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Small Town22
February 15, 2015 by Paula Reed Nancarrow
The theme for WordSprout's February's Story Slam – which I did not perform at – was "Spill the Beans." This is the story I would have performed had I been up for the occasion, which for a variety of reasons, I was not. An earlier version appeared on my first blog, Ordinary Time. With gratitude to Cheri Register, my teacher at the Loft, may her memory be a blessing, who unpacked more of the meaning of this story than I understood when it had happened.
In 1971, at the age of 15, I joined the church youth group –a sort of local Up with People! called Celebrate Life.
We sang at St. Mary's 12:30 folk Mass every week. Most of us were awkward and out of place with our peers for one reason or another, but in Celebrate Life, we were all a family. For us the peace could last 20 minutes, we were so hug-starved.
At the end of Mass we would always sing the same song, 'Let there be peace on Earth / and let it begin with me," our arms around each others shoulders, swaying back and forth like an ocean of love. Celebrate Life had no tryouts, and we weren't very good, but peace could roll off us in waves.
I had my first boyfriend in Celebrate Life.
His name was Kevin, and he was a dork. Kevin was small and sallow, with short tight curls and crooked granny glasses covered with fingerprints. He had a caterpillar of fuzz on his upper lip. It did not make him look cool. His arms dangled out of his shirt sleeves; he was jointed like a marionette. But there was one exotic and interesting thing about Kevin: he was adopted. Did I tell you I grew up in a very small town?
My father and I were butting heads a lot, because teenagers think they know everything.
"Don't let it get too serious. You don't know what stock he's from," he said.
"He's light-skinned, but you just don't know."
We were all light skinned. "Know what?"
He looked uncomfortable, in a way I'd never seen before. "He might be… he might be part Negro."
God. "It's not Negro, it's black. They like black." I knew this. I watched the Mod Squad.
"I'm sure he's a nice kid, Paula." His eyes pleaded with me. "But you can't be too careful. You don't want to get a reputation. This is a small town. People talk."
Well, after that I started paying more attention to Kevin.
I let him put his arm around me once in awhile. Served my father right. But Kevin was no Linc Hayes. He still told the same fart jokes, and laughed at them himself. He never said "solid." And he kept trying to take our relationship to The Next Level, which seemed to involve his tongue, and a lot of saliva. I had no idea why anyone though the French kiss was an erotic experience.
Eventually he asked me to go steady. Now I had a real problem. I couldn't tell Kevin he was a dork. That would be cruel. But I didn't really think I liked Kevin that much. On the other side of going steady was the French kiss. And I knew I didn't like Kevin that much. What was I supposed to do?
Then it hit me: I could play the parent card.
"I can't," I said. "My dad won't let me. He thinks you're black or something."
Kevin gave me a strange look. "I'm not black," he stammered. "I'm Italian. My mom told me. I'm Italian."
"It wouldn't matter to me," I said. "I'm not prejudiced. It's my dad."
"I'm Italian," Kevin said . "My mom told me."
After that, Kevin didn't even want to talk to me, let alone go steady.
Eventually, he stopped coming to Celebrate Life. I saw his mother once, picking him up after school. And she saw me. She stared at me hard through the car window, till I had to drop my own eyes. But not before I saw, behind the judgment and anger, that same pleading look my father had worn. This is a small town. What was I supposed to do? People talk.
22 thoughts on "Small Town"
Although I dislike much about today's world and nostalge about past decades a lot, it's good how some prejudices have faded – and you learned a valuable lesson, ie that French kissing is gross unless it's with someone you fancy!!!!! The small town thing still exists today, though, in England, as I discovered when I moved to one in 2000. I'm guessing it still does in America. Incidentally, my idols in 1971 were Rod Stewart and Marc Bolan. I was only 12, tho, and not of a Christian persuasion!
I loved this story, Paula. My high school sweetheart (who I spoke about on my blog today) was Filipino. I still remember when I brought him to Philly to meet my Daddy C (he and my mother were no longer married). My Daddy C was big time and Italian. His loud voice and honesty suited his unforgettable demeanor.
At first, he was against me dating my high school sweetheart. He even asked him if he was Hawaiian! I was so embarrassed. Eventually, he give my ex a chance. Sadly enough, two years later, my dad passed away. Thankfully, my ex was there to hold me while I cried for months.
And then he died.
Really enjoyed this piece. Reminded me of my own youth, honestly, of the time when my mother struck my best friend from my guest list for a birthday party because she was black, and because it would "make my grandparents uncomfortable." Now my brother is planning on marrying his longterm girlfriend (who happens to be black). My grandmother still questions whether they should have kids. Racism is still alive, folks, even if a lot of times we see it as nostalgia.


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The number of U.S. Twitter users jumped in the past year, increasing more than 50%, according to a study from the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research found that 13% of online American adults now use Twitter. That's a big jump compared to the 8% who said they were using Twiitter in 2010.
The survey, based on telephone interviews of 2,277 adults, also showed that 18-to-29-year-olds use Twitter the most, with 18% reporting that they tweet and follower other Twitter users. The next most active age group is 30-to-49-year-olds; 14% of that age group is using Twitter.
"The overall growth number is impressive," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group. "I think a lot of people question whether anyone but teens would find value [in Twitter], but clearly they do. I think even adults now are finding ways to use it to enhance their lives and it has become part of pop vernacular."
Twitter has gotten a lot of attention in the last year for becoming increasingly relevant.
For most of its tenure, Twitter had been known as a fun tool where celebrities and average Joes tweeted about getting a great parking spot or finding a new favorite sandwich. Then Twitter began to take on new weight as users around the globe began using it to tweet about political uprisings, as well as natural disasters like the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
However, while that has solidified Twitter as a useful online tool, Kerravala said he doesn't think that's necessarily what's driving Twitter's growth.
"Twitter has proven to be a fast and easy way to share your opinions," he added. "Blogging is too arduous. Tweeting is fast and simple. You can follow who you want, including a lot of celebrities. I think the fact people can follow Lindsay Lohan in jail means more to mainstream Americans than terrorist alerts. It's a sad statement of our society, but it's true."
The Pew Research study also showed that of all online adult blacks in America, 25% are Twitter users. It's 19% for Hispanics and just 9% for whites.
And half of everyone polled said they access Twitter from their mobile devices.
"I do see Twitter continuing to gain steam," said Kerravala. "There's a thing called the network effect where the value of a network increases exponentially with the number of nodes on it. The more people who are on Twitter, the more people exponentially it will attract."
