Quantum Physicists Prove That the Soul Exists!

Two world-renowned scientists of quantum physics claim to be able to prove the existence of the soul.

The scientists propose an incredible theory that states that near-death experiences happen when quantum substances that constitute the soul leave the nervous system and are introduced into the universe in general.

This concept is based on the perception of the brain as a biological computer with 100 billion neurons and synaptic connections, which act as information networks and can remain in the universe even after death, the fact that can explain the perceptions of those who almost experienced death.

British physicist Sir Roger Penrose and American anesthesiologist Dr Stuart Hameroff developed this quantum theory of consciousness claiming that human souls are located in the structures called microtubules that ‘live’ inside the brain cells.

During a near-death experience, microtubules lose their quantum state, but the information they keep is not destroyed. In other words, after death the soul does not disappear but returns to the universe. Therefore, the soul is more than just an interaction of neurons in the brain. In fact, it is created by the very structure of the universe and thus it may be as old as the beginning of time.

So, let’s say that the heart stops beating and the blood stops flowing, then microtubules lose their quantum state but the quantum information in them cannot be destroyed, so it is distributed and diffused in the universe.

If the patient has revived, then the quantum information can return to microtubules and he says that he had a near death experience. However, in case of death of the patient, the quantum information can exist outside his body as a soul for an indefinite period of time.

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Do Near-Death Experiences Prove That Consciousness Exists Outside the Brain?

Resuscitation specialist Sam Parnia continues to darken already murky waters of thanatology, by offering his colleagues to carefully examine stories of people returned from the dead. In his view, which will be fully supported by any competent philosopher, these stories shed light on the nature of human consciousness.

“Consciousness does not disappear at death. There is no such discrete point in time. Death is a process,” he claims.

In the middle of the XX century, with the discovery of methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the study of death has entered a new phase. Initially capable of resuscitating a person within few minutes after clinical death, now people who “died” more than half an hour ago can be brought back to life. New technologies developed in the recent years can yield remarkable results when the heart begins to beat after several hours of inactivity.

But let us go back to the subject. Once resuscitation had become a routine procedure, the specialists learned plenty of stories from patients containing strange fact that after death the patients continued to see and hear, although their brain, according to the medical equipment was not functioning. These stories had been told in the past, but because it was impossible to explain these visions based on neuroscience, these stories had been mostly dismissed or preserved until the time when the equipment would become more advanced, and enough knowledge about the human body would be accumulated.

It seems that these times have come: Mr. Parnia is the head of a research project AWARE, which meticulously records stories of resuscitated patients in 25 hospitals across North America and Europe. In his previous interview, Mr. Parnia briefly talked about the phenomenon of human consciousness, and this time he provides a more incisive perspective when recently interviewed for the “Wired” magazine.

First of all, it is worth noting that Mr. Parnia suggests to forget the term “near-death experience” and replace it with a post-mortem experience (after-death experience), because from a medical point of view, cardiac arrest and cessation of blood flow into the brain constitute physical death. Thus, the strange and unexplained visions experienced by patients occur after death.

Mr. Parnia found that 10% of cardiac arrest survivors recall interesting things after resuscitation. The stories resemble one another in their narrative: the state of tranquility and meeting a perfect being expressing love and compassion. The Hindus claim it is a god in the pantheon already known to them, the Christians make reference to God or Jesus, and the atheists explain it as encountering some abstract entity. Similar descriptions are given even by children three years of age. Many survivors of this experience no longer fear death, assured by the knowledge that their existence is meant to last forever.

The most important question, which Mr. Parnia is so determined to find an answer to, is when are people exposed to these visions? Could it be during a full shutdown of the brain, or during those brief moments when patients are being revived, but still unconscious?

The second option seems more convincing, but there is one problem. The truth is, when patients regain consciousness, they can recall conversations and even describe the clothes of people around them 10-20 minutes before resuscitation commences, when the brain is non-functional. Mr. Parnia, despite his interesting research subject, is a scientist to the core, and therefore he is inclined to believe that cases like these could be the result of a successful resuscitation, when the brain becomes functional sooner than expected. But this hypothesis has absolutely no evidence.

We need to emphasize here once again that when the brain does not receive blood, it does not function at all. Also, it is sometimes subjected to deep freezing to avoid killing the cells. Strange visions cannot be attributed to weak brain activity undetected by medical equipment or to some yet to be discovered part of the brain.

In this respect, the science has to answer the same question about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Materialists say that consciousness is generated by electrochemical processes in the brain, according to the law of transformation of quantity into quality. And they will add presumptuously that we can have the brain without consciousness, but can never have consciousness without the brain. However, we have just mentioned some examples when consciousness exists without a brain. The conclusion is that either we do not know enough about the human brain, or consciousness can exist apart from the brain.

To an attempt to accuse him of toying with the supernatural, Mr. Parnia responds: “We are trying to explain the situation with the help of the scientific methods, but possible explanations using science are limited. If someone says that there is something inexplicable to science, it does not mean that he is superstitious or mistaken. When electromagnetic waves were discovered, which at the time not only were unobservable, but could not even be measured, many scientists just laughed at the possibility of their existence.

To this date, not a single experiment has been conducted that would show exactly how functioning of the brain cells transforms into consciousness. It is impossible to look at a cell using a microscope and say, yeah, the test subject is now hungry. “

“Perhaps, the psyche and the consciousness”, the scientist continues, “represent unknown to science types of physical interaction that is not necessarily directly generated by the brain. Yes, the study of brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging has allowed specialists to see a connection between the excitation of a particular area of the brain, and certain processes involving conscious thinking. But it does not answer the old question about the chicken and egg problem: whether the electrochemical activity of cells gives rise to thought, or vice versa”.

The scientist also reminds his readers that it is still unknown how the brain switches between the conscious and unconscious states. If we had an answer to this question, we would be able to learn how to bring patients from vegetative state back to life or help those spending years in a coma.

P. S. In anticipation of a heated discussion which can appear as comments to this post, we would like to add the following. Philosophers have long noted the fundamental difference in the perception of the physical and conscious processes, since we cannot study these processes using the same methods or describe them in similar terms. It is mentioned, for example, in the second chapter of First Corinthians (leaving aside the religious meanings of the text), and in the famous Descartes’ “Discourse on Method”, in which the author, emphasizing this distinction, wrote that the thought does not need to be tied to a physical state or depend on any material thing. Please note that we are talking about generalized descriptive terms without trying to assess existence in a spiritual context.

Apparently, Mr. Parnia is preoccupied by the same question: how a neuroscientist could correctly describe the presence of visions when the brain is turned off, without the need to base everything on mysticism? He is not going to advocate the existence of non-material world that awaits us after death.

