Scientists find that fibromyalgia is not “all in the patient’s head,” but rather a result of a pathology in the nerve fibers around specialized blood vessel structures in the palms of the hands.
Fibromyalgia affects as many as 5 million Americans aged 18 and older. It mostly affects women (by up to 80 – 90% of the cases), and it is hard to treat. Fibromyalgia is a disorder which is characterized by pain and aches all over the body.
People suffering from it report ‘tender points’ on their neck, shoulders, back, arms, hips, and legs, which hurt when pressure is applied. The pain is increased when exposed to cold, especially during wintertime.
So far, doctors have categorized fibromyalgia as a psychosomatic disorder, which means that it is caused by mental factors, and attribute it to the patients’ imagination. However, research has failed to identify the underlying cause of this pain, and this has left many physicians to doubt the true origins, or even the existence, of this disorder.
Now, to the relief of many who suffer from this disorder, new research has finally proved that fibromyalgia is not in the patients’ heads. In fact, it has been discovered that fibromyalgia appears as a result of an “excessive sensory nerve fibers around specialized blood vessel structures located in the palms of the hands.”
Conducted by scientists at Integrated Tissue Dynamics LLC (INTiDYN), the study has found that these nerve fibers, which were considered to be involved only in the regulation of the blood flow in the skin, were in fact also responsible for sensing touch and pain.
Bearing this in mind, they conducted a second study to locate any pathology in the blood vessel endings that could contribute to the existence of fibromyalgia. After analyzing skin samples from women who suffer from fibromyalgia, they discovered that there was an “enormous increase in sensory nerve fibers at specific sites within the blood vessels of the skin.”
As part of the arteriole-venule (AV) shunts, these nerves are responsible for the heat regulation in our body by controlling the blood flow in our blood vessels. In warm conditions, the shunts close down, thus forcing blood into the capillaries and the skin surface so as to release heat from the body.
In cold conditions, the shunts open wide, and this allows the veins to bypass the capillaries and thus conserve heat, making the hands and feet cold.
Dr. Albrecht, the lead scientist of the study, explains that this excess of sensory innervation may be the reason behind the tender and painful hands among fibromyalgia patients.
“But in addition, since the sensory fibers are responsible for opening the shunts, they would become particularly active under cold conditions, which are generally very bothersome to fibromyalgia patients.”
Even if these AV shunts are primarily located in the hands and feet, they have another important role which could contribute to the widespread pain, achiness, and fatigue that fibromyalgia patients experience.
Dr. Rice, president of INTIDYN, explains that our hands and feet contain a lot more blood than they need, as they serve as reservoirs for blood which can be diverted to other parts of the body when needed, and because of the pathology that occurs in these shunts, this blood flow is mismanaged.
“The pathology discovered among these shunts in the hands could be interfering with blood flow to the muscles throughout the body. This mismanaged blood flow could be the source of muscular pain and achiness, and the sense of fatigue which are thought to be due to a build-up of lactic acid and low levels of inflammation fibromyalgia patients.”
It’s good to know that there is a potential in finding a proper treatment to people who suffer from fibromyalgia, which has so far been treated with painkillers and antidepressants.
And it is best to know that instead of the thought that you may be going crazy, you can be sure that fibromyalgia is real and has a real cause behind it that has nothing to do with your mind.
Spread the awareness! Sources: – Fibromyalgia | Womenshealth.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/fibromyalgia
– Breakthrough Fibromyalgia Discovery – Causes – Chronic … (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthcentral.com/article/breakthrough-fibromyalgia-discovery – University At Albany’s East Campus Biotech Company Makes … (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/news/39664.php
Today, many experts believe that physical pain is the body’s response to different emotions within us.
When life gets hard, it can lead us to feel more negative emotions than positive. This overwhelming emotional state can further manifest in feeling physical pain too.
Our spirit and body are intertwined. So, it becomes that much important to start listening to the signals our body is sending us. Only by pure emotional and physical awareness, we can be able to detect and effectively treat our issues.
Here are 9 kinds of physical pain that you might be experiencing as a result of different emotional states:
1. Pain In Your Head
Headaches are often indicators that you are under a lot of stress. Try to spend more time relaxing and do the things you love. Walking in nature, reading, painting, exercising, and meditating are good ways for stress relief.
2. Pain In Your Neck
This type of pain is probably a sign that you have trouble with letting things go and forgiving others. You should accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes and it is only human to be able to forgive. Start seeing people in a loving way and try not to let their mistakes get the best of you.
3. Pain In Your Shoulders
Shoulder pain is an indicator of having an emotional blockage and burden inside of you. It may be something that is bothering you from within, but you are choosing to ignore it. Try to dig deeper and find the real cause of the problem, and then focus on solving it.
