Project development
Table of Contents
| Project | Project Name | Date Completed |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Why do we love the supernatural? | 19 March 2024 |
| 02 | Why do we read? |
| Project | Started | Theme | Story | Article Draft | Draft Reviewed | Website | Audio Draft | Audio Done | Visuals Draft | Visuals Done | Uploaded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 02 | ✓ | ✓ |
1 - Project 01 - Why we love the Supernatural (Scenes) #
1.1 - Introduction #
1.1.1 - Scene 1 #
Bess had a singular promise she made with her husband - that she would try and bridge the gap between life and death. She would find a way to receive his communication from the other side. A phrase only they knew[1-1].
On Halloween night in California, 1936, Bess and her guests sat with a single candle illuminating a photo of her husband, eagerly awaiting a sign, a message, anything[2]. When the clock finally struck midnight, it rang out a dirge for all that remained unsaid between two lovers separated by cruel mortality. In that moment, Bess was asked if she had reached her decision - her reply, “My last hope is gone”[2-1]. Bess whispered her final goodbye into the abyss, hoping it would find its way to her beloved husband. This was to be her last attempt to make contact.
Bess' faith in her husband’s resilience was unwavering; she believed if there were any way for him to reach out from beyond death’s door, he would have found it. The absence of his voice in the séances conveyed a poignant message to her – that spirit communication was an impossible dream[1-2] [2-2].
1.1.2 - Scene 2 #
Superstition, the paranormal, magic, monsters, ghosts, an afterlife … these have haunted and allured the imaginations of humans across cultures and across the centuries[3]. A 2013 study found that 42% of Americans believe in ghosts[4]. Some of the greatest technological and scientific advances through the 19th century were coupled with a strong interest in the paranormal among nobles, the elite, and the educated[3-1]. Yet, observations and the study of the paranormal has historically been shunned from scientific and academic writings[5]. Then why are we so fascinated by it? And why do so many people believe there is something out there?
1.2 - Psychology of why we ‘see’ paranormal #
1.2.1 - Scene 3 #
We are predisposed to find meaning in chaos, to discern patterns where none exist[4-1]. This inherent cognitive bias manifests as pareidolia - a phenomenon where our minds conjure tangible interpretations from abstract stimuli. We see faces in shadows, discern humanoid forms in haphazard patterns, or hear whispered secrets amidst random noise[7]. Sometimes we even anthropomorphise inanimate objects or attribute human motivations to inexplicable events[8]. These cognitive biases serve as compasses guiding us through unfamiliar terrain and uncertain situations[9].
The psychology of the paranormal senses has often been dismissed as mere errors, faults, or glitches in our cognitive processes. Yet this notion is increasingly being challenged by contemporary research. Could these experiences be more than just figments of overactive imaginations? Could they be intricate evolutionary defence mechanisms woven into the fabric of our evolutionary tale?
1.2.2 - Scene 4 #
1.2.3 - Scene 5 #
So perhaps our ancestors' fascination with the supernatural wasn’t indicative of cognitive misfiring or irrational thought processes. Instead, it served as an adaptive mechanism that helped them navigate through confusing aspects of existence with limited resources or information at their disposal. Thus began mankind’s journey from gazing at the stars in wonder to unraveling their mysteries - all thanks to our ability to see ghosts in shadows and gods in thunderstorms[8-3].
1.3 - Psychology of the fascination of paranormal #
1.3.1 - Scene 6 #
The emerging field of neurocinematics, which studies our psychological response to film and television, has discovered that supernatural images can stimulate the amygdala, bypassing rational thought processes. This brain region is responsible for primal instincts, desires, and reactions but tends to be under-stimulated given the nature of modern anxieties related to work and social life. Thus, viewing the supernatural on screen can offer a form of catharsis by providing much-needed ‘fear stimulus’ akin to those experienced by our Neolithic ancestors during beastly attacks[11].
1.3.2 - Scene 7 #
The power of the mind is an aspect that we should never overlook, especially considering how we sometimes strive to find control in situations where no such control exists. This was illustrated in a particular study involving golfing: participants were asked to make 10 putts using a golf ball. Half of the subjects were told that their golf ball was “lucky.” Intriguingly, this group of individuals made 35 percent more successful putts compared to the other half who believed they were using just an ordinary ball. This highlights how our perception and understanding of a situation, even if incorrect, can significantly influence our performance. Increased self-confidence and reduced anxiety resulting from such skewed perceptions can manifest in very tangible ways throughout our lives[4-3].
1.4 - Harry and Bess #
1.4.1 - Scene 8 #
This peculiar sequence of words was derived from an system magicians employed to communicate stealthily with their assistants during acts. Each word or group of words corresponded to a particular letter. For instance, “answer” represented the letter B while “answer-answer” stood for the letter V. The message hidden within their chosen code was simple yet profound: “Believe.” However, Harry never transmitted this message to Bess from beyond the grave[1-4].
The password held layers of sentimentality beyond their secret code. The first word, “Rosabelle,” was a tender nod to their shared history. It was the title of a song Bess used to sing when she and Harry first crossed paths as budding performers in a bustling theater in Coney Island, New York. He was only 20 then and she was two years younger; both were bright-eyed with dreams larger than life[1-5].
1.4.2 - Scene 9 #
During the 1920s, Harry Houdini shifted his focus towards debunking psychics and mediums. His objective was to expose them for exploiting the grief of bereaved individuals. Leveraging his profound knowledge and training in magic, Houdini was able to unmask frauds who had previously deceived numerous scientists and academics[12]. While Harry’s fraud exposing passions took off in the 1920s, there is a newspaper clipping from as early as 1897 of Harry exposing medium frauds[13].
