Contraception = Abortion
Posted by michellemoquin on July 21st, 2008
Can we just please fast forward to 2009? This whole rights over our bodies issue just continues and doesn’t seem to be getting any better. In fact I feel like we are going backwards. Now the Bushmin are trying to redefine abortion in the name of contraception. Believe it or not they are trying to say that the definition of abortion includes some contraception methods such as birth control pills and intrauterine devices! They have got to be kidding? I am livid over this.
Are we now changing the definition of conception and taking it even further than before? Conception occurs when the egg and the sperm unite in the Fallopian tubes. It then takes another 3-4 days before the fertilized egg implants into uterus. The birth control methods that they are trying to link to abortion, interrupt this path – the sperm never reaches the egg! No conception occurs.
How are women supposed to protect themselves from getting pregnant when they are labeling some of the simplest and most effective birth control methods as abortions. As I write this I am almost in tears I am so pissed off. What are women going to do if this plan goes through? Let me tell you, if this plan goes through, we can all say goodbye to all of the funding dedicated to hospitals and states where medical providers are obligated to offer legal abortions and contraception to women. They are trying to back door us women…leave us no choice but to have children that we do not want if we can not be supplied with good contraception that we can count on. It is another push closer towards overturning Roe v Wade.
Women rely on good birth control. It is especially crucial for women who are against having abortions in the first place. They would now be even more susceptible to getting pregnant and actually go through with the pregnancy just because of their morals. We can say hello to more unwanted pregnancies. And those that are not opposed to abortions…well, they are going to abort anyway, so you can count on the abortion numbers going up too. Abortion will become a form of birth control!
God I wish men could get pregnant! How can men possibly relate? They can’t or they wouldn’t be putting us through this…or would they? In what area can we even make a comparison? Hey you men out there who can’t get it up anymore: How would you like it if you didn’t have access to Viagra or some penis enhancer? How about if we said, ‘Sorry, you little penis men..or sorry you premature ejaculator, or sorry you limp dick…you’re just gonna have to figure out another way to get it up and keep it up!’ You know that would never happen. No not to men. They would never in a million years give in to that. Not to mention that whatever it is they’re taking is for their enhanced sexual pleasure. Not to say that women aren’t happy about a hard dick. But gee…last time I checked taking birth control didn’t enhance my sex life…It doesn’t provide women with instant lubrication or an instant orgasm. Birth control is not a desire, No, it is a necessity in life; one that can not be taken away. I may not get pleasure from it but what it does provide, more than just the obvious, is it provides me with ‘peace of mind.’ Birth control allows women to feel safe, and free; to be able to enjoy sex without the worry. Oh yeah, but I forgot, silly me…many men aren’t concerned about women enjoying sex…many just don’t care if a woman gets off or not. Oh no, so long as he gets his. Because ya know what, if they did care about women’s necessities, women’s happiness, women’s rights, this issue would never have come up and we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
And, I have to add…years ago women had to fight to get tampon advertisements on TV. In case you are in the dark about this, (I am speaking to the men) we don’t choose to get our periods – it is a natural monthly occurrence. Yet it was a fight to be heard, let alone be seen….and god forbid on TV. Men didn’t want to hear about periods; they didn’t think it was something a child should see on television. Oh…But when men can’t get it up and a solution to their problem was discovered, of course it had to be advertised – EVERYWHERE. You can’t watch television for 5 minutes without seeing some Viagra or other male enhancer splashed across the television screen.
Don’t let birth control be denied to women. I am not only speaking to the women out there but I am speaking to the men out there too – don’t you dare sit back and do nothing. Hillary is fighting hard against these proposed changes.
“We will not put up with this radical, ideological agenda to turn the clock back on women’s rights. Women would watch their contraceptive coverage disappear overnight.”