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5 Really Scary Optical Illusion Paintings That Will Astonish You!

Normally I don’t post the articles like this, but these pictures really astonished me so I decided to share them with the readers of my blog who love optical illusions and are fond of the paranormal.

A private collector from Spain has a unique collection of old paintings with stereo effect, which makes the image change at an angle.

At first sight, you can see a depiction of people from the past times. However, once you change the view angle, a scary picture of an evil creature will appear before you. These paintings are really creepy! Enjoy!

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Scientist Photographs the Soul Leaving the Body at the Moment of Death!

The moment of disincarnation, in which the soul was detached from the physical body, was captured by Russian scientist Konstantin Korotkov, who managed to photograph the exact moment of death of a man with a bioelectrographic camera.

The captured image shows in blue color the vital energy of the individual to gradually abandon the body, thanks to the method of gas discharge visualization, i.e. an advanced technique of Kirlian photography.

According to Korotkov, the navel and head are the parts of the body from which the energy (soul) detaches first while the groin and heart are the last zones in which the body is connected to the spirit before it leaves the body.

According to Korotkov, in some cases, it is noted how the “souls” of the people who have experienced some kind of violent or unexpected death return to the physical body days after death. This might occur due to a surplus of unused energy.

This technique was developed by Korotkov and approved as an official medical technological method by the Ministry of Health of Russia. Moreover, it is used by more than 300 doctors worldwide for the control of anxiety and recording the progress of patients undergoing treatment of severe diseases. Korotkov says the energy imaging technique can be used to monitor any kind of biophysical imbalance and diagnose in real time.

This technique, which records the stimulated radiation, is enhanced by the electromagnetic field and is a more advanced approach to the method developed by Semyon Kirlian for the aura recording.

These observations of Korotkov confirm the opinion of Kirilian that “the electro-photonic light around the edges of the fingers of a human being contains a coherent and comprehensive energy of a person, both physically and psychologically.”

In the interview, Korotkov talks about the impact of food, water and even perfumes on the bioenergy field and stresses the importance of drinking pure water and eating organic food, especially if one takes into account the extremely negative conditions of life in big cities where people are subject to continuous nutritional and technological pollution.

Korotkov also talks about the interaction of the human bioenergy fields with the environment. The bioenergy field changes at the very moment when an external factor grasps its attention, even if it is not consciously perceived.

Also the scientist warns about the use of mobile phones and the extensive radiation they emit, which is often carcinogenic, the fact that is confirmed by numerous studies.

Korotkov’s optimism for this new pioneering scientific field is obvious and justified, since, mainly in Russia, some schools teach the techniques of spiritual energy management, not as something suspicious but as a metaphysical, observable reality.

View the original article here

Quantum Physicist Claims to Have Proven Life After Death

“If a man die, shall he live again?” This age-old question of the biblical patriarch Job has occupied human minds for centuries. Now the American physicist Robert Lanza of Wake Forest University in North Carolina decided to find the answer. With the help of quantum physics, he tried to prove the existence of life after death, writes the Daily Mail.

According to Lanza, there is a theory that asserts the presence of parallel universes in which events occur simultaneously, but in different ways. Lanza believes that death is not the absolute end of life, but it is rather a transition to another, parallel world.

To confirm his hypothesis, the scientist took advantage of quantum physics and Young’s interference experiment, which proves that light is a wave and its length can be measured.

During the experiment, the light from a single source simultaneously passed through two holes in the obstacle. When passing through the holes it divided into two waves. Then, due to the overlapping waves, the segment of light behind the obstacle became brighter, while the light in the area where the waves did not overlap dimmed.

Lanza believes that, as in the experiment with the light, it is life that creates the universe, and not vice versa, so when passing through death, it continues to exist. According to the scientist, since the time of ancient Greece, when humanity accepted the biocentric universe theory, people tend to think linearly and “call sky blue, because it is as they see it.”

“But in fact, the human brain has receptors that can be influenced, and then the sky will appear red or green. We are accustomed to thinking of life as a mixture of carbonates and molecules. But this is what only our conscious mind dictates. In fact, everything can be absolutely wrong”, says Lanza.

In addition, Lanza said that without human consciousness, nothing that we see around us really exists, because it is “the mind that makes sense to the world.”

“In fact, everything you see does not exist without your consciousness. This is what makes sense to the world”, says Lanza, adding that the human mind determines the shape and size of the universe. And even the time is a product of human consciousness.

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Can the Human Soul Be Weighed?

The book “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown contains a chapter on some amazing experiments. According to the author, our soul is a material substance which can exist outside the body and can have weight. Therefore, it can be weighed. One of the characters in the book, Katherine Solomon, was able to weigh human soul. She placed a dying man (he had donated his body for scientific purposes) in an air-tight capsule, fitted with very sensitive micro weight detectors. While the man was alive, the scales showed a figure of 51, 4,534,644 kilograms. And after the old man’s death, the micro scales showed a decrease in the body weight. Brown does not specify this difference as a number, but makes a general comment: “This difference, though microscopic, is quite measurable.” This experiment allowed Brown to stipulate that the human soul does exist.

Dr. Duncan MacDougall from Haverhill (Massachusetts, USA), was the first scientist to conduct this kind of experiment in 1906, as reported by the New York Times on March 7, 1907. McDougall “detected” the change in the body weight when the person had died. The measurements were performed on a special bed, which was also a gigantic scale with high precision, and have shown that the “soul” weighs 22.4 grams. Another weight measurement of the “transient substance” was done almost 80 years later, in 1990, by another researcher – Lyell Watson from the University of New York. In his experiments, the deceased became 2.5 – 6.5 grams lighter. And almost identical results were obtained by Doctor of Science Eugenyus Kugis from the Institute of Semiconductors of the Lithuania Academy of Sciences in 2006. He found that at the time of death, the person loses between 3 to 7 grams of body weight.

It is not clear yet if the difference in weight can be attributed to the soul. But the question related to the existence of soul may be answered soon. The studies designed to prove the existence of soul have now been conducted in 25 clinics in the U.S., Canada and the UK. Dr. Sam Parnia is in charge of these experiments. He came up with an idea to test the hypothesis of human soul escaping the body after death, the phenomenon which has been persistently described by individuals who had experienced clinical death. The Doctor and his assistance place cards with written notes in intensive care wards, in places not visible to the patients from their beds, on the ceiling, for instance. The patient who becomes “dead” for a short duration, will need to read the words written on cards and then tell them to physicians. If the word is read and told correctly by one of the patients, then it is possible to say that an intelligent entity is separated from the body during death. And what else can it be but the human soul? The experiment will end at the end of 2013, and the separation of this intelligent entity from the body will be observed in 1,500 patients.