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her e-mail address is email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Speed Dreams is a fork of the famous open racing car simulator
Torcs, aiming to implement exciting new features, cars, tracks and
AI opponents to make a more enjoyable game for the player, as well as
constantly improving visual and physics realism.
This requires: OpenSceneGraph, plib, enet
Maintained by: powtrix
Keywords: speed,dreams,turcs,motorsport,simulator,racing,speed-dreams
ChangeLog: speed-dreams
Download SlackBuild:
speed-dreams.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| doinst.sh
| slack-desc
| speed-dreams.SlackBuild
| speed-dreams.desktop
| speed-dreams.info
| speed-dreams.xpm
© 2006-2023 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds


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The NIH Library is here to help you—online—with your virtual information and research needs. This week, we are highlighting research resources provided by the NIH Library.
Announcements & News
Experience Virtual Reality and Innovative Technologies at the NIH Library during the Research Festival
We will be showcasing technologies, resources, and services the Library makes available to NIH staff. Come experience innovative technologies and leave inspired by how the Library can support your research.
NIH Library Director's Message—August 2019
It is my pleasure to share updates from the NIH Library with you. These are only a few of the many projects and initiatives we are working on.
Virtual Reality and Innovative Technologies at the NIH Library during the NIH Research Festival
Mark your calendars for the NIH Research Festival! On September 14 and 15, the NIH Library will be participating in the Festival by featuring innovative technologies we make available to support research at NIH.
NIH Library Open House 2015
In conjunction with the NIH Research Festival, the Library's open house will showcase why we truly are "Your Partner in Research." New this year will be a demonstration of the data visualization touch screen provided by the NIH Office of the Associate Director for Data Science.


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Check out these hair tips from bellasugar.com!
Kate Beckinsale always has perfect, glossy, frizz-free waves that break across her shoulders in just the right place. Clearly, having Frédéric Fekkai's Adir Abergel on hand is a big help, but there's also a trick to getting these kind of waves right. For Kate's hair at the Underworld: Awakening premiere, Abergel says that the key to creating her soft curls was starting low.
Specifically, he prepped the hair with the brand's Coiff Bouffant Lifting & Texturizing Spray Gel on the roots and the Highlight Care Illuminating Cream on the ends. After blow-drying, he then used a one-inch curling iron to wrap strands of Kate's hair starting two inches away from her roots. That way, she had a smooth-on-top look with silky waves below. It's a simple tip, but it makes a big difference. Abergel's other advice? For a look like this, curl away from your face.
5 Hairstyles That Should Stay in the Past


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Neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky
Algonquin, Auburndale, Audubon, Avondale-Melbourne Heights, Beechmont, Belknap, Berrytown, Bon Air, Bon Air Estates, Bonnycastle, Butchertown, California, Cherokee Gardens, Chickasaw, Clifton
Things to do in Louisville, Kentucky
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"In the spring I have counted on one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather in four-and-twenty hours," claimed Mark Twain.
The 2010 spring racing season was just as variable. Every generalization you make about it breaks down on the exceptions. No world records—except one. Super-elites replaced by youth—except some. No notable American performances—bar two. No weather problems—only a tornado and a volcanic eruption. The most portentous performance of the spring came from Eyjafjallajokull, who is not an emergent Ethiopian runner but an age-old Icelandic volcano.
One generalization held, however, and deserves to be stated first. Our sport's popularity continues to be in a non-stop state of eruption. Numbers keep on booming beyond all prediction. The effects are seismic. Big marathons like Paris, Boston and London, and regionally iconic shorter races like the Credit Union Cherry Blossom in Washington D.C. and Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago closed entries months beforehand, causing anguish in some cases among runners who didn't sign up early. The Shamrock Shuffle reached a record 25,561 finishers despite sub-freezing weather on that late March day. Numerous new races have sprung out of the earth and are growing like vegetables. The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon/Half Marathon topped 14,000 entries in only its second year, a promoter's dream. Illinois then generously added 300 last-minute places for frustrated Country Music marathoners who were prevented from finishing in Nashville two weeks earlier by tornado safety measures.
More From Runner's World
Even before Iceland's volcano began to misbehave, this most fickle of spring seasons began with a bang. On March 21, the very equinox, Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) ran an explosive world-record 58:23 half marathon in Lisbon, eliminating Sammy Wanjiru's 2007 mark by 10 seconds. Tadese's sustained brilliance on track and cross-country has been shaded by the even greater genius of Kenenisa Bekele, but Tadese has staked unchallenged claim to the half marathon, winning the world title three times, and now taking his place in world-record history. The Lisbon pacers could not stay with him. Runners considering that career path better get insurance protection against performances like Tadese's.
"Kilometer after kilometer I achieved more courage and determination. I hope to use the same skills to try for the world record in the London Marathon," said Tadese.
Sadly, no such luck. Tadese's Lisbon race proved to be the high point of the whole season in terms of world rankings, although that was the last thing we anticipated at the time. To risk another generalization, those who ran promising March half marathons this year flopped below that promise in their April marathons. Tadese slipped to a lackluster seventh at London, where Mara Yamauchi (GBR) and Deena Kastor also failed to re-ignite the intensity of their course-record thriller in the ING New York Half Marathon on March 21. Trans-Atlantic travel problems caused by Eyjafjallajokull's dust cloud were likely to blame, but that cannot explain the poor form at Boston of two other exciting NYC Half Marathon podium placers, Madaί Perez (Mexico) and Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (Kenya).
True to the perverseness of the season, there is an exception to that rule, too: Kenya's Emmanuel Mutai traded up from a strong third in the Lisbon Half (1:00:03) to a tactically focused second at the Virgin London Marathon (2:06:23). That reassures those of us who advocate a good half marathon a month or so ahead of your big marathon as ideal preparation.
The best March/April double came in a cross country/marathon combo, from the inspired Magdalena Lewy Boulet. In the world cross country in her native Poland on March 28, her top-20 placing helped the USA team earn pleasing bronze medals; two weeks later she popped a 2:26:22 PR for a surprise second place in the high-decibel Fortis Rotterdam Marathon. To medal in Rotterdam, achieve the best U.S. marathon result of the entire spring season (better than Ryan Hall and all), and become the fourth-fastest American woman marathoner of all time is no small accomplishment, especially coming into that full bloom at age 36. Hail, Magdalena, America's Spring Awakening.
Not to be overlooked, Ilsa Paulson (Westchester Track Club) became the first American to win in the 11-year history of the Nashville Country Music Marathon, outpacing the fast-approaching tornado storms with her 2:33:41. At age 21, that's more than promising. And staying with U.S. good news, don't overlook Shalane Flanagan's world cross country12th place, the highest finish there for a non-African ethnicity. That augurs well for her track season and planned marathon debut in New York on November 7.
