Ecstasy from a physiological point of view

The biological study of man is one of today's most rapidly advancing sciences. There is no reason for not utilizing these methodologies of research and the knowledge already gained when studying ecstasy and other similar religious phenomena. Drugs have been used in all parts of the world as an ecstasy technique. Since mental states and physiological correlates always accompany each other, it is obvious that the human mind can be affected by external means, for instance by drugs. But the opposite is also true; mental changes affect the body, as they do in the case of psychosomatic diseases. Ecstasy is often described as an extremely joyful experience; this pleasure must necessarily also have a physiological basis. It is of course too early to say anything for certain, but the discovery of pleasure centres in the brain might offer an explanation. It is not far-fetched to suggest that when a person experiences euphoric ecstasy, it might, in some way or other, be connected with a cerebral pleasure center. Can it be, for example, that religious ecstasy is attained only by some mechanism triggering off changes in the balance of the transmitter substances? Or is it reached only via a change in the hormonal balance, or only by a slowing down of the brain waves, or is a pleasure centre activated? When a person is using an ecstasy technique, he usually does so within a religious tradition. When he reaches an experience, a traditional interpretation of it already exists

Victimisation from Three Types of Intimate Partner Aggression and Mental Health Concomitants Among Women in Pakistan

The aim of the study was to compare associations between three types of female victimization from intimatepartner aggression (IPA) and their mental health concomitants. A questionnaire was completed by 569 relatively well-educated women in Pakistan (97.3% had at least a Bachelor’s degree). The mean age was 31.4 years (SD 9.1), and the age range was between 18 and 70 years. The questionnaire included scales for measuring victimization from physical aggression, verbal aggression, and indirect aggressive social manipulation perpetrated by the husband against the wife, and four subscales from the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI): depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and somatization. Victimization from verbal aggression was the most common type, followed by indirect aggression, while physical aggression was the least common. All three types of IPA were significantly associated with all four BSI subscales and most strongly with indirect aggression, while physical aggression showed the weakest associations. Keywords: Intimate partner aggression, physical, verbal, indirect, mental health, Pakista

Sexual Harassment and Victimization from Four Other Types of Interpersonal Aggression in Ghana: A Cycle of Victimization

The aim of the study was to investigate victimization from sexual harassment, and level of emotional distress due to it, are associated with four other types of victimization. A questionnaire was completed by 280 female university students and lecturers in Ghana. The mean age was 26.7 years (SD = 6.2). The questionnaire included scales for measuring frequency of sexual harassment, emotional distress due to sexual harassment, physical punishment during childhood, victimization from peer aggression at school, and victimization from intimate partner aggression. Respondents who were more than average victimized from sexual harassment scored significantly higher on physical punishment during childhood, victimization from peer aggression at school (revictimization), and victimization from intimate partner aggression (multiple victimization).When frequency of sexual harassment was controlled for, emotional distress caused by sexual harassment correlated positively with victimization from peer aggression at school, and victimization from verbal intimate partner aggression, thus suggesting sensitization to aggression. Victimization from sexual harassment was associated with higher levels of both previous and simultaneous victimization from other types of aggression, thus corroborating the principles of both revictimization and multiple victimization. The finding does not suggest that sexual harassment in all cases is associated with other types of victimization.Keywords: sexual harassment, revictimization, emotional distress, Ghan

Social Integration and Attitudes towards the Integration of Immigrants in Relation to Witnessing Domestic Aggression

The association between witnessing domestic aggression and respondents’ level of social integration and their proactive attitudes towards the integration of immigrants was assessed with a questionnaire in a sample of the Swedish-speaking minority in Ostrobothnia, Western Finland (n = 298; 208 females and 90 males). The age span was between 16 and 90 years with a mean age of 31.6 years (SD = 13.5). Respondents scoring higher than average on witnessing domestic aggression scored lower than others on the following scales measuring social integration: Access to Social Benefits, Positive Social Relations, and Trust in the Finnish Judiciary System. They also scored lower than others on the following scales measuring proactive attitudes towards the integration of immigrants: (the need for making) Cultural Efforts, Structural Efforts, and Openness to Diversity. They also tended to have a lower level of education than other respondents. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Peer Aggression and Sexual Harassment among Young Adolescents in a School Context: A Comparative Study between Finland and Turkey

The study investigates peer aggression and sexual harassment among young adolescents in Finland and Turkey. Sex differences and the interaction effect between country of residence and sex are also examined. A questionnaire was completed by 1,747 adolescents (1, 268 from Finland, 479 from Turkey, Mage = 14.1). Six different forms of aggression (physical, verbal, indirect, cyber, verbal sexual harassment, physical sexual harassment) were examined. More adolescents from Turkey, and more boys, were found to be involved in aggression as both victims and perpetrators compared to adolescents from Finland and girls. The interaction effect was significant between country of residence and sex with being a boy from Turkey was related to having the highest involvement in cyber aggression, verbal sexual harassment, and physical sexual harassment, as both victim and perpetrator. Regarding victimization from indirect aggression, girls from Finland scored higher than Turkish girls, while boys from Turkey scored higher than Finnish boys