Russian scientist, the head of the intensive care unit and resuscitation, Nikolai Gubin said:

“My colleagues and I conducted experiments on mice to determine when and how the weight loss occurs when a living organism dies. Four newborn mice weighing 4 and 5 grams were injected with strychnine. After that, two of the mice were placed in the laboratory containers without lids. And the other two mice remained in tightly sealed special containers. When the mice were later weighed, it was found that the weight loss (meaning the “soul” separating from the body) occurred in the first two test subjects, which were dying in the open air. Their weight decreased by 3 and 6 mg. The mice, isolated from the outside world, had their weight unchanged. It turns out that this possible weight loss during the process of dying can be attributed to natural physical processes (water losses during respiration, heat and evaporation losses), and their effect on difference in body weight can be eliminated by sealing the test subjects undergoing the process of dying.”

In addition, it has been long known that a decrease in body weight can be recorded during sleep. In an experiment by Swiss scientists, 23 volunteers laid in bed, outfitted with ultra-sensitive scales and went to sleep. At the time when an individual transitioned from being awake to falling asleep, a weight loss between 4 and 6 grams had occurred.

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Time Travel and the Mystery of the Philadelphia Experiment

Philadelphia Experiment was a military experiment that is believed to have taken place during the Second World War. The ‘guinea pig’ of the experiment was Eltridge, a fully manned and equipped destroyer escort of the U.S. Navy, which was claimed to be rendered invisible to enemy weapons.

There are many theories that attempt to explain what exactly happened and whether the Philadelphia Experiment really took place.

Three things convince us that the Philadelphia Experiment was real. First of all, the experiment was aimed at discovering new technologies that could bring the end of the war. Secondly, the ionized gas hides from radar any object inside it; and thirdly, it is known that electrostatic fields or strong magnetic fields can hardly deflect a beam of light from its course.

The American Navy admits that the Eldridge took part in an experiment which included wrapping the frame of the ship with wire in an attempt to disable the magnetic field caused by the metal. Something like that would render the ship invisible to magnetic underwater mines, based on proximity sensors.

There were two phases of the experiment. The first took place on July 23, 1943 and the second and most important one – on August 12, 1943. During the first phase, the ship was not completely disappeared, but the footprint of the frame remained visible in water. The second time the ship disappeared completely and reappeared 15 minutes later in Virginia. When the ship returned, crew members were integrated with the hull of the ship, others were missing and others had lost their minds.

When the ship was sold to the Greek Navy, the nominal capacity had increased by 300 tons, which means that equipment had been removed from the inside.

In the mid-80s, there appeared a witness who caused a lot of noise with his statement “I was there and saw it with my own eyes.” Al Bielek claimed that he was one of two Navy sailors who worked in the control room at the Eldridge and that the crew traveled 40 years in the future and found the underground facilities of the “Montauk” on Long Island.

Einstein’s general theory of relativity argued that gravity was not a force but a classic distortion of spacetime. John Archibald Wheeler, attempting to make a summary of this theory, states that “the space acts on matter, and tells it how to move. The matter reacts back on space and tells it how to curve.”

Thus, assuming that the Philadelphia Experiment really took place and relying on this theory, we face a great technological achievement. Despite this, several answers should be given regarding what really happened to the ship and its crew. Till now it remains an unexplained mystery…

View the original article here

What Do Dreams about Dead People Mean?

Mystics claim that the world of our dreams can be a connection to other worlds, inaccessible to our waking consciousness, so it is not a coincidence that since ancient times it was believed that dreams of died people are an important sign that must not be ignored. The dead come to our dreams with a message, advice or warning that should be understood in order to avoid unnecessary troubles and keep ourselves from making mistakes.

Psychologists believe that dreams about relatives or friends who have passed away are just a manifestation of depression or feelings of guilt towards them. However, let’s take a closer look at the mystical point of view and try to understand what messages can be carried by people who are now alive only in our memories and can talk to us only through our dreams.

Modern dream books often do not pay enough attention to many important nuances: what the dead people look like in our dreams – dead in the grave, alive and happy, or they come to life right before our eyes, or maybe we just do not remember in our dream that this person has passed away long ago.

It is commonly assumed that the dream of a dead person (talking to him, listening to his advice, and doing what he tells) is a sign of unexpected news or changes in life. Christian dream interpretation books sometimes explain that we have such kind of dreams when the soul of our deceased relative or friend has not found peace yet, and advise to hold additional ceremonies at the funeral and repose of the deceased (for example, if in the dream the deceased asks for water).

Pagan interpretations of dreams that have come down to us recommend to implicitly obey everything that the dead person asks for, in order to avoid the anger of the gods. And while dreaming dead people may be scary, sometimes it can be a good omen. In case if in your dream a dead person comes back to life, it may mean that something lost will soon return (money, a thing, or even social status).

An English dream book interprets the dream of dead people as a sign of good events in the family, such as a wedding or the birth of a child or anything happy and prosperous. Another dream book says that seeing a dead relative in a dream before the wedding is a warning against the union. This dream indicates the unhappy marriage and warns that the children born in it will be sick and weak.

At this point there is no definitive interpretation, and you should always take into account many confounding factors. But most interpretations concerning dead relatives (especially parents) appearing in a dream indicate a warning of trouble. Sometimes the dreams in which a sleeping person communicates with his deceased parents, help find inner peace, confidence, and even affect the success in business and the well-being of the family.

It is also believed that it is impossible to influence the dreams in which we see our dead loved ones. Even if you manage to do it, it is absolutely useless, since it is not us who call them in, it is them who decide to come to us.

View the original article here

Couple Invents iPhone Application for Communicating with Spirits

A couple of ghost hunters from Indiana, U.S.A., claim to have created an application that allows people to communicate with ghosts with the help of their iPhone.

Passion for the paranormal has united two people Roger Pingleton and Jill Beitz. According to the couple, they always try to visit the places where strange events happen, indicating the presence of the creatures of the underworld.

Usually, those who witness the appearance of ghosts or poltergeists experience a panic fear, but as for Pingleton and Beitz, they try to understand the message of the spirits. The desire of these two people to communicate with ghosts caused the creation of the iPhone application named “Spirit Story Box”.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the application for the iPhone picks up random electrical noise and transforms it into words of a programmed dictionary. The ghost hunters hope that their development will allow people to overcome their fear of spirits, and start communicating with them.

“We wanted to let people have fun with them (ghosts). This is the essence of our invention,” says Roger Pingleton.

