Anomalous

This paper investigates the relationship between psychoactive substances and so-called paranormal phenomena falling within the study of parapsychology. It is primarily concerned with extrasensory perception (ESP)—telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance—as well as out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs). Psychokinesis (PK), aura vision, encounter experiences, and sleep paralysis only make a very limited contribution to this review as they are seldom related to psychoactive drugs within the parapsychological literature. The paper borrows widely, but by no means exhaustively, from parapsychology as well as transpersonal studies, anthropology, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology, particularly neurochemistry. It is organized into neurochemical models of paranormal experience (section 1), field reports of intentional and spontaneous phenomena incorporating anthropological, historical and clinical cases, and personal accounts (section 2), surveys of paranormal belief and experience (section 3), experimental research (section 4), and a methodological critique of the experimental research with recommendations for further work (section 5).

Resumen en español/English abstract
Presentación y análisis de cerca de 600 informes de "aterrizaje ovni" (explicados e inexplicados) ocurridos en España y Portugal hasta 1985. Libro publicado por Plaza & Janes (Barcelona), 1986. Autores: Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos y Juan Antonio Fernández Peris.
Presentation and analysis of nearly 600 reports of "UFO landings" (explained and unexplained) occurred in Spain and Portugal until 1985.
Book published by Plaza & Janes (Barcelona), 1987. Authors: Vicente-JUan Ballester Olmos and Juan Antonio Fernández Peris.

Originally published 2008, this monograph remains to be the most complete reservoir of photographic records for the UFO wave year of 1954.

Over the following years, FOTOCAT Project has issued seven more special reports, as follows:

Report #2 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos)
Argentina, The Year 1965 in Photos 
Online access: http://www.webcitation.org/6mx4rfU20
Argentina, El año 1965 en fotos
Online access: http://www.webcitation.org/6mx4oXV4n

Report #3 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos, Manuel Borraz Aymerich, Heriberto Janosch & Juan Carlos Victorio Uranga)
Avistamientos OVNI en la Antártida en 1965
Online access:
https://www.academia.edu/31467521/AVISTAMIENTOS_OVNI_EN_LA_ANTARTIDA_EN_1965.pdf
Print book:
http://www.upiar.com/index.cfm?language=en&artID=182&st=1

Report #4 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos & Ole Jonny Brænne)
Norway in UFO Photographs: The First Catalogue
Online access:
https://www.academia.edu/12870685/NORWAY_IN_UFO_PHOTOGRAPHS_THE_FIRST_CATALOGUE
Print book:
http://www.upiar.com/index.cfm?language=en&artID=174&st=1

Report #5 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos & Martin Shough)
Spheres in Airborne UAP Imagery
Online access: http://www.webcitation.org/6mx5Youbh

Report #6 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos)
An Approach to UFO Pictures in France
Online access: http://www.webcitation.org/6mx4huFGk

Report #7 (Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos & Wim van Utrecht)
Belgium in UFO Photographs. Volume 1 (1950-1988)
Online access:
https://www.academia.edu/35133835/BELGIUM_IN_UFO_PHOTOGRAPHS._Volume_1_1950-1988_
Print book:
http://www.upiar.com/index.cfm?language=en&artID=191&st=1

Report #8 (Manuel Borraz Aymerich & Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos)
THE MARFA LIGHTS. Examining the Photographic Evidence (2003-2007)
Online access:
https://www.academia.edu/43589341/THE_MARFA_LIGHTS._Examining_the_Photographic_Evidence_2003-2007_

The past decade has seen many exciting new developments in neurobiology.  Three particularly paradigm-rattling revelations reviewed in this report include; first, the elucidations of 'functional receptivity,' which expand multi-fold the elegant complexity of receptor function by showing that, not one, but rather, myriad unique cascades of intracellular signals leading to discrete profiles of gene activation can result from multiple receptor conformations, as opposed to merely an active or inactive state.  Second: epigenetic and state-dependent neuroplasticity which suggests monumental therapeutic potential and challenges the status quos of biological reductionism and pharmaceutical industry.  And last: receptor heteromerization wherein metabotropic receptors belonging to separate families form complexes engaging in functional, allosteric co-modulation and neurotransmitter signal integration, humbling the current level of neurological comprehension while presenting the potential for vastly improved pharmacological interventions.  The author makes use of psychedelics as a vector connecting these exciting areas noting how they have played, and will continue to play, an indispensable role in their exploration.