One more bright U.S. moment: Joan Samuelson, 53, broke the American 10 miles over-50 record at Cherry Blossom, with 1:00:52. Age is sure not withering the indefatigable Joanie, who is well on the way to compiling more years of successful elite racing than even Bill Rodgers—and he's been stepping up on the podium for more than 30. It's heart-warming. You've got to love this demanding old sport to put aside the baking and keep yourself at that competitive level a quarter-century after winning Olympic gold.
And while I'm on longevity, here are two results to inspire those who just love to keep on trying. Remember Fernanda Ribeiro? Olympic 10,000 gold medalist back in 1996? World champion in 1995? Now 40, Ribeiro placed third overall in the Lisbon half marathon in 1:12:17. And in the Vienna City Marathon (April 18), the women's winner, in 2:31:08 on a windy day, was Hellen Kimutai (Kenya)—the same Hellen Kimutai who placed second in the same race 10 years ago, in 2000. Maybe she's been steamed ever since about not winning. She has been busy meanwhile, and, at 32, has four children, including six-year-old twins.
"My husband, who is a farmer and helps me in training, takes care of the children. I owe this success to him," said Kimutai. In Kenya, things they are a-changing.
And for some Ethiopians, like Tesgaye Kebede, who no longer has to scavenge around the town of Gerar Ber for scraps of firewood to sell, as he did to pay for his schooling 10 years ago. In April, Kebede was one of the elite runners flown to London by private jet from East Africa when the volcano disrupted commercial air traffic, and won well over $100,000 there for his 2:05:19 victory. That also puts him in the lead (equal with Sammy Wanjiru) of the $500,000 World Marathon Majors series for 2009-10. Two years ago, when the tiny, unknown Kebede won the 2008 Paris Marathon, I picked him for an Olympic medal. He not only took third in Beijing (winning five pounds for me in a British betting shop), but then won the Fukuoka marathon, chased Sammy Wanjiru closely in the 2009 London Marathon, won bronze again in the world championship in Berlin, and blitzed Fukuoka 2009 in 2:05:18. Four major marathon victories, one second, and two Games bronzes, and he's 23. What will he do when he matures?
Kebede confirmed his place among the greats, but this was a time when more than usual "the old order changeth, yielding place to new." Many old-order stars went missing from the podium for various reasons: Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) DNF, NYC Half; Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) DNS, world cross country; Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) fourth, world cross country; Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) 10th, world cross country; Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN) DNS, Boston; Catherine Ndereba (KEN) DNS, Boston; Ryan Hall (USA) fourth, Boston; Meb Keflezighi (USA) fifth, Boston; Abderrahim Goumri (MOR) DNF, Boston; Dire Tune (ETH) DNF, Boston; Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) 6th, Boston; Sammy Wanjiru (KEN) DNF, London; Marilson Gomes dos Santos (BRA) sixth, London; Irina Mikitenko (GER) DNF, London; Xue Bai (CHN) seventh, London; Berhane Adere (ETH) 14th, London; Deena Kastor (USA) 18th, London.
I imply no criticism. I offer no premature obsequies. I only point out that this is a longer and more distinguished list than injuries or off-days will normally produce during the prime earning season.
Nature abhors a vacuum, especially in the spring, most especially in running. So they came gamboling forward, new names to conjure with, maybe for the next decade. Two unknown young Kenyans, Joseph Ebuya and Emily Chebet, became world cross country champions. A young Ethiopian won Paris: Tola Tadesse, 22, in 2:06:37. Another young Kenyan, Patrick Makau, 25, became the fourth-fastest marathoner ever, winning Rotterdam in 2:04:48. The next two places at Rotterdam, Geoffrey Mutai (KEN, 28), 2:04:55, and Vincent Kipruto (KEN, 22), 2:05:13, were also faster than any of the winners elsewhere. That makes two years in succession that Rotterdam has swept the season's best male times. The Dutch must wonder what you have to do to qualify as a "World Marathon Major."
The youngest winner was Rotterdam's women's champion, Aberu Kebede (ETH), in 2:25:29. She is only 20. Claims that it was a PR overlook the 2:24:46 she ran in Dubai in January. With a world half marathon championship bronze last year in 1:07:39, the precocious Kebede looks potentially to be a very big name in the not-distant future. She and the Paris women's winner, Atsede Bayisa (ETH, 22 at the time), bucked the trend for the top women to be more mature than the men. Bayisa's 2:22:02 was a Paris course record, and was edged as the fastest women's marathon of the season only by the 2:22:00 that gave Lillya Shobukhova (RUS) victory in London.
There was one other course record, a momentous one for the marathon in America. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN, 21) set Boston afire with his 2:05:52. Displacing the modest old 2:07:14 by Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (2006), that puts Boston back up among the world's serious marathons with no need to apologize for the hills. It also makes a superstar out of Cheruiyot the Younger. He was the unknown who, in 2008, paid his own way to the Frankfurt Marathon and won in a course record, then came to last year's Boston, still only 20, and placed fifth, and ran a PR 2:06:23 in October 2009 at Frankfurt. And now this—a perfect tactical race at a level never seen in 114 years of the Boston Marathon. It's like the storyline of an old-style boys' comic book.
A year ago the affable Cheruiyot told me shyly that he was not as fast as his training companion Vincent Kipruto (see Rotterdam). That, too, has changed.
"Now I am 2:05, I think I am as fast as my friend Vincent," he smiled. It seemed a modest way to describe a Boston triumph.
So there was plenty to set the pulses racing, even though the season did not volcanically transform world male rankings as the springs of 2008 and 2009 did. This was a season of lesser tremors and after-shocks. Women's times seem strangely static, too, and have been for a while. Winning times stayed in the 2:22-2:26 area, commonplace stuff in the mid-1980s, before gels and texting were invented. It's as if Paula Radcliffe never happened. Surely the volcano must be rumbling down there somewhere. Aberu Kebede and Atsede Bayisa may be the next upsurge. Meanwhile, for a crumb of encouragement, London was the first time three women have gone under 2:23 in any marathon since Kastor's London in 2006 (five under 2:22).
Times help us to understand the trends historically. On the day it's the racing that matters. I shall treasure the memory of Tatyana Pushkareva (RUS) on Commonwealth Avenue, a speck becoming a dot, then a blob, then a slowly enlarging figure, and finally a very focused racer, closing and closing a gap on Teyba Erkesso (ETH) that had been 1min 30sec in the Newton Hills. At the tape it was three seconds. I love that unique marathon drama—a race that can be in truth as intense as a Bolt vs. Gay 100m, even though the contestants are out of sight of each other.