4. Pain In Your Upper Back
Pain in your upper back usually means that you lack emotional support. You may be feeling a little lonely, unappreciated, or even unloved. Whatever the reason, try to connect to those people close to you, and if you are single, it’s time to start dating.
5. Pain In Your Lower Back
This kind of pain may be a sign that you are worrying too much about your financial situation. Maybe you are in a financial crisis right now, or perhaps money is a touchy subject for you and you are always worried about it. Try to regain control over this matter by managing your money carefully, or ask a financial expert to help you.
6. Pain In Your Elbows
Elbow pain may signalize that you approach life in a rigorous and planned way. Also, it is a sign of your unwillingness to change. The stiffer your elbows are, the stiffer the life you are leading. Try to be more flexible and shake things up from time to time.
7. Pain In Your Hands
This type of pain can be a sign that you are not reaching to people in the way you want. You should go out and start making new friends as well as reestablishing the connection with your old ones because every relationship requires effort and real investing.
8. Pain In Your Hips
The hips are connected to your legs, so the pain in your hip area may be a sign of your fear to move. The soreness that you experience in your hips can be connected to your resistance to make a decision and move further in life. You should consider taking a leap from time to time without worrying too much about the consequences.
9. Pain In Your Knees
Knee pain is associated with your ego. If you are experiencing this type of pain, it can mean that your ego is a little too big, and you think very highly of yourself. Even though a little ego never hurt anyone, having too much of it is not a good thing. Start appreciating others, and be humble and caring. Doing volunteer work can also help.
Hearing these frequencies is something beyond ordinary perception and comes as a result of a heightened spiritual awareness.
If you are on the path of spiritual growth and you start experiencing this phenomenon, don’t be afraid – as it is an excellent sign. Ringing in your ears that happens frequently is something not many experience.
You may call it clairaudience, as you can indeed hear things that are beyond the ordinary perception. And depending on the pitch, the frequencies you hear are there to help or hinder your soul’s enlightenment.
Being able to notice these very subtle energetic frequencies has got a lot to do with your evolved perception of energies. This means that people who are not that spiritually evolved may not hear them at all, or could hear only the lower frequencies.
These frequencies are coded messages of something that is trying to vie your attention. And depending on the feelings they provoke, you can easily tell the benevolent from the malevolent ones.
BENEVOLENT FREQUENCIES
These frequencies are usually characterized with a higher pitch, causing feelings of joy, calmness, and ease. If you cannot hear them that doesn’t mean that they are not there. However, if you do hear them, you can further focus on the energy they bring and the spiritual coding that is taking place.
This spiritual coding is a process through which your frequency and DNA receive upgrades. That means that if you hear this frequency, be ready to accept it with gratitude.
High frequencies are also associated with other people. More precisely, if you hear these high frequencies more loudly and at a very high pitch, someone may be talking or thinking something very positive about you.
In either case, they are accompanied by positive feelings and bring a wave of positive, benevolent energy to your being.
MALEVOLENT FREQUENCIES
Low-pitched frequencies that usually cause disturbing feelings mean that you are in a wave of negative energy. However, being able to hear them, you have the upper hand in handling your shield and creating a barrier of positive energy that will either neutralize or repel the negative influence.
Just like the benevolent frequencies, the malevolent ones can come from two sources – dark forces and people.
You need to be very careful if the ringing is caused by dark forces, as this frequency will most likely inspire negative and destructive emotions.
As much as you believe that you are energetically strong, you should be aware that these forces are much stronger than you and that you need to seek protection from the higher forces you call upon.
In the case of people, hearing loud, low-pitched buzzing means that they are projecting anger toward you. While it is not that important who the person is, it is important that you accept this truth with love and create protection from such psychic.
It’s very important that you don’t give in to the negative emotions this energy wave is trying to cause. Responding negatively means that the low frequency has succeeded in hindering your spiritual growth. Instead, respond with love and send light to replace the darkness that is trying to reach you.
TUNING THE RINGING DOWN
Sometimes the ringing may become too loud. This is a sign that you are exceptionally sensitive to the energies around you. In this case, you may even feel your mood swinging, being overly affected by the energies.
However, there is a way to tune it down, if you cannot cope with it at the moment. Simply, ask for your Higher Self and the forces you usually call upon to tone it down and give you protection. Sometimes we need to learn to control the intake of information from around us, as it can become too overwhelming.
Whatever the case, know that being able to hear these frequencies gives you the control over them. They have started manifesting themselves in sound because you have evolved highly enough to start communicating with them.
Consider them as an important part of your spiritual growth and learn the codes that they carry. Eventually, you will find yourself being in control of the energies around you and you will be able to calm even the biggest storm that you are sensing (energetically speaking).
Find out what a USC researcher has to say about people who have an enhanced ability to feel intense emotions.
Have you ever had a tickling feeling of goosebumps on your hands? Or, have you ever experienced chills running up through your spine?