The durability of reinforced concrete structures is closely related to moisture state in cement-based materials. Therefore, it is crucial to develop moisture models that can accurately predict moisture state in the materials. However, many studies reported anomalous moisture transport in cement-based materials that cannot be well simulated by the conventional models. Several reasons have been investigated in the literature, such as the complex pore structure, chemical reactions with water, dimensional changes of the tested specimen, etc. Nevertheless, only a few models are able to capture the anomaly of moisture transport. This study viewed the main moisture transport coefficient—permeability—as a kinetic variable that depends on both the degree of moisture saturation and the contact time. The time-dependence was formulated by the decay (for drying) or growth (for wetting) functions. The saturation-dependence was calculated by the van Genuchten–Mualem (VGM) model. These functions were then implemented into a moisture transport model that was developed in previous studies. The proposed model was validated by experimental data and showed a good agreement for cement pastes that were dried or wetted in the hygroscopic range. Numerical simulation results were also compared with the simplified solutions to a fractional derivative model (FDM) of anomalous diffusion and the empirical Weibull function. We found that the solutions to the FDM cannot provide appropriate results. Weibull function performs as well as the proposed model, but the empirical function lacks physical meanings.

The term paraphysics has been greatly maligned over the decades; of that there can be no doubt. In the meantime, the science of paraphysics has become a popular dumping ground for all types of phenomena, whether real or not, that do not 'seem' to fit the present paradigm of "normal" science. Without rendering any prior judgment on the claims of ufologists, there is no evidence that UFO phenomena are paraphysical. On the other hand, there is no evidence that UFOs are not paraphysical in nature. This raises the question, where do UFOs fit in science? This question has been asked over and over and led to bitter debate in some quarters, by scientists and laymen alike, with no answers forthcoming. What is needed is a sober, non-biased and reasonable approach to the UFO problem by the scientific community (as well as support by the government/military establishment).

Spontaneous combustion occurs when an object self-ignites. The cause may be chemical, as when lithium oxidises explosively in water, or biological, as when a haystack catches fire due to heat generated from bacterial fermentation. There is no scientific evidence that the human body can self-ignite. However, spontaneous human combustion (SHC) as an alleged cause of death has a long and controversial history. If true, the mechanism of ignition is mysterious and challenges what we know about the human body.....

A series of chloroborosilicate glass having composition (in mol%) (100−x)(42SiO2–30B2O3–20BaO–
4K2O–4Al2O3)–xBaCl2 (where x = 0−30) has been prepared by the melt quench technique yielding transparent
monolithic glasses up to x = 22.5. Structural investigation by infrared reflection and UV–vis–NIR absorption
revealed the bridging action of Cl atom and decrease in non-bridging oxygens with the increase in BaCl2 content.
Thermal properties (T g, T d and T s) were measured by the dilatometry and softening point measurement. Viscosity
was calculated using the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann equation. Elastic constants were measured by the ultrasonic
method. Other mechanical properties like hardness, fracture toughness were also measured. All of the thermal and
mechanical properties exhibited a similar trend of anomalous variation as a function of the BaCl2 content, showing
maxima at 10 mol% and a sharp increase at 25 mol% BaCl2 content. The anomaly has been explained by the
structural point of view with the help of the aforementioned spectroscopic data.

Calculations of resultant electrostatic force on a charged spherical or cylindrical capacitor with two sectors of different dielectrics, based on the classical formulas of electrostatic pressure, Kelvin polarization force density, and Maxwell stress tensor predict a reactionless force that violates Newton's 3rd law. Measurements didn't confirm the existence of such a reactionless thrust, thus there is an apparent inconsistency in the classical EM theory that leads to wrong results.

A Prehistoric Mural in Spain Depicting Neurotropic Psilocybe Mushrooms? The Selva Pascuala mural, a work of post-Paleolithic rock art in Spain, contains fungoid figures herein hypothesized to depict neurotropic fungi, especially Psilocybe hispanica, a species that occurs in a neighboring region. This hypothesis is based on features of these figures related to fungal morphology, along with ethnographic analogy, and shamanistic explanations of rock art. If correct, this interpretation would support inference of prehistoric utilization of this fungus in the region. The mural represents the first direct evidence for possible ritual use of Psilocybe in prehistoric Europe. ¿Se Representan Setas Neurotrópicas Psilocybe en un Mural Prehistórico de España?. El panel de Selva Pascuala (Villar del Humo, Cuenca, España) conserva pinturas rupestres de cronología postpaleolítica entre las que se incluyen figuras con apariencia de seta, para las que aquí planteamos la hipótesis de que representan setas de efectos neurotrópicos, en concreto Psilocybe hispanica, una especie que crece en regiones próximas. Esta hipótesis se basa en las características de estas figuras en comparación con la morfología de dichas setas, a lo que se añade la analogía etnográfica y la teoría del chamanismo aplicada al arte rupestre. Si estamos en lo cierto, esta interpretación apoyaría la posible utilización regional de estas setas durante la Prehistoria. El panel supone la primera evidencia directa del posible uso ritual de Psilocybe en la Prehistoria europea.

