediately after Christmas.

But then, my life has been somewhat skewed the last few days.


1,958 posted on 12/27/2019 5:10:54 AM PST by Monkey Face (I was kidnapped by mimes. They did unspeakable things to me.)
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To: Tax-chick

Aside from spiritual matters, our friends and acquaintances value restful sleep more than anything else. The next most-valued thing is meaningful human contact. Is that having one’s priorities straight or what?


1,959 posted on 12/27/2019 5:23:45 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Tax-chick

Haha


1,960 posted on 12/27/2019 5:24:59 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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