The couple reported that they hope to communicate with the spirits that supposedly inhabit the Richmond Museum with the help of “Spirit Story Box”.

Of course, scientists are skeptical of the application, as well as of all inventions of the kind, calling it a random word generator. Critics say that all the words or phrases are created solely by the rich imagination of naive users of smartphones.

However, there are always supporters of the new invention. Thus, the 75-year-old historian Wanda Lou Willis, who is engaged in research of paranormal phenomena, believes that “electronic devices will help in communicating with the spirits.”

“It is believed that when we die, we go to another dimension, and our soul becomes something like an electric current. Therefore it is not surprising that electricity attracts spirits. And our bodies have quite a lot electricity too. To make contact with ghosts you just need to open your mind,” says Willis.

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Déjà vu: Why Do We Have Memories Coming from Nowhere?

Deja vu is a very strange and in some cases even unsettling sensation that always causes some confusion. A certain sound, place, or sentence said by someone is perceived as something familiar and makes it feel like if we had previously found ourselves in this situation.

The first visit to a store which made you think that you have already been there once, or the painfully familiar face of a person you see for the first time are all symptoms of deja vu.

The French term déjà vu can be translated as “already seen.” However, even if we are insistently trying to recall exactly when we saw it, it is impossible. Deja vu is linked to several concepts: deja vecu – «already experienced», deja entendu – «already heard» and jamais vu – «never seen». The last term refers to the opposite phenomenon of deja vu – when a person does not recognize familiar objects.

It is scientifically proven that deja vu is experienced by almost 70 % of people, so do not be surprised if it will happen to you one day. Typically, this weird sense lasts for 30 seconds, with a few exceptions.

People have come up with a lot of explanations for this strange phenomenon. Scientists develop original theories, eastern religion links deja vu directly to the reincarnation, and psychiatrists suggest that déjà vu is a symptom of a serious mental disorder.

One of the most common explanations of the phenomenon is the influence of our past-life events and experiences on our present life. Many people, including researchers, sustain this theory.

However, it is not the only explanation for deja vu. Some experts say that people experience this phenomenon in the places they have once been to or read about, but then forgot. Thus, getting in a familiar environment, our brain revives old memories.

According to another theory, deja vu occurs because of a “lost experience.” Proponents of this hypothesis argue that it is associated with a kind of failure in the brain, which leads to the fact that new information is considered to be old, that is, the brain stores and recalls it simultaneously.

Some scientists explain the effect of deja vu with the fact that people experience it because they were once faced with a similar situation in a dream. The phenomenon occurs because the brain has already once received and processed the same information at the time of dreaming.

Another interesting theory to note is the so-called hologram theory which argues that the perception and memories are like holograms. It was originally developed by Dutch scientist Hermon Sno. Deja vu occurs when two hologram elements are formed in one piece. For example, what is happening now coincided with fleeting memories of the past and this all caused deja vu.

Despite the existence of a large number of theories concerning the origin of this mysterious phenomenon, no proof has been found so far. Let us hope that one day scientists will find the answer to this question.

View the original article here

Time Travel and the Mystery of the Philadelphia Experiment

Philadelphia Experiment was a military experiment that is believed to have taken place during the Second World War. The ‘guinea pig’ of the experiment was Eltridge, a fully manned and equipped destroyer escort of the U.S. Navy, which was claimed to be rendered invisible to enemy weapons.

There are many theories that attempt to explain what exactly happened and whether the Philadelphia Experiment really took place.

Three things convince us that the Philadelphia Experiment was real. First of all, the experiment was aimed at discovering new technologies that could bring the end of the war. Secondly, the ionized gas hides from radar any object inside it; and thirdly, it is known that electrostatic fields or strong magnetic fields can hardly deflect a beam of light from its course.

The American Navy admits that the Eldridge took part in an experiment which included wrapping the frame of the ship with wire in an attempt to disable the magnetic field caused by the metal. Something like that would render the ship invisible to magnetic underwater mines, based on proximity sensors.

There were two phases of the experiment. The first took place on July 23, 1943 and the second and most important one – on August 12, 1943. During the first phase, the ship was not completely disappeared, but the footprint of the frame remained visible in water. The second time the ship disappeared completely and reappeared 15 minutes later in Virginia. When the ship returned, crew members were integrated with the hull of the ship, others were missing and others had lost their minds.

When the ship was sold to the Greek Navy, the nominal capacity had increased by 300 tons, which means that equipment had been removed from the inside.

In the mid-80s, there appeared a witness who caused a lot of noise with his statement “I was there and saw it with my own eyes.” Al Bielek claimed that he was one of two Navy sailors who worked in the control room at the Eldridge and that the crew traveled 40 years in the future and found the underground facilities of the “Montauk” on Long Island.

Einstein’s general theory of relativity argued that gravity was not a force but a classic distortion of spacetime. John Archibald Wheeler, attempting to make a summary of this theory, states that “the space acts on matter, and tells it how to move. The matter reacts back on space and tells it how to curve.”

Thus, assuming that the Philadelphia Experiment really took place and relying on this theory, we face a great technological achievement. Despite this, several answers should be given regarding what really happened to the ship and its crew. Till now it remains an unexplained mystery…

View the original article here

Scientist Photographs the Soul Leaving the Body at the Moment of Death!

The moment of disincarnation, in which the soul was detached from the physical body, was captured by Russian scientist Konstantin Korotkov, who managed to photograph the exact moment of death of a man with a bioelectrographic camera.

The captured image shows in blue color the vital energy of the individual to gradually abandon the body, thanks to the method of gas discharge visualization, i.e. an advanced technique of Kirlian photography.

According to Korotkov, the navel and head are the parts of the body from which the energy (soul) detaches first while the groin and heart are the last zones in which the body is connected to the spirit before it leaves the body.

According to Korotkov, in some cases, it is noted how the “souls” of the people who have experienced some kind of violent or unexpected death return to the physical body days after death. This might occur due to a surplus of unused energy.

This technique was developed by Korotkov and approved as an official medical technological method by the Ministry of Health of Russia. Moreover, it is used by more than 300 doctors worldwide for the control of anxiety and recording the progress of patients undergoing treatment of severe diseases. Korotkov says the energy imaging technique can be used to monitor any kind of biophysical imbalance and diagnose in real time.

This technique, which records the stimulated radiation, is enhanced by the electromagnetic field and is a more advanced approach to the method developed by Semyon Kirlian for the aura recording.

These observations of Korotkov confirm the opinion of Kirilian that “the electro-photonic light around the edges of the fingers of a human being contains a coherent and comprehensive energy of a person, both physically and psychologically.”