There might be 136 variations, as Twain said about the spring weather, but in the end, it's about the racing.
Roger Robinson is a writer, speaker and professor who received the 2009 Excellence in Running Journalism Award from the Road Runners Club of America. Over the course of his more than 54 years of competitive running, Robinson estimates that he's run well over 1,000 races.
Roger Robinson is a highly-regarded writer and historian and author of seven books on running. His recent Running Throughout Time: the Greatest Running Stories Ever Told has been acclaimed as one of the best ever published. Roger was a senior writer for Running Times and is a frequent Runner's World contributor, admired for his insightful obituaries. A lifetime elite runner, he represented England and New Zealand at the world level, set age-group marathon records in Boston and New York, and now runs top 80-plus times on two knee replacements. He is Emeritus Professor of English at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and is married to women's running pioneer Kathrine Switzer.


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Let's start today's post with a short exercise. Take a look at your hand–look at the patterns of veins under the surface. What does that remind you of in nature? Now, look at the creases on your fingers, again, looking at the patterns of nature. Turn your hand around and stretch out your fingers, pointing your hand in front of you. What does that remind you of in nature? Next, make a fist and keep your arm pointed out. What pattern in nature do your knuckles remind you of? Finally, turn your fist to face you. Take a look at the spiral there, in your fingers. What this exercise shows is that the outer patterns of nature, the patterns we work with in permaculture that I described in my last post in this series, are literally embodied within us. I only just shared a few of nature's patterns you can find on the human hand: the pattern of the river or leaf (veins), the pattern of the waves/clouds/sand (creases in the hand); the pattern of the river delta or branching tree (hand outstretched with fingers apart); the pattern of the mountain range (knuckles); and the sacred Fibonacci spiral (closed fist). Our bodies replicate so many patterns of nature, as we are, after all, part of nature. But we only need to look to our own bodies to remember this important fact.
The landscapes of our inner lives are rich and varied. Moving within, our minds are rich landscapes of thought, experience, wisdom; conscious and unconscious realms; these realms allow us access not only to ourselves in this life, but our higher selves. Some of us don't like to go within our inner worlds, for the fear of darkness or pain we might find there. As we grow older, time creeps up, and more experiences pile on us–things we don't want or didn't ask for entering that can weigh us down. But as the ancients understood, and certainly as many magical traditions today explore, the rich landscape of the inner realms knows no bounds and has no limitations–only those we place upon ourselves. It is another landscape, the landscape of our inner lives, and one that very directly reflects the outer landscape–the inner and outer worlds are reflections of each other, two parts to the whole.
And so, the inner landscape, the landscape of our immediate souls and inner worlds, is well worth considering through the permaculture design principles. Our bodies, and our lives, are a different of landscape from the external one that a permaculture designer would typically explore, but the principles can apply all the same. Today's post explores some tools for working with our inner landscapes and the possibility of permaculture as a framework for some of the inner work that we can do there. (If you haven't read my post on design principles, you might want to start there and then return to this one).
Spirit Principles: The Wisdom of the Bee
On the inner landscape, the principle of spirit and the magic of the bee asks us to do the work of transformation. We do not live in perfect bubbles of happiness where everything always goes as planned, and one of the key ways to stay healthy and happy is by learning to transform negative experiences and inner states into growth and healing.
Observe, Interact, and Intuit. On the inner landscape, this first principle is critically important. We don't spend much, if any time, stepping back to fully observe our own patterns, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings because we are typically up close and living those experiences. Stepping back and simply understanding those patterns is key. I want to clarify here the difference between observation and evaluation (evaluation is covered under "reflect and revise" below). The observation here is simply the act of non-judgmental understanding and acknowledgment. There are many ways to do this, including druid retreat, meditation, deep and open listening of loved ones who know you well, stepping back in an intense moment to re-see a situation, or keeping a journal of our thoughts and feelings (which can help us understand patterns in our lives). Any of these are all observation techniques that can begin to better understand ourselves and our own patterns. Once we have a sense of our own patterns, conscious, subconscious, and unconscious, we are better in a position to do inner landscape work and healing.
Reflect and Revise. Stemming from the first principle, the ability to critically reflect on our experiences and patterns and "revise" is tremendously helpful as it facilitates our own transformation, growth, and healing. This is where evaluation comes into play. It might be that we need to re-see painful or difficult experiences in our past and work to transform them. There are lots of ways of doing this, depending on the nature of a painful experience. For example, I find it helpful is to revisit an old would and explore what good has come of it (for example, I have experienced a number of traumas in my life, and it has really helped me to heal by recognizing the harm/wrong that was done, but also how I was able to transform it and use it to help others in my own life). Reflection and revision also asks us to look at where we, perhaps, wronged others or wronged ourselves and allows us to think about how we can grow to ensure that never happens again. Revision allows us to move forward with the promise of change for the future. Meditation on these issues is one of the primary tools I use for this work, although I also use the visual arts (and art journaling for healing) when I feel led.
Work on Multiple Levels. Inner landscape work, like all work, works on multiple levels within our lives. One such level is the relationship between our inner worlds and outer realities: how we manifest inner hurts or joy as our outer realities; also, how inputs from the outer realms become our inner states (see my discussion on waste for one example of this). A second way to consider this principle from an "inner landscape" perspective is that of the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious (which I consider a connection to the higher self). When we are pained, we are often not only pained consciously, but that pain works deeply within us, causing us to behave in ways that we aren't always conscious of. Sometimes, we have to work on things consciously for a time, to do some deep inner healing work. And then our subconscious and unconscious take over, facilitating healing at those multiple levels. Yet another way to think about this principle is the connections between the mind, body, heart, and spirit–understanding that all of these levels need our attention. This principle asks us to understand that we are multiple-leveled individuals, with multiple kinds of levels, and these levels always present. We can maximize our own growth by attending to them and working with them through healing, reflection, and ritual work.
Air Principles: The Wisdom of the Hawk
The air principles on the inner landscape ask us to use our knowledge and logic to work through inner problems before us. The hawk flies high, and it allows us to gain a new perspective through the application of wisdom.
The Problem is the Solution. Sometimes, limitations in our thinking prevent us from moving forward. We become stubborn, using words like "can't" or "impossible." Some people are defeated before they begin. They go to face a problem believing they will already fail, and they haven't taken the time to find the solutions through the problems they face. That, in itself, is a magical act that disempowers them! Or people use words like "I can never change" or "these problems are too big" or "this is how I live" accepting the situation and feeling defeated. We don't just hear these on the outer landscape, but we also apply these ways of thinking to our inner worlds. This is self-defeating talk, and with this talk, the problems really are insurmountable–but they need not be. There is always way forward, and this principle asks us to turn the problem on its head, look for the solution within that problem, and use this as an opportunity rather than a hurdle. I like to use discursive meditation to work through problems of this nature and see the various perspectives.