What is the Paranormal?
“The paranormal” is a comparative category that serves as a dumping ground for a wide variety of beliefs, experiences and claims that fall outside the normative boundaries of our culture’s notions of scientific reasoning and conventional religious doctrines. By default, both scientific and religious elites have left it to experimental psychology and psychiatry to try to make sense of these domains of human experience, and more than a century of such research has much to tell us about how to critically evaluate this material. However, psychology is not enough to grasp all of the dimensions of the paranormal. Therefore, as we develop our “tool kit” of critical thinking skills we will need to also approach this material from perspectives in philosophy, sociology, comparative religions, anthropology, history and investigative journalism. This course, then, will be multidisciplinary in its approach, with insights from psychological research providing the Ariadne’s thread to help us find our way through and out of this labyrinth. After all, we don’t really want to meet the Minotaur (or Mothman), now do we?

description.abstract The goal of this thesis is to examine the states of madness, melancholy and demoni possession in Europe from antiquity to the modern period. The study is composed o eleven main chapters. The first chapter discusses the concept and definition of illness The second and the third chapters examine the development of medicine, melanchol and mental illnesses in antiquity. The following three chapters examine the body demonic possession, monasterial medicine and the sin of acedia in the Christian world The seventh chapter examines the sociol pathological problem of plague. The eight chapter discusses melancholy in the middle ages. The last three chapters examine th new melancholy, the treatment of mental illnesses and developments in demoni possession from the Renaissance to the 18th century. description.ozet Avrupa da Antikçağ'dan Yeniçağ'a kadar olan dönemde delilik, melankoli ve cinlenm hallerini inceleme alanı olarak seçmiş bu Tez on bir ana bölümden oluşmaktadı Hastalık kavram ve tanımının yapıldığı birinci bölümü, Antikçağ da tıbbın gelişim melankoli ve akıl hastalıklarının incelendiği ikinci ve üçüncü bölümler izlemektedi Dördüncü, beşinci ve altıncı bölümlerde Hıristiyanlık Dünyası'nda beden, cinlenme manastır tıbbı ve acedia günahı incelenmiştir. Yedinci bölümde toplumsal bir patolo örneği olarak veba salgınları, Sekizinci bölümde Ortaçağ melankolisi, dokuzuncu onuncu ve on birinci bölümlerde Rönesans' tan 18. yüzyıla kadar olan dönemde yen melankoli, akıl hastalıklarının tedavisi, demonolojik cinlenme alanında yaşana gelişmeler ele alınmıştır.

Norm and anomaly have long constituted a binary opposition whose boundaries are becoming increasingly blurry and open to scrutiny. What precisely does the 'norm' mean? Which political, economic, and social forces play a decisive role in producing the 'norm'? How is the 'norm' endorsed through the construction of the 'anomaly'? And how does the 'anomaly' contest the 'norm'? Can the 'norm' be anomalous when viewed as a discursive practice and a form of ideological control? And can the 'anomaly' be an integral part of the 'norm' without losing its subversive and oppositional character? This conference invites you to explore norm and anomaly from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives in literary and cultural studies, linguistics and teaching methodology. As a theme in literary and cultural studies, norm and anomaly pertain to representations of transformed and transformative spaces. These include eerie landscapes, geographies of hope and despair, and sites of post-human activity, all of which have featured prominently in such modes of writing as environmental, risk, and speculative fiction. We also invite papers that address forms of expression and repression in modern and contemporary British and US culture. The problem and problematic of order and chaos, autonomy and oppression, harmony and discord allow further productive avenues for exploring norm and anomaly through reference to theatre, film, visual arts, television, computer and video games. The linguistic aspect of norm and anomaly relates to the regularities and/or irregularities of linguistic usage, and to the ways in which norms and anomalies affect linguistic form and meaning or limit language use, its study and understanding. We invite proposals from intra-and interdisciplinary perspectives, such as constitute all areas of theoretical and applied linguistics – from semantics and sociolinguistics through morphology and historical linguistics to pragmatics, translation studies, and lexicography. As a concern in teaching methodology, norm and anomaly are inseparable from the status of English as a global lingua franca. Across the world, English is part of the school curriculum, which results in the need to test the students' skills formally. However, the focus on fluency and communicativeness frequently weakens accuracy requirements, and the gravity of errors is assessed against non-native speakers' subjective judgements. The gap between the ultimate yet not fully attainable goal and the reality of the ELT classroom calls for redefining the parameters of teaching English in response to a number of questions: Is there still one set of norms learners should follow? Or, do norms vary depending on the learner's progress and learning environment? Which language is the 'norm' – the English of the social media or the English of the classroom? Further possible topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: • Conventionality vs. nonconformity, normativity vs. transgression • Order vs. chaos and anarchy, hegemony vs. opposition, protest and rebellion • Evolution and continuity vs. revolution and disruption • Alienation and appropriation vs. inclusion and communality • Beauty and body cultivation vs. deformity and mutilation

