Wednesday, April 30, 2014

GMA I Juander Interview: Telekinesis: Can you Move Objects with your Mind? (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)


Telekinesis is the ability to move objects through mental power or by bio-energetic means.  Do I believe that telekinesis is possible?  Of course, I do.  Not only have I actually witnessed people with remarkable telekinetic abilities, I myself have been successful in doing some little telekinetic experiments of my own.  


My interest in paranormal abilities (telekinesis, spoon-bending, levitation, fire-starting, etc.) began in my high school years at the Ateneo de Manila University.  Some schoolmates and I established the Parapsychology Club wherein I served as its first President.  Under the guidance of Jesuit Fr. Francisco Perez, our aim was to develop our human potential to the fullest, and that included sharpening our mental and psychic abilities. 
 

The basic telekinetic experiment we would do was to try to move a short piece of straw, suspended in the middle of jar by a string attached to the jar lid.  Sometimes, we would place the jar inside a bigger jar just to make sure that wind wasn't a factor in causing the straw to move.  The apparatus would look like this:


Telekinesis is an easy thing to do on this apparatus.  With mental intention, I simply create an energy field between the palms of my hand and as soon as the energy field is strongly and thickly felt, I use it to move the straw in the bottle.  People who can create a strong energy field can move the straw even if they are a long distance away from the bottle.  Some scientists explain that the energy field consists of a cloud of biophotons (also known as an 'energy ball') emitted from the palms which become dense enough to move objects.  


After all these years, I've remained an amateur with regards to my telekinetic abilities.  Well, that's because I haven't really been practicing my skills.  Nevertheless, I am utterly amazed at the fact that we all have these hidden abilities within us just waiting to be unleashed.  Since these are God-given psychic abilities, it is our responsibility to develop them and find some creative use for them in the service of all humanity.      

Tasha Olivar and Red de Jesus of GMA I Juander

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Pinoy Big Brother Season 5 ‘PBB All In’ Housemates Revealed! (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)




Having psychologically screened each one of them during the auditions, I just have to say that they're all interesting characters who will all make good psychological case studies! Let me have the honor of introducing the "human lab rats" a.k.a. "housemates" to enter the social laboratory called Bahay ni Kuya. They are:

Rising Celebriteen ng Quezon City:  Jane Oineza


Jock-Next-Door ng Taguig:  Alexander David Torres



Devoted Daughter ng Las Pinas:  Jayme Ann Jemimah Jalandoni



Simpatikong Salesman ng Cam Sur:  Chevin Klein Cecilio



Talented Darling ng Pasay:  Josefina Loisa Andallo



Tatay’s Boy ng Batangas:  Joshua Garcia



Sweet Revelation ng Makati:  Nichole Kim Baranda


Sassy Sister ng Rizal:  Alex Gonzaga


 
Dancing bombshell ng Boracay:  Maina Tutt



Spunky Spiker ng QC:  Michelle Theresa Gumabao



Cutie Crooner ng Paranaque:  Jacob Gayanelo



Biba Raketera ng Valenzuela:  Princess Mae Veneracion



Brad Bait ng Pasay:  Roberto Pagotan IV



Brad Kulit ng Pasay:  Roberto Pagotan V



Lady Mahinhin ng Bacolod:  Vickie Marie Rushton



Maginoong Marino ng Quezon:  Ranty Portento



Singing Sunshine ng Davao:  Mariestella Racal



Wonder Son ng Quezon City:  Manolo Pedrosa



As their adventure begins, so does our voyeurism into their lives!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Bigating Pagtatapos ng Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition Doubles: The Winners! (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)


As their life coach, I accompanied them in their journey from thick to thin.  I am simply amazed by how valiantly they fought the battle of the bulge!  Just look at these losers now!


Grand Prize Loser Bryan Castillo!








1st Runner Up Kayen Lazaro!





2nd Runner Up Francis Asis!



4th Runner Up Mommy Osie Nebreja!



Certified losers all; epic failures at being unhealthy!


Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Psychology of Kulam: Mommy Dionisia and her Voodoo Finger (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)


Behind every man’s success, they say, is a woman. For Manny Pacquiao, the woman behind his victory over Timothy Bradley might very well be his mother, Mommy Dionisia. 


In an 11-second video clip that went viral, Mommy Dionisia was shown squirming anxiously in her seat and then forcefully thrusting her middle finger towards the boxing ring as if she was blasting Timothy Bradley with a voodoo hex. Netizens quickly tagged Mommy Dionisia as a sorceress of sorts whose voodoo powers helped her son win. If this was true in any way, it only proved that Bradley’s powerful fists were no match against Mommy Dionisia’s middle finger.

While Mommy Dionisia’s flamboyant mannerisms may have spurred jokes about hexes, curses, and spells, it did make some people curious about what voodoo really is.


Mommy Dionisia's voodoo finger video!

Voodoo is a religion which originated in Africa 6000 years ago and is most popular in Haiti and New Orleans. Just like most ancient religions, voodoo rituals involve singing, chanting, dancing, drumming, and animal sacrifices. During the rituals, people get into a trance that allows deceased ancestors and spirits to enter them so that they can receive spiritual teachings and advice. Voodoo rituals also use spells for healing, for love, and for luck. But what people fear most are voodoo hexes and curses that cause illness, bad luck, or even death.


In the Philippines, hexes are known as “kulam” and are performed by a “mangkukulam” or local witch. It is in the provinces of Siquijor, Sorsogon, Samar, and Leyte that the practice of kulam proliferates. For Pinoys, the most common reasons to employ the services of a mangkukulam include: 
  • Taking revenge on a person who has betrayed them in matters of love or money 
  • Taking revenge on an abusive person 
  • Edging out a competitor. 

Before a hex can be made, the mangkukulam will require an object that represents the intended victim. Using the blood, hair, or saliva of the intended victim is said to make the kulam more powerful. Through the recitation of Latin prayers, t
he mangkukulam calls upon spiritual forces to assist her. She then ensnares the victim’s soul by tying a string around a doll that represents the intended victim. Finally, the kulam is inflicted on the intended victim by pricking the doll with needles, burning it, hitting it or immersing it in water.

You’ve probably heard real-life stories of people getting sick or dying from a hex. This is also known as voodoo illness or voodoo death. Psychiatrists hypothesize that when a person discovers that he had been hexed, he develops an intense psychological terror which causes 
an overload of stress hormones to be released, thereby making the brain and body organs malfunction. What happens here is called the “nocebo” effect (opposite of placebo) wherein people who are told that they will experience something bad actually anticipate and experience it. Thus, psychiatrists are prone to believe that it is not the hex per se that sickens or kills people, but the intense fear that overwhelms them. As for those people who get sick or die without any knowledge that they were hexed, their illness or death probably happened by chance.  Or who knows?  Perhaps paranormal forces were really at work. 


In order to break a hex, some strategies which people use include the following:

  • Making a doll that represents the mangkukulam and binding it up to paralyze its power
  • Making a doll which represents the victim and redirecting the hex to the doll as proxy 
  • Wearing protective amulets 
  • Using mirrors to reflect the hex back to the mangkukulam. 
Of course, Christians turn to prayers, biblical verses, and fasting as they invoke the Holy Spirit for healing and protection.

To conclude, here are some thoughts to reflect on:

  • For those of you who perform kulam or throw hexes, be reminded of the law of karma: whatever you sow, that you will also reap! 
  • For those of you who employ the services of a mangkukulam, you are most likely an angry, vengeful, and desperate person. You are better off approaching a psychotherapist who will help rid you of emotional baggage and guide you towards forgiveness. 
  • And lastly, for everyone else, be reminded that the opposite of throwing hexes is blessing others through prayers, good thoughts, kind words, and kind deeds.  Wouldn't our world be wonderful if everyone did just that!