Mushroom Eyes. One of the unfortunate cultural sicknesses we have at present is what herbalist David Winston calls a "hardening of the mind." The mind, like the heart, can harden to the point where we become so set in our ways that we can't see beyond it. We close down, we refuse to see anything other than what we want to see (and for evidence of any of this, I point to the US election at present). Mushroom eyes asks us to get beyond hardening of the mind by applying multiple lenses and many approaches with which to see the world. This can mean working to see something from someone else's point of view, or someone else's set of experiences. Or to see something with our own lenses removed. It asks us to cultivate an openness and wisdom to see into the heart of issues within and without. This reseeing, through new perspectives, helps guide our inner growth with wisdom and grace. A second way of considering the principle of mushroom eyes for inner work is through the importance of the ternary and ternary thinking within the druid tradition. Western civilization loves binary thinking and often, issues are framed as having only two "sides" when the reality is that three, four, or even dozens of different perspectives may occur. I try to cultivate this practice in my own life by talking to those of diverse perspectives about their experiences, practicing deep listening, and really trying to put myself in other people's shoes. Speaking to those of different cultural backgrounds and experiences, and even visiting other cultures and places can really help us develop inner mushroom eyes!
Design from the Patterns to Details. The hawk flying high asks us to consider our overall goals and patterns, and to use those overall goals and patterns to enact change on a daily or even minute-by-minute detail. Its not enough to say "I want to change" but rather, we need to set the broad goals that can help us work down to the specifics. Articulating our overall goals, and time frames for those goals, in big terms; seeing how they can weave into the existing patterns of our lives, and then creating a long-term plan are all simple ways to develop inner landscape designs. There are lots of ways to do this: I like vision boarding, which allows my subconscious and spirit to speak, rather than using my conscious mind. Second, I like setting personal goals for myself–not just what I want to accomplish, but what I want to cultivate (like good listening skills, joy in my life, less tangible things). Setting goals, even for our own inner transformation can help fuel our growth. For example, if I wanted to work on my own sensitivity to others, I might set that as my larger goal and then set weekly goals of self-monitoring when I am easily upset or offended. I check in on the progress of my yearly goals during the eight holidays of the year–and set new "yearly" goals for my own growth and development at each winter solstice.
Fire Principles: The Wisdom of the Great Stag
Fire is the embodiment of energy and change; it is the fuel through which we enact transformations on our inner landscapes. The stag in the heat of the chase facilitates our own healing and growth.
Catch and Store Energy (Holmgren). On the inner landscape, we should pay attention to our own energy flows and find out how to best harness them–for being masters of our own energy is one way to help us grow. Ultimately, how much energy we have on a daily basis determines everything in our lives: if we can pursue and adapt to our creative gifts, if we are able to meet our goals, how we balance our life and work, how we balance other demands–attending to our energy, and harnessing it for the things we really want to manifest, is key. There are many, many, aspects to this, so I'll share a few here. First, we need to find out when we can best express our creative gifts or have the right energy to accomplish what we set to accomplish (for example, I like to write creatively during sunrise, and I drafted this post as the sun was peeking through the mountains!). Second, we can also explore ways of balancing our own energy and cultivating the positive aspects of energy in our lives (for this I like the daily protective working of AODA's Sphere of Protection and OBOD's light body exercise). Third, I've talked at points on this blog about the outer practice of using herbs for healing and support; they can be allies in helping us catch, store, and replenish our own energy. Finally, and most importantly, we need to see how our resources–especially our physical energy–is being replenished. If we are constantly drained and overworked, we are not catching and storing energy for our own growth and work that is most important to us. We need to evaluate our personal lives, work lives, and family lives to see how our energy is being used, and make sure it is in line with our goals (see above, "Design from the patterns to the details.") A really interesting perspective on life energy and work is found in a book called Your Money or Your Life–it will totally change your relationship with your work!
Spiraling Changes (Use small, slow solutions, Holmgren): Spiraling changes also asks us to attend to our energy, but in a different way. This principle suggests that when we make change, we need to make it in a way that is both slow and spiraling; these changes in our inner landscapes are more effective than rash quick ones that can't be maintained. This principle is about learning to sustain our own energy to in our inner landscapes and our own healing and growth over the long term. Spiritual development and inner work on ourselves is a long-term project; think of it like a snail shell where we are every growing, and yet, coming back around to visit things again and again from a deeper perspective. Keeping momentum going, but momentum you can reasonably sustain, is key here. I'd also mention here the use of small daily reminders and rituals that can keep you on the path of positive change: a five minute daily ritual, even, can offer tremendous growth in your life in the long run.
Creatively use and respond to change (Holmgren). When I was in North Dakota some years ago, I went on a trail ride near the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. The horses had walked this same trail so many times, that at points, the trail was at points 5 or six feet deep and quite dusty–we were literally walking in a deep rut in the desert, made by those horses feet over a period of decades. This, to me, is a physical representation of a deeper truth: how we can get stuck in the neural pathways of our own thoughts the more we engage in those thoughts. Change is a constant reminder that we either have to learn to adapt or be like those horses, only seeing the rut that we have inhabited for so long. That we are going to encounter difficulty and that things are going to change is inevitable–how we approach and use that change in our own lives determines so much of not only the immediate outcome, but the long-term growth we are able to have. A key part of this work recognizing change as an opportunity for growth. A good book on this subject is Carol Dweck's Mindsets. She describes two mindsets that people can have: growth (where change/challenge is viewed by an individual as an opportunity for growth) and fixed (where change/challenge is viewed by an individual as something to be defensive against). Its more complicated than that, of course, but these two mindsets surrounding change and challenge really do have tremendous long-term implications for our own growth and development. Seeing change in a positive light and looking for the good and opportunities even in challenging situations can seriously facilitate our own growth as human beings long term.
Water Principles: The Wisdom of the Salmon in the Sacred Pool
The Salmon and the element of water focus on interconnections and relationships—this is certainly true of our inner landscapes as much as our outer ones.
