Sylvia plath a birthday present poem analysis
Structuralism
2012.07.27 04:36 ShapeFantasyScads Structuralism
Structuralism is a theoretical paradigm emphasizing that elements of culture must be understood in terms of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure.
2024.05.19 12:59 Wooden-Anybody6807 Double new pen birthday! Pilot Custom 823 WA and Sailor PG EF đ€©
| Iâm enjoying them both so much! These are my second and third pens, and my first gold nibs. One was a birthday present from my husband, and the other was a birthday present from myself. The Pilot 823 WA is so smooth and writes very well at my steep writing angle. I was worried it would be too heavy, but it feels fine after a few pages of continuous writing. I can certainly feel the nibâs quality- it feels slightly soft and gentle on the paper. This nib is a real winner, and I expect it will become the standard that I judge all other smooth nibs by. The barrel looks like it will be difficult to clean; I expect I will fill this with one colour only, and stick with it to avoid cleaning. The ordering process was straightforward. Tokyo Quill Shop Pen replied to my quote request email within a day, advised they had it in stock, then after I paid via PayPal they shipped the pen the next day, and it arrived in Australia less than a week later. The Sailor PG EF definitely has that famed toothy, pencil-like feedback, which will take some getting used to, but I love the colour, how light the pen is, and how incredibly thin the line is. The pencil-like feedback allows me to write softly without losing grip on the page. The two-tone nib is stunning. I got this second-hand, and itâs in perfect condition. I have only dip-tested it so far, but it wrote pleasantly and reliably at my high writing angle, and one dip was enough to transcribe a whole poem (I think it was Ozymandias). While this is incredibly subjective, I think Sailor make the prettiest pens, and Pilot make the best writers. Iâve certainly got my eye on some other Pro Gear colours for a future birthday, and maybe an 823 PO nib too. submitted by Wooden-Anybody6807 to fountainpens [link] [comments] |
2024.05.19 09:20 zlaxy On this day 116 years ago, Nikolay Pilchikov, a scientist-physicist, developer of radio-controlled devices, died in Kharkov from a shot in the heart
| On this day 116 years ago in Kharkov Nikolay Dmitrievich Pilchikov â scientist-physicist, inventor in the field of radio engineering, author of works on optics, terrestrial magnetism, electrical and radio engineering, radioactivity, X-rays, electrochemistry, geophysics, meteorology â was shot in the heart. At about seven oâclock in the morning of 6 May 1908, a shot rang out in a ward of an expensive Kharkov hospital. Breaking open the door locked from the inside, the doctors saw its only patient â it seemed that his life had been cut short in his sleep. The man was lying in his bunk, as if he hadnât woken up yet. And if not for the bloodstain on his chest, no one would have realised the tragedy. A revolver lay on the tea-table beside the bed. It was from this revolver that the bullet that had pierced the scientistâs heart had been fired. Could a man who was undergoing medical treatment have carefully placed the gun beside his tea glass and folded his arms across his chest after shooting himself at point-blank range? Nevertheless, the âcadaver bookâ records ruled the death a suicide. For some reason forensic experts did not do dactyloscopy â the investigation was not puzzled by fingerprints on the black âbulldogâ, which became the murder weapon. And the authoritative professor Nikolai Bokarius, whose name now bears the local Institute of Forensic Medicine, even described Pilchikovaâs case in a textbook for lawyers and doctors as an example of temporary purposeful capacity of suicides with fatal gunshot wounds in the heart area. At that, the luminary recommended to take into account not only anatomical features of the injury, but also the functional state of the central nervous system. The picture was completed by the conclusion of pathologists, who found in the killed after the autopsy of the corpse modifications in the structure of the brain. A purely âpoliceâ justification for not considering the murder version was the fact that the incident took place in a locked room on the first floor (as if this could be an obstacle to unauthorised entry). And a week after the scientistâs death, on 13 May 1908, the head of the police department received a report from the head of the Kharkov security service about the unreliability of the âextreme leftistâ Professor Pilchikov, who was known for his active participation in âcriminal agitation activities of engineering studentsâ. This was confirmed by a search of the scientistâs house, during which propaganda literature from the period of the first Russian revolution of 1905 was found. What was Professor Pilchikov doing before he was âworked outâ by the police? The scientific fate of Nikolai Dmitrievich was as unusual as his death was mysterious and the fate of outstanding discoveries inexplicable. The scientist, whose life was cut short at the age of 51, was not only a physicist, but also a lyricist: he was no less talented in composing poetry, painting pictures and playing the violin. But he considered his lifeâs work to be his scientific career, which was unusually successful. The son of a public and cultural figure, who was a friend of Taras Shevchenko, was born on 9 May 1857 in Poltava, and already during his studies in gymnasium showed remarkable abilities in exact sciences. Entering the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kharkiv University, he experimented in new at that time experiments in the field of sound recording, while still a student invented an electric phonograph. After graduation, the graduate was left to work at the Department of Physics. His first scientific monograph was devoted to optical analysis. Later the scientist made a number of discoveries on the topics of scattered light polarisation and atmospheric ionisation, atmospheric electricity and geomagnetism, radioactivity and X-rays. Pilchikov was awarded the Silver Medal from the Russian Geographical Society for a series of studies of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, during which iron ore deposits near Prokhorovka were predicted. After defending his thesis at the University of St. Petersburg, the master of physics was appointed privat-docent of the Kharkov University, and two years later he went to practice at a magnetic observatory in Paris, where he discovered flaws in the design of the seismograph and offered his mentors a way to correct them. Soon the young professor of Kharkov University becomes famous outside Russia, becoming a regular at international scientific conferences and a member of the Toulouse Academy of Sciences. Nikolay Pilchikov returned to Kharkov as a university professor, where he created a meteorological station that still exists today. To study the upper atmosphere, the professor developed a stratostat and then a high-altitude spacesuit to equip the pilot. The atmospheric optics researcher created his own seismograph and designed equipment to determine magnetic pressure. Having moved for some time to Odessa (to work at the Imperial Novorossiysk University), in 1894 the scientist invented an original lamp for the study of X-rays, called âPilchikovâs focus tubeâ. The optical and galvanic version of the study of electrolysis developed by him made it possible to obtain images on metal plates â so the inventor became the author of electrophotography or photogalvanography. And on 25 March 1898, Nikolai Pilchikov demonstrated for the first time a device working with radio waves of a certain length and rejecting interference. During his experiments in Odessa he lit a lighthouse with the help of radio waves and moved a railway semaphore, blew up a yacht and made a cannon fire. The scientist characterised his contribution to radio physics as follows: while Popov and Marconi were looking for a way to transmit a signal over the greatest possible distance, he was solving the problem of cutting off wireless power transmission from extraneous electrical waves. Thus appeared the first device with a protector â a security filter, allowing only the waves addressed to it to reach the mechanism and protecting the equipment from atmospheric and radio interference. The scientist not only designed and manufactured different types of the first protectors, but also tested them in practice. With the help of his revolutionary device, Professor Pilchikov made it possible to create radio-controlled mine boats that could sink enemy ships without a crew and fire on enemy targets. In proposing the idea to the Russian military, the inventor characterised it as a way of detonating objects at a considerable distance without cables or other visible communication. Applying for financial assistance from the military department, Pilchikov planned to spend 15,000 roubles on laboratory equipment, manufacture of devices and their testing with the support of the Sevastopol naval forces. For his part, the scientist undertook to keep the know-how in strict secrecy and not to publish any information about the development in scientific literature. As a result, this circumstance may have contributed to the fact that the scientistâs works disappeared and he himself may have been eliminated. Military engineers discussed the professorâs petition for research funds with reference to foreign experience. Specialists compared Pilchikovâs achievements with the developments of foreign scientists experimenting with wireless telegraph, to whom the authorities did not refuse anything. For example, Preece was authorised for experiments by the postal department of England, Marconi obtained in 1897 large sums of money from the naval department of Italy, and the Berlin scientist Slaby received aeronautical parks, watercraft and troops of the Potsdam garrison from the Emperor of Germany. Pilchikov, on the other hand, had a much more extensive programme and was naturally expected to produce the most ambitious results. On his return to Kharkov in 1902, the professor continued his research in the best-equipped physical laboratory of those times, the local University of Technology. He was also allocated a ship âDnestrâ and funds for marine experiments. On the ship in 1903 the scientist equipped a receiving radio station, and on the Chersonese lighthouse â transmitting. Alas, neither the scheme of those protectors, nor the content of the experiments, nor their further fate are known today. In the archives we found only information about a letter of gratitude to Professor Pilchikov from the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. It was dated the beginning of September 1904. It is clear that in the midst of the war with Japan secret military developments could be of interest to both belligerents. Moreover, other external enemies were also interested in preventing Russiaâs military advantage. Professor Pilchikovâs research competed with American experiments in the Maritime Ministry under Tesla, who was also working on the task of wireless control of a minelayer from the shore. This is a case in science when âan idea is in the airâ and the same discovery is independently made by scientists at different ends of the world. It is believed that the first radio-controlled telemechanical system in the world was developed by Nikola Tesla â he patented and presented an unprecedented ship model in the summer of 1898, but came to the discovery the day before, in spring. And âRussian Teslaâ Nikolai Pilchikov tested a similar invention in March of the same year, which was reported in a note in the âOdessa Reviewâ, which for some reason remained unnoticed by the scientific community. The âtwo Nicholasâ had a lot in common, despite the fact that they lived and created on different continents. Scientists were almost the same age. Both had no family â neither wives nor close relatives. Both were undividedly attracted to physical science â the mysteries of radioactivity, X-rays and lightning. But to Pilchikov did not appear one day George Westinghouse with a million dollars for four dozen patents. And an understanding friend, as Tesla had in the person of Katharine Johnson, next to Nikolay Dmitrievich was not there either⊠Being left without further state support, Pilchikov could not complete the work on his wireless protector. In 1905 he left to observe the solar eclipse in Algeria, from where he returned with failing health. Ill-health was aggravated by an acute feeling of loneliness. 1908 was a fateful year in the fate of the scientist. It was the best time of the year, the beginning of May, a time of intoxication with life and romantic dreams. But for Pilchikov, the âdelight of natureâ had no inspiring meaning: five days before his own birthday, he went to a psychoneurological clinic. And it happened under very mysterious circumstances. According to police reports, the owner of a private hospital and a well-known doctor I. Y. Platonov received a call from an unknown man on 3 May with a request to hospitalise Nikolai Dmitrievich Pilchikov. It was asked to prepare a separate room where the patient would be alone. When the professor appeared in the clinic, the doctors saw nothing critical in his condition. He was elegantly dressed, and in his hands held a suitcase with papers. Two days later, a shot rang out in the ward, and the papers were gone. Not a single piece of his war work was found among his household belongings. The blueprints of inventions of world importance, which the scientist had not even had time to patent, disappeared. Wasnât the murder then the final fat point in the planned operation? And didnât the inventor-physicist take with him to the ward what the special services hunting for his military developments were tracking down? Perhaps it was in the hospital that Nikolai Pilchikov, who had a premonition of trouble, tried to hide from his threatening pursuers? Or maybe they put him there so that it would be easier to realise what they had planned? And who were these mysterious killers?.. We will probably never get answers to these questions. But it is known how the brilliant ideas of the tragically departed scientist were put into practice. In 1913, the first radio-controlled aeroplane took to the skies. Four years later, a German boat controlled from a plane blew up the quay in the English harbour of Newport. In the same year, 1917, a German ship was damaged by a British minelayer guided from a radio-controlled aeroplane. In 1925 the first mine without wires appeared. And in 1943 the Soviet troops destroyed the Nazi headquarters with General von Braun in Kharkov occupied by the enemy by controlled explosion from Voronezh. Radio warfare has long been supplemented by radio defence, where the first role is played by devices like Pilchikovâs protectors. Thanks to radio defence, in 1944 the British were invulnerable to German fighters in the Libyan desert. Radio locks of increased complexity are used in satellite navigation and launching systems for space and military rockets. And all responsible radio electronic equipment is protected from interference by modern devices working on the principle of Professor Pilchikovâs protector â the âRussian Teslaâ, who became a hindrance to someone himself⊠Source: Vyacheslav Kapreljants submitted by zlaxy to ThisDayInHistory [link] [comments] |
2024.05.18 16:06 adulting4kids Obscure Literary Devices Writing Class Assignments
- Device Identification Exercise:
- Provide excerpts from various texts and ask students to identify and annotate instances of specific literary devices.
- Discuss their findings as a class, exploring different interpretations and applications of the devices.
- Creative Writing Prompts:
- Assign each student a specific literary device and ask them to craft a short story or poem that prominently features that device.
- Encourage creativity and exploration of the device's nuances in their narratives.
- Literary Analysis Essays:
- Assign students a literary work (poem, speech, or prose) and ask them to write an essay analyzing the author's use of a chosen literary device.
- Emphasize the impact of the device on the overall theme and tone of the work.
- Collaborative Storytelling:
- Divide the class into small groups and have each group create a collaborative story.
- Assign a different literary device to each group, instructing them to incorporate it seamlessly into their narrative.
- Speech Writing and Delivery:
- Have students choose a social or political topic and write a persuasive speech using anaphora or epizeuxis to enhance their rhetorical impact.
- Organize a speech delivery session where students showcase their use of repetition for emphasis.
- Literary Device Showcase:
- Assign each student or group a different literary device and ask them to prepare a presentation showcasing its historical origins, notable examples, and contemporary usage.
- Encourage multimedia elements such as visuals or short video clips to enhance engagement.
- Rewriting Exercises:
- Provide sentences or paragraphs containing common expressions and ask students to rewrite them using more complex literary devices.
- Discuss the impact of the changes on tone, mood, and overall meaning.
- Debate on Stylistic Choices:
- Organize a debate where students defend or critique an author's use of a specific literary device in a given text.
- Encourage students to articulate how the device contributes to or detracts from the effectiveness of the work.
- Literary Device Scavenger Hunt:
- Provide a list of literary devices and have students search for examples in books, articles, or online.
- Discuss their findings in class, exploring how different authors use the same device in diverse ways.
- Themed Poetry Slam:
- Task students with creating a thematic poetry slam where each participant focuses on a different literary device. - Host a class poetry slam event where students perform their pieces and discuss their choices.
- Interactive Online Quizzes:
- Curate online quizzes or interactive activities that allow students to self-assess their understanding of literary devices. - Provide instant feedback to reinforce learning.
- Peer Review and Feedback:
- Implement peer review sessions where students exchange their creative writing assignments and provide constructive feedback on the integration of literary devices. - Encourage discussions on the effectiveness of different approaches.
- Literary Device Journal:
- Assign students a literary device to track in their personal reading over a set period. - Have them maintain a journal documenting instances of the device, their interpretations, and reflections on its impact.
- Literary Device Bingo:
- Create bingo cards with different literary devices - As students encounter instances of these devices in class readings or discussions, they mark off the corresponding squares on their bingo cards.
- Real-world Application Project:
- Challenge students to find examples of literary devices in advertisements, speeches, or news articles. - Present their findings, discussing how the devices are employed for persuasive or artistic purposes in the real world.
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2024.05.18 05:08 allthedarkspaces haunted dolls are not to be trifled with, especially Okiku
Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.ï»ż
âLook, a temple!â One of them shouted.
âLetâs hurry! Hopefully they arenât asleep yet!â
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
âThank you, youâve saved us!â They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
âI knew you were a good story teller butâŠ.that last one was a doozy!â The first man said.
âAnd they bought every bit of it,â the other man said. âSo often, the kindest are the most gullible!â
âHad we told them a fraction of the truth, theyâd see us out quickly.â
They both chuckled.
âLetâs not harm them though. Theyâre not like the others. I have something in mind.â
âWhat is it?â
âIâll tell you tomorrow. For now, letâs get some rest and head out in the morning.â
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
âI always pause when you smile like that. WaitâŠis this about your plan, Ita?â
âAh, Tomo. You know me too well.â
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
âWhere did youâŠ.you didnât. Did you?!â
âYes. I took it from the temple.â
âI canât believe youâŠâ
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
âKeep your pants on. It was inside a box, so itâll be a while before they realize itâs gone.â
âThatâs not the point!â Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. âWeâre not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!â
âDo you know how much this could fetch us? I donât know what it is, but the fact that itâs kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldnât sneak it back to our room.â
âI donât like it.â Tomo crossed his arms at this.
âYou donât have to come with me, you know.â
âWeâre supposed to only take fromâŠ..ahh fine. Letâs just see how much this thing is worth.â
âI have a feeling it will change your mind.â
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the dollâs value.
âHello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?â
âYes, in fact.â
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
âWas this made recently?â
âNo, we found it.â
âHmmmm.â
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
âI will only ask once moreâŠyou or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?â
âNo. Why do you keep asking?ââ
The shop ownerâs face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
âI want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, itâs justâŠ..Iâm surprised that you have this in your possession.â
âWhat is it?â Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
âThis appears to be the Okiku doll.â
âOkiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.â
âA young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sisterâs two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girlâs third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.â
âThatâsâŠ. a bit macabre.â
âThatâs only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of allâŠthe dollâs hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who donât, it will have disastrous consequences.â
âNonsense,â spat Ita. âSuperstitions, legends, and folklore.â
âBelieve it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.â
âAnd what of that?â Tomo asked.
âThey concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.â
âWhoaâŠ.â
âI donât believe any of this,â Ita reiterated.
âLook it up, itâs all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?â
âI didnât, old man. I just need to know how much youâll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.â
âHow much? I wouldnât give you anything for it! I canât take this doll!â
âWhy not?!â
âBecause I donât wish to be haunted, thatâs why! What kind of a questionâŠand you know whatâs really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.â The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. âI suppose you wouldnât know anything about that, would you?â
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
âPlease, donâtâŠâ
âDo it!â Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to âclosed.â
âWhat are you doing?â The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the dollâs rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. Heâd hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
âIf only heâd not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,â Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
âYou really believe this stuff, donât you?â Ita started.
âI donât know what to believeâŠI just know that he didnât deserve that.â
âAre you getting soft on me, Tomo? Donât have the stomach for this anymore?â
âI donât think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.â
âYeah, and then heâd send the police after us. Thatâs the last thing we need!â
âLetâs just sell this thing and get it over with.â
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
âYou think sheâs really haunted, donât you?â
âI think I donât want to find out.â
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
âMister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!â
Ita spoke in a mocking little girlâs voice and erupted into laughter.