-Senator Hillary Clinton
Readers: Please do something about it. Join her in the fight by at least going to her website and signing the petition…Thank you. Thanks Doug for the heads upon this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello Madaline: I will get back to you in regards to all of your concerns tomorrow. I understand that you and the girls are sick of Earth. I am feeling that a bit myself these days. Hang in there.
Hi Sheikh: Thank you for enlightening us about Pickens. I am so disappointed this morning to read what you had to say about him and Anonz, that I am speechless.
I have to say that when I first saw Pickens my first thought was, ‘Hmmm…white man from Texas in the oil business’…I immediately judged and did not trust his intentions. But after reading what he had to say I thought his plan sounded good. It probably is. My mistake was not listening to my gut first impression and diving deeper into his past. Is it once again, that things aren’t what they seem or am I just not doing enough homework? I hope that you my readers were more thorough than I was.
Anonz: I am hoping that what the girls say is not true; I would like to hear your side of the story. I had faith in you and I had your back covered in hopes that you were a changed man ready to do great things with your bills. Please tell me that I made the right decision.
Signing off…
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle ?
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July 21st, 2008 at 9:12 am
Mischa, good topic, and it all ticks me off. btw though, men, if you’ve decided you’re done reproducing or that you don’t want to, why not go get the 15 minute snip snip and let your lady give her manipulated hormones a rest?? You still shoot, why would you care if it’s blanks or not? that’s not to take away fr this subject though, I will ck Hillary’s site…thanks for the info. Love the dick dishing ; ) you’re hysterical, and you remind me of…me, hahahaha…
Sheikh, I’m curious, are you saying that anonz was in the know about the Sudan sitch all along or that he was lead to believe something that is not true by the Bushmin? It would seem that Pick and anonz and any other bills would make money segueing the country into cleaner/greener/less dependence on foreign oil, so pragmatically speaking, even though they created this sitch, and they’d get to look good, not to mention altruistic, we do need less dependence on foreign oil, period. At this point, things are so f’d up does it matter so much how that change occurs? Little people always pay the tab anyway…just as surely as bills always reap the huge profits.
I’m not saying I like the idea of this bait and switch, dependence on foreign oil to wind power, but why would this be considered ‘blood money’ or is that a reference back to Sudan? Please clarify.
http://edgy1.wordpress.com/ “China and US: we are sooo in the sack with them, sigh…”
It’s serious Monday on both sites apparently.
Howie, good to have you back : )
Ciao, Zen Lill
July 21st, 2008 at 10:13 am
Michelle,
Good topic, I’m glad that you took my heads up on this and ran with it. Although, one can sign up at the Hillary link you gave, it currently does nothing else escept take emails and money. The old line for this topic that she was fighting for is here!
Perhaps we can find the link or something on the petition in the near future for your readers!!
Sheikh, as far as your comments to Anonz concerning on the topic of Pickens, I think we could all can see through the bullshit anyways. Even though I tout this as a good thing, which it is in many way, someone is going to make money. As Zen says, we do need to get off of the Arab oil link. We all know that the little guy pays the way and they always have. Since they are not in the positions to create the wind and solar changes necessary to make these changes, due to the oligopolies that exist today. This is our reality at this time. What I tried to make a note of was that I feel his main drive for this as an entrepreneur, is water. In the future as water will be a bigger issue than oil and power Pickens will become more rich from this, than from power I do believe.
If Pickens were truely the altruistic man he wants people to believe he is, based on his marketing to which I got most of my information that I wrote in with, he would create the whole new power structure of wind, solar and natural gas finds on his lands to become a national COOP. This would give everyone a piece of the power pie. This would really create a more free economy and society for the American people. Since he is a billionaire a few times over anyway, why not let the people have a share in this.
After all, the wind he will be getting his power from goes over other people’s land FIRST before he is able to capture it. Let’s discuss air rights. And perhaps the people will find a means to damn up the Canadian river further upstream so Pickens won’t have his water. If the Canadians decided to damn up the river, he would be shit out of luck at some point for his pipeline venture. This will be an issue someday in the future. Will the Canadians decide to hold onto what is rightfully their water from their mountains?