In the interview, Korotkov talks about the impact of food, water and even perfumes on the bioenergy field and stresses the importance of drinking pure water and eating organic food, especially if one takes into account the extremely negative conditions of life in big cities where people are subject to continuous nutritional and technological pollution.

Korotkov also talks about the interaction of the human bioenergy fields with the environment. The bioenergy field changes at the very moment when an external factor grasps its attention, even if it is not consciously perceived.

Also the scientist warns about the use of mobile phones and the extensive radiation they emit, which is often carcinogenic, the fact that is confirmed by numerous studies.

Korotkov’s optimism for this new pioneering scientific field is obvious and justified, since, mainly in Russia, some schools teach the techniques of spiritual energy management, not as something suspicious but as a metaphysical, observable reality.

View the original article here

What Do Dreams about Dead People Mean?

Mystics claim that the world of our dreams can be a connection to other worlds, inaccessible to our waking consciousness, so it is not a coincidence that since ancient times it was believed that dreams of died people are an important sign that must not be ignored. The dead come to our dreams with a message, advice or warning that should be understood in order to avoid unnecessary troubles and keep ourselves from making mistakes.

Psychologists believe that dreams about relatives or friends who have passed away are just a manifestation of depression or feelings of guilt towards them. However, let’s take a closer look at the mystical point of view and try to understand what messages can be carried by people who are now alive only in our memories and can talk to us only through our dreams.

Modern dream books often do not pay enough attention to many important nuances: what the dead people look like in our dreams – dead in the grave, alive and happy, or they come to life right before our eyes, or maybe we just do not remember in our dream that this person has passed away long ago.

It is commonly assumed that the dream of a dead person (talking to him, listening to his advice, and doing what he tells) is a sign of unexpected news or changes in life. Christian dream interpretation books sometimes explain that we have such kind of dreams when the soul of our deceased relative or friend has not found peace yet, and advise to hold additional ceremonies at the funeral and repose of the deceased (for example, if in the dream the deceased asks for water).

Pagan interpretations of dreams that have come down to us recommend to implicitly obey everything that the dead person asks for, in order to avoid the anger of the gods. And while dreaming dead people may be scary, sometimes it can be a good omen. In case if in your dream a dead person comes back to life, it may mean that something lost will soon return (money, a thing, or even social status).

An English dream book interprets the dream of dead people as a sign of good events in the family, such as a wedding or the birth of a child or anything happy and prosperous. Another dream book says that seeing a dead relative in a dream before the wedding is a warning against the union. This dream indicates the unhappy marriage and warns that the children born in it will be sick and weak.

At this point there is no definitive interpretation, and you should always take into account many confounding factors. But most interpretations concerning dead relatives (especially parents) appearing in a dream indicate a warning of trouble. Sometimes the dreams in which a sleeping person communicates with his deceased parents, help find inner peace, confidence, and even affect the success in business and the well-being of the family.

It is also believed that it is impossible to influence the dreams in which we see our dead loved ones. Even if you manage to do it, it is absolutely useless, since it is not us who call them in, it is them who decide to come to us.

View the original article here

Do Near-Death Experiences Prove That Consciousness Exists Outside the Brain?

Resuscitation specialist Sam Parnia continues to darken already murky waters of thanatology, by offering his colleagues to carefully examine stories of people returned from the dead. In his view, which will be fully supported by any competent philosopher, these stories shed light on the nature of human consciousness.

“Consciousness does not disappear at death. There is no such discrete point in time. Death is a process,” he claims.

In the middle of the XX century, with the discovery of methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the study of death has entered a new phase. Initially capable of resuscitating a person within few minutes after clinical death, now people who “died” more than half an hour ago can be brought back to life. New technologies developed in the recent years can yield remarkable results when the heart begins to beat after several hours of inactivity.

But let us go back to the subject. Once resuscitation had become a routine procedure, the specialists learned plenty of stories from patients containing strange fact that after death the patients continued to see and hear, although their brain, according to the medical equipment was not functioning. These stories had been told in the past, but because it was impossible to explain these visions based on neuroscience, these stories had been mostly dismissed or preserved until the time when the equipment would become more advanced, and enough knowledge about the human body would be accumulated.

It seems that these times have come: Mr. Parnia is the head of a research project AWARE, which meticulously records stories of resuscitated patients in 25 hospitals across North America and Europe. In his previous interview, Mr. Parnia briefly talked about the phenomenon of human consciousness, and this time he provides a more incisive perspective when recently interviewed for the “Wired” magazine.

First of all, it is worth noting that Mr. Parnia suggests to forget the term “near-death experience” and replace it with a post-mortem experience (after-death experience), because from a medical point of view, cardiac arrest and cessation of blood flow into the brain constitute physical death. Thus, the strange and unexplained visions experienced by patients occur after death.

Mr. Parnia found that 10% of cardiac arrest survivors recall interesting things after resuscitation. The stories resemble one another in their narrative: the state of tranquility and meeting a perfect being expressing love and compassion. The Hindus claim it is a god in the pantheon already known to them, the Christians make reference to God or Jesus, and the atheists explain it as encountering some abstract entity. Similar descriptions are given even by children three years of age. Many survivors of this experience no longer fear death, assured by the knowledge that their existence is meant to last forever.

The most important question, which Mr. Parnia is so determined to find an answer to, is when are people exposed to these visions? Could it be during a full shutdown of the brain, or during those brief moments when patients are being revived, but still unconscious?

The second option seems more convincing, but there is one problem. The truth is, when patients regain consciousness, they can recall conversations and even describe the clothes of people around them 10-20 minutes before resuscitation commences, when the brain is non-functional. Mr. Parnia, despite his interesting research subject, is a scientist to the core, and therefore he is inclined to believe that cases like these could be the result of a successful resuscitation, when the brain becomes functional sooner than expected. But this hypothesis has absolutely no evidence.

We need to emphasize here once again that when the brain does not receive blood, it does not function at all. Also, it is sometimes subjected to deep freezing to avoid killing the cells. Strange visions cannot be attributed to weak brain activity undetected by medical equipment or to some yet to be discovered part of the brain.

In this respect, the science has to answer the same question about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Materialists say that consciousness is generated by electrochemical processes in the brain, according to the law of transformation of quantity into quality. And they will add presumptuously that we can have the brain without consciousness, but can never have consciousness without the brain. However, we have just mentioned some examples when consciousness exists without a brain. The conclusion is that either we do not know enough about the human brain, or consciousness can exist apart from the brain.