âWhat is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?â
âOh, câmon. I donât think Okiku will mind!â
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
âGood night,â he shouted in defiance.
âCan I give you a good night kiss first?â Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friendâs laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted dollâs hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomoâs every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake andâŠ
âTomo!â A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
âItâs alright. Just me.â
âWhat do you want?â
âI need to use the bathroom.â
âSo go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!â
âIâve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure youâre awake if something were to happen.â
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
âOkay, fine. Iâm already awake now. Make it quick.â
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
âUh?â
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. Itâd been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friendâs camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
âIta!â He whisper-shouted through the woods. âIiiitaaaaa!â
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
âOoooof!â
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldnât believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Itaâs neck.
âNoâŠ.no, this isnât real,â he whispered to himself. âIâm dreaming. I must be.â
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friendâs bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
âIt has him now. Iâm okay,â were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didnât last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Itaâs knife on the ground nearby. Okikuâs eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
âWhat do you want?!â He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the dollâs hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the dollâs hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
âIâm sorry for my part in all this, you know. Iâve never been strong. Iâve always been a coward.â
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
âYesâŠyes, youâre right. I should. Itâs only fitting.â
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
âWho is it?â
âIâve come to return something,â a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
âOh, my sweet little one,â he said softly as he picked the doll up. âWho got you this time, huh?â
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
âSheâs back,â the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
âWho brought her back?â The hair-cutting monk asked.
âI donât know. They werenât there when I answered,â the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didnât it?
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2024.05.18 05:08 allthedarkspaces haunted dolls are not to be trifled with, especially Okiku
Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.ï»ż
âLook, a temple!â One of them shouted.
âLetâs hurry! Hopefully they arenât asleep yet!â
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
âThank you, youâve saved us!â They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
âI knew you were a good story teller butâŠ.that last one was a doozy!â The first man said.
âAnd they bought every bit of it,â the other man said. âSo often, the kindest are the most gullible!â
âHad we told them a fraction of the truth, theyâd see us out quickly.â
They both chuckled.
âLetâs not harm them though. Theyâre not like the others. I have something in mind.â
âWhat is it?â
âIâll tell you tomorrow. For now, letâs get some rest and head out in the morning.â
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
âI always pause when you smile like that. WaitâŠis this about your plan, Ita?â
âAh, Tomo. You know me too well.â
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
âWhere did youâŠ.you didnât. Did you?!â
âYes. I took it from the temple.â
âI canât believe youâŠâ
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
âKeep your pants on. It was inside a box, so itâll be a while before they realize itâs gone.â
âThatâs not the point!â Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. âWeâre not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!â
âDo you know how much this could fetch us? I donât know what it is, but the fact that itâs kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldnât sneak it back to our room.â
âI donât like it.â Tomo crossed his arms at this.
âYou donât have to come with me, you know.â
âWeâre supposed to only take fromâŠ..ahh fine. Letâs just see how much this thing is worth.â
âI have a feeling it will change your mind.â
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the dollâs value.
âHello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?â
âYes, in fact.â
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
âWas this made recently?â
âNo, we found it.â
âHmmmm.â
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
âI will only ask once moreâŠyou or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?â
âNo. Why do you keep asking?ââ
The shop ownerâs face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
âI want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, itâs justâŠ..Iâm surprised that you have this in your possession.â
âWhat is it?â Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
âThis appears to be the Okiku doll.â
âOkiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.â
âA young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sisterâs two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girlâs third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.â
âThatâsâŠ. a bit macabre.â
âThatâs only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of allâŠthe dollâs hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who donât, it will have disastrous consequences.â
âNonsense,â spat Ita. âSuperstitions, legends, and folklore.â
âBelieve it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.â
âAnd what of that?â Tomo asked.
âThey concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.â
âWhoaâŠ.â
âI donât believe any of this,â Ita reiterated.
âLook it up, itâs all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?â
âI didnât, old man. I just need to know how much youâll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.â
âHow much? I wouldnât give you anything for it! I canât take this doll!â
âWhy not?!â
âBecause I donât wish to be haunted, thatâs why! What kind of a questionâŠand you know whatâs really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.â The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. âI suppose you wouldnât know anything about that, would you?â
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
âPlease, donâtâŠâ
âDo it!â Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to âclosed.â
âWhat are you doing?â The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the dollâs rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. Heâd hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
âIf only heâd not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,â Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
âYou really believe this stuff, donât you?â Ita started.
âI donât know what to believeâŠI just know that he didnât deserve that.â
âAre you getting soft on me, Tomo? Donât have the stomach for this anymore?â
âI donât think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.â
âYeah, and then heâd send the police after us. Thatâs the last thing we need!â
âLetâs just sell this thing and get it over with.â
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
âYou think sheâs really haunted, donât you?â
âI think I donât want to find out.â
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
âMister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!â
Ita spoke in a mocking little girlâs voice and erupted into laughter.
âWhat is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?â
âOh, câmon. I donât think Okiku will mind!â
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
âGood night,â he shouted in defiance.
âCan I give you a good night kiss first?â Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friendâs laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted dollâs hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomoâs every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake andâŠ
âTomo!â A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
âItâs alright. Just me.â
âWhat do you want?â
âI need to use the bathroom.â
âSo go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!â
âIâve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure youâre awake if something were to happen.â
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
âOkay, fine. Iâm already awake now. Make it quick.â
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
âUh?â
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. Itâd been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friendâs camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
âIta!â He whisper-shouted through the woods. âIiiitaaaaa!â
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
âOoooof!â
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldnât believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Itaâs neck.
âNoâŠ.no, this isnât real,â he whispered to himself. âIâm dreaming. I must be.â
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friendâs bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
âIt has him now. Iâm okay,â were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didnât last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Itaâs knife on the ground nearby. Okikuâs eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
âWhat do you want?!â He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the dollâs hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the dollâs hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
âIâm sorry for my part in all this, you know. Iâve never been strong. Iâve always been a coward.â
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
âYesâŠyes, youâre right. I should. Itâs only fitting.â
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
âWho is it?â
âIâve come to return something,â a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
âOh, my sweet little one,â he said softly as he picked the doll up. âWho got you this time, huh?â
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
âSheâs back,â the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
âWho brought her back?â The hair-cutting monk asked.
âI donât know. They werenât there when I answered,â the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didnât it?
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2024.05.18 05:07 allthedarkspaces haunted dolls are not to be trifled with
Rain poured down on the two weary travelers as they finally caught sight of refuge.ï»ż
âLook, a temple!â One of them shouted.
âLetâs hurry! Hopefully they arenât asleep yet!â
With water-logged clothes, they ran over to the temple steps. According to the sign, they were at Mannenji Temple. They trudged up the steps as quickly as they could muster. Monks greeted them at the door and ushered them in, offering fresh clothes along with towels to dry off.
âThank you, youâve saved us!â They prased.
Before long, they were comfortably drinking hot tea and telling of riveting adventures. They spoke of exploring ancient ruins and finding priceless treasures. Many of the stories were humorous and harrowing tales going late into the evening. After they were left alone to sleep for the night, the two men grinned at each other.
âI knew you were a good story teller butâŠ.that last one was a doozy!â The first man said.
âAnd they bought every bit of it,â the other man said. âSo often, the kindest are the most gullible!â
âHad we told them a fraction of the truth, theyâd see us out quickly.â
They both chuckled.
âLetâs not harm them though. Theyâre not like the others. I have something in mind.â
âWhat is it?â
âIâll tell you tomorrow. For now, letâs get some rest and head out in the morning.â
That night, one of them rested deeply while the other exacted his plan.
The next morning, the two rested men thanked the monks ferociously for their hospitality and left for town.
Once they were far enough away, one of the men beamed mischievously at the other.
âI always pause when you smile like that. WaitâŠis this about your plan, Ita?â
âAh, Tomo. You know me too well.â
Ita rifled through his bag and slowly procured a small doll. It instantly struck Tomo, as it had a strange aura. The dolls face was round and childlike with raven, shoulder-length hair in a bob and wore a traditional kimono. This fact alone would have made the doll quite cute, but another aspect negated all else. The two eyes of the doll were endless black circles that bore an untouchable, creeping anxiety.
âWhere did youâŠ.you didnât. Did you?!â
âYes. I took it from the temple.â
âI canât believe youâŠâ
Itazura rolled his eyes and put the doll back into the bag.
âKeep your pants on. It was inside a box, so itâll be a while before they realize itâs gone.â
âThatâs not the point!â Tomodachi threw his hands up in frustration. âWeâre not saints, but they did nothing to deserve this!â
âDo you know how much this could fetch us? I donât know what it is, but the fact that itâs kept in the temple is enough to secure us for a long time! The box itself would have been worth taking, but I couldnât sneak it back to our room.â
âI donât like it.â Tomo crossed his arms at this.
âYou donât have to come with me, you know.â
âWeâre supposed to only take fromâŠ..ahh fine. Letâs just see how much this thing is worth.â
âI have a feeling it will change your mind.â
They trekked into town and the uncomfortable silence eventually smoothed over. After getting a bite to eat, they found a trade shop that would have some idea of the dollâs value.
âHello, gentlemen. Anything I could interest you in?â
âYes, in fact.â
Ita gently laid the doll on the counter and the elderly shop owner looked it over. After a furrow of his brow, the owner said:
âWas this made recently?â
âNo, we found it.â
âHmmmm.â
The elderly man fetched a pair of glasses and scrutinized every inch of the doll, his face becoming more lined with concern. After he seemed satisfied with the inspection, he looked at the men gravely.
âI will only ask once moreâŠyou or anyone you know did not make this doll, correct?â
âNo. Why do you keep asking?ââ
The shop ownerâs face went pale as the sincerity of the answer sunk in.
âI want to be a hundred percent sure that this is an original. It seems to be an original, itâs justâŠ..Iâm surprised that you have this in your possession.â
âWhat is it?â Tomo finally spoke up, his curiosity gnawing at him.
âThis appears to be the Okiku doll.â
âOkiku? That sounds a bit familiar. Refresh me, if you will.â
âA young girl was once gifted this doll as a birthday present. Her older brother saw the doll in a shop window during his travels and was instantly enamored. Somehow he knew this doll was meant for his sisterâs two-year birthday. She loved the doll to the point of obsession, but who is to really say when it comes to such a young child? The little girl named the doll Okiku after herself. She fed it, talked to it, put it to bed, and did absolutely everything with it. Sadly, on the girlâs third birthday, she was struck with illness and died clutching the doll in her little arms.â
âThatâsâŠ. a bit macabre.â
âThatâs only the beginning. The family referred to the doll as Okiku, perhaps treating it as their daughter in a strange way of grieving. Soon after, they experienced countless unexplained events. Lights would turn on and off, doors would slam and disembodied footsteps walked throughout the household. Voices of a young girl were heard talking and singing. And perhaps the most infamous of allâŠthe dollâs hair began to grow as if she were a living being. The family showed the doll to a priest who confirmed all their allegations and they came to the conclusion that the doll contained the spirit of Okiku. Many say that you must care for the doll and continue cutting her hair to appease her. For those who donât, it will have disastrous consequences.â
âNonsense,â spat Ita. âSuperstitions, legends, and folklore.â
âBelieve it or not, many reported the same occurrences for the doll. You know, they actually sent clippings of her hair for scientific analysis.â
âAnd what of that?â Tomo asked.
âThey concluded definitively that the hair was actually that of a human girl.â
âWhoaâŠ.â
âI donât believe any of this,â Ita reiterated.
âLook it up, itâs all been verified. Where did you say you found this, by the way?â
âI didnât, old man. I just need to know how much youâll give us for it. Surely this will cost quite a bit considering its history.â
âHow much? I wouldnât give you anything for it! I canât take this doll!â
âWhy not?!â
âBecause I donât wish to be haunted, thatâs why! What kind of a questionâŠand you know whatâs really strange about this? Last I heard, the family left the doll with the monks.â The man pointed in the direction of Mannenji Temple. âI suppose you wouldnât know anything about that, would you?â
Ita looked around the shop and confirmed no one else was around. He gave Tomodachi a look, who reluctantly nodded back with a sick feeling in his stomach.
âPlease, donâtâŠâ
âDo it!â Itazura commanded.
Tomo whisked over to the front door and locked it before he spun the sign around to âclosed.â
âWhat are you doing?â The shop owner said, backing up with his hands raised.
After all was said and done, the two drifters talked to anyone in town who would lend an ear. They needed someone who was not bound by any moral duty to the dollâs rightful owner. Luckily, Ita had a good eye for people with knowledge of these dealings and there was someone in the next town that would likely pay them for the doll.
Tomo had to force empty thoughts into his mind to block out what they did. Heâd hurt others and even killed someone before, but not this way. Not an innocent shop owner.
âIf only heâd not said anything about knowing where it came from, the old fool might still be alive,â Tomo thought.
The trip to the next town was a two-day walk, so they gathered supplies and were soon on the road. The silence was beginning to drive Tomo mad as he was only left with his guilty thoughts.
That night, they spoke over the campfire.
âYou really believe this stuff, donât you?â Ita started.
âI donât know what to believeâŠI just know that he didnât deserve that.â
âAre you getting soft on me, Tomo? Donât have the stomach for this anymore?â
âI donât think he deserved that! We could have tied him up.â
âYeah, and then heâd send the police after us. Thatâs the last thing we need!â
âLetâs just sell this thing and get it over with.â
They sat in silence for a bit, and Ita noticed Tomo closely watching the bag.
âYou think sheâs really haunted, donât you?â
âI think I donât want to find out.â
Ita pulled the doll out of the bag and wagged it at him.
âMister Tomo, will you give me a kiiiiss?!!â
Ita spoke in a mocking little girlâs voice and erupted into laughter.
âWhat is wrong with you? Have you no respect for the dead?â
âOh, câmon. I donât think Okiku will mind!â
Tomo exchanged choice words, which fell on deaf ears. Then he picked up his sleeping bag amongst other things and moved to a tree forty yards away.
âGood night,â he shouted in defiance.
âCan I give you a good night kiss first?â Ita responded with his girly voice.
Tomo settled into his new spot, ignoring his awful friendâs laughing fit.
Before long, he settled hard into a dream.
Tomo was living in a lavish home, surrounded by opulent and important things. He smiled at others as he toasted and threw lush parties. It all seemed the life of luxury, but at a cost. At the end of each party, he cleaned up by himself with a strong, foreboding loneliness. The next moment he was cutting the haunted dollâs hair and set her on a decorative altar with lit candles. A ghostly form of an old man kept appearing throughout, glaring at him with forlorn, angry eyes. He haunted Tomoâs every step..
One morning, he awoke to an empty house with no light. A little girl appeared before him and grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
And shake and shake and shake and shake andâŠ
âTomo!â A voice jerked him awake.
After snapping his eyes open, he saw Ita holding his shoulders.
âItâs alright. Just me.â
âWhat do you want?â
âI need to use the bathroom.â
âSo go then? What are you, a child? Why wake me up?!â
âIâve been hearing lots of strange noises, even for a forest. I wanted to be sure youâre awake if something were to happen.â
Tomo sat for a moment, fuming at his friend.
âOkay, fine. Iâm already awake now. Make it quick.â
His friend wandered into the woods out of sight. And so Tomo waited.
Something felt strange and he quickly realized what it was. The forest was deathly silent, not like what Itazura said. It occurred to Tomodachi that Ita was probably just scared, which lifted his spirits a bit. He sat up and leaned against a tree and absent-mindedly dozed off.
âUh?â
Tomo awoke in a startle before checking his watch. Itâd been thirty minutes. He walked over to his friendâs camping spot to find him missing.
Something was very wrong.
âIta!â He whisper-shouted through the woods. âIiiitaaaaa!â
There was no response.
Shaking, he bumbled his way through the woods in the area he last saw his friend. His flashlight searched everywhere, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Starting to give up, he made a wide berth on his walk back until he tripped over something.
âOoooof!â
The fall knocked the breath out of him as his light clattered to the forest floor. He got his bearings again and retrieved his flashlight. When he looked back at what he tripped over, he couldnât believe his eyes.
Ita was laying on the ground with his mouth gaping open, clutching the infamous Okiku doll in his curled hands. The hair of the doll had grown way longer and was wrapped tightly around Itaâs neck.
âNoâŠ.no, this isnât real,â he whispered to himself. âIâm dreaming. I must be.â
Placing his hands over his eyes, he thought if he waited a moment and looked again then things would be different. Before he did, an unexplainable noise permeated the air.
There was no doubting it. It was the voice of a little girl singing.
Tomo panicked and rushed back to his sleeping bag, gathering all of his belongings before he rummaged through his former friendâs bag and took the provisions. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he ran along the forest path towards the next town until he collapsed from exhaustion and sat up against a tree.
âIt has him now. Iâm okay,â were the last thoughts before he fell back asleep.
Tomo dreamed more of the old man he helped kill before he woke again into a bright morning. Despite the malevolent dream, he felt surprisingly refreshed. For a moment, he thought perhaps it really was all a dream.
This thought didnât last long.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then jumped to his feet. The Okiku doll was sitting next to his rucksack with longer hair and Itaâs knife on the ground nearby. Okikuâs eyes stared its abyss in his direction.
âWhat do you want?!â He yelled.
His eyes went from the doll to the knife and very soon he understood. Every fiber in his being wanted to run screaming from the doll, but he knew it would do him no good. And so he relented to his fate.
Singing softly as he would to a child, he placed the doll in his lap and began to cut the dollâs hair with the knife. He spoke sweet and gentle, pretending that he was asking a little girl about her day and giggling at her answers. Silent tears of fear streamed down his face as he did so in an anxiety-ridden trance.
Once the dollâs hair was properly cut, he sat the doll up and stared at her for a moment.
âIâm sorry for my part in all this, you know. Iâve never been strong. Iâve always been a coward.â
The doll stared back at him and he nodded in understanding.
âYesâŠyes, youâre right. I should. Itâs only fitting.â
Without another word, Tomo raised the knife to his neck and dragged the blade from one side to the other. A gush of crimson flowed forth, soaking his clothes.