Also, Sheikh, for those that watched 60 Minutes last night we now also know that what you state of the situation in Sudan and Darfur are substantiated. Again, did people really think otherwise!? For those that did…WAKE UP!!!
It’s time for CHANGE!
July 21st, 2008 at 10:34 am
On a lighter note, Michelle sent me a video that I thought was amazing about love. I put that on my blog for all to see!
Boggs Banter
I hope you enjoy it as I did.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
WOW!! Talk about a typo!!
HERE IS THE LINK TO MY SITE!!
That one was a bit funny!
Sorry…
July 21st, 2008 at 10:38 am
OKay, I’m done for the day…it seems I am now being edited by Big Brother, as that link didn’t work…
Click on my name above if you want to see it.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:17 am
Zen Lill
I didn’t imply that Anonz was in on the Sudan hypocrisy. I am saying that he will profit enormously by helping to push this wind grid thing. They stand to make more than a trillion dollars. Are you willing to allow unscrupulous people to make a TRILLION dollars cool profit?
The average person would need a thousand lifetimes to amass the money Anonz and his cronies already have and they are still working to move the measuring stick further. Their greed for money has become greed for absolute power over the american people.
Our Congressmen have shown how chiefly they can be bought to transfer $700, 000,000,000.00 every year to islamic arabs who are bent on destroying all Christians.
Islam is a cult of men with so little conscious that they use islam to enslave, pimp, rape, and murder their own women at will. No one can leave the cult under penalty of death. If you are born under its evil spell, you are forced to stay because any muslim can kill any muslim who tries to leave the cult with the blessing of the koran.
Our crooked congressmen know this yet they continue to take bribes to keep the american people paying that enormous sum which will just keep growing for trips, campaign contributions, positions on their corporate boards, and pocket money. How can you depend on these people to protect your interest? They are the people who made tacking bribes not only legal but respectable. Does the legalization of PAC, among others tell you anything?
If you allow a few to become trillionaires, your crooked politicians will be lining up to sell out your constitutional rights, environment, and America itself to these men.
While those of you follow men with flag lapels, men who promise you to force others to believe and worship as you do, men who claim to be protecting your right to get rich too, men who claim to protect you against OTWs getting the same rights as you have, men who send your children and loved ones to die or be horribly disfigured for a lie, you will be enabling the crooked politicians to destroy the country that has given you so much because of your greed, and ego telling you that you have the right to be the moral judge of the rest of us.
The republican party has done everything in its power to enable the rich to get richer at the expense of the rest of us. They changed the tax laws to allow the rich to pass their billions to their children by telling the dumb that the present tax code prevented the average man for passing on his few millions to his children. They call it a “Death Tax” to trick the masses into supporting the largest wealth transfer in this country’s history. They lower the taxes for the rich and big corporations and tell the masses it will create jobs for them.
That’s my problem with Pickens and the rest, why does government have to give the already enormously rich more tax free money to make money so they can “create jobs” for those that work to give back to them their wages for their goods and services? Why not give the tax break to the workers so they can educate their children and they or their children can become entrepreneurs? Soon only the very rich will be able to invest in new ideas.
The bush administration made policy to look the other way while Basir murdered millions of Sudanese in order to get information about Al Quida from a muslim. They got in the same bed with Pakistan and look were we are now.
This party who americans give the benefit of the doubt to when it comes to foreign policy and military decisions is as dumb as the box of rocks in those areas. This party has appointed as it next leader McDumb who has shown repeatedly that he doesn’t know the difference from a Shia or Sunni. He doesn’t know that Czechoslovakia was partitioned in 1993 into Czech and Slovakia. If he is too dumb to split the original name and get the two resulting countries, how can he be trusted to understand complicated foreign policy?
The bottom line is if what the Republican party has done so far passes as their smart, intelligent foreign policy decisions, wouldn’t you hate to see them make a mistake and show their dumb side?