This feeling is called frisson, and it is a French term for “aesthetic chills” that feel like waves of pleasure going through your body. It is like an orgasm for your skin. Many experiences can cause frisson, such as looking at a beautiful piece of art, watching a movie that touches you, or seeing and getting physical with the person you love.
However, the most common trigger for experiencing chills is listening to emotionally charged music. Moreover, if you are one of those people who can feel them, new research found that you have a unique brain.
Alissa Der Sarkissian is a research assistant at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute, who gets chills every time she listens to the song “Nude” by Radiohead.
“I sort of feel that my breathing is going with the song, my heart is beating slower, and I’m feeling just more aware of the song — both the emotions of the song and my body’s response to it,” said Alissa.
Alissa, together with her friend Matthew Sachs who is an undergraduate student at USC, published a study in which they investigated how the chills are connected to the brain.
They discovered that people who often get the chilling feeling when listening to music have a different brain structure than the rest.
They have an increased number of fibers which connect the auditory cortex of the brain with areas that are responsible for the emotional processing of the information. In other words, these two regions that are rich in fibers communicate better, and thus the processing between them is more efficient.
Due to this fact, these people also have an enhanced ability to experience deep and intense emotions.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think that being able to feel chills and goosebumps are a way to tell the depth and the intensity of a person? Or, do you think that not everyone has a physical reaction to what happens inside of them?
Please share your thoughts with us, and watch the audio clip below on how music and chills work in reality.
Many cultures consider children to be born as angels and gain their humanity later in life. And this is no coincidence when you think of it. Children are born unspoiled, unprogrammed, and full of love and pure emotions.
Children see the world in amazement, absorb the love and joy from the air they breathe – that same world we are so tired of. And you will think that, yes, a child doesn’t know anything, that’s why they aren’t aware of how evil this world can be.
The truth is, children aren’t aware of these things because their minds are free from prejudice, their emotions are their language, and they aren’t afraid to shine with love and joy in front of anybody. They indeed are angels.
So, how to help this child keep their spiritual abundance while learning about the world? These 4 factors are what can make a difference between a spiritually awakened child, and one that has begun living amongst the flux of envy, negativity, and bitterness.
1. Helping your children understand and accept their emotions
Emotions are truth – they are the most natural form of expression us humans have. So why teach your children that they should feel ashamed of some emotions and do everything to reach other emotions?
There are no good and bad emotions, and children know this. Their feelings are a response to the world and the things that are happening around them. So, experiencing and acknowledging these emotions is very important.
If you teach your child to hide certain emotions which people have dubbed as ‘bad,’ you teach your child to bury these emotions deep inside, where they will fester into frustrations, negativity, and even mental illnesses.
Instead, discuss the emotions they are experiencing with them and try to identify and make out the difference between the symptom and the real cause, as they may be different. Helping your child understand their emotions and reactions means teaching them to express their feelings in a healthy way.
Here are three steps you can use to help your child express their negative emotions, like anger and frustration:
1. Recognize what emotion they are experiencing 2. Allow your child to recognize and understand the emotion by bringing it “front and center” 3. Encourage your child to release it in a healthy way. If your child is angry, for example, encourage them to yell “I AM ANGRY” as many times as they feel like they need to, until they have released that anger.
You will see your child feeling much better once they have finished venting and they can even start laughing. Such healthy release of the emotion will make them feel better about themselves and about the emotions they are experiencing, as no emotion is unhealthy – keeping them inside is.
2. Removing programmed and stereotypical behavior
Never allow yourself to put your child in a frame, in a stereotype they need to follow. The worst stereotype you can assign to your child is the ‘good/bad child’ stereotype. In truth, there are no good or bad children. There are only good and bad deeds, and you should stop with the categorization there.
Making your child think that they are bad (or good) because of what they did is completely wrong and misleading. Instead, they should learn the difference between good and bad actions, and you should encourage them to make decisions that wouldn’t cause harm or hurt someone else.
Moreover, speaking of stereotypes, you should never teach your children how a boy should behave, or how a girl should. These stereotypical ideas that gender comes with behavior are hurtful for a child who wants to be free in the way they think and express themselves.
3. Learning your child’s language
Children have their unique way of expressing thoughts. Not being able to express them in the verbal fluency of an adult, the child will find a way to say what’s on their mind in what may seem funny or silly to adults.
Possessing unique capabilities of perception, children have a touch of deeper wisdom in their thoughts. And instead of discarding or laughing at the words they utter, you should pay close attention to what they really mean when they say these things.
Ignore the wisdom they have to share, and they will eventually cut that communication short and may even start telling lies. So, create an open environment for discussion and allow them to share what they have on their mind.
4. Understanding your child’s world
Children are a lot more than miniature humans who like to play, giggle, and cry. They have the ability to connect with positive energies and create robust and unconditional bonds with people.