The doll watched...and smiled.
Back at the Mennanji Temple, monks were settling in for the night when the watchman heard a hard knock at the temple doors. As he approached, he called out.
âWho is it?â
âIâve come to return something,â a voice said from the other side.
The monk promptly opened the door and was shocked to find no one there. He looked down and saw the Okiku doll staring up at him.
âOh, my sweet little one,â he said softly as he picked the doll up. âWho got you this time, huh?â
He smiled with warmth and closed the door back.
âSheâs back,â the watchman called out.
Another monk promptly appeared with a pair of clippers and the watchman held the doll out. Bowing, the monk with clippers took the doll and began cutting its hair.
âWho brought her back?â The hair-cutting monk asked.
âI donât know. They werenât there when I answered,â the watchman replied.
As he went about his watch duties for the night, the monk thought to himself.
Come to think of it, it did sound like an older gentlemen, didnât it?
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2024.05.18 04:30 Margui8 This is me practicing
2024.05.17 18:59 Dead_Kennedys78 Redditor OWNS Triggered Suburban Teenager Sylvia Plath
2024.05.17 05:20 AliceStanleyJr "I Hate My Reflection for Years and Years": TTPD & Sylvia Plathâs âThe Magic Mirror"
Hi, clowns! Found lots of connections to an essay Sylvia Plath wrote and TTPD. Lots of info below, but was interesting!
TL; DR Plathâs college thesis paper is all about troubled poets and their âDOUBLES.â
Initial Tortured Poets and Sylvia Plath Connections Of course, the theme of TTPD is tortured poets, so many avid literary Swifties have enjoyed seeking connections between Swiftâs new songs and iconic poetry. No connections are
overt, but some seem to be more likely than others. Namely, thereâs been much discussion of Virginia Woolf thanks to the song âWhoâs Afraid of Little Old Me?â(perhaps a riff on the Edward Albee play title). Other Swifties have found possible lyrical links to Mary Shelley and Charlotte Bronte. Swift herself references Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas in the albumâs title track.
I remembered a third poet in relation to Smith and Thomas: Sylvia Plath, obviously an all timer of a tortured poet. I remember hearing an anecdote that she had been obsessed with Thomas and stalked him outside the Chelsea Hotel (also named in the TTPD title track). I did a quick skim of Plathâs Wikipedia to confirm and then started noticing many possible connections to TTPD and Plathâs life.
In the âFortnightâ music video, Swift acts out being institutionalized for insanity and getting electric shock treatmentâtwo significant experiences in Plathâs life. Plath was also coupled with a deeply problematic man, Ted Hughes. Plath fell in love with Hughes for his artistic talent before he revealed himself to be an unsupportive parter, ultimately cheating on Plath with a younger woman. The narrative is not too dissimilar to the
narrative about Swiftâs alleged ex Matty Healy, as seemingly told in TTPD. (Of course, we donât know the true subjects of Swiftâs songsâif theyâre even actually confessionalâbut some key hints point to Healy. Whether those hints provide actual context to Swiftâs life or to the
story Swift is telling of her life, one cannot know.) Finally, several of TTPD songs reference a latent desire for suicide (
âI might as well die / it would make no differenceâ etc.). Okay,
post-âfinally,â these are stretches, but, Iâll note anyway: one of Plathâs most famous collections of poems is titled
Ariel, but an alternate title was
Daddy. There are connections to both words in TTPD via the song âBut Daddy I Love Him.â The title is a line from the Disney movie
The Little Mermaid (which features the main character Ariel, a mermaid, caught between two worlds). Extra clowning: some people (hi, I'm people) believe Swiftâs 1989 costume for her first Paris concert was an allusion to Ariel: a pink crop top and a seafoam skirt.
As I dug into Plath's life, I couldnât help but also see similarities to Swift's life. Both women were prolific writers from a very young age. Also, although possibly obscured through artistic license, both women were/are known to write about their own lives. (Plath was apparently encouraged by her professors Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton to write from her experience. I cannot help but tie in Swiftâs âThe Manuscriptâ lyric âthe Professor said to write what you know.â) Both Plath and Swift expressed/express their depression via their writing, but if you only knew them from their public personas, youâd never guess the depths of their struggles. It seems both Plath and Swift lived/live
double lives. Plath was actually fascinated by the concept of doubles. In fact, the concept of doubling was the topic of Plathâs college thesis paper âThe Magic Mirror.â
The Magic Mirror and TTPD Plathâs college paper is sadly not available to the general public. (It had a limited print run in, you guessed it, 1989.) But! I was able to read a few texts
about the thesis, and the amount of possible TTPD references is astounding.
Since we canât analyze Swiftâs work via Plathâs directly, Iâd like to share several key quotes from the most telling article I could find about the âThe Magic Mirrorâ:
âSylvia Plathâs Magic Mirrorâ by Kelly Coyne (May 2018, The Los Angeles Review of Books). (
To be noted, Coyne has also written about Swift, in her article âGrowing Up In Taylor Swiftâs Americaâ in December 2023 on Literary Hubâa fabulous read!) Early in her article, Coyne sets the scene for Plath's thesis:
âHer undergraduate thesis, which she wrote as a senior at Smith College...is titled âThe Magic Mirror: A Study of the Double in Two of Dostoevskyâs Novels.â âThe Magic Mirrorâ explores literary doubles made up of a characterâs repressed traits, and, as the double grows in power, it heralds the protagonistâs death. Citing Robert Louis Stevensonâs The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
as well as Oscar Wildeâs The Picture of Dorian Gray
, Plath argued that the choice to create a double works to âreveal hitherto concealed character traits in a radical mannerâ and simultaneously exposes the driving conflicts of the novel housing that character. Her thesis claims that both Ivan, of The Brothers Karamazov
, and Golyadkin, of The Double
, have attempted to repress troubling aspects of their personalities, resulting in the double.â Immediately, I imagine the two versions of Swift from the âAnti-Heroâ music video. One Swift is real, true, sensible. The other is a pot-stirring, self-esteem destroying, alcoholic. During Eras, the huge Swift (monster on a hill) screams and stomps around in the background while the real, true Swift smiles and dances in a sparkle dress onstage. The fandom seems to be referring to these two Swifts as Taylor Swift and TAYLOR SWIFT (TM). Folks have theorized Post-Malone in the Fortnight music video is not necessarily a lover, but a twin, or double, of Swift. This theory is enhances by the Eras visuals during that song, specifically two dancers walking away to the back of the stage, but then becoming one.
More Coyne:
âPlath, quoting Dostoyevsky in her thesis, noted that Ivanâs double, Smerdyakov, is âwrinkledâ and âyellow.â The distinct differences in appearance between originator and double, she continued, are meant to reflect the protagonistâs mental state and cultural status.â First of all,
yellow. In the Gaylor community, folks have often theorized yellow symbolizes being closetedâa reading based on the symbolic coloring in the 1999 film
âŠBut Iâm a Cheerleader. However, one need not be a Gaylor to consider the importance of yellow to Swiftâs storytelling. Most recently, Swift performed âmy tears ricochetâ at Eras in a bright yellow dress, as her dancers were dressed for a funeral. Following Coyneâs analysis of Plath's analysis of Dostoyevsky, one could guess Swift is teasing a death of
some version of herself.
Coyne discusses how Plath clearly used a âdoubleâ of herself to write
The Bell Jar. Plath herself spent a summer in New York interning for
Mademoiselle. The protagonist in
TBJ, Esther, spends a summer in New York interning at a magazine too. To go even further down the rabbit hole, Esther also doubles herself, frequently expressing normalcy on the outside and despair on the inside. On the book's first page, Esther tells her audience,
âI was supposed to be having the time of my life.â (Again, I cannot help but hear a Swift echo of,
âI can read your mind / sheâs having the time of her lifeâ from âI Can Do It With a Broken Heartâ about smiling through her depression.) Coyne makes many more references to mirrors and concealing in
The Bell Jar, Etherâs split (and sadness) gets worse and worse the more she hides who she is from others. Notably, at a low point, Esther hides under her motherâs bed.
(And Swift sings of a post-heartbreak depression, âAfterwards she only ate kids' cereal / And couldn't sleep unless it was in her mother's bed.â
) Coyne writes about the âimprisonedâ aspect of doubles:
âThe wound from which Esther tries, and fails, to hide chimes with the inescapable, colonizing double, and Plathâs language again illustrates its penal nature: it is inside Esther, but it traps her like a jail cell.â (Again, I cannot help but see references to âFresh Out the Slammerâ, âThe Smaller Man Who Ever Lived,â and the TTPD Eras visuals of cages and cell lighting.) Coyne, on Plathâs doublesâ names, something Swift has not ever used (or so we think):
âFrom her conception of The Bell Jar all the way to its final revisions, Plath suffered an exhausting amount of anxiety over its heroineâs name.â Plath wrote to a friend,
ââIâll have to publish it under a pseudonym, if I ever get it accepted, because itâs so chock full of real people Iâd be sued to deathâ...Indeed, this wasnât mere paranoia; she did have to change her protagonistâs name at the instruction of her editor for legal reasons.â Coyne continues,
âMost novelists likely have concerns about being associated with the characters to whom they give life, especially the ugly ones, and especially when the character resembles its author. Yet what is unique about Plathâs case is her knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings and implications of her choice to push Esther away, and the hold this knowledge assumed on Plathâs work and life. Another look at The Bell Jar with a consideration of Esther as Plathâs double tangles the issue even further, and Plath drops clues for this kind of reading throughout the novel. Esther, for example, sits down to write her own novel and recounts, âMy heroine would be myself, only in disguise. She would be called Elaine. Elaine. I counted the letters on my fingers. There were six letters in Esther, too. It seemed a lucky thing.â Not coincidentally, Plathâs first name has six letters as well.â Again, Plath was in a bizarre double infinity loop
(like the loop on the Eras stage in âDown Badâ?). Plath was concealing her double, the protagonist in her novel, who was concealing
her double, the protagonist in
her novel.
Coyne wraps up her findings:
âIn her thesis, written nearly a decade earlier, as she turned 22 â the year after her first documented suicide attempt â Plath claimed, quoting Otto Rank: In such situations, where the Double symbolizes the evil or repressed elements in manâs nature, the apparition of the Double âbecomes a persecution by it, the repressed material returns in the form of that which represses.â Manâs instinct to avoid or ignore the unpleasant aspects of his character turns into an active terror when he is faced by his Double, which resurrects those very parts of his personality which he sought to escape. The confrontation of the Double in these instances usually results in a duel which ends in insanity or death for the original hero.â Coyne seems to argue Plath believed an artist's double has the power to become bigger than the artist herself, ultimately killing her. Is TTPD Swift's predetermination of, hopefully, her her double's death instead of her own?
In Conclusion: Plath to her Mentor, Dessner on Swift Who knows what TTPD is really truly about, and who knows if we ever will.
The biggest Easter egg, hiding in plain sight, is that the album is titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Thereâs no apostrophe after âpoet.â Nor is there an apostrophe after the âsâ in âpoets.â The department does not belong to a poet or to a collection of poets. It is a department OF tortured poets, perhaps two, to be exact. âŠor perhaps the album indicates the depar
ture of the tortured poet...and her double.
Iâll sign off with two final quotes from my research:
According to Coyne, three months before Plath died by suicide, she had written a mentor about her second (obviously unfinished) book. Plath wrote,
âIt is to be called âDoubletakeâ, meaning that the second look you take at something reveals a deeper, double meaning [âŠ] it is semi-autobiographical about a wife whose husband turns out to be a deserter and philanderer although she had thought he was wonderful & perfect.â According to Aaron Dessnerâs TTPD release Instagram post:
âKeep searching and you'll find some new detail, layer or sliver of meaning with each listen.â SUBREDDIT PS! Shout out to
Expensive_Succotash5 for noting the TTPD intro poem's reference to being out of the oven, could be an allusion to Plath's death. Also shout-out to
Good-Amphibian-7993 for this connection to
a photo of Plath with a rose, not unlike Swift's album rose art. submitted by
AliceStanleyJr to
GaylorSwift [link] [comments]
2024.05.17 00:34 Effective-Ad-2390 Seasonal employment turning into a career? Where can getting my first seasonal position take me? Female, age 24.7
I have two paths and I have to make a decision in 3 days. My dad says go for what your gut is telling you. I don't know what my gut is telling me.
First Path: If I go to grad school and do the GA job for the soccer team, I am setting myself up for a career as a collegiate soccer coach. That path is easier to me. I know how to do school and I know how to do soccer (although not as a coach yet) as that's all I have done my entire life. This path is comfortable to me, secure, scares me less.
Second Path: The ranch position scares me. It is unstable as in 3 months I must find another position. The ranch puts me in a situation I have never experienced before. Forces me to learn things I have never learned about. It is new and exciting and scary. But if I did it, I would do everything to learn the most I can. Learn how to career climb in the hospitality industry. Learn how to give people an experience as that is something I love to do.
If there was a crystal ball that told me the outcome to each of these paths and one told me I will be a successful collegiate head coach in 10 years and the other told me I will own my own hospitality experience, I would choose the path to owning my own hospitality experience. What does that tell me? Could I ever have both? Do you know that fig tree poem by Sylvia Plath?
I guess my questions are, can seasonal work turn into a lifelong career? Where could I end up? Will I be wasting the opportunity to go to grad school being a Grad Assistant (GA) for the soccer team taking the next step to being a collegiate coach? The collegiate coach dream of mine is because it is comfortable to me, i know i would be good at it, and I could see myself doing it forever. But part of me wants to be free and adventure and work those long hard seasonal jobs in case I learn something or meet someone and it takes my life in a direction I never even would have imagined.
Hope any of you can help me.
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2024.05.17 00:02 john_doe_smith The Scottish Cafe- Heartbreaking poetry, FOR MATHAMETICIANS!
The Scottish Cafe was a cafe in Lvov Poland (modern day Lviv Ukraine) in the 1930s, where a huge boom of intellectual activities took place. Chief among these was mathematics, centered largely around Banach. Not only were the mathematics developed here foundational, specially in my field of functional analysis, but it also fostered a brilliant social environment. Indeed, legends of 17 hour math+drinking sessions and tabletops vandalized by math survive to this day. It is also a story mired in tragedy: the Nazi invasion ended with many deaths and the decimation of the math culture there. Today I shall review a poem book on this topic by Susana H. Case, which I felt did this large part of our mathematical history justice.
Check out the book at:
https://susanahcase.com/the-scottish-cafe-kawiarnia-szkocka/ . It is a bit expensive at 20 USD, but hopefully I can convince you that this is worth it. I want to say here for younger people reading this, who maybe love math but don't really know what math research is like: this is worth it. Doing math is only half of math research, the rest involves things like socializing, conferences, paperwork, presentation, getting drunk etc. I think reading about our academic ancestors' activities in the cafe will help paint a fuller idea of math research for you. Here is an article by the ownerâs grandson:
https://inria.hal.science/hal-02386544/document The poem feels like it was written by and is for mathematicians, which impresses me because the author doesn't seem to have a mathematical background. There was a poem which captured the beauty i see in abstraction, and the pain I feel when people (*cough* physicists) question the validity of the abstract math we do. It was really cutting.
It also captures the human quality of math. Indeed math is something done by humans, and the traumas and issues that face humans affect the math. The poem does a good job of showing how the invasion and holocaust corrupted math for the survivors. I will not spoil it, but the poem ``fusionââ is genuinely one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read. Math means everything to me, and if math was corrupted for me like that I wouldn't know what to do.
I have never before consumed such poignant work that appeals to the mathematician me. I urge everyone to get this book.
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2024.05.16 09:28 haygurlhay123 âThis Time, I Will Never Let You Goâ: Cloudâs Mission and the Hidden Purpose of the Remake Trilogy - Literary and Musical Analysis of FFVII - Part 3
(continuation of
part 2)
III. e) The
Mobius FF x FFVII collaboration
Alright, back to our suspension world-hopping! Letâs visit the realm of
Mobius FF, âmore specifically, the collaboration between
Mobius FF and
FFVIIâ, where I found the most substantial evidence for my theory.
In case youâre unfamiliar with the
Mobius FF (
MFF) world and games, letâs begin with a bit of a summary of the parts relevant to us. The story takes place in a world called Palamecia, to which people from other worlds are inexplicably summoned. The vast majority of those who are brought there donât remember anything from their worlds of origin or their lives before Palamecia except their names: these amnesiac people are called Blanks. The main character is Wol, accompanied by a guiding fairy of Palamecia named Echo. Echo knows a lot about the mechanisms of Palamecia, as sheâs tied to the realm. The leader of this world is Vox, a being who manifests only as a voice. The first thing all Blanks remember before they wake in Palamecia is Vox telling them the rules of the realm. Incidentally, the crystals of the
MFF world are teleportation crystals.
III. e) i. Devsâ Statements
Letâs review some of the
MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration devsâ statements before diving into its story.
For both the
MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration and the
Remake project, Kitase took on the role of producer while Nojima supervised the screenplay and wrote the scenario. The project leader was none other than the
Remake trilogyâs Hamaguchi, who told a SE interviewer the following:
âWe would love for you to play the [MFF x FFVII] collaboration event as you look forward to [Remakeâs] releaseâ (âCelebration of the Overseas Release of the Steam Version and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Collaboration Eventâ, Square Enix).
He later hints at the collaborationâs storyline:
âThis collaboration is focused on Cloud, so the other characters will not make an appearance. Players will join Cloud, who has gone astray in Palamecia, on his adventures and see how the story unfolds based on his decisions. Content-wise, FINAL FANTASY VII fans will surely become fraught with emotion as events unfold in-game (laughs).â
Kitase concurs on the emotional aspect of the collaboration in the same interview:
âWhen it comes to the story, I seek two thingsâ âmysteryâ and â[âŠ] emotional impactâ.â
Clearly, fans of
FFVII are supposed to react emotionally to the events of the collaboration. With these statements in mind to give us perspective, we can get into the plot points relevant to our analysis.
MFF x FFVII Remake comes in two parts, the relevant plot points of which I will describe and analyze one at a time.