Integrate rather than Segregate (Holmgren). There are certainly many ways to take integrate rather than segregate. The one I'll focus on here, however, is one that plagues so many of those in the druid community: the desire to live a whole, authentic, and unified self. So many of us find ourselves in unsupportive environments where we don't feel we can be unified, and so, we live fragmented lives. We are "druids" in our houses or forests, and "professionals" in our workplaces and "parents" or "children" in our families…and this fragmentation grates on our souls. It takes facing your fears, cultivating the ground slowly, and really considering all aspects, for us to work to integrate our spiritual lives with our physical reality. Part of this means, of course, is finding ways of being open about who we are that allow us to navigate those tricky boundaries; the second part of this means living our principles and living in honor with the land through regenerative and sustainable living practices. A third part might involve conversations with loved ones about our paths. This work is certainly not easy, but it is worth working towards: the integration and fullness of living who you truly are. I'll be working on a post just on this topic in the near future!
Layered Purposes (Each element performs many functions, Mollison). Layered purposes suggests, on the inner landscape, that many of the things we do can have more than one purpose. One of the challenges I put before me, for any inner work, is to see if I can find more than one take away or outcome from it: perhaps meditation gives me peace of mind, helps me work through a difficult problem, and reconnects me with nature. Seeing the purpose, and the multiple purposes, of our daily spiritual practices are certainly useful!
Use the Edges and Value the Margins (Holmgren). When I was taking my permaculture teacher training course this past summer, Lisa DiPiano shared the idea of "pushing your edges." Each of us has an edge space–this is the space where we move from comfort to discomfort, the space where we don't quite feel as at home, or the space where we are really in new territory. Perhaps for our inner landscapes, these are the edges between two parts of ourselves (the "professional" and the "druid"), or the spaces between the "light" and the "darkness" within us, or the other places where we feel less comfortable. It is important to safely explore those edge spaces, as those are the spaces of the most change and growth. Lisa suggested that we all bush just beyond our comfort zone–not so far as to get overwhelmed, but just far enough to know we are experiencing the discomfort that comes from learning and growing. You might think about the edge space like the rings of a tree: a tree grows each year, its bark expanding and another layer of life being added. Each time we push our edges, we are like the rings of that tree, growing stronger and more steady the more we are able to engage those edges and integrate those experiences.
Earth Principles: Wisdom of the Great Bear of the Starry Heavens
The element of the earth and the great bear focus on the material aspects of our lives; for the inner landscape, we focus on the outcomes and resources that we have.
Obtain a Yield (Holmgren). This might seem on the surface like a principle that wouldn't fit in inner landscape work, but truly, it is one of the most important. The "fruits" of our efforts–of spiritual practice, of going into nature, of daily meditation, of inner healing work–can be difficult to measure and take stock in because the "yields" are less tangible–but not less real. I think its important to consider our yields in our own lives: what do we cultivate and bring forth? Happiness? Peace? Creative gifts? Nurturing of others? Calmness of spirit and mind? One of the ways I like to recognize the fruits of my efforts is to keep regular spiritual journals (a practice I started over a decade ago in my AODA work). Then, usually at the Spring Equinox, which was the time when I began the druid path, I take time to review one or more of those journals, and to consider my journey ahead. It is a tremendously useful practice which allows me to see just how far I've come and recognize the yields that I've gained. And, just as I discussed in the outer principle in my previous post, we need to expand our idea of "yield" to think about the many yields we can have: clarity, peace of mind, joy, creative projects, self-expression, depth and understanding, better relationships with loved ones, and more.
Waste is a resource (Mollison): As I've written about in past blog posts, we have a lot of waste in our culture, in both our outer lives and in our inner realms. On the inner realms, this often includes the wasting of our own time and energy on things that do not help us grow. I can (and have) written a lot on this subject in the past, so I'll be brief here. Monitoring our own wasted time (for most, especially with electronic devices) and turning that waste into a resource that we can use is a really important part of our inner landscape work and growth. This is not something you do once but rather is a continual process of self monitoring and adjusting. Limiting time on social media, removing television from our lives, all of these things can help us get back in tune with ourselves and turn waste into a productive resource.
Embrace Renewables (Use and value renewables, Holmgren): On the inner landscape, we might think about those things in our lives that renew and replenish (and that renew and replenish us) vs. those things that drain us (temporarily or permanently) and work to embrace renewing activities. This might mean that we spend time with certain people or we work to bring in certain activities that we enjoy and that bring us energy and peace. We don't want any "fossil fuels" in our inner landscapes, burning out and polluting the place! I think the practice of self-care fits here; it is critically important in our own inner and outer work. If we are not engaging in renewing activities, we will never be able to have enough energy for the inner transformations and healing that we seek.
Meditation: One Key to Inner Landscape Work
I want to conclude this post by offering a key suggestion for enacting many of the principles above: meditation. Meditation is a practice that can–literally–open up our inner worlds before us. There are many, many, different practices of meditation, many with different goals. Most of the meditation I do on inner landscape work is either discursive in nature (a type of focused thought) or inner journeying work. I find the more culturally dominant "empty mind" meditation or "mindfulness" meditation good for cultivating peace and tranquility, but not good for actually helping me work through various things on the inner landscape. Now, I need peace in my life and I need to learn to quiet my mind–and these empty mind kind of meditations are really good for that. But a lot of the work involved in the principles above are about directing your thinking and feeling in particular ways–and this is where I believe discursive meditation really shines. So if you are going to take up the practice of meditation, understand that there are many different kinds of meditation and that these practices often accomplish very different goals. One meditation style may not yield everything that you need; it is better to have a few different styles available to you for different purposes.
Before you can benefit from any of the deeper aspects of meditation, the first step is establishing a regular baseline practice of breathwork and calming the mind. Some good preliminaries are found here. For those seeking to establish such a daily meditation practice, I would recommend John Michael Greer's Druidry Handbook or Druid Magic Handbook for more information. The techniques which JMG teaches, including color breathing and the four-fold breath (breathing in for four breaths, pausing for four breaths, breathing out for four breaths, pausing for four breaths) are great introductory ways to open the door of the mind to deeper transformation. Once you've established a good practice, you can do some of the more advanced inner landscape work.
I hope that you enjoyed this post–I would love feedback on the concept. (As those familiar with permaculture would note that I am certainly pushing this series, and this post in particular, well beyond the typical uses of permaculture design principles). Blessings!


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Psychiatria Polska 1/2003
Leki antypsychotyczne drugiej generacji: podobieństwa i różnice 7Second generation antipsychotics: similarities and differences 7Marek Jarema, Janusz Rybakowski, Jerzy Landowski Second generation antipsychotics share some similarities but display also differences in their action. The pharmacological profile as well as the clinical efficacy and tolerability of these drugs currently on the market in Poland have been described. The analysis of their properties reveals distinct differences between the drugs. Those differences underline the value of the medications in the treatment of psychotic disorders. The differences allow tailoring the antipsychotic therapy to the individual needs of each single patient. Such a possibility to use the pharmacological agents according to the needs of the patient makes an important feature of the second generation drugs. At the same time it indicates that obvious differences in action exist inside the group.