When spending time with them, try to level yourself to their mentality and stop acting like an adult. You will discover a world filled with unconditional happiness. Learn to be as curious as they are about every littlest thing.
Becoming a part of their world is a humbling experience which will tear down all the walls that keep you from seeing the pure light of joy. Your ego, your inhibitions, your misconceptions, and misunderstandings – they will all crumble in the presence of that pure consciousness that requires no conditions.
Children are fascinating in so many ways. It’s us, adults, that tend to teach them the wrong values of life which are deeply rooted in our egos, our bitterness from the harsh reality, and our wish to be happy without looking deeper within.
They can teach you more than you can teach them. While we teach them facts, they teach you the truth that doesn’t need words and labels. Accept this from them and nurture it so that it doesn’t disappear.
If you are one of those who keep forgetting mundane things that people usually like to remember, now it’s the time to know that you can be rather proud of this. And if you feel like you don’t have to know everything, your brain strongly agrees. In fact, selective memory can be a sign of stronger intelligence.
Memory As A Sign Of Intelligence
In the beginning, let’s see what memory is in the broader sense and what types of memory exist, and how memory and intelligence are linked one to another. Memory has always been perceived as the strongest of mental traits. It is an important aspect of cognition, that involves not just remembering, but also other aspects such as attention, insight, reasoning, abstract thinking, imagination, and appreciation of beauty.
Memory is generally believed and seen as a storage space, but, quite on the contrary memory presents a series of processes that are used for storing and encoding information that is later used for retrieval. Our ability to do these processes change as we age, but the rate and the amount change per individual, and it is not always determined by someone’s biological age. According to some studies, we can take some actions during life to prevent memory loss and deterioration of the brain cells.
Different Types Of Memory
The most common division of the memory is into:
Long-term memory ( events and knowledge from the past) and
Short-term memory ( recent events and knowledge)
There is another way to classify memory into:
Implicit memories ( skills and procedures that you can learn such as dancing, driving, playing some sports, and other types of procedures) and
Explicit memories ( things that we retrieve consciously and can describe with words (people, places, and some facts).
Working Memory Has A Strong Relationship With Intelligence
There is another type of memory that has a strong relationship with intelligence and that is the working memory, i.e. the ability to retain and manipulate information in your brain, as in doing mathematics calculations. In some studies has been found that having a poor working memory leads to low results in school. In addition, this type of memory is very important for writing down dictates and the inability to learn. This applies especially to school children and they need to seek another method of teaching and learning to achieve better results.
Therefore, this type of memory can strongly influence your intelligence because this is the ability to retrieve and apply stored information from your brain when you need to solve a problem. Solving problems quickly can be defined as intelligence as in solving mathematical problems. People who tend to solve mathematical problems quickly can store data longer in their long-term memory and retrieve it quickly when needed and are considered intelligent.
We can conclude that working memory and intelligence are the two sides of the same coin.
Still, working memory can be affected by many things such as stress, which can give a false impression of someone’s intelligence and lack of intelligence and you can train it during your life to achieve better results.
Forgetfulness And Remembering Act As Interactive Processes
Besides working memory, there are other signs that may indicate you have higher intelligence.
Forgetting small details like names and birthdays may be a sign of higher intelligence and of a genius according to scientific results.
The paper published in Neuron focused on several studies that analyzed the neurobiology behind remembering and forgetting. It turns out that these two processes interact with each other, allowing for “intelligent decision-making in dynamic, noisy environments.”
The author of the review study, Professor Blake Richards, explains that the real purpose of memory is the optimization of decision-making.
“You don’t want to forget everything, but if you’re forgetting a lot more than normal, that might be cause for concern,” he says. “But if you’re someone who forgets the occasional detail, that’s probably a sign that your memory system is perfectly healthy and doing exactly what it should be doing.”
Forgetfulness Can Be Linked To Intelligence
As previously mentioned, the goal of memory is selecting useful information and optimizing decision–making.
The brain achieves this by filtering out irrelevant details and holding on to things that will contribute to intelligent decisions in the real world.
‘Bad memory’ in this respect is actually a mechanism in the brain which serves to quickly make space for relevant information and not allow the brain to waste energy and space remembering the mundane and trivial information.
‘Facts’ are not what the brain perceives as facts. The brain focuses on creating a general picture of the events or a simplified version of some information, which could serve as a means to make better decisions later.
This means that learning by heart, something which is impossible for the ‘forgetful’ ones, is not something the brain would do gladly for you.
The more you forget such ‘facts,’ the more your brain works in adding the most relevant information from them into a more general picture, and thus a more keen perception of reality.
Forgetfulness and Memorizing Are Equally Important
In our mnemonic systems, transience (forgetting ) and persistence ( memorizing) are equally important. (1)
Neurobiological research focuses mainly on the cellular mechanisms that are involved in storing information rather than forgetting or the inability to remember due to the failure of the mechanisms involved in storing the needed information. But forgetfulness can also be very helpful, and it has been found that it can help in the following:
How can forgetfulness help us?