To an attempt to accuse him of toying with the supernatural, Mr. Parnia responds: “We are trying to explain the situation with the help of the scientific methods, but possible explanations using science are limited. If someone says that there is something inexplicable to science, it does not mean that he is superstitious or mistaken. When electromagnetic waves were discovered, which at the time not only were unobservable, but could not even be measured, many scientists just laughed at the possibility of their existence.

To this date, not a single experiment has been conducted that would show exactly how functioning of the brain cells transforms into consciousness. It is impossible to look at a cell using a microscope and say, yeah, the test subject is now hungry. “

“Perhaps, the psyche and the consciousness”, the scientist continues, “represent unknown to science types of physical interaction that is not necessarily directly generated by the brain. Yes, the study of brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging has allowed specialists to see a connection between the excitation of a particular area of the brain, and certain processes involving conscious thinking. But it does not answer the old question about the chicken and egg problem: whether the electrochemical activity of cells gives rise to thought, or vice versa”.

The scientist also reminds his readers that it is still unknown how the brain switches between the conscious and unconscious states. If we had an answer to this question, we would be able to learn how to bring patients from vegetative state back to life or help those spending years in a coma.

P. S. In anticipation of a heated discussion which can appear as comments to this post, we would like to add the following. Philosophers have long noted the fundamental difference in the perception of the physical and conscious processes, since we cannot study these processes using the same methods or describe them in similar terms. It is mentioned, for example, in the second chapter of First Corinthians (leaving aside the religious meanings of the text), and in the famous Descartes’ “Discourse on Method”, in which the author, emphasizing this distinction, wrote that the thought does not need to be tied to a physical state or depend on any material thing. Please note that we are talking about generalized descriptive terms without trying to assess existence in a spiritual context.

Apparently, Mr. Parnia is preoccupied by the same question: how a neuroscientist could correctly describe the presence of visions when the brain is turned off, without the need to base everything on mysticism? He is not going to advocate the existence of non-material world that awaits us after death.

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5 Really Scary Optical Illusion Paintings That Will Astonish You!

Normally I don’t post the articles like this, but these pictures really astonished me so I decided to share them with the readers of my blog who love optical illusions and are fond of the paranormal.

A private collector from Spain has a unique collection of old paintings with stereo effect, which makes the image change at an angle.

At first sight, you can see a depiction of people from the past times. However, once you change the view angle, a scary picture of an evil creature will appear before you. These paintings are really creepy! Enjoy!

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What women really think about travelling with men

'Oops ... we're in the wrong country. Oh well' Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

FLIRTING with foreign men, eating exotic food, guilt-free shopping and getting lost - welcome to the wonderful world of women-only travel.

Bellas Travel Nirvana founder Shauna Paine, who specialises in female-only holidays, says women have way more fun flying solo.

The Brisbane-based tourism operator, who is launching Bellas Travel Nirvana this week, says female-only adventures are literally taking off.

Here are 25 reasons why.

Setting off on an epic independent adventure. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: Supplied

1. You can go wherever you want without argument

2. You can do exactly what you want - whether that is lie by the pool, drink champagne, read trashy novels or go exploring on foot.

3. You can peruse the shops as long as you like.

4. You can buy whatever you want without someone asking "what do you need that for?"

5. You won't be embarrassed by someone's stinky farts in crowded places.

Tourists in Ubud, Bali. Picture: Lukman Bintaro. Source: News Limited

6. Instead of just picking up after someone, you can actually pick up.

7. You can choose whether there's a hot body in your bed.

8. You can stay out as late as you like.

9. You only have to look after yourself.

10. You only have to pack and repack your own bag.

This is the only luggage you have to worry about. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

11. You don't have to worry about his lost wallet, passport or sunglasses.

12. You don't have to carry his sunscreen.

13. You can walk/climb as far/high as you like without someone asking "how much further?"

14. You can take as many selfies as you want without any eye-rolling.

15. You won't have to sit in pubs or watch sport being played on the other side of the world.

‘I might cycle around all day’. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

16. You don't have to perform in bed after a full day of shopping, err, we mean sightseeing.

17. You don't have to worry about whether your man's enjoying himself.

18. You can indulge in endless massages and beauty treatments without worrying about "wasting money".

19. You won't have to endure mortifying partner moments as your man haggles over a $2 pair of thongs.

20. You won't suffer from sleep deprivation caused by his restless night in a foreign bed.

Food being prepared at a restaurant in Thailand. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

21. Your memories of amazing places won't be ruined by fights about forgetting the camera.

22. You will be able to ask for directions if you get lost.

23. You won't have to endure sulking about sore feet.

24. You won't have to tell anyone you need "me time".

25. You won't have to seek out western foods for fussy fellas.

Is this list one-sided? You betcha! But we're willing to even the score. So blokes, tell us why travel is better without women?

Continue the conversation via Twitter @newscomauHQ | @itsKShort | @shaunapaine

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Five of the best travel deals

Explore the best of Britain - including London's landmarks - with a 10-day coach tour. Source: Supplied

Take a coach to see the best of Britain

BOOK one 10-day coach holiday to England, Scotland and Wales and receive a second for free. The offer is priced from $1999 for two people booking together when booked and paid in full by November 14. Explore London, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, the Scottish Highlands, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Wales and more. Stay in 3-star hotel accommodation, travel by motorcoach, receive breakfast daily and the services of an experienced tour leader. Departures are from March to October 2014 from London.

Ph 1300 813 391 or see ditravel.com.au

Rajasthan’s attractions include the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur. Source: Supplied

Royal India

TAKE off on a nine-day Indian holiday travelling from Delhi to Jaipur from $4585 and save $1140 a person on remaining 2013/14 departures. The Splendours of the Taj Gold itinerary will take you to some of India's top hotels such as the Oberoi Amarvilas with views of the Taj Mahal, and other premium inclusions such as a gala evening at Jaipur City Palace, lunch at the Baroda Royal family's palace and an elephant safari at a private estate.

Ph 1300 237 886 or see insightvacations.com.au

Enjoy stunning scenery from the comfort of Club Med, such as these Guilin landscapes. Source: Supplied

Club Med calls

STAY in one of several Club Med resorts worldwide and save $600 a person when you book a minimum seven-night stay. The deal is available at 11 resorts including Phuket, Malaysia, Bali, China, Cancun, Mauritius, Maldives, Brazil, Turkey and France. All-inclusive seven-night packages start from $1057 an adult and $422 a child and include accommodation, three meals daily, open bar and snack service, Kids Club and return airport transfers. Valid for bookings made before November 18 and travel between November 1-April 30, 2014.