Maam
Sheikh
July 21st, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Sheikh, yes I would hate that. Thank you for the clarification, well written. I do like Boggzy’s idea of sharing the wealth a bit, if several bills split the cash they just get more more more, if it’s trill’s why not share with others?
Think I’ll just sit back and wait for anonz to speak for himself on this topic : ) – ZL
July 21st, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Oh just wanted to add this q, left it a few days ago but not sure when anonz tunes or not…
Sweet pea, not to add to your stress level : ) but here’s my q: I agreed (in theory) in your stance re: having the ‘bills’ cash to get involved in world markets, (I’ll edit a titch for you…) it’s the execution I’m thinking about, I toured factories in Guandong province in China, and a few places in Vietnam, our US sensibilities and standards of what is environmentally correct and healthy working standards, OSHA or anything remotely like it doesn’t exist. Even a ‘environmentally’ conscious one just pays locals 20 US cents more an hour, making it way more enticing, but that’s about it. All these factories were basically sweat shops, a pretty sad state of affairs.
My disclaimer: I’m not nay-saying your intentions (would never do that) and I don’t rain on other peoples’ parades, especially a well intended (I hope?) parade such as yours, and now for the q…
Your words from your comment:
‘…They are abandoning American markets and setting up shop in every country that has a government that deprives its people of the basic life protection. I mean countries that have no labor, environmental, or health regulations. From these countries they will assault the world’s environment and the people’s health at an unprecedented levels. The profits they can make from the cheap labor and short cuts they can take without the need to protect is workers, and the surrounding community are enormous…’
THE Q: I’m not sure I understand, sweet pea, what are you going to different? If every other billionaire/multi N is making entry to a third world host market (and they all are, so much profit its ridiculous) and they’re willing to pollute, and ignore basic labor, health and human rights issues, how would you, one man, get around that? The truth is the highest bidder will do whatever they want, and set the ‘world human rights standard’ rules (and the bar would be low), no?
Could you please address Sheikhs’ words and the above question, please…?
Ok, gotta run, Zen Lill
Doug, that video was so cool, Ziggy my old dog did that same thing to me at a dog park after not seeing me for 2 years, it’s very touching whether it’s a lion and/or a dog, once loved, animals don’t forget…unlike friggin’ humans, hahaha…
re: commment on my blog – Oh and I agree re: US but I’m going for China’s jugular this week, maybe I’ll take on the US another time : )
July 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Great topic! However, it is not only the men who are pushing to show the true colors of the contraceptive pill. If a pill can kill a baby we as women have the right to be informed. Why keep us in the dark? If the pill can truly have an abortifacent effect why would you not want women to know? What about a woman’s choice? As a woman I have many important choices to make in life. The best bet I have is to make an informed choice.
July 21st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
St Ignatius, you don’t need to be in the dark, you can ask your doc or nowadays google ‘how the pill works’ I asked my doc many many years ago…so any Christian who decides bc is an ‘abortifacent’ can relieve their conscience and use the mini-pill, it’s not 99% accurate so calculate your dates well, a Christian rythm method works, this particular bc only has progesterin so it only suppresses ovulation, but all bc pills supress and prevent egg from meeting sperm, they usually contain 2+ hormones which may wreak havoc on a woman’s body, (thus the invention of the mini-pill). So, pardon me, but this whole bc pill controversy is a stretch of medical fact on the part of the Christian right, but why am I not surprised? Anything to keep women in line or er, I mean, bare-foot and pregnant : ) – Zen Lill
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:21 am
Saintignatius 110
Your claim begins with an assumed premiss that is based upon your particular religious belief. If you want to believe that a “baby” begins the moment a woman becomes pregnant that is your right.
However, you have NO right to force that belief upon others. And yet without that assumption your claim of a woman’s right to be “informed” loses its logic. Women who share your belief wouldn’t be taking the birth control pill in the first place since they believe that they are baby machines and they have no choice once they become pregnant, but to take the pregnancy to term until they produce a baby.