1. Forgetfulness helps us to forget the old information
As already mentioned, it helps us forget outdated information and information that is not valuable and clears up space for new information on some situations and people. This is done by creating new neurons in our hippocampus that can overwrite the existing memories that might influence our decision-making.
Researchers say that there are two reasons why we tend to forget information;
1. We are constantly faced with new problems, and our lives are changed, so bringing different conflicting memories, can make it harder to make the right and informed decision.
2. The other reason is related to a concept known in artificial intelligence as regularization. This principle teaches the computer models to make generalizations that are based on large amounts of data. This way, they prioritize the important information needed for making a decision.
If you want to increase neurons in your brain, try exercising and try aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, and swimming which have been found to increase the number of neurons in your brain.
2. Forgetfulness helps us to see the big picture
If you start forgetting too much, it can be a cause for concern, but if you occasionally forget some details, it means that your brain is healthy. Researchers say that our brains encourage generalization and help us to remember the most important points of the conversation or the event, and it doesn’t focus on the minor past details. When you memorize the bigger picture, it allows you to generalize the previous experiences better compared to just remembering every single detail of the said conversation or event.
One of the things that can help to memorize is the consistent environment and the how likely it is that the same things come back to your life. For example, suppose you meet the same client regularly, and you work as an analyst. In that case, your brain will recognize it more easily, while, on the other hand, if you meet him only once, the brain will weigh that information appropriately. Similarly, people working in a big department store will have difficulties remembering the customers they meet every day compared to people who work in a small boutique and have regular customers.
To put this into greater perspective, experts explain that information that is easily accessible, like facts you can find on Google or phone numbers, is not something your brain is likely to remember. Instead, the brain will free this space up to store information that is truly necessary to remember.
So, do not get offended when you are criticized for being absent-minded in the future because our brains work smarter when they try to remember the right story, not every story.
The pain from a miscarriage is a pain that affects only the future parents. Others might try to be supportive, and they are likely to say things like: “It wasn’t meant to be.” “You’ll have another one soon.” “God wanted it that way.”
Even though they mean well, the inevitable pain that comes from miscarriage remains. The parents’ feelings of loss are feelings that cannot be brushed away. A mother who has just lost a little piece of her heart is inconsolable, and only those who have gone through the same experience can understand her pain.
A mother who has just lost a little piece of her heart is inconsolable, and only those who have gone through the same experience can understand her pain.
That is why some women around the world who miscarried, chose a particular tattoo as a memorial to their unborn child.
You have probably noticed a tattoo that has one black, bold, curved line with two hearts between the curves – but you haven’t gotten around to the meaning behind it. The tattoo is a silhouette of a pregnant mother and the child living in her womb.
The line represents the special relationship that a mother has with her child. And the two hearts represent the connection of the mother’s heart with her baby’s heart.
This unique tattoo serves as a communal way for all mothers to get a broader perspective and connect with all other moms out there who share the same experience.
Joan Bremer is a mother who went through this painful experience. She shares her story in the video you can watch below. And please, take a moment to share it with someone whose life is touched by this subject.
Everyone has their type. Have you ever thought that your type is the wrong type? They say opposites attract, so it isn’t unusual to like someone who has a completely different personality than yours. Some zodiac signs tend to attract the opposite more often than the others, like Aries. Others attract people similar to them and won’t settle for anything else. Which one are you?
Aries – Someone completely opposite
The woman Aries has confidence and she likes to dominate in the relationship. It is interesting how they usually attract men who are not as passionate as the Aries – men who are always overthinking. But, that’s why it often works.
Taurus – Someone unstable
Taurus girls are far from simple, but they don’t want complications either. They are responsible and organized, so it’s not unusual that they attract men who need harmony and peace.
Gemini – Someone mysterious and open to everything
There is no zodiac sign that is more unpredictable than Gemini. They can be playful and happy one moment and moody the next one. In order to constantly feel energetic, men who like a Gemini are mysterious, adventurous and open to everything.
Cancers – Someone unexpected
Cancers often find themselves in awkward situations where they friend-zone people without noticing it. This zodiac sign is very caring and loving, but some don’t appreciate that enough. Thus, Cancers always attract men who seem completely uninteresting to them.
Leo – Someone completely dedicated
Leos are very lucky. They always attract men who are willing to give everything for the girl. Often, the Leo girl will want to take it more slowly, but they usually manage to overcome everything fast because they’re really strong.
Virgos – Someone who needs fixing
As with everything else, Virgos tend to mix things up rather than leave them simple. They often attract men who need fixing, but they don’t mind that. Virgos attract men who want to have someone who can take care of them and someone who they can depend on.
