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Frontal brain wrinkle linked to hallucinations



A study of 153 brain scans has linked a particular furrow, near the front of each hemisphere, to hallucinations in schizophrenia. This fold tends to be shorter in those patients who hallucinate, compared with those who do not. It is an area of the brain that appears to have a role in distinguishing real perceptions from imagined ones. Researchers say the findings, published in Nature Communications, might eventually help with early diagnosis. The brain wrinkle, called the paracingulate sulcus or PCS, varies considerably in shape between individuals. It is one of the final folds to develop, appearing in the brain only just before birth. "The brain develops throughout life, but aspects such as whether the PCS is going to be a particularly prominent fold - or not -may be apparent in the brain at an early stage," said Jon Simons, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, UK. "It might be that a reduction in this brain fold gives somebody a predisposition towards developing something like hallucinations later on in life." If further work shows that the difference can be detected before the onset of symptoms, for example, Dr Simons said it might be possible to offer extra support to people who face that elevated risk. But he stressed that schizophrenia is a complicated phenomenon. Hallucinations are one of the main symptoms, but some patients are diagnosed on the basis of other irregular thought processes. Nov.17 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34832284




In yesterday’s post [1] we saw how the Saturn-Neptune square highlighted by the First Quarter Moon at Moscow was related to Putin removing the veil of lies and illusions around events in Syria. Here we will see the same Moon phase at London straddles the meridian axis highlighting the Mercury-Saturn-Neptune square.

The research in the news is about an area of the brain that appears to have a role in distinguishing real perceptions (Saturn) from imagined ones (Neptune). Boundary consciousness seems to crystallize with age for does not Saturn rule the ageing process, as well as boundaries, limits and skins? Unlike an adult a baby’s consciousness is dissolved in its environment. But apart from age, individuals vary in their susceptibility to the environment, or insulation from it. At one time schizophrenics were comforted by wrapping them tightly in a wet sheet, thus heightening boundary sensibility. Indeed, methods that increase skin awareness have helped schizophrenics for short periods. Even normal people may sometimes need boundary reinforcement. In fact, just as there can be no advanced form of life or consciousness without the achievement of islanded existence which allows freedom from environmental interference so also there can be no understanding of objective reality unless it separated from our  subjective illusions (lies?) or halluicinations [2].

 Mercury relates to our brain states, Neptune is connected to hallucinations while Saturn relates to hard scientific evidence or facts so that it is easy to understand the research findings astrologically and see the Moscow news as a parallel event in a multidimensional expression of Saturn-Neptune.

[2] The Cosmic Loom; Dennis Elwell

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