You like the rest of your kind are disingenuous when you pretend to be arguing for a woman’s right to know about the “abortifacent effect” of a conraceptive method or pill, because your real intent is to prevent a woman from having a choice to use any form of contraceptives. Where you error is where you believe your religious assumption gives you the right to force your religious beliefs upon the rest of us. I respect your right to have your belief and would appreciate your accepting my right to have my own beliefs on the subject.
Most people, women included, DON’T believe that a “baby” is formed the minute a woman becomes pregnant. So your argument that I “need” to be informed about an “abortifacent” effect is just another way for you to try to put another huddle in front of making this pill available to women.
You ask “what about a woman’s choice?” as if you really want a woman to have a choice. What you want is to force women to have babies as a result of intercourse. Your “choice” to women is to choose not to have sex if she does not want to have a baby.
Although sex may be so distasteful for you, that you fill it must be punished with child, there are others who can have sex without the intent of having a child because enjoy it. They can also have sex with the intent of having a child and enjoy it.
The religious premiss that one shouldn’t have sex unless they intend to procreate is a man’s lame way of keeping his woman from cheating on him while he is out cheating on her. Sex Saintingnatius110 is enjoyable. Contraceptives enable couples married or not to enjoy it without the worry of becoming pregnant.
As you stated Saintignatius 110, as a woman you have many informed choices. It seems that a man has made one very important one for you. He has convinced you that god said that a “baby” begins when a woman gets pregnant and that sex is for making babies. Go ahead live your life with your head up a man’s ass. But don’t come try to pass your lame attempt to deny women the right to contraceptives as an argument for a woman’s right to choice.
If you are going to come on as this holy Saintignatius, then be honest enough to admit your intent. That is the problem with you holy than thou advocates, you have to LIE to deceive people into listening to your particular religious beliefs. Then lie to them to deceive them into accepting your particular religious beliefs.
“Why keep us in the dark?” you ask, when your entire intention is to deceive women with the idea that you are making an argument for a woman’s right to know when your real argument is that a woman has no right to take contraceptives of any kind. That makes you a liar. And the last time I checked Saints, Ignatius and the rest were not liars.
That lady makes you another of the anti-christs screaming “Jesus, Jesus says” but all the time trying to lead us to your concept of what you claim Jesus says. My advice to you is if you truly believe your belief that women have no right to contraceptives, then make a forceful argument to that affect. Maybe some women will listen. Maybe they will think that your Saintignatius110 title has some merit.
But as long as you come to us with your holy-than-thou air and lies and deceit you will meet only with out contempt for a sorry woman who needs a man to tell her what her body is for.
Madaline
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:38 am
The Lowdown on Bedbugs
Dini M. Miller, PhD
Virginia Tech
Bedbugs — small nocturnal insects that feed on human and animal blood — are a growing problem in hotels in the US and abroad, as well as in apartment houses, dormitories, sleep-away camps and other places. Unlike mosquitoes, bedbugs don’t transmit disease — but their bites can cause irritation and discomfort. They do not attach themselves to people. They move from place to place via luggage, clothing and other items. To protect yourself…
When staying in hotels, motels and other facilities: Pull back the bed sheets, and check the mattress seams and tufts. Look for live bugs that are about one-quarter to one-half-inch long and vary in color from reddish brown to nearly transparent. Also check for light brown, translucent molted skins and pin-sized black spots (excrement). If possible, pull back the fabric headboard and inspect it, too. If signs are present, ask for another room. Also: Keep your luggage in the bathroom until you have checked the bed.
When you return home: Leave luggage outside until you have inspected each item.
At home: If you find bedbugs on an article of clothing, comforters or other linens, wash them in 150° F water. You may also want to call an exterminator. Do not bring used furniture or mattresses into your home.
