Dreams and Waking Experiences

What is the relationship between our waking experiences and how they are incorporated into our dreams? Further, how does dreaming play a role in solidifying past events as memories? In the late 19th century, Freud coined the term “day residue” to refer the way in which our

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Early Treatment for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder affecting about 1 percent of the population. It typically emerges in young adulthood—late-teens to mid-20s. Schizophrenia begins with what is called a ‘prodromal phase’ wherein symptoms are just appearing and have not become fully actualized. This prodromal phase can last for a

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What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

What is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can be very confusing to parents. What exactly does it mean when a professional tells you that your child has ‘sensory issues’? It is a topic wherein parents can often feel lost and confused when faced with

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The Psychology of Terrorism

Our hearts go out to all the victims and victim’s families involved in the Orlando shooting over the weekend. The sad reality is that terrorist attacks have been an ever-present threat gnawing at our collective peace of mind. In recent years those fears—particularly of domestic attacks by

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The Importance of Vitamin D and Brain Health

If you’re like most Americans, your level of vitamin D is subpar (under 30 nanograms/mL) if not outright deficient (under 20 nanograms/mL). It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from foods and if you live in the northern states there is not even the possibility of

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Nutritional Psychiatry and the Optimal Brain Diet

A fascinating revelation that occurred during a depression study has given birth to the emerging field of nutritional psychology and psychiatry. The study—a depression prevention study at the University of Pittsburg—consisted of a group of participants receiving cognitive behavioral therapy and an experimental control group who received

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Safe Drug to Boost Brainpower?

The idea of being able to pop a pill and miraculously become smarter seems like it could only be the reality of a Hollywood movie. People have been searching for ways to boost their brainpower perhaps for all of history. Caffeine is possibly the oldest and most

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Music and Personality

New research shows that a person’s musical preference has a lot do with their personality. Scientists from the universities of McGill, Cambridge, and Stanford collaborated on a new method for coding and categorizing music. These researchers believe that their findings hold important implications for both industry and

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The Benefits of Self-Compassion

We often think that being competitive and relentlessly pushing ourselves is a requirement for success. However, researchers are starting to prove these theories wrong. A self-critical and competitive attitude is actually now being shown to stand in the way of achieving our goals. Studies have shown that

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Understanding Psychosomatic Disorders

Many psychologists see clients who are worried about physical symptoms with no clear medical explanation, whether they are headaches, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, fibromyalgia, chemical sensitivities, or unexplained body pain. It turns out that medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are actually quite common; studies show that

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