michelle's blog

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is defined as “active brain in an inactive body,” and takes place during the fifth stage of sleep. On the other hand, non rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) takes place in the first through fourth stages of sleep and is defined as an “inactive mind in an active body”. (5) Wait a second- our body can be active while sleeping? Indeed it can. In fact, there are a number of sleep disorders that take place during NREM sleep called parasomnia or arousal disorder. They activate the autonomic nervous system and motor systems during sleep and include sleepwalking, sleepeating, sleep-talking, teeth grinding, restless leg syndrome, somniloquy (sleep talking), and sleepsex (3).

Due to my upbringing on an island isolated in the middle of the South Pacific, I never really got into the mainstream trends of the US. When I came to Bryn Mawr for college, I was astounded by the importance of brand names, and how one’s status could be determined simply by the car they drove, the clothes they wore and even where they went to buy groceries. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell provides great insight into how social trends take off and what factors are the most likely to influence the public’s behavior. However, from a broader standpoint, the book is about change and understanding what events trigger social change.

Introduction
Have you ever heard of the rumors regarding the hidden sexual imagery in Disney films? Some of the rumors include a phallic castle on the cover of the original The Little Mermaid, Aladdin saying “good teenagers take off their clothes” in a scene in Aladdin, along with many others in films ranging from The Lion King to The Rescuers. I actually looked into a couple of the scenes referenced in an online forum regarding the topic (7), and lo and behold, they are true. I must have watched the films over a million times as a child and again with my nieces and nephews, and have never noticed any of this before. Why would the producers want to include such inappropriate imagery in such a widely cherished children’s film? Can these images have an affect on our everyday lives or more importantly the behavior of our children?

My high school history teacher claimed that his wife was only able to conceive their daughter after seeing a hypnotist. Doctors deemed her infertile after years of trying everything from fertility drugs to acupuncture. I was always skeptical about his claim, until my cousin ended her thirteen-year-long, pack-a-day smoking habit cold turkey through hypnosis. I began to wonder if it is really possible to convince our brains and nervous systems to yield to our desires simply by focusing our attention and obeying the suggestions of a hypnotist.

Just a test!