Libras – Someone who is balancing between facts and feelings
As a zodiac sign, they’re not the most unbalanced one, but they certainly need some improvement. Apart from the balance they need in life, they also get it from another side. They usually attract men who are balancing between the heart and head.
Scorpios – Someone who enjoys spending time alone
Scorpios wouldn’t function well with someone who wants to take up all their free time. They are outgoing, but they also value their alone time. Luckily, they also attract men who appreciate this and are independent themselves.
Sagittarius – Someone who can tame them
They are wild and adventurous. Sagittarius girls are active and always in motion, but they attract men who want to tame them. They attract men who want to settle and watch Netflix all weekend instead of going on an adventure and that often becomes a problem.
Capricorn – Someone who will make them laugh
They want to control everything and they’re very organized. But you could say that Capricorn girls miss some insanity in their life. That’s why men who are naturally funny find them challenging and are attracted to them. This combination often works, but not always.
Aquarius – Someone narcissistic
Always being kind and helpful to everyone, Aquarius girls are often seen as a prey by narcissists. These sociopaths can easily recognize a genuinely good person.
Pisces – Someone who needs attention
The only thing worse than a girl desperate for attention is a man desperate for attention. Pisces are not seeking attention – on the contrary, they are thoughtful. However, they tend to attract men who need attention.
Society has changed considerably, and perhaps the biggest change that has contributed to today’s perception of society is that of the role of women.
Back in the past, women were treated as birth machines, lacking some of the fundamental human rights.
They were expected to stay at home, take care of the house, respect their husbands (as men were considered as superior by default), give birth to children (preferably boys), and take full care of them.
Luckily, we have evolved in the way we perceive the very-important role of women in society. With this evolution surfaced the true nature and beauty of women and luckily, it’s here to stay.
And while the Alpha attribute was only given to men back in the past, with the freedom women explore nowadays, some of them can proudly call themselves Alpha Women.
ALPHA WOMEN
Alpha women are highly self-conscious and will not allow anyone to tell them what they can or can’t do. They can quickly excel in business, as they step bravely and firmly. However, their dominance doesn’t only lie in their career paths.
These women are aware of their sexuality and aren’t afraid to show it. They can seduce you as easily as they can close a business deal, and they will do it with all the feminine energy they are abundant with.
Alpha women are dominant and in charge of every aspect of their lives and if their partner can’t keep up with their pace, they might easily end up left behind.
BETA WOMEN
Beta women are the complete opposite of the alpha ones. It’s not that they can’t possess the qualities alpha women do, but they do things differently. Because of their more submissive personality, they may feel a bit diminished or insecure in the presence of an alpha.
They don’t possess the fiery personality of the alpha, and they prefer listening to speaking. The beta woman could be called more traditional, as women used to be expected to comply. This, however, doesn’t make them dull or easily manipulated.
They like to walk on the safer side, and they choose their words carefully. They love taking care of their family and make a real home out of a house. Beta women like to swoon in the dominant nature of their partners, and they don’t like to set too many rules, but rather follow them.
HYBRID (ALPHA+BETA) WOMEN
While there are women who go to the extremes of being either 100% Alpha or 100% Beta, most women are a combination of both. One side will prevail in most of the cases, and it all depends on how they handle things.
If a woman wants to have it her way but would avoid confrontation and would do it subtly and calmly, then you could say that this woman has the goals of an Alpha, but the behavior of a Beta (as Alphas are known to be direct and confrontational).
There are also those women who seem like they want it their way, but only play tough and would very much prefer to be dominated in that situation. This kind of Beta tendency is paired with an Alpha behavior.
Whatever the case, the Alpha and Beta models are types of behavior and have nothing to do with how capable a woman is. It’s got more to do with the way they handle things and the way they prefer to function in a relationship. In the end, a woman always gets what she wants, isn’t that right?
So, are you more on the Alpha or the Beta side?
Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to share!
All people are born with a spiritual side, but not all are aware of it. The truth is that we are all able to unlock this side of our being. Once you become aware of it, you will notice that the gifts it has to offer come to you by default.
How do I know if I have a spiritual gift?
The process of unlocking this side is very intuitive, subtle, and spontaneous. In fact, if you are reading this, you might as well be on your way to understanding your spiritual side better. And if you recognize any of these 6 signs then you indeed have a spiritual gift.
1. Being able to recollect dreams easily and regularly
While many tend to forget their dreams a few moments after they wake up, you have that habit of remembering every bit of them vividly. This gift allows you to read the messages your subconscious receives during sleep.
This is when the conscious mind is silent and allows for a flow of pure information from higher planes of awareness. While this information may seem very masked and even trivial, writing it down in a dream journal will help you find the connection.
If you possess this gift, make sure you use it to learn a lot from your dreams and understand the hidden messages that could help you turn your life around.
2. Visions that often come true
These visions don’t necessarily have to look like a movie that suddenly blocks out your normal vision. They can come in dreams (and you will know the difference), and they can come in a wakeful state in the form of mental images accompanied by intense sensations.