III. e) ii.
Eclipse Contact 1) Fact-Finding
Part one of the
MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event is called
Eclipse Contact. It came out in 2017 on Aerithâs birthday, February 7th, and its release campaign ran until March. In
Eclipse Contact, Palamecia welcomes someone new: Cloud Strife appears in the realm with very little recollection of his core world of
FFVII.
Cloud isnât a Blank, since he recalls the mako reactors in Midgar upon his arrival in Palamecia, and also remembers that he was hired by Avalanche to blow them up:
âEcho: How did you end up in Palamecia?
Cloud: I⊠That day... I remember now. A job. I had taken a job. I was hired muscle protecting clients. They wanted to stop the reactor... We used a train to get past security... Was it at night? Something happened... Next thing I knew, I was floating through darkness. Then [I woke up here]â.
This piece of dialogue reveals that
Eclipse Contact Cloudâs memories end at the very moment when Avalanche arrives at reactor 1 in OG (disk 1, chapter 1): the very beginning of the game. Consequently, Cloud does not remember anything that happened from the beginning of the OG timeline onwards.
Wol and Echo are intrigued by Cloudâs strange case: non-Blanks rarely arrive in Palamecia. The following text appears on the screen shortly after they meet:
âPerhaps he is not truly who he thinks he is.
Perhaps everything is illusory, a dream.
Only one thing is certain, that he must press on, one step at a time, toward the light that shines from the promised land.â
Just like he did in
FFTâs Ivalice, Cloud feels the need to find the Promised Land in
MFF x FFVII, despite the fact that he lacks memories of the OG timeline. Though Cloud doesnât remember anything beyond the train ride to reactor 1, he does remember the Promised Land (at least somewhat). This is odd, given that in OG, Cloud didnât learn about the Promised Land until several chapters into the game.
Wol and Echo agree to help Cloud figure out why heâs here, since thereâs clearly something strange going on with his presence in Palamecia. In fact, Cloud brought Midgarâs mako reactors with him somehow, transplanting them onto the landscape of Palamecia. The group decides to bomb these reactors, following Cloudâs instincts in the hopes that it will jog his memory.
Now for my favorite part. After blowing up another reactor, the group is surprised by the appearance of a crystal. A piano rendition of Aerithâs theme begins. When Wol tries to touch the crystal, something akin to a force field rejects him. When Cloud approaches it, however, the crystal responds to his hand by flashing with light. As it begins to glow, Wol concludes that the crystal is linked to Cloud and Cloud alone. Letâs examine the resulting dialogue:
âEcho: This is the light in your memories. The light of home.
Cloud: Home? But I donâtâ
Echo: If you don't remember⊠then your home is lost to you.
Cloud: Then my memories are gone.
Wol: Do you want to reclaim your past?
Cloud: Not interested... I am what I am now. Not what I was.
Wol: Then tell me⊠This light. If you canât remember it, what does it mean to you?
Cloud: It's a warm light... I feel at peace. If this place âhomeâ is as warm and peaceful as this light, then I want to go there.
Echo: You can't go there... Not back to the past.
Cloud: I see.
Echo: But even if you can't go back to the past, you can go forward. If you wish for it strongly enough, the crystal will show you the way. The way to a new world. The way to your Promised Land. [âŠ]
Cloud: So... Should [I] take [my] chances and make a wish to this crystal?
Wol: Go ahead. Itâs your crystal.
Echo: I should warn you that once you start on this journey, there's no coming back.
Cloud: The past is the past. I want to go to a place where everything is new. Iâm ready.â
What follows is a moment I call
the wishing scene (13:43-14:34). Cloud closes his eyes and wishes on the crystal. It flashes, and suddenly, rainbow-colored ripples of light appear around it. Aerithâs theme is replaced by a slightly modified version of
âMidgar, City of Makoâ, the track that plays during the opening cutscene of
Remake. You can recreate the modification by listening to âMidgar, City of Makoâ from 2:00 to 2:23, then skipping to 3:00 and listening until 3:18. You may recognize the musical motif that kicks off the wishing scene as the
Lifestream motif, which has become symbolic of the mysteries of the
Remake trilogy, as it often plays during scenes where unexplainable plot deviations from OG occurâ more specifically, deviations involving multiverse shenanigans. For instance, it plays during MOTF 4. It also plays in
Rebirth after Cloud blocks masamune as Aerith is shown dying anyway.
Cloud disappears with his crystal, after which Echo speaks to Wol about Cloudâs journey:
âEcho: Each person gets the Promised Land they justly deserve, not the one they really need. If youâre a bad person, you go to a bad place. If you expect nothing, you get nothing. Even the journey there makes you look deep within yourself to find out who you really are. Cloud should be facing his own past as we speak. Itâs cruel, but necessary. That battle was a long time comingâ.
Apparently, at least in the context of this collaboration event, the Promised Land can be a reward or a punishment, depending on which you deserve. Echo explains that Cloud will have to face himself and his past on his way to his Promised Land. This means that the Cloud that appears in
Eclipse Contact must next embark on a journey that will confront him with his past, test his mettle, and ultimately lead him to the Promised Land he justly deserves.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
Thereâs a lot of vital information to dig into here, mostly provided by Echo. She claims that the crystalâs light is linked to Cloudâs memories of home; Cloud has to have known this home in the past, as it could not otherwise exist in his memories.
MFF Cloud must be a post-OG Cloud. Unfortunately, Echo indicates that whatever Cloudâs home is, heâs lost both it and his memories of it. Despite this, Cloud describes his home as warm and peaceful, concluding that he wishes to find it. Though Cloud canât return to the past, Echo tells him that if he wishes it strongly enough, the crystal can guide him toward a new world, where his home and his Promised Land exist in the future. The fact that Aerithâs theme is playing all throughout these descriptions of Cloudâs lost home, his Promised Land and the past that he canât return to makes it extremely obvious that these concepts all point to Aerith. Aerith is Cloudâs lost home. Wherever Aerith is, thatâs his Promised Land. The time spent with Aerith before her loss is the past he tragically canât return to. You might have clocked the similarities between
Eclipse Contactâs mention of Cloudâs lost home and
DFFâs mention of Cloudâs lost dream: in both these titles, Cloudâs home and dream are equivalent to his Promised Land. Itâs confirmed yet again that Aerith is the one Cloud hopes to return to, just like every soul returns to the Lifestream. At this juncture of my research, I was curious as to why the last thing Cloud remembers before waking in Palamecia is the run-up to the Reactor 1 bombing mission in OG (disk 1, chapter 1). This mystery will have to persist for a while longer.
The alarm bells in your head mightâve been triggered by the mention of the wishing sceneâs rainbow ripple effectsâ and rightfully so. This visual cue has sparked passionate debate in the fandom since its appearances in
Rebirth, as seen in these pictures:
Zack Choosing To Get A Cure For Cloud, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating a New World/Timeline Aerith Pushing Cloud Out of that World/Timeline, Remake Chapter 14 Cloud Blocking Masamune, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating New World/Timeline You might have read or heard that this rainbow effect signifies that a character has entered another timeline, created a portal to another timeline, created a new timeline or is being shown different timelines. Indeed, whenever the OG timeline is deviated from in a significant way, this effect appears. The pictures above present multiple examples of these shifting realities.
One might propose that the rainbow ripples in
Eclipse Contact and
Rebirth are unrelated because of the long period between their respective release dates. This long in-between period indeed makes it likelier that the effect was used without forethought in
Eclipse Contact, forgotten over the years, and incidentally reused in
Rebirth as a plot-important visual cue with no connection to
Eclipse Contact. Iâm inclined to disagree since the crystal is specifically described as a vessel that can take Cloud âto a new worldâ by Echo, which is a bit on the nose. Regardless, itâs plausible that thereâs no connection. That is, it would be, if the rainbow effect didnât show up in
Remake too.
When
the Whispers are finally defeated in chapter 18 of
Remake, a burst of the rainbow ripple effects indicate the emergence of multiple worlds, newly freed from the restrictive clutches of fate (1:16:36-1:16:47). Shortly thereafter, Sephiroth takes Cloud to the Edge of Creation and invites him to join forces with him. Cloud refuses, and Sephiroth says the following:
âSeven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let's see.â
The question âWhat will you do with it?â implies that the answer is unknown, meaning Cloud is no longer bound to the OG timeline by fate: many alternate futures lay ahead. Sephiroth is telling Cloud and the audience that now, the mystery of the Remake trilogy has become âWhich future will Cloud bring into existence? Which among the infinite possible timelines will his choices result in?â After pondering this aloud, Sephiroth leaves Cloud alone to consider the rainbow effects in the sky (1:19:23-1:19:36). Because they generally represent alternate or changing timelines, itâs safe to assume that the rainbow ripples here represent the myriad of possible worlds that Cloudâs actions in those seven seconds could generate. After all, Sephiroth was just talking about them, and chapter 18âs description in
Remake reads as follows:
âIn a world beyond, Sephiroth shows Cloud a vision of the planet seven seconds before its demise. Having strayed from the course destiny set for them, they strike out on a path towards an unknown future."
This explains why the player is shown Cloud staring at those colors in the apocalyptic sky at worldâs end, directly after hearing Sephirothâs cryptic words: those are all the alternate âunknown futureâ timelines ahead of him, now unravelled from fate. Amongst those rainbow ripples lies the answer to the question âWhat will you do with [the seven seconds]?â
Given that
Remake was released in 2020 and
Eclipse Contact came out in 2017, the major story elements of the
Remake trilogy âincluding the eventuality of alternate timelinesâ had to have been planned out at the time of
Eclipse Contactâs release: while the
MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration was being made,
Remake was also in production. Also recall that the collaboration event and the
Remake trilogy share a codirector in Hamaguchi, a writer in Nojima and a producer in Kitase. Based on all this, itâs more than likely that the rainbow ripples in the
Remake trilogy and in
Eclipse Contact represent the very same thing: alternate worlds and timelines. All this to say that when the rainbow effect appears around the crystal in the
Eclipse Contact, it means the crystal is acting as a vessel to another world, just like Echo said.
But thatâs not all Echo said: she also mentioned that this other world would take Cloud to his home, to his Promised Land. Weâve already established what that means for Cloud, what itâs meant since two whole decades at the time of
Eclipse Contactâs release: this crystal will take Cloud to Aerith. So, where exactly did the crystal take Cloud? In what world can he meet Aerith again?
The music that plays during the wishing scene gives us a huge hint. As I noted before, the track playing in the background is a slightly modified version of
Remakeâs
âMidgar, City of Makoâ, which plays in the introduction cutscene of
Remake. This is a musical cue that the ending of Cloudâs journey in
Eclipse Contact and the very beginning of the
Remake trilogy are closely related. Add the fact that the devs wanted players to experience this collaboration event before playing
Remake, and it becomes undeniable: the crystal that appeared to Cloud in Palamecia âwhich offers to lead him to his home and Promised Land, meaning to Aerithâ, took him to the world of the
Remaketrilogy.
Eclipse Contact is huge. The whole crux of my theory lives and dies right here. However, we still have part two of the
MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event to analyze as well as its promotions to look into before I can drop the thesis on you, so bear with me in order to receive the most thorough analysis of all this possible! I want to give you every drop of proof I can!
III. e) ii.
MFF x FFVII Remake Fatal Calling 1) Fact-Finding
Fatal Calling came out February 1 of 2018, and its release campaign ended in March. The game opens with a cutscene: Cloud is floating, seemingly unconscious, through a sparkling, green current of light. The current flows into a circle of bright, white light, surrounded by rainbow ripple effects as Cloud is driven toward and into it. An orb floats along with him. The
Advent Children theme âThe Promised Landâ plays, a choir of mournful, aching, mutedly desperate souls engaged in a lamenting prayer. Sephirothâs voice echoes:
âSephiroth: Itâs time. You may turn your back on the past, lock your memories away. Hide reality beneath a layer of illusion. But destiny will not die so easily. Yes. At memoryâs end you may plead for it all to go away. But the past is a curse, binding your soul. Itâs time. Wake to your fate. Rise to your destiny.
Cloud: (In a half-conscious grunt) ReunionâŠ
Sephiroth: The light will lead you. Wake to your fate. Rise!â
Sephirothâs mentions of Cloud hiding under an illusion and repressing his memories are no doubt allusions to Cloudâs past, which was complicated and darkened by Hojoâs experiments. It makes sense, then, that Cloud responds with âReunionâ.
Fatal Calling indeed focuses on Cloudâs relationship to his past, his identity and Sephiroth. Everything involving Nibelheim âwhere everything startedâ, Sephirothâs manipulation, and Hojoâs experiments are on the table. Also noteworthy if not out of place is Sephirothâs evocation of fate.
Cloud enters a battle with Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, who are surprised to see him back in Palamecia. Cloud tells them about the orb seen floating along with him in the opening cutscene: though he calls it a materia, he doesnât know how or when he acquired it. Based on his behavior, it appears that Cloud remembers just as little about the events of OG as he did by the end of
Eclipse Contact. Wol informs Cloud that whoever he heard speaking to him on his way here was probably Vox pretending to be Sephiroth.
As the group advances, Cloud recalls Midgar and decides they should go there next. At one of Midgarâs mako reactors, the group encounters Sephiroth, who speaks to himself:
âIt's still not enough. This... this is but a pale imitation of the power I desire.â
Once Sephiroth has disappeared, Cloud explains what he remembers: Sephiroth was the greatest SOLDIER of all and a hero to Cloud, though Cloud canât remember what exactly ended this admiration. As players of
FFVII OG, we know the event in question is the Nibelheim incident, wherein Sephiroth slaughtered the townâs residents, including Cloudâs mother, after learning of his past. The former war hero also severely injured Tifa, whom Cloud presumed dead when he found her in the old mako reactor with a vicious slash on her chest. Cloud is agitated by the gaps in his memory, so the group resolves to follow Sephiroth for answers. When they find him again, Sephiroth causes Cloud to experience a piercing headache with the mere mention of the Reunion. They fight, but Sephiroth is too powerfulâ he skewers Cloud with the masamune and taunts his unconscious body:
âSephiroth: A puppet. I wonât kill you. Not yet. Not until you know true despair.
Wol: If you want despair, we got plenty to go around. Palameciaâs full of it.
Sephiroth: Yes, this planet knows suffering. But it is not the world that was promised to me. I must go home. Tell Cloud, if he wants to see me again, he should face his memories. I will await him there, in the land of memory, where it all began. In Nibelheim.â
Sephiroth darkens Cloudâs materia, turning it black. Later, Wol explains to Cloud that Sephiroth stole the light from his materia, taking Cloudâs strength along with it.
Once Cloud has woken up, the group travels to Nibelheim to uncover the truth about Cloudâs memories. Cloud slowly gathers pieces of his past, shown to the player as titled, diary-like text written from various perspectives. Cloud learns the truth about SOLDIER, Jenova cells, Sephiroth, and what happened in Nibelheim. Letâs examine a few of these diary entries:
âA Warriorâs Tale: There's a girl in Nibelheim I think about. Warm. Cheerful. More grown-up than a child. Haven't talked to her much, but she seems nice. She's going to be leading the SOLDIERs to the mountain reactor. Maybe if I get into the survey team I'll get a chance to talk to her? Nah. She's out of my league.â
Young Cloudâs crush on Tifa is on full display! This must be a memory from his time as an infantryman accompanying Zack and Sephiroth to Nibelheim.
âTale of the Nameless: I drift along in the mako, asleep. Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Give me a number. I⊠I⊠I am⊠The Reunion. The Reunion must happen.â
This entry could be taken from any one of the Nibelheim survivorsâ perspectives, as they were all bathed in mako and turned into Sephiroth clones. I would venture to say this is Cloudâs perspective though, given the reference to this iconic line from OG:
âCloud: Professor... please give me a number. Please, Professor...
Hojo: Shut up, miserable failure.â (disk 2, chapter 2).
The trio encounters Sephiroth near the old Mt. Nibel mako reactor. Because Sephiroth stole the light from his materia earlier, Cloud goes into the confrontation already drained of his strength. However, when Cloud lifts the materia in his hand, it lights up and creates rainbow ripples in the air around him, similar to those seen in
Eclipse Contact and
Rebirth. Cloud is healed of his injuries: he closes his eyes for a moment, wearing a peaceful expression. Sephiroth is displeased, but recovers quickly:
âSephiroth: The guiding light⊠it healed you.
Wol: [âŠ] here, near the mako reactor, the materia regained its light. And your strength returned [âŠ]. [Sephiroth]âs here so he can steal the power you've stored inside that materia.
Sephiroth, with a short laugh: I have all the power I need. Cloud. What strength youâve regained is yours. Use it to fight me. Itâs time. Letâs decide this, in this land lost to despair. The prize is home. The Promised Land. There to answer the call of destiny.â
With this second evocation of fate, Sephiroth disappears.
Cloud, Wol and Echo find Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. He mocks Cloud for believing the orb in his possession is materia. Sephiroth waves a hand and his signature black and purple fog surrounds Cloud, immobilizing him. Sephiroth claims that the power Cloud regained at the Mt. Nibel reactor was Sephirothâs all along. Now that it courses through Cloudâs veins, Sephiroth controls him. He calls Cloud his puppet and finishes with the following before the two vanish, leaving Wol and Echo alone:
âNow, let us return. Back to the Promised Land. The time of the Reunion has come.â
After Cloud finally breaks free and defeats Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, the villain makes a final threat:
âVery good, Cloud. Youâve destroyed an illusion. But the time will come to abandon your illusions and face reality. Then, you will know true pain.â
Sephiroth disappears for the last time, his body surrounded by his signature dark fog and the rainbow ripples. A piano rendition of Tifaâs theme begins. Cloudâs orb rises into the air and becomes a crystal, with the same shape and glow as the one we see in
Eclipse Contact. The following dialogue is illuminating:
âCloud: I will fight. The light will lead me where I need to go.
Wol: You sure? Wasnât that [crystal] Sephirothâs?
Cloud: I heard Sephiroth's voice, at the end. Inside me. Whatever he put in me, itâs still in there. Someday Iâll settle that score. If I can't avoid destiny, I might as well face it head-on.
Wol: Yeah. That was quite a speech, Cloud. Surprised you made it through without laughing.
Cloud: Yeah, forget I said it. I will too.
Echo: Forgetting wonât make it go away. Even if the words fade from memory, your dream will never disappear. Not until it becomes real.â
The crystal shines as though in response.
