Posts Tagged ‘news’

Posted on January 21, 2009 - by Andrew

Acupuncture works. So does fake acupuncture.

A recent study from scientists at the Technical University of Munich has suggested that ‘faked’ acupuncture can work nearly as well as the real thing. The research also showed that acupuncture worked as well as drugs and traditional medicines for headaches and migraines.

Scientists studied 6, 736 acupuncture patients. Some of the patients enjoyed real acupuncture but some had a ‘fake’ form where the needles were simply placed close to the surface of the skin rather than on the appropriate pressure points. Both sets of patients reported improvements in their conditions but the patients receiving the real thing did better.

Doctor Klaus Linde, from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the German University, led the review and said; “Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued.”

The research focused on the commonly occurring tension-type of headache. This included both severe migraines and more frequent but milder migraines.

Given the successes acupuncture showed at relieving the migraine pains the researchers have suggested that doctors should be willing to prescribe it to patients more often.

“Doctors need to know how long improvements associated with acupuncture will last and whether better trained acupuncturists really achieve better results than those with basic training only,” said Klaus Linde.

In 2008 Linde conducted a review into the effectiveness of St John’s Wort. The research followed conflicting reports on the abilities of the plant to counter depression. Linde’s 2008 project looked at 29 different studies into hypercium perforatum (St John’s Wort) and showed it to be as effective as Prozac.

Doctor Linde recommended doses of 300mg of St John’s Wort as the optimal amount.

Posted on January 16, 2009 - by Andrew

Lithuanian debt collector uses witchcraft to collect arrears

A debt collecting firm based in Vilnius in Lithuania has appointed Vilija Lobaciuviene – a self proclaimed witch – to use her arts and techniques to hunt down those individuals who are failing to pay their credit crunch debts.

“There are certain people, who are using this crisis situation and refuse to pay back banks or other companies,” said Amantas Celkonas, director of the Skolu Isieskojimo Biuras, or debt collecting bureau.

“Our new employee will help them to understand the situation, reconsider what is right and wrong and act accordingly,” he said. “We will also help those who are in real trouble, suffering from psychological impact of bankruptcy and depression.”

Happy to call herself “Lithuania’s leading witch,” Lobaciuviene is famous in the former Soviet republic for her divination abilities and spells. Her techniques include herbal medicines, hypnosis and the manipulation of the bio-energy field.

Associated Press columnist Monika Bonckute is quoted mocking the agency’s appointment, “This is return to the Dark Ages. If they really believe that this woman may help someone get money back, then there’s something very wrong with this country,”

Posted on January 8, 2009 - by Andrew

The White Lady of Tyrone: Ghost-hunters flock to the scene

In recent weeks there have been a number of reported sightings of a white lady haunting a remote spot in Country Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

The reported sightings  have become so wide spread and so common that cars belonging to sightseers and ghost-hunters clog the Mullaghmoyle Road, near Coalisland, where the ghostly woman has been seen the most often.

The sightings are compelling. Raymond Bell told the Daily Telegraph that his 17-year-old son did not believe in ghosts but after witnessing the white lady on numerous occasions had changed his mind.

Local politician Desmond Donnelly dismissed the sightings, saying; “If you ask me, it’s more likely to be a reflection of the moon on the river that flows through the area.”

The Northern Ireland Paranormal Research Association (NIPRA) is one of the many investigators on the scene. A spokesperson for the group, Warren Coates, noted that the area had previously been researched after reports of a ghostly woman walking out in front of cars.

The White Lady ghost phenomena are commonly associated with tragedies – often those connected to broken hearts. Some academics trace the origin of White Ladies to the German deity Holda – a goddess of children, maidens and virgin youths.

In Pure Spirit

Have you made the trip out to Coalisland to wait for the ghost? We would love to see some pictures from the area.

Are you surprised that so many people make the trip each night? Newspapers suggest that as many as 60 cars have begun to park on Mullaghmoyle Road, staying as late as 1am and beyond.

Posted on January 7, 2009 - by Andrew

Young woman burned at the stake after witchcraft accusations

A woman from the highlands of Papua New Guinea was murdered after being accused of being a witch and being involved in an extra material affair.  She was tied to a pole, covered in propellant and set aflame.

Local authorities are blaming the murder on the island’s long standing superstitions, fear of black magic and ongoing Aids epidemic.

Papua New Guinea has a population of around six million, Aids infection rates as so high in the island that it accounts for 90% of all the HIV infections in the Oceania region.