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:30 am
Dang, Madaline, that was my point, but i’m way too subtle, you do ‘in your face’ so much better, right on! Thank you, Zen
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 am
Sheikh
Yes, I and a few other will profit enormously by helping to push this wind grid thing. A few of us are tired of giving 70% of the profits made every year in the oil markets to the arabs. So we have set about trying to change the mind set of the American people. That takes advertising dollars. Without moving the people, the crooked politicians will not move on this issue. The energy industry has too big a hold on them. They will continue to push more exploration of oil as the solution on the American people.
As much as I hate to say it the average American is too dumb to understand the simple fact that it is best to pay a large single sum once, than to continue to pay ever increasing smaller sums forever. So we need to pick a spokesman that will impress to get the average American’s attention. Pickens is the man because every American male can get a hard on dreaming he could be him.
Pickens comes with the credentials that say he knows what he is talking about. This should enable us to thwart or at least argue successfully with the pundits, crooked politicians, and, declared experts that the energy industry will throw at us to confuse and divide the American people on the issue of spending 2 to 4 trillion dollars on wind and solar power.
I also agree that is is foolish to allow people to amass sums of a billion or more and not have a mechanism to insure that it is tempered by an inheritance tax. The government could leave the first 500 million alone and heavily tax the rest. Any children who couldn’t make it with a 500 million head start don’t deserve to make it.
The problem is this will never happen. All the crooked politicians need to do is to tell the average American that this would affect his ability to leave his paltry millions or less to his family. Again I hate to say it but the average American is too dumb to understand the simple fact that he will never make the kind of money the government is tempering with an inheritance tax. The crooked pols know this and use the term “Death Tax” to addle his already dim brain. So he votes for a reduction in the inheritance tax that will insure that his children and 98% of the rest of America’s will work for that 2%.
My point is: If the average American is too dumb to do what’s best for himself much less the country then, I should stay with the con men and work to help my country from within. To do that one needs “fuck you money.” Unfortunately, what it means to have “fuck you money” gets bigger every year.
The American people have allowed the crooked pols to manipulate the tax laws to enable the rich to get richer at their and their country’s expense. So to have “fuck you money” becomes more expensive yearly.
Sheikh, I needed hundreds of millions to play with the big boys when that was the standard of “FYM.” I needed billions when it became the standard. In a few years “FYM” will be Trillions. I will need Trillions to have “FYM” then. There is no time like now to start amassing it.
I had suspected that I was being betrayed by some of my “friends.” It is disappointing to discover that all have abandoned me. I will discuss what I have learned about America’s implication in world genocide as soon as I peruse and check the information Madaline sent me at a later date.
Thank you Zen Lill for giving me the benefit of the doubt. I assure you that I have long since come to the belief that I had made enough money. It’s just that the bar kept rising as to the requirements to play this power game. If a man believes that he can buy and sell you, you get no respect from him. I was once told, that if anyone is to have all the money and/or power in the world, trust no one with it but yourself.
It seems that sheikh’s argument against me having trillions is the best argument for me to have Trillions. Who else would I trust with that kind of money and the power it would bring with it? Not your government, or some other living human being. Apparently I trusted my government and they sent me out into the desert to be slaughtered with hundreds of defenseless Darfuris.
Anonz
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:57 am
What Your Dreams Really Mean
David Kahn, PhD
Harvard University Medical School
We dream five dreams a night, on average. Sometimes dreams are exciting, sometimes troubling or confusing — and most of the time they’re forgotten when we wake up.
Despite the considerable amount of time we all spend dreaming during our lives, dreams aren’t well-understood. Bottom Line/Personal asked David Kahn, PhD, a dream researcher at Harvard Medical School, to answer some of the most common questions about dreams…
Why do we dream?
This is still under debate. At one extreme, there are researchers who will argue that dreaming is simply an epiphenomenon, or a side effect, of chemical changes that occur in the brain during sleep. At the other extreme, some believe that dreaming is a mechanism that allows us to reconsider what’s going on in our lives without the constraints that we impose on our thoughts when we’re awake.