âEcho: See? See, that's how the light of hope works. Hope can turn your dreams into reality.
Cloud: Yeah. I guess so. I might forget this world, but I wonât forget hope. And my reality, thatâs for me to live.â
Tifaâs theme ends. Cloud approaches the crystal, and disappears in a beam of blinding light. Once Cloud has vanished with the crystal, Aerithâs theme begins playing. A few pale feathers with a slight orange tint (the color of
MFF) float down onto the floor where he stood seconds before. The image fades to black. The credits roll, and Aerithâs theme continues all the way through.
Once both the final name in the credits and Aerithâs theme fade, weâre surprised by a sudden, troubling image: Sephiroth appears in a frightening flash, standing amidst the flames of Nibelheim. When his image fades to black, the collaboration title *âFinal Fantasy VII x Mobius Final Fantasyâ*appears on the screen. The
FFVII title is accompanied by the 1997 meteor logo. Then, a flash of light: the titles reappear, except this time, they read
âFinal Fantasy VII REMAKE x Mobius Final Fantasyâ. The new
Remake Meteor logo replaces the 1997 version. As soon as these changes to the
FFVII title and meteor logo occur, Aerithâs theme returns. It plays on until the game ends a few seconds later, the screen fading to black.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
The introduction cutscene shows that
MFF Cloud travelled from
Eclipse Contact to
Fatal Calling via Lifestream. Itâs unclear how much time has passed in between, but the atemporal nature of the Lifestream makes the question irrelevant. My theory that
MFF Cloud has died is corroborated by the way heâs depicted in the opening cutscene: his eyes are closed and his body is limp as the Lifestream carries him.
Eclipse Contact ended with Echoâs claim that Cloud will face his true self and confront his past while he journeys to his Promised Land. This description resembles what Cloud experienced in the OG Lifestream sequence (disk 2, chapter 8). Indeed,
Fatal Calling revolves around the same topics the Lifestream sequence addresses: the truth about the Nibelheim incident, Hojoâs experiments, young Cloudâs crush on Tifa, etc. The opening cutscene shows Cloud being transported to his Promised Land and facing his past on the way there, just like Echo said he would.
Letâs now take a long detour to examine the song that plays during the opening cutscene of
Fatal Calling: âThe Promised Landâ theme from
Advent Children. The title and general subject of this song are obviously relevant to the cutscene, but there must be more to its inclusion than that. Perhaps the lyrics can help us understand its appearance in the opening cutscene of
Fatal Calling. Here are the unofficial English lyrics (translated from the original Japanese lyrics by an anonymous fan and verified by me via DeepL):
âWhy do we cling together?
Why do we give punishment to lesser hearts?
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The pulse of veins flows through the earth
A faint, faint pulse
Of a heart drawn to death
A gentle life returns to the planet
Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?
Why do we cling together?
Why do we beg for forgiveness
In the Promised Land?â (ââThe Promised Landâ (theme)â by Final Fantasy Wiki).
The song appears to be a regretful lament of human behavior, expressed by the repetition of âWhy do we [âŠ]?â questions. The behaviors listed are all typically human ones: the terms â[clinging] togetherâ and â[giving] punishment to [the] lesserâ express the uniquely human nature of tribalism and the consequences of the fear and hatred it can generate, and â[begging] for forgiveness in the Promised Landâ is likely a reference to the human hypocrisy of only feeling sorry for oneâs crimes when judgement day arrives. This last line describes a scenario where someone remains passive or ignorant in the face of something important, only to realize its essentiality once itâs too late. The repeatedâThe planet did not forgive usâ lines reflect the fear of being condemned forever because of oneâs mistakes, as though the planet is a deity one has sinned against. The lyric describing a pulse in the earth is obviously about the planet being aliveâ a reference to the Lifestream. But the pulse is faint and weak and the planet is dying, perishing because of mankindâs greed. This is an indictment of mako energy. The line âA gentle life returns to the planetâ refers to an innocentâs soul returning to the Lifestream after death, while the next lyric âIs it necessary to sacrifice souls?â protests the âsacrificeâ of the planetâs soul energy for mako production. In all this darkness, this songâs mention of âforgiveness in the Promised Landâ leaves a modicum of hope for a better place, however meek, even though mankind might not deserve it. The song âThe Promised Landâ is both a lament of mankindâs ways and a plea for mercy, with religious and/or spiritual undertones. The songâs themes seem to be: the Promised Land itself, regret and shame, the sins and foolishness of mankind, the death of innocents, grief, Cetra spirituality, and a meek, quiet hope despite it all. The most interesting aspect of the song is its antithetical portrayal of death as a thing of both despair and hope, condemnation and salvation, cruelty and mercy, suffering and relief. Maybe we can glean more information about this themeâs significance in the world of
FFVII if we examine the contexts in which it appears.
Importantly, the song plays in Marleneâs introductory narration of
Advent Children, meaning its themes are related or similar to the filmâs. I highly recommend listening and watching it again, even if you remember
this iconic segment. Marlene references Aerithâs sacrifice as the image of Cloud lowering her into the water is shown. Note that Marlene says âSadness was the price to see it endâ (2:36) after we are shown Aerithâs death and her subsequent unleashing of the Lifestream (1:49-2:24): Aerithâs innocent life was sacrificed for the planetâs survival. The lyrics âA gentle life returns to the planetâ and âIs it necessary to sacrifice souls?â suit Aerithâs situation quite well.
The theme also plays in
Advent Children as Kadaj dies in Cloudâs arms (1:45:00-1:47:55), hearing Aerithâs gentle voice and reaching up to take her invisible hand. Here is what Aerith says to him in his dying moments as âThe Promised Landâ plays:
âAerithâs voice: Kadaj?
Kadaj: Huh?
The dark sky has gone with Sephiroth. Healing rain starts falling from bright clouds. The rain no longer hurts Kadaj.
Aerithâs voice: You donât have to hang on any longer.
Kadaj: Mother! Is that�
Aerithâs voice: Everyoneâs waiting, if youâre ready.
Kadaj nods his head slightly in acceptance. He holds out his hand, and slowly evaporates into the Lifestream. Cloud watches [âŠ]â (Advent Children).
Kadaj is brought into the Lifestream by Aerith as she provides rain from the Lifestream. All those with geostigma are healed by the rain, and Tifa feels Aerithâs presence as the party celebrates:
âTifa, looking out at the falling rain [âŠ]: Somehow, I knew you were there. Thank youâ (Advent Children).
Cloud stands in the rain with a smile âhis first in the whole filmâ, closes his eyes and basks in Aerithâs healing with his face upturned. He is finally at peace:
âCloudâs expression is one of peace as the [Lifestream] rain patters against himâ (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children English script, â[83] Atop the Shinra Buildingâ).
One thing is clear: the track âThe Promised Landâ accompanies Aerith. It only makes sense, since weâve seen overwhelming evidence that she is Cloudâs Promised Land, and since she occupies the Lifestream âwhich some consider the Promised Land as it is where souls go after deathâ during the events of
Advent Children. Note that when the piece plays, Cloud is shown either mourning Aerith and releasing her into the river at the Cetra capital, or basking in her presence, smiling with relief at the peaceful feeling that sheâs somewhere near: these two opposing scenes reflect the songâs antithetical portrayal of death.
Additionally, the songâs themes of regret, shame concerning oneâs sins and a small hope perfectly describe Cloudâs character arc and feelings in
Advent Children. Cloud regrets his inability to save Aerith, which he considers a sin. Further, he only realized how important she is to him once it was too late to tell her. And of course, he harbors a fragile yet important hope that heâll be reunited with her in the Promised Land:
ââCan sins ever be forgiven?â â Cloud asks this to Vincent, who mutters a brief answer. For both of them, âI couldn't protect my loved oneâ is the sense of guilt that they carry, so their words resonate with weightâ (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, âChapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorldâ, âVincent Valentineâ, âIn Advent Childrenâ, page 72).
&
"âIt is my sin that I couldn't protect my loved oneâ â under this assumption, Cloud closes off his heart. What will the reunion with Aerith bring him? âI... think I want to be forgiven. Yeah, I just want to be forgivenââ (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, âChapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorldâ, âCloud Strifeâ, âIn Advent Childrenâ, page 40).
&
âCloud, after seeing Aerithâs hand reach for him through the Lifestream: ⊠I think I'm beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet⊠the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... thereâ (disk 3, chapter 3).
Just as the song and Marlene express in the introduction of the film, Aerith was innocent, and her sacrifice generated great grief. Cloud finally experiences peace when he feels her presence in the healing rain, and he smiles: heâs glad to be with her again, even if itâs only for a brief moment of tangential respite.
The scene depicts Aerith guiding Kadaj into the Lifestream as the song plays, tying her to the concept and theme song of the Promised Land once more. This connection is later solidified by Tifaâs thanks to the late flower girl. All of this evidence shows us that this musical theme is intimately linked to Aerith, as it never plays in her absence. After all, the song speaks of sins, the death of innocents, forgiveness, grief, a small sense of hope, regret and the afterlife: all themes relevant to Cloudâs feelings surrounding Aerithâs death in and outside of
Advent Children.
The
Remake OST also includes a version of this piece called âThe Promised Land - Cycle of Lifeâ. This iteration of the theme begins playing in the wake of the first bombing mission, right after Sephiroth taunts Cloud with his motherâs dying words in Sector 8 (chapter 2). Sephiroth appears to Cloud surrounded by flames, evoking the Nibelheim massacre, and the theme begins playing in the background once he disappears,
continuing (13:17-15:30) as Cloud walks through the sector, encountering fires and destruction all around him. This version of the Promised Land theme is meant to emphasize the deaths of the innocent Nibelheim townsfolk and the innocents in Sector 8. This dreadful atmosphere is amplified by the cries of despair that ring all around as Cloud passes by NPC Sector 8 residents. Perhaps the themes of tribalism and mankindâs sin are relevant to this scene as well, since Shinra and Avalanche are two distinct and warring groups whose quarrels, regardless of their necessity, result in the deaths of innocents. The theme of guilt also emerges, reflecting the Avalanche membersâ feelings upon seeing the unintended collateral damage of the explosion. âThe Promised Land - Cycle of Lifeâ plays until Cloud encounters Aerith on Loveless. So it seems in this scenario, the heavy weight of death and despair is lifted when Cloud meets the lively, cheery Aerith. Once more, Aerith is central to the musical theme of the Promised Land, as well as to the concept itself.
I also noticed that a version of the song plays as Cloud and the party ready to enter the Forgotten Capital to save Aerith in
Rebirthâs chapter 14: it truly adds the weight of her upcoming death to the scene.
Back to
Fatal Calling, the scene where Cloud regains his strength is quite mysterious. Wol says Cloudâs orb regained its âguiding lightâ light because of its proximity to the mako reactor. In the moment his strength is replenished, Cloud is shown tilting his head back and closing his eyes: this is reminiscent of the scene in
Advent Children when he stands under Aerithâs healing Lifestream rain, feeling at peace. The rainbow ripples shining from the orb indicate that something is crossing the boundaries of worlds. Since the mako reactor pumps up the Lifestream, being near a reactor also means being physically near the Lifestream. This means Aerithâs spirit is within proximity. In my opinion, Aerith was able to heal Cloud from the Lifestream, just like in
Advent Children. However, Aerith is not in Palamecia with him: her healing had to travel there through the Lifestream, transcending the boundaries of worlds, hence the rainbow ripples.
Letâs now address the appearance of Tifaâs character theme in
Fatal Calling. Since
Fatal Calling is all about discovering Cloudâs past in Nibelheim and then in Hojoâs lab, it makes lots of sense for Tifaâs theme to play as the crystal appears. In OGâs Lifestream sequence (disk 2 chapter 8), sheâs the one there helping Cloud sort through his past instead of Wol and Echo. Cloud even picks up a piece of his childhood crush on Tifa in
Fatal Calling as a shard of his memory. After all, this crush was the catalyst for him joining SOLDIER, and everything that transpired in consequence:
âCloud: That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth. If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might... If I could just get stronger... Then even Tifa would have to notice meâ (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).
Additionally, itâs fitting that her theme should begin right after Sephiroth speaks of â[abandoning] your illusions and [facing] realityâ, considering that Cloudâs false persona was concocted by Jenova using Tifaâs mistaken impressions of Cloud:
âWhile being tended to by a station worker in the Sector 7 Slum train station, [Cloud] was reunited with Tifa, and using the abilities of Jenovaâs cells, formed a new personalityâ (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, âChapter 2: Character in FFVII World, âCloud Strifeâ, âCloud Behavior Record, Compilation of FFVIIâ, page 40).
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â(Image caption:) A new personality takes shape the moment he sees Tifaâ (FFVII Story Playback, âStory Check: Tifaâs Flashbackâ).
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âTifa (to Cloud): Deep down, you're a pretty nice guy. Didn't see it when we were kids, but...â (Remake, chapter 14).
(Continued in
part 4)
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2024.05.15 20:35 eli_ashe The 451 Percenters, Puritanism At The CDC And Other Fascistic Fallacies
Bit of a longer post, sorry bout that, but I felt it was time, perhaps once again, to point out the flaws and limitations in the CDCâs stats on sexual violence, specifically as they relate to the National Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), which is the source of all the fun stats on sexual violence that get thrown around by the 451 percenters. Who are the 451 percenters? Those the folks who believe and spread the lies bout sexual violence being endemic to society. Everyoneâs a sexual predator! All 451 percent of women are violated, and all 451 percent of men are violators.
TL;DR: An analysis and rebuttal to the CDC and NISVSâs statistics on sexual violence. The CDC uses NISVS to generate the stats on punny sexual violence that make wild claims, like one third of all women, etc⊠the 451 percentersâ claims bout punny sexual violence. They use a âyes means yesâ method of determining what counts as punny sexual violence, which is aesthetics based. Elevating aesthetical concerns to ethically obligatory concerns is fascistic, and a grave moral fallacy. âYes means yesâ is also puritanical, meaning it overly moralizes sexuality. Putting puritanical fascists in charge of determining how many punny sexual offenses are happening is like putting the KKK in charge of determining how many jews are sexual predators. âAll 451 percent of them, obviously!â
Body Of The Post âYes means yesâ is an aesthetical ethical concern, âDo I want it or notâ. This is what the National Intimate Partner Violence Survey (NISVS) and the CDC use and reflect in their stats on sexual violence. Vibes. They are the âemmitt till got what he deservedâ crowd. Whistling at a lady is a criminalizable offense to these folks, a âpunny sexual violenceâ.
âNo means noâ is an ethically obligatory concern, âDid I refuse it or notâ. This is what the criminal stats on sexual violence use and reflect in their stats on sexual violence. Hard data. They are the âemmit till did nothing wrongâ crowd. Whistling at a lady is at most tasteless, emmitt till could do far better.
âWantingâ or âNot Wantingâ something does not consent make. I can want to fuck someone, but not consent to do so. I could not want to fuck someone, but nonetheless consent to do so. The former perhaps because I think it is a bad idea to fuck âem even tho I want to. The latter, perhaps because I think it is a good idea to fuck âem even tho I donât want to.
The âyes means yesâ folks, the CDC & NISVS stats on sexual violence all mistake âwantingâ and ânot wantingâ for âconsentingâ and ânot consentingâ; these are not the same things. This is deliberate on their part too.
They believe that âyes means yesâ is what ought to constitute a determination of sexual violence. Regardless of how yâall view that, it is a deeply controversial notion, and not necessarily reflective of what most people think of when they think of sexual violence.
âUnwantedâ essentially means âI donât like itâ. It is a complaint bout the aesthetical qualities of the sexual encounter, not its consensualism. If this is at all unclear, the simplest method to understand why this is so is to note two unrelated aspects.
One is racism. People regularly âfeel fearfulâ of men for no reason at all, but they also feel fearful of men because of racism all the time. That fear factor âą is what makes the encounter âcoercionâ or âunwantedâ. The person literally does nothing wrong, *just exists* and the other person freaks out.
Note in the quoted sections at the end of this post how much of the stats rely on fear and feelings to generate their numbers.
Two is the person came on too strong or in an undesirable way. The person flirts in a normal and perfectly fine way, but the other person freaks out. Think bout it people, for the love of god think bout it. âComing on too strongâ and âan undesirable flirtationâ are being counted as âpunny sexual violenceâ in these stats.
Itâs entirely puritanical, and entirely a concern bout aesthetics.
There are other sorts of coercive methods, but the point here is that the terms âunwantedâ and âcoercionâ only really cash out as âI donât like it for some reason or anotherâ in the CDCâs and NISVSâs stats.
When you see that lady spouting off bout her fears of mexican rapists, sheâs reflected in these stats folks. Theyâre just surveys. People who lock their car doors in âbad neighborhoodsâ are reflected in those stats.
These all translate to âI felt threatenedâ (big black boy vibes) or âfelt pressuredâ (scary white guy vibes), or âfelt in dangerâ (native american coming to get you vibes), or âfelt uncertain if you wanted itâ (arab terrorist vibes) or 'felt like I was being manipulated' (angry asian martial artists vibes) . Doesnât have to be racism at play here either, women can be irrationally fearful of any man. Vibes.
The actions themselves are not criminalizable.
Non p-hacked stats try to avoid these kinds of obvious ambiguities in the language used to generate the 451 percentersâ stats. These folks however lean into the lies and deceptions, and deliberately use language designed to deceive people reading the stats into thinking that people have been harmed. They take language that means literally âI like or donât like itâ and translate that to mean âI was sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, or even rapedâ.
This is how they inflate the numbers, so we get to the 451 percentersâ wacky ass beliefs; â451 percent of women will suffer egregious sexual violence to them at least fifty times in their livesâ. All this means is vibes. 451 percent of women get some bad vibes bout some dudes.
You can hear it echoed in the bear or man discourse. Why do women choose the bear? Vibes and irrational fears. âWe choose the bear because we donât feel safe!â translates directly to âEmmitt till whistled at me, and heâs a big black boy, thatâs scaryâ and âthe mexican rapists are swarming over the border to get meâ.
These are the stats that people point to when they try to justify their misandristic hot ass takes. They are self-referential to that same fear based aesthetic the stats are. The stats are reflective of peoplesâ irrational fears, and people use those stats to justify their irrational fears, and people spread those fear based stats thereby spreading their unjustified fears. Itâs a circle rub.