Dowry-Related Aggression and Mental Health Concomitants among Educated Women in Pakistan

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate victimization from dowry-related aggression and mental health concomitants in a sample of educated women in Pakistan. A questionnaire was completed by 569 women. The mean age was 31.4 years (SD 9.1). The questionnaire included two scales for measuring dowry-related aggression and four scales for measuring mental health concomitants.  The levels of victimization from dowry-related aggression were relatively low in the sample. Aggression carried out by the husband and the mother-in-law correlated highly with each other. The most common single act by both husbands and mothers-in-law was forcing the wife to give her gold to her mother-in-law or sister-in-law. Women who were more than average victimised from dowry-related aggression had significantly higher scores on anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and somatisation. Aggression carried out by the mother-in-law showed higher predictive power on all four mental health concomitants than aggression by the husband. Somatic symptoms of the daughter-in-law showed the highest association with aggression carried out by the mother-in-law. Victimization from dowry-related aggression was strongly associated with negative mental health outcomes. Aggression carried out by the mother-in-law was more strongly associated with them than aggression carried out by the husband

Perceived ethnic discrimination and school connectedness among adolescents in Finland: Role of family background and sex

The study investigates the effect of immigrant background and sex on perceived ethnic discrimination and school connectedness in Finland. An online questionnaire was completed by 1,827 adolescents (12-19 years of age) from both Finnish and Swedish speaking schools in Western Finland. Adolescents’ family background was categorized as either native, multicultural, or immigrant. Perceived ethnic discrimination was examined according to its source, whether it acted out by peers, by teachers, or by someone else. Adolescents with an immigrant background were found to have higher scores of perceived ethnic discrimination regardless of its source, and lower school connectedness than other groups. Boys had higher scores of perceived ethnic discrimination by peers and by someone else, and they also reported higher school connectedness than girls. There was also a significant interaction effect between immigrant background and student sex, so that girls with a multicultural background experienced higher levels of discrimination by peers and discrimination by someone else than boys with a multicultural background

Workplace Harassment and Political Participation among Representatives to the Union Parishads in Bangladesh

AbstractThe aim of the study was to explore the relationship between victimisation from workplace harassment and political participation among the elected peoples’ representatives to the rural local governance, namely the Union Parishads in Bangladesh. A questionnaire was completed by 821 representatives (412 women, 409 men). The mean age was 42.5 years (SD = 6.5) for women and 44.2 (SD = 6.3) for men. The results showed that women were significantly more victimised from verbal, nonverbal, and rational appearing aggression, social isolation, and indirect social manipulation than men. For women, the most common type of victimisation was rational appearing aggression, followed by social isolation, and verbal aggression. For men, the most common type of victimisation was from verbal aggression, all the other types of victimisation appeared rarely. Representatives with low political participation scored significantly higher than those with high participation on all six types of harassment.Five of the six types predicted active political participation negatively. Women were more victimised from five types of workplace harassment than men. Victimisation from workplace harassment predicted low political participation.Keywords: Workplace harassment, political participation, sex differences, Union Parishads,                    Banglades

Factors Associated with Occupational Stress among University Teachers in Pakistan and Finland

Abstract The study examines the interplay of psychosocial factors and works conditions on occupational stress among 531 university teachers in Pakistan and Finland with the help of a web-based questionnaire. Results from  an MANOVA  revealed that good working conditions, social support at work, and promotion and development opportunities were rated as significantly better by the Finnish sample. Workplace bullying occurred considerably less often in Finland than in Pakistan. Male Pakistani teachers reported significantly higher levels of workplace bullying than any other group. Although the working conditions, social support, and promotion and development opportunities were better, and less bullying appeared in Finland than in Pakistan,  but the difference in stress symptoms between the two countries was not significant. Keywords: Occupational stress, social support, university teachers, workplace bullying, work conditions, Pakistan, Finland

Factors Associated with Occupational Stress Among University Teachers in Pakistan and Finland

The study examines the interplay of psychosocial factors and works conditions on occupational stress among 531 university teachers in Pakistan and Finland with the help of a web-based questionnaire. Results from an MANOVA revealed that good working conditions, social support at work, and promotion and development opportunities were rated as significantly better by the Finnish sample. Workplace bullying occurred considerably less often in Finland than in Pakistan. Male Pakistani teachers reported significantly higher levels of workplace bullying than any other group. Although the working conditions, social support, and promotion and development opportunities were better, and less bullying appeared in Finland than in Pakistan, but the difference in stress symptoms between the two countries was not significant