Houdini’s reputation as a “medium-buster” started gaining traction, leading him to attend séances in disguise. These experiences were documented in his book, A Magician Among the Spirits[14].
However, these activities strained Houdini’s friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—famed author of Sherlock Holmes—who was an ardent believer in spiritualism later in his life. Doyle rejected Houdini’s exposés and went so far as to believe that Houdini himself possessed strong mediumistic abilities which he used not only for his stunts but also to thwart other mediums' powers during debunking sessions. This disagreement fueled a public feud between the two men, with Doyle viewing Houdini as an formidable adversary.
1.4.3 - Scene 10 #
As we continue to explore the mysteries of our minds and the universe, one cannot help but wonder - do we find the supernatural fascinating because it’s a reflection of our deep, subconscious desires and fears, or because it challenges our understanding of reality? It begs us to question: Is this fascination merely a psychological need for mystery and intrigue, or is there more to this unseen world than meets the eye? Whatever your stance may be, it’s undeniable that the allure of the unknown will forever taunt us from beyond the veil.
Project 02 - Why do we read? #
Introduction #
In the year 384AD, a young Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman Africa, later to become Saint Augustine (might delete this bit), travels to meet Ambrose of Milan, the 4th-century bishop of Milan, Italy1. Augustine observes Ambrose doing something very strange.. he was reading… silently1.
In Augustine’s later book, Confessions, he writes “When Ambrose read, his eyes ran over the columns of writing and his heart searched out the meaning, but his voice and his tongue were at rest”1.
Why was silent reading so strange that Augustine wrote about it nearly two decades later? Have we not always read like we read now? How do we read, and how will we be reading into the future? (not sure I'll include this)
History #
Earlier than the 7th or 8th century, reading was done very publicly and communally (more on this). Because readings were done communally and out loud, writings, particularly sacred texts, were not punctuated; instead, letters and words were continuous runs of text. It was upon the reader to pronounce the letters so that the sounds made sense. Often, reading was a full body exercise that involved swaying of the entire body!1
Augustine’s book, Confessions, is one of the first definitive records of silent reading. In 5th century BC, Theseus reads in silence a letter from his dead wife. In Aristophanes' The Knights, Demosthenes looks at a writing-tablet and is shocked by what he read (delete, not well known enough). In 4th century BC, Alexander the Great read a letter from his mother in silence. And in 63BC, Julius Caesar, standing next to his opponent Cato in the Senate, silently read a letter send to him by Cato’s own sister! However these are isolated and uncertain recollections of historic events1.
Augustine wondered why Ambrose chose to silently read to himself, stating perhaps he “not wish to be interrupted in those rare moments”.. or “Or perhaps he was worried that he would have to explain obscurities in the text to some eager listener, or discuss other difficult problems? For he would thereby lose time and be prevented from reading as much as he had planned”1. So, basically, he just wanted some peace and quiet to read - just like anyone today!
By the 7th and 8th centuries, (insert the stuff about punctuation changes) silent reading was beginning to become a problem .. for the Church. All of a sudden people could consume communication in private. Heretics, who often shouted their word for others to hear, could now communicate in silence. Early Christian’s adopted the ‘codex’, instead of a scroll, as this little book could be hidden aware from authorities1.
Neuroscience #
Reading is a complex cognitive process that has evolved over time, and we still don’t fully understand it.
In the book Reading in the Brain2, Stanislas Dehaene points out a fascinating paradox: despite the fact that reading is a relatively recent development in human history, spanning only a few thousand years, our brains have specific areas that are consistently activated during reading across different cultures, religions, and races2. This timeframe is too short for our brains to have evolved these specialised reading mechanisms through natural selection. Dehaene highlights that there are dedicated cortical mechanisms in our brains that are finely tuned for reading written text, even though nothing in our evolutionary history could have prepared us to acquire language through visual means. This raises the intriguing question of why and how our primate brains have adapted to read, given the limited time frame and the lack of evolutionary pressure2.
When we read, the process of understanding written words begins in our eyes. However, only the center of the retina, known as the fovea, has a high enough resolution to allow us to recognize small print. This is why our gaze must constantly move around the page as we read. Each time our eyes stop, we can only recognize one or two words at a time. The retinal neurons then break down each word into numerous fragments, which must be reassembled by our brain before the word can be recognized and understood2.
The process of reading involves several regions of the brain working together to decode and comprehend written language. It starts with visual processing in the visual cortex, located at the back of the brain in the occipital lobe. The visual cortex receives information from the eyes and processes the visual features of the text, such as letters, words, and their arrangement on the page2 3.
(yes it's getting a bit long winded)
Next, the visual information is sent to the left fusiform gyrus, also known as the “visual word form area” (VWFA). This region is specifically involved in recognizing letters and words, regardless of their size, font, or case. From there, the information is sent to the left temporoparietal region, including Wernicke’s area, which is responsible for phonological processing. This area associates the visual form of words with their sounds and helps in the process of “sounding out” words3.
The angular gyrus and parts of the temporal lobe are involved in semantic processing, which means understanding the meaning of words and phrases. These regions access stored knowledge about the meaning of words and their relationships to each other. The left inferior frontal gyrus, including Broca’s area, is involved in grammatical processing and sentence comprehension, helping us understand the structure and meaning of sentences3.
As we continue reading, various parts of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, work together to integrate the information, maintain context, and update our understanding based on new information. This complex process allows us to comprehend and interpret the written language we encounter3.