To criminalize these kinds of things is to be fascistic (treating aesthetics as if they were of obligatory concern), to believe that they are morally reprehensible is to be a puritan (overly moralizing sexuality).
The folks deriving these stats translate âunwantedâ (aesthetical ethics) to âsexual assaultâ, âsexual harassmentâ, or ârapeâ (obligatory ethics), then lump everything together as âpunny sexual violenceâ to get the big numbers used to scare people and terrorize men. Thatâs called fascism.
â[T]here remains a likelihood of underreporting due to the sensitive nature of SVâ. This justification means that they do not trust people to report SV, âdonât believe women when they say they havenât suffered any SV, manipulate the questions so they say yes to something they donât think is SV, or which simply isnât SV, and weâll just call it SV of this or that sort. Later weâll propagandize people so they too come to believe our puritanical misandristic hot ass takes.â
There is no lie nor hyperbole in what I am saying here. That is the rationale and the method. If you bone up on your academic lit in the topic, this is, well not verbatim what they say, I am lambasting them here, but this is the crux of what their argument and justifications are, and they explicitly hold that they ought be propagandizing people to their puritanical beliefs.
They push the fascistic (aesthetical ethical) and puritanical (overly moralized sexual ethics) discourse into the public by presenting stats that merely reflect fears and pretend that they are reflective of sexual violence. People then come to believe that those kinds of fear based concerns are actually sexual violence. An âunwanted flirtationâ becomes in their minds and only in their minds a sexual violence.
Emmitt till got lynched for whistling at a lady. They only disagree bout the racism, but he definitely deserved to be punished in some way like all men do for whistling at someone they think is hot af. Puritanism.
All just vibes, all but aesthetics, and all fascistically raised to a level of ethically obligatory concern.
âJust as SV is not limited to physically forced penetration, its perpetrators are not limited to strangers. Indeed, perpetrators of SV are more likely to be someone known to the victim. Sexual violence is a problem embedded in our society and includes unwanted acts perpetrated by persons very well known (e.g., family members, intimate partners, and friends), generally known (e.g., acquaintances), not known well or just known by sight (e.g., someone in your neighborhood, person just met) and unknown to the victim (e.g., strangers). â Be afraid of everyone, any man out there could be your next rapist! Thatâs right ladies and gents, youâve been raped several times already, you just didnât know it. But donât worry, the statisticians know better. They asked you an unrelated question you said yes to since you were too dumb to know that you were raped, and counted it as rape. Then they informed you that you ought be afraid of everyone in your community, lest they also rape you, unbeknownst to you of course. But again, donât worry, the statistician will count those too.
As a measure of fear the 451 percenters capture, well or worse who knows, all the racism, sexism, bigotry, and various phobias in the society, and how those fears are transferred onto masculine bodies as imaginary perpetrators of punny sexual offenses. None of it is real, there are not 451 percent of sexual violences happening, 451 percent of men are not sexual predators, and 451 percent of women are not victims of sexual violence.
âSafety cultureâ mostly reflects irrational fears.
Ask the kkk how many black people are rapists, youâre gonna get a high number. Ask puritans how many people are punny sexual offenders, youâre going to get a very high number. Such is the most tame interpretation of what is going on. The 451 percenters are puritans, theyâve overly moralized sexuality, counting offenses to their sensibility rather than criminal actions.
Puritans informing you how âvile and wickedâ your sexual ways are; advocating to make their puritanical beliefs bout punny sexual offenses into legally enforceable laws. These are the same kinds of concerns bout a someone dressing too provocatively, such is a âpunny sexual violationâ to the sensibilities of others.
The less tame version of this is that it is exactly what fascists do. Lie to people especially bout punny sexual offenses in order to ratchet up the fear levels in the population, so they run to them to solve the âproblemâ.
Could be both tho.
Either way, their misandry murders little boys. They celebrate terrorizing men, and rejoice in lynching folks. Theyâre despicable people.
Solutions? Ruthlessly love them. Write them love poems, show them kindness and generosity of spirit, but give them not a dime in money, nor ever relent to their irrational fears. Extol their beauty and virtues, make love with them, utterly ruthlessly. Be overtly sexual bout it, in this give them no quarter, bring to an end their puritanism by giving them no plausible cause to be thus. No one under the duress of lovesâ enticements and sexual pleasures be puritans. Be relentless, show them masculine sexuality; give them nothing to complain bout, but give them masculine sexuality. Donât fall for their puritanism, be the boys of summer.
Respect a âno means noâ ethic as a code of obligatory actions. Use aesthetical ethics towards good sex with mutual respect given; donât ever take that as a one way thing. Do not conflate the aesthetics of good sex, 'enthusiastic yesesâ with those of the ethics of obligation âno means noâ. Donât be puritans, donât be fascists, be sex positivists.
Call out the stats when folks bring them up, refer people to these points, feel free to refer people to this post and/or the attached video. âBut the CDC saidâ is not a valid argument; they have put puritans in charge of determining punny sexual offenses. They find punny sexual offenses everywhere they look.
If youâre super coolio, start advocating against the CDCâs use of NISVS to determine what constitutes sexual violence. It doesnât match with criminal dataâs methods, it doesnât utilize the metrics of âno means noâ which are the proper metrics to use, instead it utilizes what amounts to peculiar beliefs bout the aesthetics of sex as a means of measure for punny sexual offenses.
They are spreading a puritanical belief system bout punny sexual offenses, nothing more, and they are causing public health problems by spreading their lies. They are not counting sexual offenses, they are not a criminal justice system, they arenât technically even in the business of understanding sexual violence. They are the Center For Disease Control, not the âcenter for social engineering sexual practices controlâ.
Original video on the topic, with some additional resources for understanding these issues in the description. The Rest Of This Post Is References To The CDC, NISVS, And Crime Data Reports, Along With Some Quotes Thereof With Short Specific Retorts Highlighting The Relevant Info In The Quotes As It Pertains To The Post. This Is But A Small Sample Of How They Use Language Of Aesthetics To Make Their Ethical Claims, And How Their Language Is Misandristic. sv_surveillance_definitionsl-2009-a.pdf (cdc.gov) Fast Facts: Preventing Sexual Violence Violence Prevention Injury Center CDC Key Terms & FAQs National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)Funded Programs Violence Prevention Injury Center CDC Some key quotes from this, Bolded text hereafter are coded for âyes means yesâ methods of understanding sexual violence, and sometimes misandristic language. Italicized text are quotes from the sources:
âRape is defined as any completed or attempted unwanted [unwanted is an aesthetic criteria, not a consent criteria which is âa no was statedâ attempted while a real thing allows for further insertion of scary vibes to pad the stats, e.g. the blackness of the lover]
...includes times when the victim was drunk, high*, drugged, or passed out and unable to consent.* [puritanical belief bout drinking and drugs, e.g. one cannot consent if drunk or high. Note that it is separate from being drugged or passed out and unable to consent, and that criminally speaking being drunk or high is not indicative of a lack of capacity to consent, also note this is de facto applied to women only].
âSexual coercion is defined as unwanted sexual penetration that occurs after a person is pressured in a nonphysical way. In NISVS, sexual coercion refers to unwanted vaginal, oral, or anal sex after being pressured in ways that include being worn down by someone who repeatedly asked for sex or showed they were unhappy; feeling pressured by being lied to, being told promises that were untrue, having someone threaten to end a relationship or spread rumors; and sexual pressure due to someone using their influence or authority.â Unwanted is an aesthetic category, not a consent category. âSexual coercionâ is not a criminal offense either. It is a puritanical belief bout sexuality that is based on a sex negative view, e.g. that sex is a bad unless and until magical words are said to make it into a good. Calling it âsexual violenceâ is just lying. Coercion is defined misandristically to only be bout penetration, which precludes all the ways that women use sex and sexuality to manipulate, use, abuse, and harm people; note that there are essentially zero surveys done that include some âfeminine coded coercive behaviorâ into these stats. That is by design. Including not incidentally the way that women have historically and currently used irrational fears over their sexuality to terrorize men and get people murdered.
âUnwanted sexual contact is defined as unwanted sexual experiences involving touch but not sexual penetration, such as being kissed in a sexual way, or having sexual body parts fondled, groped, or grabbed.â Unwanted is aesthetics, not consent. Also this literally describes flirting. I know they want to try and capture some other sort of notion, grossy mcgrosser pinning someone down and groping them, but all this describes here, and all the stats can possibly reflect, is flirting.
âNon-contact unwanted sexual experiences is defined as those unwanted experiences that do not involve any touching or penetration, including someone exposing their sexual body parts, flashing, or masturbating in front of the victim, someone making a victim show his or her body parts, someone making a victim look at or participate in sexual photos or movies*, or*
someone harassing the victim in a public place in a way that made the victim feel unsafe.â This category is quite broad and puritanical in its disposition, as it assumes there is something wrong with seeing naked images unless and until expressed verbal consent is given, and undoubtedly ignores the en masse flood of naked images of women online to which basically every guy is exposed to. Compare again to people who claim that women ought not be allowed to show their ankles as it causes a âharmâ to those who are âforcedâ to see it. Exact same shite. Aesthetical concerns of wanted or unwantedness, and also notice the expressly stated vibes check âvictim feel unsafeâ. Look out for the black boys, they make them feel unsafe!
Crime/Law Enforcement Stats (UCR Program) â FBI Quick Facts on Sexual Abuse Offenses (ussc.gov) Itâs worth mentioning that statistically speaking, if one uses the stats derived from crime data as opposed to statisticians making numbers up, the percentages of men who do sexual violence, depending a bit on how you count it, are: 0.0516% or .478% or .0957%. Although the video goes over this all in pretty good depth, just do a little sniff test here; are .478% of the male population sexually violating a third of all women, 55.5 million women?
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2024.05.15 16:05 healthmedicinet Health Daily News May 14 2024
DAY: MAY 14, 2024
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2024.05.15 15:35 kronmatron Entropy: Decay of Dreams
đ”Vortex- Carbon Based Lifeforms
I don't want to be a tasteless person, but I wasn't naive enough to have my mom make a trembling-handed cake for me on my birthday. Okay, her body hasn't collapsed yet, she can still manage her affairs, but it will collapse.
I never had any problem with "this moment". Either the future is coming to me, or I'm going to it. Even in the darkest times of the past, I was young and full of hope, so the present is bright, but the future is completely dark... Whenever I think about the future, my brain short-circuits.
I wish my mom, especially my mom, could stay strong enough for us to argue, because I hadn't accounted for her aging. I woke up after the Parkinson's diagnosis. Now it bothers me again, but I can't say anything. I'm aware that there is an old and sick person in front of me. My attitude has changed now. The problem is, my attitude has changed towards everything; it has changed, or I haven't noticed over time. I've become a middle-aged person who constantly emphasizes respect and love in conversations.
I'm overly affectionate and overly respectful; yes, that's very nice, but it's also the most obvious sign of my aging. When delivery drivers are late, I don't get angry. I say, "It's okay, darling, what matters is that you come and go safely." I'm tolerant in traffic. I had an accident the other day. The shopkeepers helped together, and I was deeply moved. Then I revised my affairs in a way that could help more small businesses.
I have few but valuable friends. We don't argue, but if we do, I say, "You're my ... year friend, my brothesister. I'm really sorry if I hurt you." They do the same. In the past, we would hang up on each other and not call each other for a while. Now everyone is aware. Time is short and valuable.
The worst part is my attitude on online forums where I occasionally write. Sometimes I enter the forums of groups I like to feel young and write nonsense. Young people swear at me, I can't swear back. Then I say, "What am I doing here?" and leave, and go back to my own forums about theosophy, literature, work, etc. I guess they don't want us anymore...
As for love. That's over. I can't take anyone seriously enough to fall in love. Yes, a human being is a ladder rising to God, but if they've climbed as much as I have, we probably don't meet. They're probably all introverted like me, not communicating with anyone. The others are after physical pleasures; they have weaknesses, fears, devilish qualities... I also have a brain that can analyze quickly. Even if I admire someone at first, my admiration fades very quickly.
My longest admiration was for a rock star named Jack White. I tried a little hard to maintain my admiration, just to find inspiration. I realized he was extremely unpleasant after my analysis. Just an ordinary talented person. There are no virtuous qualities. That's over too.
These days I've gone back to the past. I listen to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and so on.
When Cornell died in 2017, I wasn't very aware of what was going on because I was depressed. Besides, grunge was very out of fashion. A few months ago, I could realize that Eddie Vedder was alive but aging, but it had a very bad effect. All the songs left in my ears found meaning. The bad part is, he's 60 and botoxed, but he's still in my head like in '92. I was 8 in '92, these guys were big brothers, and their music was very boring. Now I realize that the boring music was the anthem of my youth.
Oh, my sister Merich is experiencing the same awareness. When we get bored, we watch all the live concerts of Pearl Jam in '92, '93, '94... that we found on YouTube and have fun together. And then there's always the same question in our heads, "Did Jill convince Eddie Vedder to botox?" and the same joke, "If Chris saw these botoxes, he would commit suicide again..." We laugh. Then a cold wind, a brain tingling about time...
You've been stuck in the '90s for 3 hours, now it's 2024... You're 41. This girl you laughed with, your sister, is 46... The guy who crowd-surfed at the concert is 60... Your mom will call soon, she's 76... Your dad's blood pressure is high, he's 79...
We're dying badly... But not just like that. We're dying pretty fast and entropy leaves no room for love.
I looked at new terms, except for "sapiosexual", they've made up interesting terms like "noetisexual" for people like me. I don't know what I am, if I solve it, I'll be enlightened anyway.
The hell with terms. I'm a human being, just like everyone else, a victim of entropy. I'm obsessed with entropy. Let them come up with a term for that. Let them make a flag too. Asexuals have a flag. Let's have our flag too.
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2024.05.14 14:01 Zappingsbrew A post talking about 400 words
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2024.05.14 11:17 EndersGame_Reviewer Thoughts on The Truman Show (1998) directed by Peter Weir
After watching a good and thoughtful film, I enjoy doing some reading, thinking, and writing about it. The 1998 film
The Truman Show (directed by Peter Weir) is the kind of film that I found myself watching twice in succession, and I've watched it several times since, because it is so intriguing.
But is it a spiritual allegory, or is it just a good story, or perhaps something else? This movie narrates the life of Truman Banks (Jim Carrey), who is unaware that his entire life on the island of Seahaven is completely constructed by a TV crew, and is part of a constantly running reality television program called The Truman Show, watched by millions 24/7 world-wide. But when Truman comes to realize that something is strange about his world, he makes plans to escape his artificially manipulated universe.
The premise is a clever one, and the film succeeds on the level of story alone. But what's particularly of interest to me are the profound philosophical and religious questions that the movie seems to ask. It raises age-old philosophical questions common in the field of epistemology, concerning what we can know about reality e.g. could I be deceived about what my senses and experiences are telling me about reality? But it also appears to explore many deep religious questions by means of allusions to Christian themes. Consider how the TV producer Christof (= Christ of) is the "creator" of Truman (= True Man), and functions as a god who controls his world.
This symbolism seems too strong to ignore. As a result there is considerable debate about the worldview behind the film, and whether it is intended to portray an atheistic or Christian worldview. I've found that reviewers who pick up on the Christian symbolism typically fall into one of two camps which come to opposite conclusions about the point of the film:
- Those who see it as a secular film, by portraying the Christian God as a cruel and harsh dictator who operates a deterministic universe from which we need to escape by rejecting God. According to this view, Truman's liberation is a depiction of the Fall, and promotes an atheistic lifestyle of rebellion against the Creator and an escape from Eden. Others have tried to be more charitable by interpreting it in line with Calvinistic theology, suggesting that the film depicts the tragedy rather than the triumph of sin, but this is implausible in view of how the Creator is portrayed negatively and how the final liberation is presented so positively.
- Those who see it as a criticism of secularism, by suggesting that Satan creates an artificial world for us, from which we need to escape by converting to the truth. According to this view, Truman's liberation promotes the need to escape the deception of Satan (the anti-Christ), and exchange it for a life lived in service to the true God. Some have even seen it as giving a positive message about Christianity, for if Seahaven represents an illusionary man-made Paradise, then Truman's decision to leave this old world behind is symbolic of a conversion experience, and he represents a Christ-like figure who models the way of salvation.
The first view interprets The Truman Show as a story of the Fall, where Christoff symbolizes the true God, and Sylvia (who encourages Truman to escape his "world") is a serpent-tempter figure that brings rebellion. The second view interprets The Truman Show as a story of Redemption, where Christoff symbolizes an anti-Christ, and Sylvia is an intercessor that brings freedom in contrast to the Judas figure Marlon. Proponents of both views have engaged in considerable debate over these two interpretations, the former which sees the Truman Show as a secular existentialist film, the latter which sees it as a pro-Christian film.
Certainly the rich symbolism in the film lends itself to an interpretation which gives the Christological imagery throughout the film a more important meaning than mere allusion. But neither of the above explanations is entirely satisfactory or consistent. Because how can Truman be a rebel who rejects God, and at the same time a Christ-like figure (he is depicted as crucified in the boat, and at the end walks on water and ascends into a stairway of heaven)? And how can Christoff be representative of a deterministic creator, and at the same time an anti-Christ? A consistent allegorical interpretation fails in its application, and should already be a hint that one is not intended.
Personally I think that the best solution is one which is neither overly critical nor overly charitable with respect to the Biblical imagery. Instead it is better to see the imagery as subordinate to other themes about the media and television.
Director Peter Weir has gone on record in more than one interview that the film is about television. Weir is of this conviction: "
My attitude to television, personally, is too much of it is a bad thing." According to Weir: "
And that's really at the heart of what the film looks at in a major way - this disturbance to our perception of reality, as a result of the immense entertainment and actuality coming at us, to the point where you can't differentiate anymore. News programs that are entertaining; video everywhere." Given Weir's remarks, I believe that the Truman Show is essentially a sharp criticism of the dangers of a false reality cultivated by the media, and a warning against losing our sense of reality.
Clearly Weir has chosen to portray the director Christoff as a creator figure very deliberately. But he does not use this image to push a religious agenda, but to give a social commentary about problems created by the modern media, which blurs the lines between appearance and reality.
