Deej
I attended the screening of documentary Deej at UCSF and got to meet DJ Savarese too.
It is quite the journey. The second time I'm seeing the movie. It was screened at Berkeley the first semester I was there. I had reached late so it was nice to see the beginning this time.
It is quite the journey. The second time I'm seeing the movie. It was screened at Berkeley the first semester I was there. I had reached late so it was nice to see the beginning this time.
Autism and Narrative Invention
https://www.dailycal.org/2019/10/11/professor-julia-miele-rodas-discusses-autism-narrative-invention-in-robinson-crusoe-at-wheeler-hall/
A very interesting talk by Julia Rodas on Oct 4 in Wheeler Hall.
Unbox the Box
With award-winning Vox Journalist, Liz Plank during the discussion held at i-house on the intersection of Disability and Masculinity based on her first book "For the Love of Men"
Both the chat and a review of her book covered by me in the Daily Cal Weekender.
PG&E Games
PG&E Games
Power going off. Power going off
Definitely at midnight
No, its 8am
At noon, maybe 1pm.
A game of anticipation... prep for a blackout, high winds and wildfire.
College shut down.
Not gonna happen. No winds to speak of
Just the boy crying wolf.
... 8pm campus blackout
College shut for another day.
36 hours to turn it back on!!
College closed for a 3rd day.
What is this game?
Enjoying Tacos on Thursday with my Calbear buddy David
Unexpected holiday due to the power outages at UC Berkeley. Ridiculous that Cal was forced to shut down for 3 days due to PG&E's ambiguity about its actions and inefficiencies.
Disability Justice Movement
The disability justice movement is a social and political movement led by disabled individuals, aimed at challenging ableism and promoting the rights and inclusion of disabled people in society.
These are some of the ideas around disability justice that I admire, laid out by Sins Invalid, a disability justice organization.
- Leadership of the most impacted: emphasizes the importance of centering and prioritizing the voices and experiences of disabled individuals who are most marginalized and impacted by ableism both inside and outside the disability community. The leadership of these individuals is critical for creating effective and inclusive solutions to issues affecting the disability community.
- Interdependence: This principle emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing interdependence, where disabled individuals and their allies work together to meet their collective needs. This challenges the idea of independence as the ideal and recognizes the importance of community support and mutual aid.
- Recognizing wholeness and worth: embracing the diversity and complexity of disabled experiences and that their lives have "worth" whether or not they are able to contribute to the economy.
- Sustainability and collective care: valuing rest, self-care, and community support, and recognizing that disability justice work is ongoing and requires long-term planning and sustainability.
- Cross-Disability and Cross-movement solidarity: recognizes the solidarity and support across all types of disability. Disability justice work must be inclusive and accessible to all. It also emphasizes that disability justice work must be in solidarity with other movements and actively work towards building cross-movement relationships and collaborations.
- Collective access: recognizes the importance of access as a collective responsibility, rather than an individual burden. This means creating accessible spaces, practices, and policies that benefit everyone, and not just disabled individuals.
- Recognizing the legacy of systemic injustice: This principle recognizes the long history of systemic injustice and oppression faced by disabled individuals, and the need to acknowledge and address this legacy in disability justice work. This includes recognizing and addressing the role of eugenics, institutionalization, and other forms of ableist violence and oppression in shaping the experiences of disabled individuals today
- Intersectionality. recognizes and addresses the ways in which ableism intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and colonialism. Disability justice work must be intersectional and actively work to dismantle all forms of oppression.
Lucid Dreaming and its Connection to Autism
PlainSpeak. Plain Language for the Lay Audience
Lucid dreaming is an amazing experience where you realize you're dreaming and can sometimes control what happens in the dream. Imagine flying or exploring a magical world, knowing it's all happening in your mind! This unique ability to be aware and in charge of your dreams is called lucid dreaming.
Key Aspects of Lucid Dreaming:
- Awareness: You become conscious that you're dreaming.
- Control: You can change the dream's story, surroundings, or even characters.
- Vividness: These dreams often feel more real and detailed than regular dreams.
People use lucid dreaming for various benefits, like solving problems, getting rid of nightmares, or boosting creativity. Some techniques to help you start lucid dreaming include reality testing (questioning if you're dreaming throughout the day), keeping a dream journal, and using a method called MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams). This technique involves setting an intention to remember that you're dreaming and imagining yourself becoming aware in a dream.
Lucid dreaming usually happens during the REM stage of sleep, the same time when we have the most vivid dreams. Scientists are still exploring how and why lucid dreaming occurs and how it can affect our sleep and mental health.
Lucid Dreaming and Autism: Research on how lucid dreaming relates to autism is still in the early stages. However, there are some interesting findings:
- Dream Experiences: People with autism might have more vivid and emotionally intense dreams, which could lead to more lucid dreaming.