Jadłowstręt psychiczny u dorosłych kobiet 29Anorexia nervosa in adult women 29Jolanta Rabe-JabłońskaSummaryAim and method: The author presents the clinical picture of anorexia nervosa and comorbidity in women with serious symptoms of anorexia nervosa (diagnosed acc. to DSM-IV), which appeared in adulthood, after the age of 25 years. Results: Most of these patients (25-40 years old) had mild symptoms of eating disorders (restricted anorexia nervosa), from adolescence, never diagnosed and treated, had a nondisturbed somatic state and social functioning. The worsening of psychic state and full development of anorexia nervosa symptoms occurred during stressful life event (eg. avoidance by sexual partner). The majority of those patients had present and past (from adolescence) various anxiety and depressive disorders and personality disorders (obsessive - compulsive, borderline). In most of the women older than 40 years, anorexia nervosa comorbided with depressive disorders, less often with mixed, anxiety - depressive, disorders. The symptoms occurred during menopause, after loss of life-partner (separation or death). It was not established, which of these disorders appeared as the first one. The prognosis was better for the second group of those patients.
Czynność tarczycy a metabolizm tłuszczów u osób z jadłowstrętem psychicznym 39Thyroid function and lipid metabolism in patients with anorexia nervosa 39Alicja Smorawińska, Eugeniusz Korman, Andrzej Rajewski, Alicja KarlikSummary Aim: There are clinical similarities between anorexia nervosa (AN) and hypothyroidism. Previous reports have shown (FT3, (rT3, sporadically (FT4 and normal levels of serum TSH. Method: To assess thyroid function in 36 patients with AN (4 males, 32 females the subjects ages ranged from 12 to 18 yrs) serum levels of FT4, FT3, rT3, TSH were measured. Out of this group, 24 patients have been singled out to examine the lipid metabolism by measuring the level of cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglicerides. Results: 67% (24) of the examined group resulted in low level of FT4 (0,75-0,97 ng/dcl), but ŻFT3 (=0,67 pg/ml) was only found with 1 patient. The level of rT3 (measured in 94% (34) patients) were normal. The level of TSH were low (0,87-0,97 (IU/ml) in 25% (9) of patients, but 6 of them also manifested (FT4 (0,87-0,97 ng/dcl). At the same time, we found higher level of cholesterol in 63% of patients, (HDL in 71%. It is interesting to notice that in 80% of cases with a lipid metabolism disorder we found (FT4. Conclusions: Thyroid dysfunctions may be one of the essential reasons for lipid metabolism disorder in AN.
Badanie asocjacyjne polimorfizmu genu receptora serotoniny 5-HT2A w jadłowstręcie psychicznym w populacji polskiej 47Association study of 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism in anorexia nervosa in Polish population 47Filip Rybakowski, Agnieszka Słopień, Monika Dmitrzak-Węglarz, Piotr Czerski, Joanna Hauser, Andrzej Rajewski Summary Aim: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a disorder of complex etiopathogenesis including the genetic factors. The previous studies on the role of -1438 A/G promoter polymorphism in 5-HT2A receptor gene brought conflicting results, and it is possible that the analysed polymorphism increases the risk of AN only in some ethnic groups. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of -1438 A/G polymorphism in Polish patients with AN and ethnically matched healthy controls. Method: The genotyping of 5-HT2A receptor polymorphism was performed in 67 AN patients and 114 healthy controls. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were compared with Chi2 test. Results: The deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were not observed in any group. The frequencies of A/A, A/G and G/G genotypes in AN group were respectively: 37.3%, 50.7% and 11.9%; and in the control group: 40.4%; 47.4% and 12.3% (chi2= 0.2; df=2; p=0.91). The prevalence of A and G alleles in the AN group was respectively 62.7% and 37.3%; and in the control group 64.0% and 36.0%; and did not show any statistically significant difference (chi2=0.67; df=1; p=0.79). Conclusions: These results suggest that -1438 A/G polymorphism in the promotor region of the 5-HT2A receptor gene does not increase the risk of AN in the Polish population.
Depresyjny przebieg dorastania jako czynnik ryzyka powstawania zaburzeń psychicznych - piętnastoletnie badania prospektywne 57Adolescent depression as a risk factor for the development of mental disorders - 15 years prospective follow up 57Jacek Bomba, Renata Modrzejewska, Maciej Pilecki SummaryAim: Assessment of impact of adolescent depression on the development of mental disorders, substance dependency and social pathology in adulthood, and difference of the risk between depression in early and middle adolescence. Method: In 1984 prevalence of depression was assessed in a representative sample of adolescent urban population. Kraków Depression Inventory (KID) was used as a screening tool. In 2000 all participants of the earlier phase of the study were informed by mail about the tasks of the project and asked to answer attached the questionnaire. Information on care was collected from district psychiatric hospitals and local intoxication centres. 985 letters were sent (introductory data about 50 persons were not complete). 50 letters were returned without an answer. 256 persons (168 women and 87 men) responded. Results: A statistically significant relation was observed between adolescent depression and worse general health condition and cigarette smoking. Mid-adolescent depression in men was related with a lack of significant partnership, while in women with motherhood and disrupted marriage. Early adolescent depression in women was related with less extended extra-familiar social relations. Women depressive in mid-adolescence, on the contrary, declared more relations of this kind. Conclusions: Adolescent depression screened by KID seems to influence a general health status and social relations, especially in women. The character of this impact is not clear. Gender is of a more important role in comparison with the stage of adolescence in which depression appeared.
Czynnik środowiskowy a obawy i lęki adolescentów 71The environmental factor and adolescent fears and anxiety 71Jan FenczynSummaryAim: The following article aims to show the significant part that the environmental factor plays in developing fears and anxiety in adolescence. Both literature and psychological practice underestimate the role of that factor, emphasising at the same time the influence of sex, age or various types of stimulants causing negative emotional states. Method: In order to verify the suggested hypotheses, 540 adolescents in 18 groups of 30 people divided according to sex (270 girls and 270 boys), age (90 individuals of both sex in the following age groups: 12.0-13.0, 15.0-16.0 and 18.0-19.0) originating from three different environments: big city, town and village (180 individuals from each place) were examined. The following instruments of research have been used: MPi-64 of H.J. Eysenck, STAI of C.D. Spielberger and original Questionnaire of Anxiety. Results: The results of the examination have confirmed the authenticity of the suggested hypothesis which stated that intensity of fears and anxiety depends on the types of stimulants, sex, age and particularly - on the kind of environment the individuals under examination have originated from. The second hypothesis was partially confirmed. In the group of boys the level of courage corresponded with the level of fear; in the group of girls in general the level of fear exceeded the level of courage. Conclusion: Socially-educational environment has a decisive influence on developing fears and anxiety, particularly on the intensification of those disorders. The village environment is the most conducive to developing strong fears, when the environment of a big city - the least. Other variables (sex, age, type of stimulant) have indirect influence on the substance and level of fears experienced by adolescents.