Such ‘intrusive thoughts’ can pop out at any time during wakefulness, and you will know that they are not the regular kind of thoughts. If you get to experience such visions, pay attention to what you saw and rewind it in your head.
Sometimes these visions can mean a difference between life and death for you or someone you know. Also, observe the emotions that come with these images – this will help you understand your gift better.
3. Waking up at 3-4 a.m.
If you respect your sleeping time and you still wake up at around 3 to 4 a.m., it’s because there is something that wants you to receive some major spiritual message. Also known as the holy hour, this is the time when the energy flux is the calmest, and we are most open to higher information.
If you wake up during these hours of the night, it’s not a bathroom call, but a spiritual one. Sit somewhere where you feel most peaceful and relaxed. You may not receive some fantastical visions or hear voices (if that’s what you expect), but your mind will be adjusted to obtain coded higher spiritual knowledge which will unlock itself in time.
4. Intense nightmares
When the spiritual channels cannot reach you in a normal way, your mind tends to transform these messages into nightmares. However, this is still a valid form of communication, no matter how terrifying it may seem to you.
It’s because your mind isn’t ready to interpret these messages differently – compare it to that of a child. Children are very receptive in terms of energy, but their minds aren’t yet aware of what these messages mean.
Practicing some dream awareness (by writing a dream journal) and mindfulness will allow you to become a lucid dreamer. Once you recognize that this is a nightmare, don’t forget to listen and not be afraid.
5. Extreme empathy
Cases of extreme empathy can even lead to experiencing the same physical ailment the other person is going through. For example, a person close to you is having health problems, and you suddenly start experiencing similar symptoms (although you aren’t actually ill).
This means that you have the ability to connect with people so strongly, that you can use the gift to help them heal. Understanding one’s pain, emotions, and problems mean experiencing them. Empaths are healers, and so are you. (1)
6. High intuition
We all possess intuition to some extent. Some follow it, others choose to ignore it – but we all have it. And then there are those with very high intuition. If you have this kind of intuition, you can’t help but live by its messages every moment.
High intuition means that your awareness is spread throughout several planes of consciousness and you can easily gather information from each of them. When possessing such a gift, you should be aware that it’s not only the gut feeling you get that defines as high intuition.
High intuition can spread and affect your dreams, your wakeful state, and even your unconscious reactions. Monitor your experiences carefully and connect them to the feelings you might have had before them. This will help you increase your intuition even further.
Possessing any of these signs means that you possess a spiritual gift, which you need to appreciate and practice. To increase your gift, learn to love yourself more and take care of your health and well-being. (2)
16 Biblical Spiritual Gifts Given To Believers
Spiritual gifts are supernatural gifts given to every believer, but each individual receives a special and a different gift. We, as humans, do not have the ability to use them unless God has not given them to us, and it is the Holy Spirit that works through us when we use them. We, as believers, are called to share these gifts with others, helping others and drawing them closer to God. (1 Peter 4:10)
We receive them freely from God, and they are gifts, not a reward, but we shouldn’t boost with them, and there is no place for pride. (3)
They all originate in God’s Spirit, and you can receive wise counsel, simple trust, and healing of the sick as Paul wrote to Romans:
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. ” Romans 12:6-8
This passage means that we all serve different functions, and they should be considered as different talents and abilities. When it comes to the sign of prophecy, it should be used as a “sign gift,” and some believers think that this gift was given to the prophets that delivered messages from God before the era of the Bible was completed.
However, there is a list of 16 spiritual gifts that are listed in the Bible that can help you to grow as a Christian. These gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, Romans, and Ephesians. If you are in some sort of crisis and you do not know which is your gift and how you can use it, you can ask God to help you and God is always there for each one of us who needs help and answers.
16 Spiritual Gifts Listed In The Bible
In what follows is given the list of the spiritual gifts with definitions as given in the Bible.
1. Prophesy
This gift is an ability to deliver messages from God to others, and if you possess it, you may have some visions or signs that come directly from God and it increases with your faith in God. This gift should be used only for warning or discouragement. (4)
2. Exhortation
If you have this ability, it means that you have the power to comfort and encourage others and give them the needed motivation to make them enthusiastic about God and find their own powerful God-given abilities
3. Apostleship
With this gift, you are intended to be an apostle and spread the word of God in different countries and sometimes serve as a counselor to different ministries. Your mission is to plant new churches, raise up and develop leaders and be able to influence others by taking risks and doing hard tasks.
4. Giving
With this gift, you are one of the people who are always willing to give without any need to receive anything back as a reward. You share everything with joy and find less costly ways to do things, and you share your resources anonymously to avoid receiving some recognition for their giving, such as donations to the Church. It means that you are able to manage money and time to honor God. A perfect example of a giver in the Bible is the story of The Good Samaritan.