- Frequency: Some studies suggest that people with autism might experience lucid dreams more often and have better control over their dreams.
- Awareness and Sensory Processing: Autism is associated with a heightened awareness of details and the environment, which might make it easier for individuals to recognize they're dreaming.
- Potential Benefits: Lucid dreaming could offer therapeutic benefits for people with autism, such as a safe space to practice social skills or reduce the impact of nightmares.
Overall, while there's some evidence linking lucid dreaming and autism, more research is needed to fully understand this relationship. Larger studies and more detailed investigations could help clarify how these two phenomena are connected and what it means for those who experience them.
===
Two versions of this post
Lucid Dreaming and Autism
Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon where a person becomes aware that they are dreaming while they are still in the dream. During a lucid dream, the dreamer can often exert some degree of control over the dream's environment, characters, and narrative. This awareness and control can vary, ranging from simply recognizing that one is in a dream to fully manipulating the dream world.
Key aspects of lucid dreaming include:
- Awareness: The dreamer realizes they are dreaming.
- Control: The dreamer can influence the dream's outcome, setting, and actions.
- Vividness: Lucid dreams are often more vivid and lifelike compared to regular dreams.
Lucid dreaming has been studied for its potential benefits, such as improving problem-solving skills, reducing nightmares, and enhancing creativity. Techniques to induce lucid dreaming include reality testing, keeping a dream journal, and practicing the MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams) technique, which involves setting intentions to recognize dreaming and visualizing oneself becoming lucid in a dream.
Lucid dreaming occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, which is also when most vivid dreaming happens. Scientists continue to explore the neurological and psychological mechanisms behind lucid dreaming, aiming to better understand its potential applications and effects on sleep and mental health.
Research on the link between lucid dreaming and autism is relatively limited, but there have been some studies and observations that suggest potential connections. Current research suggests:
Dream Characteristics: Autistics often report differences in their dream experiences compared to NTs. Autistics may have more vivid and emotionally intense dreams, which could potentially relate to a higher incidence of lucid dreaming.
Lucid Dream Frequency: Autistics may experience lucid dreaming more frequently than NTs. One study found that autistic participants reported a higher frequency of lucid dreams and a greater ability to control their dream content.
Sensory and Cognitive Processing: Autism is associated with differences in sensory and cognitive processing, which might influence the ability to become aware within a dream. Enhanced attention to detail and a heightened awareness of their environment, which are often characteristic of autism, could contribute to the ability to recognize the dream state.
Potential Benefits: For autistics, lucid dreaming could potentially offer therapeutic benefits. For example, it might provide a safe space to explore and rehearse social situations or reduce the impact of nightmares, which are more commonly reported in autistic populations.
Neurological Factors: The neurological underpinnings of both lucid dreaming and autism may offer insights into their connection. Differences in brain connectivity and function in autistic individuals might influence the propensity for lucid dreaming.
Overall, while there is some preliminary evidence suggesting a link between lucid dreaming and autism, more research is needed to fully understand this relationship. Studies with larger sample sizes and more rigorous methodologies would help clarify the nature and implications of this connection.
Two versions of this post
PlainSpeak. Plain Language for Lay Audience
- Schredl, M., & Göritz, A. S. (2017). "Dream recall frequency, attitude towards dreams, and openness to experience: A questionnaire study." Journal of Sleep Research, 26(5), 556-562.
- Stickgold, R., & Walker, M. P. (2013). "Sleep-dependent memory triage: Evolving generalization through selective processing." Nature Neuroscience, 16(2), 139-145.
- de Macêdo, T., Ferreira, G. H., & Mota-Rolim, S. A. (2019). "The prevalence of lucid dreams in a sample of Brazilian college students." Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1653.
- Bölte, S., & Poustka, F. (2002). "Comparative analysis of autistic traits in Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism." Autism, 6(4), 383-397.
- Voss, U., Holzmann, R., Tuin, I., & Hobson, J. A. (2009). "Lucid dreaming: A state of consciousness with features of both waking and non-lucid dreaming." Sleep, 32(9), 1191-1200.
- Ecker, C., Spooren, W., & Murphy, D. G. (2013). "Developing new pharmacotherapies for autism." Journal of Internal Medicine, 274(4), 308-320.
Ubiquitous Disability
On.y in the city of Berkeley do you actually see PWD (people with disabilities) actively about engaged in the community. Such a pleasure to see so many out and about.
Like this person using her cane to cross the street.
I've lived in Cupertino all my life, and rarely seen a wheelchair user or PWD on the street, other than the spl ed kids being dropped off by the yellow school bus and being scurried into their homes.
Cal Football.v. North Texas
Cal Football vs North Texas - 1:15 p.m. Kickoff.
Waving to my buddy David who sits on the other side.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)