Aids and HIV is mistaken for witchcraft when victims begin to contract diseases due to the breakdown of their antibodies and become gaunt and sallow.

It is The Post Courier reports that one of the men involved in the witchcraft murder is believed by locals to have contracted Aids from the victim.

Simon Kauba, highlands police chief, is quoted as saying, “I don’t know the right words to describe it but it’s barbaric. Can you find the best words to describe such acts that are rampant here?”

In Pure Spirit

In a twist to this upsetting news there those people who’ve said that the murdered woman simply subject to a local traditions. The Post Courier’s response to that was to says, “Those who say she got primitive justice should pause to think, it could be you next on that truckload of burning tyres.”

What do you think? Do we have a responsibility to offer education to tribes still tucked away in the highlands of Papua New Guinea or would that simply result the destruction of their local ways and tradition?

Posted on December 29, 2008 - by Andrew

The rain god Chaac and the 10 most important archaeology discoveries of 2008

The Archaeological Institute of America has published their top 10 list of the most important archaeological discoveries of 2008 via the Archaeology Magazine. Here’s the list;

1. Sacred Maya Blue – Chichén Itzá, Mexico
2. Wari Masked Mummy – Lima, Peru
3. Kuttamuwa’s Soul – Zincirli, Turkey
4. American Genes – North America
5. Oldest Oil Paintings – Bamiyan, Afghanistan
6. First European – Atapuerca, Spain
7. Earliest Shoes – Tianyuan Cave, China
8. Portuguese Indiaman – Namibia
9. Imperial Colossi – Sagalassos, Turkey
10. Origins of Whaling – Chukotka Peninsula, Russia

In Pure Spirit is pleased that the Maya Blue pigment made the list. Blue was a sacred colour to the ancient Mayans and associated with sacrifice and deities. In particular, blue was the colour of Chaac the rain god.

Unlike Chinese blue and Egyptian blue, Mayan blue is stable and retains its colour even after hundreds of years and weather conditions.

In 1904 the archaelogist Edward Thompson dredged the Sacred Cenote at Chichén Itzá   he found a 14 foot thick layer of blue silt. This is now believed to be the gathered remains of Maya Blue washed off thousands of sacrificial objects. It is thought that sacrifical objects would have been heated by the ancient Mayans, then painted or brushed with blue dye before being thrown into green water.

Chaac

Chaac represented each of the four cardinal directions and each of the four cardinals had their own Chaac – a synchronicity common with Maya deities.

He was the patron of agriculture and carried a lightening axe. He was also associated with maize.

The rain is Chaac’s tears of regret.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Which is the most important of the ten discoveries above or would you suggest an alternative discovery?

Posted on December 29, 2008 - by Andrew

Save the common seal in Scotland: Time for an emergency ban?

It is currently legal for licensed individuals in Scotland to shoot the common seal. This is unusual for the United Kingdom, which has strict gun laws and where fox hunting was banned despite hundreds of years of tradition.

Scotland has had a large population of common seals. Shooting licenses are granted to cull the seals and help prevent damage to fish farm cages.

Recent research by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University suggests that the seal population has dropped by 56% in the last 7 years. This figure is much larger than expected.

The new research is being used by Robin Harper, a MSP from the Green Party, to call for an emergency ban on the culling. He has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament to try and push the ban through.

Andy Ottoway from the Seal Protection Action group is also calling for an immediate ban.  Ottoway told the BBC that he wanted a ceasefire to protect globally important seal populations before it was too late.

The Common Seal

Also known as the Harbour Seal (Harbor Seal) is found on the Arctic and temperate coastlines in the Northern hemisphere. Females can live up to 35 years, about 10 years longer than an average male.

Common Seals are most easily spotted cue to their V-shaped nostrils. They can be gray, tan or brown in colour and reach a length of about 1.85 meters (which is just longer than 6 foot).

The global population of common seals is in the region of about half a million. This is largely due to seal hunting now being illegal in most countries.

In Pure Spirit

You can contact the Scottish Parliament about this if this is an important issue to you. Do you think culling is ever justified? Does mankind have an obligation to maintain the ecological balance now that we’ve been responsible for the introduction of some animals to new environments?

Posted on December 15, 2008 - by Andrew

Supernatural figure holds burglar hostage for three days

The Associated Press has a report from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia of a man who had an extreme paranormal encounter as he attempted to burgle a house.

Adbul Marlik Hakim Johar, a police official working in Kuala Lumpur, told the local The Star newspaper that the owners of the house found the exhausted and dehydrated would-be burglar when they returned after a holiday.