5. Hospitality
When you have this ability, you always welcome and appreciate people, even though they are strangers. They always feel pleasant in your company, no matter if it is in Church or your home where you disciple or serve them. You often host people, invite others to join them if you have nowhere to go or welcome your first day when you go to your new workplace with a coffee and a friendly smile. (5)
6. Discernment
This is the ability to make good evaluations and recognize what is true and what is not true, and see whether a situation or behavior comes right from God.
The Church needs people who are able to discern error since we’re called upon to “test the spirits to see if they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
The Church is always in need of people who are courageous and can detect false prophets.
This ability can often be used unproperly as people who are very critical and cynical think of themselves as being given this spiritual gift but being critical, negative, and cynical is related to a negative spirit, and it cannot be considered an act of love.
7. Faith
If you have strong faith, it means nothing can discourage you from your strong belief and you know that without faith, there is no hope and our only hope is in God alone. This spiritual gift is the truth and the grace given to us by God through his sacrifice. (6)
8. Mercy
If you are merciful, it means that you are compassionate and treat other people with great sensitivity, and you are always kind and gentle. You are drawn to other sensitive people to support them. Merciful people are believed to be the backbone of the Church and are the main praying power as it comes naturally for them to pray often.
9. Leadership
If you are a person with this ability, you can direct other followers with care and attention, you can easily lead and organize any church capacity, and also:
Inspire others, and Jesus is the best example of an inspiring leader
Nourish and provide others with nourishment and security just like Christ
10. Teaching
You have the ability to teach the Bible to help others to understand it better and grow spiritually. The Church considers it a gift with great responsibility, and those who have this gift enjoy studying the word of God and have great satisfaction when they see others learn and apply the truth of God. This gift is so important that without it, the Church will fall into sin for a short period of time.
11. Wisdom
If you have wisdom, it means that you have an intimate understanding of the word of God and all of His commandments. Wisdom is given nu God to people to transmit the ultimate truth and understanding and provoke holiness and worship. If you have wisdom, you can easily recognize where the action will lead and warn and alert others as it may be harmful or sinful.
These people can lead the Church in difficult times on the right path.
12. Serving
This service in the Bible is called Ministry, and the Greek word for it is Diakonia, which means helping and serving the community and committing to spreading the Gospel. If you have a big heart devoted completely to Jesus and a desire to follow him, joyfully work alongside others to help them complete the task God has given them, you have this spiritual gift. If you are serving, you are humble and sacrifice for others.
13. Administration
If you are good at administration, it means that you have the skills to organize, supervise and plan the steering of the Church toward the successful completion of God-given goals and lead an individual or group of people toward a destination.
14. Speaking in tongues
This spiritual gift is also called the gift of languages, and when we speak in one language, we make prayers glorifying God and communicate with Him and if you have this gift, you can pray and communicate with Him in different languages.
In the Bible, God confused man’s languages and dispersed people across the Earth. The main intention of this gift is glorifying God, and preparing ourselves as His Church is to glorify Him forever in heaven.
If you have this gift and interpret other languages, it should always be done with pure intentions and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
There is a controversy over this gift. Some people state that its nature is debated and believe that this gift has ceased with the death of the apostles. Others think that if you do not speak in tongues, you are not saved and you are not baptized with the Holy Spirit.
This gift is explained in Acts 2:4 as the ability to convey the meaning of the Gospel to other people in a different language or to speak to God in secret and in a strange prayer language that can only be understood by the person who makes the prayer and is believed to be a gift of Interpretation.
15. Evangelism
If you have this ability, it means that you can convey messages to others, especially the non–believers, successfully. It is found in the Bible chapter Ephesians 4:11–12 where Apostol Paul says that Jesus “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Evangelists have a unique ability to speak and communicate the Gospel of God and have no fear of rejection, and they freely start a conversation with non–believers about Jesus. They approach different people openly, and this is the gift they received from the Holy Spirit.
You can also see Matthew 28:18–20 18 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
16. Knowledge
If you have this spiritual gift, it means that you always want to know more and research what is needed for the Church to improve its status and try to understand the Bible’s ideas and meaning.
You are probably well-versed in the Bible, and you are able to communicate and relate its content with the outside world to every situation and circumstance. You are also able to inform every Christian about the truth and wisdom of the Gospel when they make a decision. This gift is present in those who have the gift of teaching. Knowledge is also the fuel of wisdom, another spiritual gift that differs from this one.
An individual with wisdom uses the knowledge to understand the situations with a deeper meaning, while the one with knowledge seeks meaning and answers with the help of studying and investigation.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” Proverbs 9:10.
What Is The Best Spiritual Gift?
Love is the best gift of all and without love all actions we make with our gifts are empty.
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-10 )
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 )
Therefore, seek love in everything you do, and you can easily find your gifts because God is Love!
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