A theory known as the threat simulation hypothesis proposes that the purpose of dreams is to make us respond to artificial threats so that were better able to cope with threats that come up in real life. Another theory suggests that our dreams help us interpret what other people are thinking, a useful skill for social beings.
I can only speculate on the purpose of dreaming. I think that dreams provide us with new ways to see ourselves and our relationships with people and the world — to think outside the box.
What does it mean if I don’t dream?
You almost certainly do dream, but you don’t remember that you do. The part of the brain that remembers what we’ve just said or done is essentially off-line when we sleep, so the vast majority of dreams are forgotten.
If you keep a pad or a tape recorder by your bed and jot down your dreams before they disappear, you are more likely to remember them.
There’s also evidence that we can will ourselves to retain more dreams. Before you go to sleep and after you wake up, tell yourself you want to remember.
The only people who might not dream are those with stroke damage or who have lesions on specific parts of the brain. Even in these extreme cases, it isn’t clear whether these people don’t dream or whether they are just incapable of remembering dreams.
Is there any way to control our dreams or trigger good dreams?
The only way to control dreams is through something called lucid dreaming. In a lucid dream, the dreamer is aware that he/she is dreaming. Once armed with this awareness, it might be possible to take control of the dream — for example, by changing a frightening dream into something more pleasant. Perhaps the knife in a pursuer’s hand becomes a piece of cake.
Lucid dreaming isn’t easy, but it seems anyone can accomplish it with effort. If you’d like to try, think about the situations common in your dreams but impossible or unlikely in real life, such as flying without a plane or being chased by killers. Every night before you go to sleep, remind yourself, “If I’m flying, I must be dreaming.” It could take weeks or months, but eventually you may achieve a lucid dream. Some who have mastered lucid dreaming say it becomes easier once you get the hang of it.
Can we use our dreams to improve our lives?
The things that appear in our dreams often carry an emotional tug for us during our waking lives. Since the dreaming mind is unconstrained, we might think of these things in different ways when we’re asleep than we do when we’re awake, potentially helping us gain some insight into ourselves.
For example, a woman dreamed that she missed her highway exit while driving to meet her boyfriend. In the dream, she was so concerned about being late that she put her car in reverse and backed up to the exit despite the dangers. When asked, “What does this dream mean to you?” the woman answered that she didn’t want to disappoint her boyfriend by being late. She hadn’t previously realized how concerned she was about this boyfriend’s opinion of her. What we should not do is let others tell us what our dreams represent. Such interpretations tend to be projections of the person doing the analysis, not the dreamer.
Are nightmares normal? Should I wake someone who is having a bad dream?
Nightmares are very normal. They usually don’t suggest any mental or physical problem, though occasionally they might be related to stress.
Science really has no answer as to whether it’s better to wake someone who is having a nightmare or let him sleep. My personal feeling is that it’s best to let the person sleep because when we’re dreaming, we’re in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage. You don’t want to deprive people of REM sleep, which is an important stage in our sleep cycle. If you’re a parent and just can’t stand to see your child upset during a nightmare, it’s okay to wake him gently.
Why do some dreams recur? Is there any way to stop a recurring dream?
The content of recurring dreams frequently seems to be related to issues in our lives that lack closure or resolution. If you address the underlying issue, the dream is likely to go away.
For example, if you feel that you are not in control of your life, you might have recurring dreams of driving a car without brakes or rowing a boat that’s being swept toward a waterfall. (The dream’s details are likely to vary from night to night.) If you start to feel more in control of your life, you will probably have these dreams less often.
What is sleep paralysis?
Sleep paralysis while dreaming is perfectly normal. In fact, we would be at risk if we didn’t experience it. Our bodies become paralyzed during the dream stages of sleep to prevent us from physically acting out whatever we’re doing in our dreams. Without sleep paralysis, we might sleepwalk out a window or punch our spouse as we fight off a dream attacker. Medications are available for those who don’t always experience sleep paralysis naturally.
