Category: Culture & Community

What do Spritualism, séances and the first wave of feminism have in common? According to Janet Hosmer, the Spiritualist movement that began in the middle of the 19th century might have played a supporting role in the battle for women's rights.

The religion now known as "Modern Spiritualism" officially and literally burst through to the world in the small village of Hydesville, New York, late in March of 1848. The phenomena that began when young sisters Maggie and Kate Fox reported "rappings" on the walls of their home, has grown into a religion that currently, according to the International Spiritualist Federation, has both individual and group members in over 35 countries worldwide. The National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC), describes the religion on their website as follows, "Spiritualism is the science, philosophy, and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the spirit world. Spiritualism is founded upon a Declaration of Principles, nine in number, received from the spirit world by means of mediumship. They provide a firm and tangible foundation on which to base the knowledge of Spiritualism." Although not listed as one of the top ten religions of the world, there are many who have a belief in spirit communication, even though they are not a registered member of the Spiritualist religion. The number of believers, understandably because of the fraud found in this particular discipline, is difficult to ascertain.

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While science tries to understand the stuff dreams are made of, humans, from cultures all over the world, continue to believe that dreams contain important hidden truths, according to newly published research.

In six different studies, researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. “Psychologists’ interpretations of the meaning of dreams vary widely,” said Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the study’s lead author. “But our research shows that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insight into themselves and their world.”

According to Steven Pfeiffer, a professor in Florida State’s Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, being a "gifted" child can come with it's own set of needs.

Though not often recognized as “special needs” students, gifted children require just as much attention and educational resources to thrive in school as do other students whose physical, behavioral, emotional or learning needs require special accommodations. So says a Florida State University professor who has studied gifted students for years.

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Handbook of Giftedness in Children.

It doesn't come as a surprize to us, Goddess folks that we are, that history has misunderstood Lucrezia Borgia. It appears that historians have been judging her by so-called "women's standards," and by that matter she failed miserably (or miserably failed - you decide). Lo and behold, it turns out that she was an incredible businesswoman, and a great success.

In popular legend, Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara (1480- 1519), stands falsely accused of poisoning her second husband. Victor Hugo portrayed her in thinly veiled fiction as a tragic femme fatale. Buffalo Bill named his gun after her.

Way back in the early days of the New Age, the teenage son of a psychic healer returns home, only to be greeted at the door by a person who had a strange resemblance to Lurch from "The Addams Family."

It was late July.

The summer mangoes had dropped from the trees and were lying rotting on the ground, ripped open by feasting bugs and birds. Their intoxicating, sweet smell mixed with the heaviness of the nightblooming jasmine. This languid perfume created a thick, rarefied atmosphere that at times made breathing difficult. In Miami nature is often a mix of colorful abundance and dark decay.

100% of every dollar given to the TD Foundation is used directly to help war-struck children in the Middle East. The foundation makes it simple for all Internet users to donate online or to send products directly to needy children in the Middle East.

The TD Foundation, with the active leadership of founder Tom Deierlein, a veteran of the Iraqi war, is making a big difference in the lives of those children whose living conditions are of sub-poverty levels due to the war in the Iraqi region. Tom's story is unique in many aspects; he was called in to serve during the Iraqi war from his job as an executive in Manhattan. Upon arrival in Iraq, he was shocked by the circumstances in which war-struck Iraqi children were living. "Envision the most destitute, and poorest and dirtiest of slums that you have either ever seen or seen on TV or imagined" says Tom in a recent MSNBC Interview.

These days, it seems easy. Just hang out your shingle and you're an accepted psychic healer. It wasn't always so, as former GQ managing editor Philip Smith remembers from his childhood in Miami.

One day, back in the early 70s, my father suddenly discovered that he had the astonishing ability to talk to the dead and heal the sick (for real!).

Snakes win over terrorism; children still make us happy. In spite of world and economic conditions, Americans say they're happy and look to get even happier.

During the last 2 weeks of November 2008, Precision Opinion, a market research services firm in Las Vegas, set out to find the answers to those and other pressing questions. Using a random digit dial methodology, Precision Opinion completed 1,385 telephone interviews on a national basis with adults 18-years of age and older. The statistical results of a poll this large deliver a margin of error of 3.5% at a 99% confidence level. The poll consisted of 47% male and 53% female respondents. In other words - these results are considered very accurate.

"The Grapes of Wrath" is not the only Depression-era work worth taking a second (or a first) look at from our current perspective in what some are calling the New Depression. “If it’s true that adversity and hardship can bring out creativity,” said Miles Orvell, professor of English and American studies at Temple University, “then the Great Depression was one of the great creative periods of our time.”

“If it’s true that adversity and hardship can bring out creativity,” said Miles Orvell, professor of English and American studies at Temple University, “then the Great Depression was one of the great creative periods of our time.”

An international foresight, strategy, and innovation firm has identified eight catalysts for change that will shape America's future over the next 10 years and beyond.

Don Abraham, a futurist with Washington-based Social Technologies, a division of UTEK, presented "Eight Catalysts for 2018" at the recent IIR Future Trends Conference in Miami, which was attended by more than 150 business leaders from global companies. Abraham provided an overview of eight trends which signal deep shifts in gender relations, how Americans see their role in the world, and new attitudes about education, privacy, and consumer values, among other topics.