Notes on an Italian-French Conference – 2015, Bologna University – concerning the theoretical issues on the anomalous, the pathological, the literary creation of the ill or criminal character. A comparison Foucault/Pasolini is also outlined, about the philosophical theme of cynicism and on the question of bios.

This study aimed to explore the experiences, responses, and conceptualizations of sense of presence experiences in bereavement in terms of family meaning-making. A case study framework was chosen, using group and individual interviews and ethnographically derived observations in a father-bereaved family in the south of England. Interview data were analyzed by applying both phenomenological and social constructionist perspectives to the same data set. It was observed that there was a division between the mother, who had derived much personal benefit from sense of presence experiences, and the children, who dismissed the experiences as incompatible with their own worldviews and how they made sense of their father's death.

Introduction: The pectoralis minor muscle originates from the third to fifth ribs of the chest wall and inserts at the medial side of the coracoid process of the scapula. It contributes to the abduction of the scapulothoracic joint and the downward movement of the shoulder. The anomalous insertion of pectoralis minor beyond the coracoid process is recognized since the 19th century. This study aimed to report the curious case of the anomalous insertion of pectoralis minor at greater tuberosity via rotator interval.
Case Report: A unilateral anomalous insertion of pectoralis minor muscle was found on the right side during the routine dissection of the upper limb in a sixty-year-old male cadaver. The anomalous attachment was present beyond the coracoid process which extended to the underneath of the coracoacromial ligament. After cutting the coracoacromial ligament, the tendon was located in the rotator interval, i.e., followed by its final insertion at greater tuberosity along with the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle. Three variations of anomalous tendon insertion were identified based on the classification of Le Double. In this case, type IIIM of Le Double classification was found; muscle belly (not tendon) crossed the coracoid process and attached at greater tuberosity. The muscle was separated from the coracoid process by a very thin bursa.
Conclusion: The pectoralis minor tendon may be found in the rotator interval, and surgeons should be careful during rotator cuff repairs.

All physical fields are associated with the concept of 'Potential'. Physical fields are characterized by pure 'Potential' before an object is placed in the fields to create potential energies. Thus 'Potential', in a real sense, describes the structure and magnitude of the field at any point location within the field itself. The word 'subtle' is only associated with the field magnitude and says nothing about the field structure or 'Potential' at a location. So perhaps 'subtle' energies are due to a special field structure within the fundamental fields. I contend that the 'subtle' energies that are associated with 'psi' phenomena are potential energies that emerge from specific field (magnetic potential) structures. On the other hand, our common 3-space is electrically constituted while the 4th spatial dimension in the Clifford time- independent model, which is the 5th dimension of space-time in the Einstein- Kaluza model, is magnetically constituted. According to the Single Field Theory (SOFT), our 4-D space-time has a sub-microscopic 'effective width' in the fifth direction, while each point in space-time is macroscopically extended in the fifth direction. So our universe is a 4-D 'sheet' embedded in a 5-D manifold (Mathematically speaking), but the 'sheet' is continuous with the universe outside of the 'sheet' - The 'sheet' and the 5-D single field are not separate things The 'sheet' is merely the densest portion of the single field. From this physical-material structure, a holistic physical model of life, mind and as matter-energy, electric and magnetic potential patterns consciousness can be