   

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Yahoo Article: The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride Called Bipolar Disorder (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)



 The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride 
Called  Bipolar Disorder
by Randy Dellosa

Two weeks prior to her fatal leap from the 28th floor of her residential building, socialite-model Helena Belmonte tweeted the message, “Slash my wrists and hope to die!”


Helena Belmonte

Most people harbor the belief that those who are truly suicidal do not go around announcing their plans to commit suicide.  Unfortunately, that belief is a mistaken belief.

Helena cried for help

The truth is that many suicidal people can actually be saved because they call out for help by giving hints of their suicidal intention.  For Helena, it just wasn’t a subtle hint she gave. She posted a direct message to her thousands of followers on Twitter, warning them all of the possibility of killing herself.  Sadly, the post was generally unheeded by most of her followers, with 8 people even favoriting the tweet and 10 people retweeting it.

How alcohol didn’t help

A few hours before her tragic fall, she was reported to be partying with too much to drink. Getting drunk was probably what sealed her fate.  

First of all, alcohol removed her inhibitions and made her carry out the impulse to jump off the building.  

Secondly, alcohol is a brain depressant and it may have intensified her depression and death wish.  

Thirdly, alcohol doesn’t mix well with psychiatric medications. The alcohol Helena drank would have interacted badly with any psychiatric medication in her system, possibly worsening her mental confusion and emotional instability.

Whatever her problems were, the only thing that could have saved the impulsively unpredictable and suicidal Helena at that time was psychiatric confinement and intensive monitoring until she regained mental calmness and emotional composure.

Helena’s illness

So what is this bipolar disorder which Helena was reported to have?


Mel Gibson

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition which involves extreme mood swings. “Bipolar” means “having two poles” which refer to mania and depression. Hence, bipolar disorder is also known as “manic-depressive” disorder.  People who suffer from bipolar disorder swing alternately from having long bouts of depression to having long bouts of mania.

The manic stage

People with mania act like they are on shabu or some other type of upper. Mania is characterized by:
  • An extremely happy or angry mood
  • Having grand and unrealistic ideas
  • Extreme talkativity
  • Hyperactive thinking
  • Hyperactive behaviour
  • Impulsive behaviours such as overspending or giving away things
  • Shortened sleep



Ben Stiller

The depressive stage

Depression, on the other hand, is characterized by:
  • Lingering feelings of sadness or irritability
  • Loss of motivation, initiative, and zest for living
  • Low energy level
  • A pessimistic mindset full of worries, fears and concerns
  • Losing appetite or over-eating
  • Insomnia or over-sleeping
  • Negative self-image and low self-confidence
  • Poor concentration and memory
  • Self-harm or suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Cause and treatments

Bipolar disorder is caused by neuro-chemical imbalances in the brain.  Thankfully, bipolar disorder is a very treatable condition.  The essential treatment for bipolar disorder consists of mood-stabilizing medication.


Catherine Zeta-Jones

Improvements

In my clinical practice, most people with bipolar disorder experience significant improvement within 2 to 3 weeks of taking the right medications at the right dosage.  


Psychotherapy is also necessary because emotional problems often trigger the bipolar disorder.  

Wellness therapies like acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, massage, and exercise are all beneficial. 

Omega-3 fish oil and high-potency vitamin B complex are helpful supplements to take.

The disorder as an excuse?

In the Philippines, a number of celebrities are reported to have bipolar disorder.  It seems however that some of them are using the disorder as a convenient excuse (or license) for their wayward attitudes and behaviors.

While some Filipinos consider it shameful to have the disorder, others actually consider bipolar disorder as a status symbol since many prominent people in the U.S. have it.


Jean Claude Van Damme

Living a normal life with the disorder

As a psychiatrist, I tell people that having bipolar disorder shouldn’t be an impediment to living a normal life.  Jim Carey, Ben Stiller, Mel Gibson, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all lived highly productive and successful lives despite being manic-depressive.

People with bipolar disorder can certainly recover and become emotionally stable. In fact, with proper treatment, no one might even notice or suspect that they have the condition.


Jim Carey