See clubmed.com.au

The Colosseum in Rome is among the many attractions to explore from the Marco Polo Hotel. Source: Supplied

Eternal City

FLY to Rome from Australia and stay five nights from $2060 a person, twin share (departing Perth). The package includes five nights' accommodation at the 3-star Marco Polo Hotel in Rome, return economy airfares with Singapore Airlines and a hop-on, hop-off, double-decker bus tour of the Eternal City. Offer on sale until November 15 and valid for travel from March 1-October 31, 2014. Departures from Brisbane are priced from $2078 per person, twin share; departing Melbourne from $2141; departing Adelaide from $2145 and departing Sydney from $2157.

See directflights.com.au

The Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort and Spa in Bali. Source: Supplied

Tasty Bali

TWO adults (and up to two kids) can enjoy an eight-night holiday at the 5-star Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort & Spa Bali for $1399, down from $3699. This offer includes accommodation in a deluxe room, VIP airport pick-up from Bali International Airport, daily buffet breakfast, a romantic three-course seafood dinner for two, a "Taste of Indonesia" lunch, a Balinese cooking course (including three course lunch), a poolside afternoon tea, eight massage treatments at Nirwana Spa, a sunset walking tour to Tanah Lot Temple, free Wi-Fi and more. Offer available for sale until October 19 and valid for travel until December next year with no blackout dates.

Ph (03) 9020 0245 or see LuxuryEscapes.com

View the original article here

Five of the best travel deals

Explore the best of Britain - including London's landmarks - with a 10-day coach tour. Source: Supplied

Take a coach to see the best of Britain

BOOK one 10-day coach holiday to England, Scotland and Wales and receive a second for free. The offer is priced from $1999 for two people booking together when booked and paid in full by November 14. Explore London, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, the Scottish Highlands, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Wales and more. Stay in 3-star hotel accommodation, travel by motorcoach, receive breakfast daily and the services of an experienced tour leader. Departures are from March to October 2014 from London.

Ph 1300 813 391 or see ditravel.com.au

Rajasthan’s attractions include the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur. Source: Supplied

Royal India

TAKE off on a nine-day Indian holiday travelling from Delhi to Jaipur from $4585 and save $1140 a person on remaining 2013/14 departures. The Splendours of the Taj Gold itinerary will take you to some of India's top hotels such as the Oberoi Amarvilas with views of the Taj Mahal, and other premium inclusions such as a gala evening at Jaipur City Palace, lunch at the Baroda Royal family's palace and an elephant safari at a private estate.

Ph 1300 237 886 or see insightvacations.com.au

Enjoy stunning scenery from the comfort of Club Med, such as these Guilin landscapes. Source: Supplied

Club Med calls

STAY in one of several Club Med resorts worldwide and save $600 a person when you book a minimum seven-night stay. The deal is available at 11 resorts including Phuket, Malaysia, Bali, China, Cancun, Mauritius, Maldives, Brazil, Turkey and France. All-inclusive seven-night packages start from $1057 an adult and $422 a child and include accommodation, three meals daily, open bar and snack service, Kids Club and return airport transfers. Valid for bookings made before November 18 and travel between November 1-April 30, 2014.

See clubmed.com.au

The Colosseum in Rome is among the many attractions to explore from the Marco Polo Hotel. Source: Supplied

Eternal City

FLY to Rome from Australia and stay five nights from $2060 a person, twin share (departing Perth). The package includes five nights' accommodation at the 3-star Marco Polo Hotel in Rome, return economy airfares with Singapore Airlines and a hop-on, hop-off, double-decker bus tour of the Eternal City. Offer on sale until November 15 and valid for travel from March 1-October 31, 2014. Departures from Brisbane are priced from $2078 per person, twin share; departing Melbourne from $2141; departing Adelaide from $2145 and departing Sydney from $2157.

See directflights.com.au

The Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort and Spa in Bali. Source: Supplied

Tasty Bali

TWO adults (and up to two kids) can enjoy an eight-night holiday at the 5-star Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort & Spa Bali for $1399, down from $3699. This offer includes accommodation in a deluxe room, VIP airport pick-up from Bali International Airport, daily buffet breakfast, a romantic three-course seafood dinner for two, a "Taste of Indonesia" lunch, a Balinese cooking course (including three course lunch), a poolside afternoon tea, eight massage treatments at Nirwana Spa, a sunset walking tour to Tanah Lot Temple, free Wi-Fi and more. Offer available for sale until October 19 and valid for travel until December next year with no blackout dates.

Ph (03) 9020 0245 or see LuxuryEscapes.com

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The best cruise holiday deals

The Dawn Princess will visit South America, New York, Rome, Singapore and Athens on its 104-night world tour. Picture: Timothy Clapin Source: News Limited

TAKE a 24-night voyage from Barcelona with its Gothic Quarter, vibrant La Ramblas and extraordinary Gaudi buildings, to the Adriatic jewel of Venice with its canals, gondolas and St Mark's Square. The holiday includes return flights from Sydney on Singapore Airlines with departures from April to October. The 26-night Magic of the Mediterranean cruise on Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam has port stops at Marseilles in France; Monte Carlo in Monaco; Venice, Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Livorno in Italy; Dubrovnik in Croatia; Kotor in Montenegro; Katakolon, Lesbos, Thira, Argostoli, Kerkira, Corfu and Piraeus in Greece; and Istanbul and Kusadasi in Turkey. The package is priced from $5999 a person, twin share.

Ph 1300 854 897 or see holidaysofaustralia.com.au

Royal connections

PRINCESS Cruises will have a record presence in Queensland next year with a host of new cruises. Roundtrip cruises from Brisbane range from seven to 104 nights. These include a 35-night Australia and New Zealand cruise on Dawn Princess sailing April 15, priced from $4499 a person, twin share; a 41-night Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific cruise on Sea Princess departing April 7, from $5799 a person, twin share; and a 104-night world cruise on Dawn Princess departing May 20, from $18,999 a person, twin share. It will visit ports in South America as well as New York, Rome, Singapore and Athens. Shorter cruises include an 11-night Fijian Jewels itinerary sailing January 22 on Sea Princess, from $1099 a person, twin share, with calls at New Caledonia, Fiji and Vila.

Ph 132 488 or see princess.com

Treasure hunting

CRUISE Express will host a new 21-day Treasures of Northern Europe and Russia cruise in May next, 2014, year aboard Celebrity Eclipse to England, Germany, Scandinavia, the palaces of St Petersburg in Russia and France. Departing Australia on May 22 , 2014, next year, spend a night in an English country manor just outside London then board the 2800-passenger Eclipse in Southampton for a 14-night voyage through the Baltic to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki with an overnight stay in St Petersburg. The tour calls at Berlin and Paris before guests return to England for three nights in London. With return flights from Australia, the 14-night cruise and four nights' hotel accommodation in England is available from $6490 a person, twin-share.