Występowanie lęku społecznego wśród reprezentatywnej grupy młodzieży z Łodzi 87The prevalence of social phobia in a representative group of adolescents from Łódź 87Jolanta Rabe-Jabłońska, Anna Dietrich-Muszalska, Agnieszka Gmitrowicz SummaryAim: Recent epidemiological studies have produced a remarkable variation in the estimated life-time prevalence of social phobia, ranking from 0.5% to 22.6%. About 95% of social phobia occurs prior to the age of 20, approximately 40% prior to the age of 10. Studies of mainly patient samples report a mean age of onset of 14.6 to 20 years. Method: In cooperation with GUS, the year 2000 we assessed with a specially prepared questionnaire including DSM-IV criteria for social phobia and CIDI, the prevalence of specific and generalised type of social phobia in a representative group of adolescent population from Łódź. Subjects of the study (n=1929) were chosen from 36450 adolescents. Results: We found, that generalised social phobia was present in 7% of subjects, specific subtype in 17% of subjects, more frequently in women than in men (p<0.05), with the same prevalence in adolescents from various type of schools. 15% of adolescents with social phobia were alcohol or psychoactive drug abusers, 5% attempted suicide. Conclusion: Only 1/4th of adolescents with social phobia was in psychological or psychiatric therapy. Subjects with social phobia have a high risk of other comorbid psychiatric disorders and significant worsening of social functioning.
Metody epidemiologiczne w badaniach rozpowszechnienia zespołu Tourette'a 97Epidemiological methods used in studies of Tourette syndrome prevalence 97Paweł Stefanoff, Jacek Mazurek Tourette syndrome (TS) prevalence was studied since the early 80-ies. Its clinical course is characterised by co-occurrence of motor and vocal tics. Results of previous epidemiological studies were surprisingly divergent: the prevalence varied from 0,5 to 115 cases per 10 000 population. The disease previously recognised as extremely rare and severe is now considered as quite common, with often moderate course. Selected methods used in studies of TS prevalence and analysis of their possible impact on study results are presented. The studies were divided into 3 groups: studies of the hospitalised population, large-scale screenings and studies involving school population, basing on characteristic and size of population, methods of selection of subjects, diagnostic and screening methods used. Studies of the hospitalised population involved patients with most severe symptoms, in different age groups, different methods of final diagnosis confirmation were used. TS prevalence varied from 0,5 up to 15 cases per 10 000 population. Procedures used in large-scale screening studies made possible the elimination of potential selection bias. Large populations were studied using transparent and repetitive confirmation of diagnoses. Their validity was additionally checked in parallel validity studies. TS prevalence was in the range 4,3 to 10 cases per 10 000 population. The highest TS prevalence was obtained in studies involving schoolchildren. Data were gathered from multiple sources: from parents, teachers and children, as well as from classroom observation. Diagnoses were made by experienced clinicians. TS prevalence obtained in school population studies was between 36,2 up to 115 per 10 000 population.
Kontakt studentów medycyny z pacjentami w czasie zajęć z psychiatrii - oczekiwania i wzajemne interakcje 109The relation between medical students and patients during the course of psychiatry - the expectations and fears 109Piotr Pankiewicz, Jowita Dejewska, Aleksander Romanowski, Mikołaj Majkowicz, Anna Nitka SummaryAim: The aim of this study was to discover methods of preparing medical students for contacts with mentally ill people and to create educational procedures considering the exceptionality of the course of psychiatry. Method: The examined group consisted of IVth, Vth, VIth - year students of the Medical University in Gdańsk. We have analysed a group of 121 students. To perform our study we have created a questionnaire with 22 questions (enclosed). Conclusions: We have founds as follows: 1. Most of the students were at first interested in the subject; 2. Almost all of the students have actively participated in conversation with the patients; 3. Many of the students were afraid of relations with the patients; 4. The most difficult cases for the students were schizophrenic psychoses and affective diseases; 5. In the students' opinion there should be less than 4-6 students in a group; 6. In the students' opinion the time spent on conversation with one patient was too short.
Skale samooceny stanu psychicznego w schizofrenii: ocena rzetelności "Skali nastawień i nastroju" (PD-S), "Frankfurckiej skali samopoczucia" (FBS) oraz dwóch skal analogii wzrokowej 121Self-rating scales in schizophrenia: assessment of the reliability of the Paranoid-Depressivity Scale (PD-S), Frankfurt Self-feeling Scale (FBS), and two visual analogy scales 121Ewa Schaeffer, Jacek Wciórka SummaryAim: To assess the reliability of the Paranoid-Depressivity Scale (PD-S, Paranoid-Depresivitäts-Skala), the Frankfurt Self-feeling Scale (FBS, Frankfurter Befindlichkeitsskala), and of two visual analogy scales of a sense of illness (WAC) and of self-feeling (WAS). Material: 210 patients with schizophrenia of various clinical courses. Method: All patients in the study group were required to complete each scale twice (test-retest) at 48hr intervals, in order to assess each method's reproducibility. In addition, the two complex questionnaire scales were analysed for internal coherence. Results: Spearman's rho correlation coefficient for reproducibility was found to be very high for all the scales. Also, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal coherence was found to be acceptably high for both complex questionnaire scales, with reference to the scales as a whole, as well as to their dimensions (paranoid and depression dimensions of the PD-S). Conclusion: patients suffering from schizophrenia can reliably use the above-mentioned scales.
Klasyfikacja Wernickego na tle innych koncepcji klasyfikowania zaburzeń psychicznych 135Wernicke's classification and others concepts of classifying mental disorders 135Tomasz Pawłowski, Andrzej KiejnaThe authors of this article on the basis "Uber die Klassifikation der Psychosen" analysis present the method of mental disorders' classification proposed by Carl Wernicke in 1899. Wernicke's classification was an alternative for other classification concepts existing in the 19th century. Carl Wernicke as one of the first noticed the impossibility of creating a classification based on etiology. Basing his classification concept on mental disorders localisation, he created an alternative opposed to classifications based on two main approaches: descriptive and etiological.