Occasionally, sleep paralysis will continue momentarily after we wake up. This can be scary, but it generally lasts only a few seconds.
Why do dreams blend realistic and nonsensical images?
When we sleep, some areas of our brain become more active while others become inactive. Thus, we’re able to access certain realistic memories and images, but we can’t always make the logical associations that go along with them. The nonsensical images in our dreams are our brain’s attempts to fill in these missing pieces.
Interestingly, a dreaming brain is not all that different from a brain on hallucinogenic drugs. There even are similarities between dreaming brains and psychotic brains. The parallels are compelling enough that some scientists have begun researching dreaming brains to better understand psychotic brains.
Why does it feel in some dreams that the person you’re dreaming about is actually present?
We don’t really know why. Our best explanation is that the dreaming brain lacks the ability to say, “This doesn’t make much sense.” If the person appears to be there in a dream, your brain simply might assume that he really is there.
Why do certain common themes occur in most people’s dreams?
There do seem to be some universal dream themes. Among the most common are not being prepared, such as for a test… being chased or attacked… and not being in control. The details of these dreams differ from culture to culture — the out-of-control car in your dream might be a runaway horse in a part of the world without cars — but the themes appear everywhere.
Perhaps these dreams reflect something basic about the human condition. We all worry about being unprepared, being attacked and lacking control.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Wow wow and wow!! This entire response is filled with assumptions! I would first note here that not all of us who disagree with birth control and abortion are merely “baby making machines.” Very presumptive of you. You are correct in stating that I fully disagree with abortion and I do believe that once a woman is pregnant she should carry to full term if at all possible.
What exactly is “my kind?” I have not once said here that I am against all forms of contraceptives. This is something I am personally working through at this time. However, because I am against abortion as you so kindly noted for me, I am against any device that might even possibly abort a child. I have also not said anywhere here that I am trying to force my beliefs on anyone. I clearly stated that I do believe in a woman’s right to be informed and make an informed decision hence my comments. Of course you may have your own beliefs on this subject, however, don’t be so uptight just because someone challenges your beliefs! This is how we make informed decisions as women! We research and discuss all possibilities.
What polls are you using to show that most people do not believe a baby is formed at the moment of conception? For what reason do you believe that at the moment of conception this is not life and how do you back your argument up?
Women will always have a choice. I believe in God and I believe we were created with free will. We make our own choices every day. We can choose to murder someone but there are consequences. We can choose to steal. We can choose to love. We can choose to have a baby or not. With any of the above choices I want an INFORMED choice. What are the consequences? What are the benefits? What is the truth?
I do want to note for the record that I love sex! I have never found anything more enjoyable then being with my husband in such an intimate way. I have sex very often without the intent of having a child (and actually enjoy it believe it or not!). However, at times, a woman just might find herself pregnant since this is the way that we reproduce!
Where in the world do you get from my post that one should not have sex unless they intend to have a baby?????? You read WAY too much into a person’s words. I have two daughters who are 3.5 years apart. Not quite the baby making machine you make me out to be!!!
As for living my life with my head up a man’s ass…wow…what can I say? That is truly the first time I have ever heard this. It is quite creative and I do wonder how you ever came up with this incredibly creative statement! How very interesting that this blog was especially geared towards saying that MEN are the ones making these statements about pills being abortifacent but as soon as a WOMAN says it…well, she must just have her head up a man’s ass! Surely she could never think on her own like this!
What in the hell did I say that was a lie? I asked for women to make an informed decision. That is more than many do. Take yourself for an example. I say “make an informed choice” and you say “A man must govern your life! You are a baby making machine! You must hate sex! You are a liar!” Again…WOW.
In regards to saints not being liars…I have a great idea! Every saint I have read up on has been against birth control and abortion. If you don’t believe that saints are liars’ maybe you should listen to them in this regard. Do you truly believe saints do not lie or was this just another facetious statement on your part?