In that regard, his analysis of television speaks to our time: to what extent is our perception of the world the result of manipulation by the media? And do we need to be liberated from the artificial reality of a TV world and return to the real world? I see this explanation as more plausible than one which sees the film as a simple spiritual allegory, or which interprets it as an indictment on reality television. It's also worth noting that the release of the movie predates much of the contemporary fascination with reality TV shows.
In short, I don't think the Truman Show is defending an atheist worldview or a Christian one. Instead it is merely employing Biblical themes and allusions as servants to its real theme and social commentary about the media and television. It has to be conceded that both Christoff's and Truman's characters have clear Christological symbolism. But the film is ambiguous about which of the two is to be identified as the Christ figure simply because it doesn't want us making a choice between them. Although the religious symbolism is too strong to ignore, in the end it is subordinate to the more central theme about the role of television and media in our culture, and is a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
So in my view, it's a mistake to see the film either as an attack on Christianity, or as a tool for Christian evangelism. That's not to say that the film doesn't raise interesting parallels on a religious levels, because it can spark interesting discussions about how a creator might watch over humanity, or how a Satan figure might deceive.
Ironically, the Truman Show has created its own deception: while appearances suggest it is a spiritual allegory, a closer look reveals that this perception is merely an illusion. It's first and foremost just a good story. But at the same time it is using spiritual imagery to raise important questions about the use of TV and the media.
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2024.05.14 08:43 advancedautismabc Exploring Developmental Play: 10 Autism-Inclusive Ideas
Play is a fundamental aspect of childhood development, fostering creativity, social skills, and cognitive growth. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, engaging in play activities can present unique challenges. In this article, we'll explore 10 autism-inclusive play ideas designed to promote development and provide enjoyable experiences for children on the autism spectrum.
Sensory Play Sensory play engages the senses and can be particularly beneficial for children with autism who may have sensory processing differences. Consider setting up sensory bins filled with materials like rice, sand, water beads, or textured fabrics. Encourage exploration and experimentation with different textures, smells, and tactile sensations to stimulate the senses and promote sensory integration.
Pretend Play Pretend play offers opportunities for imaginative expression and social interaction. Create a dress-up corner with costumes and props, or set up a pretend kitchen with play food and utensils. Encourage children to role-play different scenarios, such as cooking a meal, going on a pretend adventure, or acting out everyday activities. Pretend play can help develop language skills, creativity, and social understanding.
Visual Supports Many children with autism benefit from visual supports to enhance communication and understanding. Incorporate visual supports into play activities by using picture schedules, visual timers, or visual cue cards to provide structure and predictability. Visual supports can help children navigate transitions, follow routines, and comprehend expectations, promoting independence and reducing anxiety.
Structured Games Structured games with clear rules and expectations can provide opportunities for learning and social interaction. Choose games that are simple, repetitive, and easy to understand, such as matching games, board games with visual cues, or turn-taking activities. Structured games can help children develop important skills like turn-taking, sharing, and following directions, while also providing opportunities for fun and enjoyment.
Movement Activities Physical activity is essential for promoting gross motor skills, coordination, and body awareness. Plan movement activities that cater to the interests and preferences of children with autism, such as yoga, dancing, or obstacle courses. Provide sensory-friendly spaces with options for proprioceptive input, such as crash pads, trampolines, or therapy swings. Movement activities not only support physical development but also help regulate sensory processing and promote emotional well-being.
Nature Exploration Nature offers a rich sensory environment filled with opportunities for exploration and discovery. Take children on nature walks to observe plants, animals, and natural landscapes. Encourage hands-on exploration by collecting leaves, rocks, or shells, and incorporating them into sensory activities or crafts. Nature exploration fosters curiosity, appreciation for the environment, and connections with the natural world.
Art and Creativity Art activities provide a creative outlet for self-expression and can be adapted to accommodate the needs of children with autism. Offer a variety of art materials and techniques, such as painting, drawing, collage, or sculpting. Focus on process-oriented art rather than product-focused outcomes, allowing children to explore materials freely and express themselves without pressure. Art activities support fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration.
Social Stories Social stories are short narratives that describe social situations, concepts, or expectations in a structured and visual format. Create social stories related to play activities, such as going to a playground, attending a birthday party, or participating in group games. Use simple language, clear visuals, and personalized details to help children understand what to expect and how to navigate social interactions. Social stories can reduce anxiety, improve social skills, and enhance participation in play activities.
Technology-Based Play Technology can be a valuable tool for engaging children with autism and supporting their development. Explore interactive apps, educational games, or virtual reality experiences that cater to the interests and learning styles of children with autism. Use technology-based play activities to target specific skills, such as communication, academic concepts, or social skills, while also providing engaging and motivating experiences.
Joint Attention Activities Joint attention refers to the ability to share attention with others and coordinate attention between objects, people, and events. Plan activities that promote joint attention, such as building with blocks, playing with toys that require turn-taking, or engaging in interactive games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake. Use prompts, modeling, and reinforcement to encourage children to attend to and interact with others, fostering social engagement and communication skills.
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Conclusion Play is a powerful vehicle for promoting development, fostering social connections, and enriching the lives of children with autism. By incorporating autism-inclusive play ideas into everyday activities, we can create meaningful opportunities for learning, growth, and enjoyment. Whether through sensory exploration, imaginative play, structured games, or nature adventures, every play experience has the potential to unlock new possibilities and support the unique strengths and needs of children on the autism spectrum. Let's continue to explore, create, and play together, building a more inclusive and enriching world for all children.
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2024.05.14 05:44 courtingdisaster Presenting the evidence: 17 May 2024
| Come one, come all, we're clooowning again! đ€Ą Thanks to u/1DMod for posting the Jimmy Fallon video that led to me to start to connect the dots that other creators have noticed. Long story short, we're clowning for Stockholm N1 (maybe even night âïž as well), buckle up clowns! âïž First things first, May 17 is âïž fortnights after the release of TTPD on April 19. We know that Taylor is still throwing up peace signs which seems unnecessary if it only ever meant that there was a second part of TTPD. I think it's an indication that we haven't completely cracked that egg yet. This photo was necessary for the post, ok National/International Day Of While these days aren't necessarily solid proof of anything, Taylor did release TTPD on Poetry & The Creative Mind Day and also released the ME! music video ( ME! Out now!) on Lesbian Visibility Day so I think it's definitely worth investigating. After publishing this post I was reading through the comments in this thread about easter eggs and was reminded by u/-periwinkle that some people predicted the Toe breakup date based on something Taylor mentioned in her NYU speech ("Part of growing up and moving into new chapters of your life is about catch and release"). 11 months later, the Toe breakup news came out on, you guessed it, National Catch and Release Day. More on the NYU speech later. First, let's have a look at the holidays for May 17 that could be relevant: - Endangered Species Day - Does anyone remember the âïž trips to the zoo while in Sydney...? We also have the big cat imagery on her new 1989 outfit to consider. If you haven't read this incredible post by u/Funny-Barnacle1291, I'd urge you to stop clowning with me (just for a moment) and go and read it. Taylor's TikTok bio still reads, "this is pretty much just a cat account" which could be a surface level meaning of her posting videos of her cats, but we know miss Feline Enthusiast herself loves a layered meaning. She also compared herself to feeling, "a lot like being a tiger in a wildlife enclosure" in the Lover diaries she released (pictured below).
TNT at Sydney Zoo Paris N4 TikTok bio Lover diaries comparing herself to a tiger Sydney Zoo - National Pizza Party Day - I know I am personally still haunted by her Stephen Colbert interview on 13 April 2021. The interview starts with Colbert talking about Taylor's Versions and also talking about how he believes the song "Hey Stephen" is about him. What surprise song did we get on guitar Paris N3..? Important to note that this interview also talks about him "waiting tables on the lunch shift at Scoozi, an Italian restaurant in the River North area of Chicago, that, by the way, serves a really incredible slice of pizza." Taylor also goes on to say that the song is actually about Stephen King and Taylor then says "The Dark Tower series changed my life, plus The Shining, The Stand and don't even get me started on his short stories... Absolutely luminescent." This interview is obviously very strange and likely filled with easter eggs. We know that her mention of the River North area of Chicago was also the location of one of the TTPD murals that went up ahead of its release.
- I've just seen this tweet which has beautifully tied in the new Red shirt that was premiered Paris N1 ("This is not Taylor's Version") with a quote from the Stephen Colbert interview, "This isn't about you, it's about pizza... See?" We can clearly see the mood board is about Stephen however she keeps only talking about the pizza. It feels like a Cassandra moment where we (Gaylors but Stephen in the interview) are recoginising all the Stephen pictures and the general public (Swifties) are only focused on the pizza because that's what Taylor is showing them (the public narrative featuring Travis Kelce). There was also this excellent post connecting the new Red shirt to a painting by René Magritte's titled, "The Treachery of Images". We then get "Treacherous" as a surprise song on Paris N4.
- u/naked_blanket pointed out that there is a scene in the Lavender Haze music video "where a bunch of people are gathered around a pizza box."
- I can't remember where I saw it now but I was reminded of the below photo of Taylor and Keleigh Teller. Keleigh posted this to her Instagram on 30 May 2023 along with 8 emojis. The importance of the 8s will be explained further down the post under the Stockholm heading but for now, pizza.
No... This is pizza https://preview.redd.it/4ikx6teucd0d1.jpg?width=443&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6aec634e52a1083cccbcaefcb78227f2fe8db793 ME! Out soon đ - National Graduation Tassel Day - Taylor was awarded with an honorary doctorate at NYU in 2022. We know that her speech at this event was filled with âMidnightsâ easter eggs including lyrics to âLabyrinthâ and âYou're On Your Own, Kidâ. I wonder what other easter eggs are hidden in this speech...? Here's a link to the video and you can also read the full transcript here. I'm not going to do any further digging into this one right now, just presenting it as evidence but please feel free to note anything of importance in the comments. I do want to note here though that I recently saw a video where Taylor was leaving TTPD easter eggs while doing promo for Red TV (maybe an ATW10MV short film interview?) so I don't think it's out of the question that this speech contains TTPD (and beyond) easter eggs. I'll link the video if I can find it again.
Dr Taylor Alison Swift These chemicals hit me like whiiiiite wiiiiine https://preview.redd.it/97pt3mzrdi0d1.jpg?width=529&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c30a7fb9079ba73680babe83b44f756a48c0c9f Direct 17/5 easter eggs - Tokyo N3 - One of the surprise songs during Tokyo N3 was "The Outside". This excellent video by Kristen (underthepink7 - go follow her, she's amazing) goes into some additional easter eggs that I'm not going to go into here but definitely worth a watch (which also connects to "Down Bad"). What I do want to talk about though is what Taylor said when she introduced the song. Here's a video of the performance including her speech beforehand where she says, "this song is 175 years old." At the time most people thought that it was an egg for number of days leading us to 2 August 2024. It could still be referring to this however I'm starting to believe it's related to the date.
- Date format - Before we go any further, it's important to note that the date format in Europe (where the Eras Tour currently is) goes DD/MM/YY. This is why I think the 175 could be a date as that equates to May 17 in Europe.
- Tokyo N4 - On 10 February 2024, the surprise songs in Tokyo were "Come In With The Rain" (track 17) and "You're On Your Own, Kid" (track 5), another 175 and in this case it's specifically 17/5.
- Anti-Hero music video - There's been some really interesting analysis that I've seen on Twitter where the timestamps in Taylor's recent music videos appear to be lining up with the date of things happening in real life. Underthepink7 and Kiturakk on Twitter have pointed out some interesting connections to the numbers 175 in the "Anti-Hero", "Bejeweled" and "Willow" music videos. I'll admit this could be considered a bit of a stretch but what if I told you none of it was accidental...
Is Taylor using timestamps in her self-directed music videos to refer to dates in real life? Important days in history These could be nothing, could be something, still worth noting: Important events in history that may be important to Taylor Important events in the TSCU on this day - "Bad Blood" music video premiered at the Billboard Awards
- Entertainment Weekly where Taylor is on the cover with a rainbow pin and gravestone that says "I tried" is published
- City of Lover concert (i.e. Taylor's Lover concert performed in Paris) airs on ABC for the first time
I think we're about to recreate her sparkling summer Stockholm - 88th show - Taylor made a point to let everyone know that Paris N4 was the 87th show of the tour. Yes, 87 is Travis' number, but what if it was also to let everyone know that Stockholm will feature both her 88th and 89th shows? Obviously 89 is an important number to her as it's the year she was born, however last year we saw Taylor embracing double dates (5/5 Speak Now TV announcement, 7/7 Speak Now TV release - there's probably others, that's all I remember off the top of my head) so I don't think it's a stretch to say that the 88th show would hold significance to her. I saw this thread on Twitter yesterday regarding "portal dates" and while obviously this is referring to dates, I can see "portal shows" being potentially noteworthy. Following on from this, Kristen has highlighted some Taylor Nation tweets that include the words "17" or "May" with one of those tweets being posted on 8/8 (while quoting "Betty" of all songs...) which Kristen notes is the karmic number representing resurrection and regeneration (tweets pictured below).
- I was reading through the comments in the Jimmy Fallon video thread and u/cookiechipchocolate reminded me that one of Kanye's albums is titled "808s & Heartbreak". Could be a sly reference to her 88th show however I'll admit this is a bit more of a stretch connection that I've made.
- In the same thread, I saw this comment from u/taytopancakes noting that the day after is "said to be the most magical/lucky day of the year" which just so happens to also be Taylor's 89th show of the Eras Tour. I'd say the stars are certainly starting to align!
- Following on from the Keleigh Teller pizza photo on 30 May 2023 that has 8 emojis that I shared above, the other big thing Keleigh contributed to the TSCU in 2023 is her quote of, "you're my Elizabeth Taylor" in the video she shared where she gave Taylor that opal and blue topaz ring for her 34th birthday. This quote always stuck out to me. I know that Elizabeth Taylor had many husbands so I looked it up and, you guessed it, she had 8 husbands (7 different men). It's also interesting to note that the first thing that comes up when you google "opal signficance" is "the opal has long been considered a lucky and protective talisman" which connects back to the TTPD announcement post that Taylor tweeted on 5 February 2024.
- u/slugs_instead and u/chickadee323 also pointed out that we have been seeing a lot of infinity symbols lately; we've seen the infinity symbols everywhere from The Man wall, jewelry Taylor wears, the Karma music video and most recently in the stage visuals for "Down Bad". An infinity symbol turned on its side looks like an 8. I believe the infinity symbol represents Taylor's cycle of death and rebirth, "I rise up from the dead, I do it all the time" and "I'm getting tired even for a phoenix, always risin' from the ashes". What better way to signify the two sides of Taylor than two infinity symbols side-by-side, i.e. 88. Important thing I want to note - I just went and watched the footage of the "Down Bad" infinity symbol that I linked above and it stops just before completing - she's still on the journey, the cycle is not yet complete.
Deep portal, time travel https://preview.redd.it/a28zn1akid0d1.jpg?width=1237&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2b4751ac3530892d8a17d3c5ca1bbea8a1f5ee9 - Beyoncé - The Renaissance World Tour kicked off on 10 May 2023 in Stockholm at the very same stadium that Taylor is performing in next weekend. To me it would make sense to start a tour named Renaissance in Italy, where the Renaissance originated not in Sweden... We've seen Taylor and Beyoncé supporting each other a lot in the last year and Beyoncé's producer recently said, "let's just say she's on the approach of shocking the world." We know she's on her own three-act journey at the moment (complete with queer-flagging in her shows and her own Biyoncé rumours) so I don't think this quote is directly related to Cowboy Carter but potentially regarding the culmination of her arc. Is it possible that her arc lines up with Taylor's creating a supernova that will change the industry forever?
Taylor & Bey supporting each other at their respective film premieres, a literal pride flag on the Renaissance Tour (it's actually just Chiefs colours, phew!) - Taylor recorded songs in Stockholm - Kristen notes that many of Taylor's important singles were recorded in Stockholm including "I Knew You Were Trouble", "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", "Bad Blood", "Ready For It" and "New Romantics". Perhaps this city holds a special place in her heart?
- One Direction - paging u/1DMod to go into more detail here however noting that One Direction has a song called "Stockholm Syndrome" and the lyrics are very interesting indeed ("I used the light to guide me home"). Checkout this recent post by u/1DMod regarding the possible Larry connections to TTPD.
- Friends Arena - The stadium in Stockholm is called the Friends Arena. Taylor had a Friends pin on her jacket on the Entertainment Weekly cover. Was this stadium always supposed to play an important role? Kristen also notes that the opening ceremony took place on 27 October 2012 (obviously 27 October is the day that 1989 was released, both times) and Elton John played there on 13 December 2010 (who had his own journey down the yellow brick road and people refused to see his queerness for years even though he was in screaming colour).
New Romantics Kristen, who I have referenced in nearly every part in this post (again, she's amazing, go follow her), has a mass coming-out theory that she has dubbed the New Romantics. I highly recommend checking out her content on Twitter and TikTok and she's also recently launched a podcast that you can read more about here for more information on this theory. Essentially the theory is that a large number of artists in the entertainment industry are queer and are working together as a "safety in numbers" type approach to coming out of the closet and potentially changing the industry in a monumental way. Let's have a look at some players that are relevant to either May 17 or Stockholm (or both in one person's case!): - Zayn - This is the person who is relevant to both May 17 and Stockholm! Obviously he was part of One Direction who I spoke about above as having a song titled "Stockholm Syndrome". Did you know his new album "
The Closet" "The Room Under The Stairs" is being released this Friday, May 17? Again, I'll leave this to u/1DMod to add any additional relevant information as this is not my area of expertise but from what I understand, all members have their own queer rumours. - Billie Eilish - Recently out as a girl kisser, Billie Eilish is also releasing an album on this day titled "Hit Me Hard and Soft" featuring a song called "Lunch" that would leave even the most homophobic Swiftie unable to defend her queerness if released by Taylor.
- Madison Beer - Madison is out as bi. Her tour, The Spinnin Tour, began 24 February 2024 in Stockholm (a different venue though).