The man admits to breaking into the house and told police that he was held captive by a ‘supernatural figure’ for three days. He was allowed neither food nor water. Each time he tried to escape the house the entity would shove him to the ground.

There are a number of well known hauntings in and around Kuala Lumpur. One such location is the ill-fated Highland Towers which was hit by a landslide which decimated three levels of the apartment complex. Sadly many people died and now reports of voices and apparitions are common. In one incident a taxi driver claims to have dropped off a female passenger at the Towers and he discovered later that she had left a bag full of blood behind in the cab.

In Pure Spirit

This is one of those stories which really make you think. Sure enough the man will be embarrassed at being found so easily in the house he had broken into and the word of a burglar may count for little… but why make up the story of a ghost? Can he really fake exhaustion?

Posted on December 10, 2008 - by Andrew

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a form of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) which aims to encourage well-being through the use of horses as co-therapists and the facilitators of therapy.  Equine Assisted Psychotherapy uses the interaction of humans and horses to empower recovery. Horse professionals and psychotherapists are present throughout.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is used to encourage the transformation of dysfunctional patterns to successful patterns, provide cause and effect situations, help break down defence barriers and provide non-threatening challenges. As a result EAP is often used as a method which lowers emotional barriers.

Horses have come to the fore in Animal Assisted Therapy for a number of reasons. They are large and can intimidate people; however, this then provides the opportunity to safely overcome that fear. Horses are social animals with their own personality, mood and role within the social group. Horses suggest their response to a situation through their body language. This allows participants to see how a change in their actions resulted in a change in the way the horse responds to them.

EAP is considered experiential and often used in the short-term. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy does not focus on horsemanship or riding as it uses teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, non-verbal communication and assertiveness workshops instead.

Traditionally EAP is used to help with attention deficit disorder cases, substance abuse, depression, anxiety and communication needs. The technique received wide public attention after troubled British football legend Paul (Gazza) Gascoigne was reported by the press as receiving the treatment.

In Pure Spirit

How important are animals in our well-being? Do we have to be careful in any form of Animal Assisted Therapy that the animals are not being exploited?

Posted on December 9, 2008 - by Andrew

Greek riots threaten Arch of Hadrian

Central Athens has seen nights of violence this week following the police shooting of a 15 year old boy.

Anger boiled over in cities throughout Greece after police officers shot the teenager dead. The shooting has acted as a spark of public discontent. Although there are suspicions of anarchist orchestration behind the scenes it is widely believed that lingering disquiet and frustration at the weak Greek government is fuelling the riots. European news agencies are speculating whether the spreading riots are significant enough to threaten the stability of the Greek government.

Rioters are vandalising local shops, throwing masonry and setting fires with some of the most serious destructing occurring in central Athens. The conservative Greek newspaper, the Kathimerini, wrote yesterday; “Athens was at the mercy of flames and the uncontrolled action of hooded youths for a third consecutive night … displaying a power vacuum and the inability of the state to ensure order.”

The Arch of Hadrian overlooks the modern Amalias Avenue – a busy road in central Athens near to some of the worst scenes of rioting. The Arch, which resembles a Roman triumphal arch, already suffers from degradation of the inscriptions and extensive discoloration of the stone. Atmospheric pollution is one of the largest contributors to the stone decay.

It is suggested that the Arch was built to honour the Roman Emperor Hadrian when he visited Athens in 131 AD. Inscriptions on the Arch mention Hadrian. The Arch itself sits across the ancient road which once led from central Athens to the eastern side of the ancient city where the Temple of Zeus is found.

In Pure Spirit

Have you visited Athens? Which was your favourite historic site? Should we be concerned that the troubles in Athens and Greece this week will endanger more sites?

Posted on November 25, 2008 - by Andrew

Indian schools to educate about witchcraft

It is estimated that up to 750 people, mainly old women, have been killed in witch-hunts in India since 2003.

The slayings result when villages in the hinterland suffer from food shortages and blame is cast. In one instance a family of four in Assam were stoned and then buried alive after it was believed they had cursed the relative of the village elder.

It is hoped that by introducing witchcraft studies to the school syllabus that rural beliefs can be altered. India hopes to dampen belief in black magic.

However, academics claim that the witch-hunt phenomenon is purely financial. A proposed alternative solution is to introduce a pension for elderly ladies. This would mean that these woman become a financial asset rather than a financial burden.

The pension tactic is widely credited to have been successful in South Africa where witch-hunting almost completely stopped in the North Province in the 1990s.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Is this an issue of education, belief or simple monetary gain? The Times has more on this story.