Theories as to what exactly is coming Karma is REAL - Coming Out - I personally don't believe she would come out during a show in Stockholm, however it's worth at least noting as a possibility. It would mean that she was "out" before Pride Month đ She did just sing "Begin Again" as a surprise song in Paris N4 - is she beginning again as her authentic self at the very next show?
- Music Video - I know we thought we were getting a second music video for TTPD a fortnight after the album was released, however maybe that's what all this easter egging is for. I personally think it's something much bigger than that however will be very excited to dissect another music video! u/allie_lacey noted in this comment that Florence has recently said that she has "just got done filming with Taylor". A Florida!!! music video is something that a lot of us have been clowning for recently but I'd love to point to this comment by u/-periwinkle in particular as I think they've made a really good point about the mirrorball jellyfish which makes me think we will get a music video for this song at some point.
- Book - The creator of the video that u/1DMod initially posted believes that Taylor is announcing a book on 17 May 2024 with it to be released on 21 October 2024. I'm not going to go into this theory in detail however if you are interested in finding out more about what they have to say, here are a couple of videos of theirs (video 1, video 2, video 3).
Is this another easter egg that she laid 3 years ago? In Summation Something is happening in Stockholm. I don't know why exactly but it is THE ONE to watch. I think it would be interesting to revisit the NYU speech, Karma music video, Stephen King, photos from the Uno parties and the Lover era in general for further hints as to what's coming. I think the key is going to be working together due to a comment that Questlove (yes, the one who throws the Uno parties) left on one of Kristen's videos. Here's a link to the video, the top comment is his. Regardless, I'll be there talking smack in the megathread on Friday and keeping an eye out for any new "Chiefs" colours. See you there, clowns! Who's clowning with me?! đ€Ąđ€Ąđ€Ą Edit: I'll be making some additions to this post as people have been making incredible connections already, thank you! These will be noted as a new bulletpoint to try and keep it transparent as to what has been added. As I'm researching I'm also making new connections of my own that I will also add as separate bulletpoints. submitted by courtingdisaster to GaylorSwift [link] [comments] |
2024.05.13 19:50 Throwrager999 Maybe I want to hold a grudge?
I made a post on Saturday about how I was struggling to cope and I got a couple very encouraging comments.
I guess just for further documentation and analysis, I present to you some things from this weekend:
He did surprise me by coming over yesterday morning. We had sex but honestly I think he was just not feeling it (period, so he was worried about getting blood on my sheets) and I couldnât get into it because he wasnât. So we just quit and cuddled on the bed and then had a cup of coffee.
I did better with him leaving, I think. I was very disappointed that he still didnât bring a gift for my kid. Maybe Iâm just delusional, but we have affirmed many times that we love each otherâs kids, and weâve always gotten gifts for each kidâs birthday. So it just makes me feel so weird. He brought me a bottle of wine for last Motherâs Day and that was really nice, but I didnât miss that that much. I mostly missed the gift for my kid because that feels much more important. So it just felt like saying a lot without saying anything.
Then this morning we saw each other at work. He basically went on a rant about something and I kind of withdrew. I said I was thinking about calling out tomorrow because Iâve been sick for the past few weeks and need some rest or maybe Iâm just depressed (all true, by the way) and his response was âyou donât seem like it, you seem like you have energy.â Okay ???? I donât think he meant this in a bad way but I thought it was a ridiculous and dismissive response.
And finally, he asked me about a job I recently applied for. I told him a little, we got interrupted, and then it took him some time to remember I had even been saying anything about it.
I guess Iâm collecting my injustices. Iâm not sure why Iâm doing that. If itâs to point them out to him or because I WANT to hold a grudge.
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2024.05.13 11:08 adulting4kids Dead Sea Scrolls Study Guide -Unedited
The War Scroll, also known as the "War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness," is a unique text within the Dead Sea Scrolls that portrays an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good (Sons of Light) and evil (Sons of Darkness). This scroll provides insight into both historical and symbolic elements.
Historical Accuracy: The War Scroll, while containing detailed military tactics and an epic narrative of the ultimate confrontation, doesn't explicitly reference any specific historical event or timeframe. Some scholars believe it could be a product of the community's anticipation of a future messianic conflict or a reflection of their own community's struggles against opposing forces during their time. Interpreting the historical accuracy of the scroll often involves exploring the context of the Qumran community and the turbulent times in which they lived.
Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom: The War Scroll goes beyond a mere description of a physical battle. It portrays a cosmic conflict between the forces of light and darkness, reflecting not just a literal warfare but also a symbolic and spiritual struggle. The text emphasizes righteousness, divine intervention, and the victory of good over evil.
Within the study guide, activities and exercises could involve dissecting the symbolic elements present in the War Scroll, exploring the deeper meanings behind the battle tactics and the metaphysical implications of the conflict. Understanding the symbolism could involve group discussions, comparative analysis with other ancient texts with similar themes, and exploring the impact of this symbolic representation on the community's beliefs and practices.
Here are a few activities and exercises to explore the symbolism and historical context of the War Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls:
- Symbolism Analysis:
Provide excerpts from the War Scroll and encourage participants to identify and discuss the symbolic meanings behind elements like the "Sons of Light" and the "Sons of Darkness," various weapons, and the strategies outlined for battle. Group discussions or written reflections can help participants explore the deeper layers of meaning.
- Comparative Analysis:
Compare the War Scroll's themes with similar apocalyptic or eschatological texts from different cultures or religions, such as apocalyptic passages in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible or apocalyptic texts from other ancient traditions. Create worksheets or discussion prompts to highlight similarities and differences in themes, symbols, and beliefs about cosmic battles.
- Historical Context Exploration:
Present historical information about the era when the Dead Sea Scrolls were written. Discuss the political, social, and religious climate of that time, including the turmoil in the region, to understand how these factors might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll. Encourage participants to consider the possible motivations behind the text's creation.
- Creative Interpretation:
Encourage creative expression by asking participants to create artwork, poems, or short stories inspired by the themes and imagery found in the War Scroll. This exercise allows individuals to engage more deeply with the symbolic elements and interpret them in their own unique ways.
- Role-playing or Debates:
Organize a role-playing activity where participants take on the roles of "Sons of Light" and "Sons of Darkness," debating their ideologies, motivations, and strategies for the ultimate battle. This exercise helps in understanding differing perspectives and interpreting the conflicts presented in the scroll.
Interpretative variations regarding the river's crossing in different ancient texts reflect the unique religious, philosophical, and cultural perspectives embedded within these narratives. These differences in interpretation offer insights into diverse worldviews and varying theological frameworks present in ancient texts:
- Mesopotamian Context:
- In Mesopotamian mythology and literature, the Euphrates River often held symbolic significance as a boundary between the known civilized world and the wild, unknown realms. The crossing of the Euphrates could symbolize journeys into unexplored territories or transitions between order and chaos. This perspective reflects a worldview rooted in the physical and geographical division of lands.
- Biblical Context:
- In biblical texts, such as those in the Book of Revelation or Old Testament prophecies, the crossing of the Euphrates carries eschatological significance. It may represent a divine intervention or a decisive moment in God's plan, marking the commencement of apocalyptic events. This interpretation aligns with the biblical narrative of divine judgment and the unfolding of God's ultimate purpose in history.
- Gnostic or Apocryphal Context:
- Gnostic or apocryphal texts often interpret the river's crossing as a symbolic liberation or awakening. It might signify the release of spiritual forces or the ascent to higher consciousness, reflecting a philosophical perspective emphasizing spiritual enlightenment and liberation from material constraints.
- Greco-Roman Interpretation:
- In Greco-Roman literature, crossings of rivers were often associated with mythological journeys or transitions between realms. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize a transition from mundane existence to a realm of mystery or spiritual significance, reflecting a cultural perspective rooted in mythology and cosmology.
These varied interpretations highlight the richness and diversity of religious, philosophical, and cultural frameworks present in ancient texts. The river's crossing serves as a flexible symbol that adapts to different narratives, conveying themes of transition, judgment, liberation, or cosmic transformation based on the unique perspectives of each tradition.
Exploring these interpretative variations allows participants to appreciate the complexity of symbolism within ancient texts and provides insights into how different cultures and belief systems interpreted common motifs like the river Euphrates. It showcases the intricate interplay between religious, philosophical, and cultural elements shaping the symbolism and theological implications embedded in these narratives.
The river Euphrates, a prominent geographic feature in ancient texts, embodies universal themes that transcend specific cultural contexts. Identifying these universal themes helps reveal shared human concepts of transition, boundaries, and transformative events across diverse ancient traditions:
- Threshold and Transition:
- The Euphrates often symbolizes a boundary between known and unknown territories. Its crossing represents a transition from one state to another, signifying a pivotal moment of change or passage. This theme of crossing a threshold echoes the human experience of transitions in life, moving from familiar to unfamiliar realms.
- Boundary and Separation:
- As a geographical boundary, the Euphrates signifies separation between distinct territories or civilizations. This concept of demarcation resonates with universal human experiences of setting boundaries, delineating spaces, or marking divisions between different aspects of life.
- Transformative Events:
- Crossing the Euphrates is often associated with cosmic or transformative events in ancient texts. This universal theme reflects the human fascination with the concept of epochal change, cosmic upheavals, or moments of divine intervention that reshape the course of history.
- Symbol of Power and Control:
- The river might represent a symbol of power, control, or geopolitical significance. Crossing it could signify shifts in dominance, challenges to established authority, or the assertion of influence. This theme resonates with human narratives of power struggles and shifts in societal dynamics.
- Metaphor for Spiritual Journeys:
- Across cultures, rivers are often used metaphorically to represent spiritual journeys or quests. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize the pursuit of enlightenment, the passage to higher realms of understanding, or the quest for spiritual transformation.
These universal themes associated with the river Euphrates highlight fundamental aspects of the human experienceâtransitions, boundaries, transformative events, power dynamics, and spiritual journeys. The river's symbolism in ancient texts speaks to shared human aspirations, struggles, and beliefs that transcend cultural boundaries and resonate across different epochs and civilizations.
By identifying and discussing these universal themes, participants gain a deeper appreciation for the profound symbolism embedded in ancient texts and recognize the timeless relevance of concepts such as transition, boundaries, and transformative events in shaping human narratives and aspirations.
- Historical Context:
- What historical events or societal conditions might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll?
- How does the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contribute to our understanding of this text's significance?
- Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom:
- How does the War Scroll use symbolism to convey spiritual or cosmic themes?
- What esoteric wisdom or deeper spiritual insights can be derived from the portrayal of cosmic conflict and divine intervention within the text?
- Comparative Analysis:
- Compare the themes and symbolism of the War Scroll with other apocalyptic texts from different cultures (e.g., Book of Revelation, The Book of Daniel). What common motifs or differences in interpretation do you observe?
- Parallelism in Biblical Texts:
- Explore connections between the War Scroll and other biblical texts. How does the language, imagery, or themes in the War Scroll intersect with passages from the Hebrew Bible or New Testament?
- Community Beliefs and Practices:
- How might the apocalyptic expectations depicted in the War Scroll have influenced the beliefs and practices of the community that produced it?
- Discuss the impact of such intense anticipation of cosmic conflict on communal life and religious rituals within the community.
- Cultural Significance of Cosmic Battles:
- Across various ancient cultures, why do you think depictions of cosmic battles and eschatological events were significant? What might these narratives represent in a broader cultural context?
- Interpretive Variations and Unique Perspectives:
- Explore the diverse interpretations of specific passages or symbols within the War Scroll. How do different scholars or traditions interpret these elements, and what underlying factors might influence their interpretations?
- Personal Reflection and Modern Relevance:
- Reflect on how the themes of cosmic conflict, righteousness, and spiritual warfare in the War Scroll might resonate in contemporary society or personal belief systems.
- Theological and Philosophical Implications:
- Discuss the theological and philosophical implications of a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness. How does this theme intersect with broader philosophical inquiries or theological doctrines?
- Literary and Symbolic Analysis:
- Analyze the narrative structure and symbolic elements present in specific passages of the War Scroll. How do these elements contribute to the text's overarching themes and meanings?
These study questions aim to provoke critical thinking, promote in-depth exploration of themes, encourage comparative analysis, and stimulate discussions on the multifaceted nature of the War Scroll's content and its significance within ancient and contemporary contexts.
- Archaeological and Linguistic Analysis:
- How does the physical condition of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, impact our understanding of their preservation and historical context? - Discuss the linguistic peculiarities or unique textual features found within the War Scroll and their implications for translation and interpretation.
- Apocalyptic Expectations and Messianic Concepts:
- Explore the portrayal of messianic figures or anticipated saviors within the War Scroll. How do these concepts align with or diverge from contemporary expectations of a messianic figure in other ancient texts or religious traditions?
- Impact of Apocalyptic Literature:
- Analyze the enduring influence of apocalyptic literature, such as the War Scroll, on subsequent religious, literary, or cultural traditions. How have these texts shaped later beliefs or inspired artistic and literary works?
- Ethical and Moral Frameworks:
- Discuss the ethical or moral implications of the cosmic conflict depicted in the War Scroll. How do the themes of righteousness and wickedness contribute to the text's underlying moral framework?
- Role of Prophecy and Revelation:
- Explore the role of prophecy and revelation within the War Scroll. How do the prophetic elements contribute to the text's portrayal of future events and cosmic justice?
- Experiential and Ritualistic Elements:
- Investigate potential ritualistic or experiential dimensions associated with the teachings or beliefs conveyed in the War Scroll. How might the community have engaged with these teachings in their religious practices or communal activities?
- Literary Genre and Interpretation:
- Discuss the classification of the War Scroll within the broader genre of apocalyptic literature. How does its classification influence our understanding and interpretation of its themes and symbolic elements?
- Relevance in Modern Scholarship:
- Reflect on the ongoing scholarly debates or discoveries related to the War Scroll. How have modern interpretations evolved, and what implications do these new perspectives have on our understanding of the text?
- Intersection of Faith and Scholarship:
- Consider the interplay between faith-based interpretations and scholarly analyses of the War Scroll. How might religious convictions or theological frameworks influence academic research and vice versa?
- Future Research and Interpretative Avenues:
- Propose potential avenues for future research or areas of exploration concerning the War Scroll. What unanswered questions or unexplored aspects merit further investigation?
The composition of the War Scroll, along with other Dead Sea Scrolls, was likely influenced by several historical events and societal conditions prevalent during the time of its writing, which is estimated to be between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE:
- Hellenistic Rule and Cultural Influence:
- The region where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found was under Hellenistic influence due to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the subsequent control by the Seleucid Empire. This era saw a clash between Hellenistic culture and Jewish traditions, leading to cultural tensions and a desire to preserve religious and cultural heritage.
- Political Turmoil and Resistance Movements:
- The Jewish people experienced political unrest, particularly during the Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule. This period was characterized by resistance movements, attempts to preserve Jewish identity, and fervent anticipation of a messianic figure to deliver them from foreign oppression.
- Religious Sects and Spiritual Expectations:
- Various religious sects existed within Judaism, each with its own interpretations and expectations of messianic redemption, purity laws, and theological doctrines. The community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, often believed to be the Essenes, likely had distinctive theological beliefs and a strong apocalyptic worldview.
- Anticipation of Cosmic Redemption:
- There was a widespread belief in the imminent arrival of a messianic figure or a divine intervention that would bring about cosmic redemption, ushering in an era of righteousness and divine rule. This anticipation of apocalyptic events and a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness is reflected in the War Scroll's themes.
Regarding the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery, its significance lies in multiple facets:
- Preservation of Ancient Texts:
- The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, provided an invaluable collection of ancient manuscripts that significantly expanded our understanding of ancient Jewish texts, religious beliefs, and the diversity of Jewish thought during the Second Temple period.
- Insights into Jewish Sectarianism:
- The scrolls shed light on the diversity of beliefs and practices among Jewish sects during that time. Understanding the beliefs and expectations of the community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls helps contextualize the theological and apocalyptic themes present in the War Scroll.
- Confirmation of Scriptural Accuracy:
- The Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contributed to confirming the accuracy and preservation of certain biblical texts, highlighting the continuity of textual transmission across centuries and supporting the authenticity of biblical manuscripts.
- Impact on Biblical Studies and Scholarship:
- The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized biblical studies, providing scholars with invaluable primary sources for studying ancient Judaism, the development of biblical texts, and the context in which these texts were composed.
The historical context of political upheaval, religious expectations, and the preservation of texts within the Dead Sea Scrolls contributes significantly to understanding the milieu in which the War Scroll was written. It provides a backdrop against which the themes of cosmic conflict, eschatological anticipation, and religious fervor within the War Scroll can be comprehended.
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2024.05.13 10:34 Klutzy_Wish1390 all the times ppl read my journals when i was young
hi... just a lil vent session ig. idk if this is considered ok to post here but was having a mental breakdown and had some flashbacks :/
- when i was 7 years old, my mom read my diary. was horrible, it was a birthday present and i was going thru some very emotional stuff for a 7 year old. anywayz, she explained it as "a blessing" and that she "could finally understand" how i was feeling. yeah that was rlly traumatic and she never let me keep a diary again bc apparently the stuff i had in there was "inappropriate for a 7 year old". i was never the same again.
- i had an enemy in primary school. at the time, i was really getting into poetry, and had a bunch of notebooks full of it that kinda doubled as my journals. well that day, i wasn't in sch and i happened to be sitting next to his best friend. during grp work, he looked thru my stuff. istg i cried so hard when i came back to sch bc i thought that at least he was a decent human being (bc thats what my parents told me: boys will be boys).
- same guy again, two years later. going thru an exam paper so the teacher makes us sit in register number order, and coincidentally he sits at my table. i had left my notebook in a file and pushed my file to the very back of underneath table. come back, file is at the front, elastic holding the book closed is twisted (not flat like i left it) and so is the ribbon bookmark. the next day, this girl interrogates him, and here are the reasons why he looked thru my stuff again: (a) "I don't like her" and (b) "I wanted to see if she wrote anything bad about me". sure, boys will be boys, but leopards can never change their spots. i complained to the teacher, but nothing was done. rest assured i wrote an extremely violent poem abt him later. (My fists will not meet your face for I actually respect personal space.)
so yeah. idk if im allowed to post this here but ill post it somewhere else as well. spread the trauma, am i right? đ thx world
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http://rodzice.org/