Ph 1300 764 509 or see cruiseexpress.com.au

Luxury trip around

SAMPLE the famous Cunard service on a trip aboard the Queen Mary 2 when she circumnavigates Australia next February. Sectors are available such as a 15-night cruise from Sydney to Fremantle, departing February 19, priced from $3719 a person, twin share. The full trip calls at Brisbane, Whitsundays, Darwin, Bali, Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne and is priced from $5699 a person, twin share, departing Sydney on February 19.

Ph 132 441 or see cunard.com

Fly, cruise and stay

CRUISECO'S new fly, cruise and stay holidays aboard the premium ships of Holland America Line have 15 departures between April and October next year. These 14 to 30- night holidays include return airfares and pre and/or post cruise accommodation. Prices start from $4699 a person, twin share, for an 18-night Rome return package aboard Eurodam departing April 13 to ports in Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Italy, plus a two night pre-cruise stay at the Empire Palace Hotel Rome. A 14-night Jewels of the Baltic holiday departing London is priced from $5299 a person, twin share, aboard Ryndam, including a two-night pre-cruise stay at the Waldorf Hilton. It departs on May 17 and calls at Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), Tallinn, St Petersburg for an overnight on board, Helsinki, Stockholm and Aarhus in Denmark. An Adriatic and Ancient Explorer Collectors voyage is a 26-day cruise from Istanbul to Rome aboard Noordam departing on July 12 next year and is priced from $6615 a person, twin share. The package includes two nights pre-cruise stay at the Hilton Istanbul and two nights post-cruise stay at the Empire Palace Hotel in Rome.

See cruising.com.au

Asian adventure

A 32-night cruise on board P&O's Arcadia from Sydney to Singapore plus three nights' accommodation in Singapore, a zoo tour and flight back to Australia departing on February 21, 2015, is available from $6899 (Perth) $7169 (Adelaide and Melbourne), or $7179 (Brisbane and Sydney) a person twin share. Port calls include Kota Kinabalu, Manila, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Laem Chabang and Sihanoukville. Offer is valid to December 31 this year.

Ph 132 757 or see harveyworld.com.au

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This is the coolest world map, ever

Map of what each country leads in the world in. Picture: Doghouse Diaries Source: Supplied

DID you know that Australia has the most deadly animals, deadly shark attacks and highest rate of melanoma in the world?

Gotta be proud of that, right?! Umm ...

A new world map created by comic website Doghouse Diaries highlights what each country around the world leads at. And the results are bound to raise a few eyebrows.

The map was based on articles from Wikipedia so may not be the most accurate, but it sure is amusing.

"Most countries lead the world in something," Doghouse Diaries artist Ray Yamartino said. "Sometimes good things, sometimes not so good things, and sometimes funny things. This map shows what each country does best compared to all other countries."

Here are some of the highlights:

Russia: Raspberries and nuclear warheads

Cameroon: Killer lakes

Mongolia: Velociraptor bones

US: Death by lawnmower

Mexico: Getting struck by lightning

South Africa: Ostriches

Finland: Coffee-drinking

Spain: Cocaine use

Canada: Maple syrup and asteroid impacts

New Zealand: Sheep and rugby

Malaysia: Caves

Greenland: Personal space

Ireland: Highest quality of life

Democratic Republic of Congo: Pygmy chimpanzees

Cambodia: Longest alphabet

India: Movies

South Pole: Emperor penguins

Sweden: Atheism

Japan: Robots

Click here for a full-sized version of the map.

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Now or never: Tourist attractions under threat

The citadel of Aleppo. Picture: Zachery Baumgartner, Flickr Source: Supplied

A boy plays at the citadel. Picture: Karmel80, Flickr Source: Supplied

THE cultural heritage of the entire country of Syria and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, US are among the diverse cultural heritage sites threatened by neglect, overdevelopment or social, political and economic change, a preservation group announced.

The World Monuments Fund's watch list for 2014 includes 67 sites in 41 countries and territories, from Japan to the US.

The New York-based group has issued its watch list every two years since the mid-1990s to call attention to important landmarks threatened around the world in an effort to promote awareness and action. The list was assembled by a panel of experts in archeology, architecture, art history and preservation.

"Some sites are famous, others struggle for recognition," said Bonnie Burnham, president of the organisation. "It is our goal to help as many as possible.

"For some sites, inclusion in the Watch is the best chance to survive."

The list cited escalating violence in Syria for the devastating effect on some of its monuments, including the citadel of Aleppo and the fortress of Qa'lat al-Mudique.

Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch, a mid-century modern structure, was at risk due to "encroaching corrosion," the result of the challenges its extreme height and design presented for its preservation, the group said.

Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch. Picture: Teemu008, Flickr Source: Supplied

It also singled out the Hudson River Palisades, saying the planned construction of a commercial building nearby would spoil views from the cliffs on both the New Jersey and New York sides of the river.

Among the list are three former industrial sites in England - the Grimsby Ice Factory, Battersea Power Station and Deptford Dockyard - obsolete structures the fund said could be converted for cultural and community purposes.

The list also includes Yangon, Myanmar, whose religious structures and late 19th- and early 20th-century colonial buildings were threatened with destruction from the demand for commercial and residential properties, the fund said.

Yangon. Picture: Imke.stahlmann. Flickr Source: Supplied

US sites on the list also included sculptor Donald Judd's buildings at The Chinati Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas; Frank Lloyd Wrights' Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin; and woodworker George Nakashima's house and workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The modern heritage sites were included because they all require creative approaches to their conservation, the fund said.

Also on the watch list are places threatened by what the fund called "large-scale cruise-ship tourism".

It said Venice, Italy, was a dramatic example of that, and said it hoped that placing the ancient city on the list would lead to an analysis of the adverse impact large vessels were having on the environment.

See more at the World Monuments Fund's website.

Venice is also under threat from cruise tourism. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

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The world's most intriguing cities named

Athens, Greece, is in the running to be one of the new wonders of the world. Picture: Supplied Source: News Limited

THE hunt is on for the most intriguing city in the world.

From Casablanca to Athens, Doha and Prague, 28 finalists have been chosen as part of a new New7Wonders campaign.

Created by Swiss-born filmmaker and explorer Bernard Weber, more than 100 million votes flooded in back in 2007 when he asked the world which seven wonders were the greatest. The Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China were among the winners.

This time, the focus is on city wonders.

"This outstanding shortlist of 28 cities mirrors the diversity of urban society, especially when, for the first time in history, more than half of our planet's population lives in cities," Weber said. "Going forward, the New7Wonders Cities campaign will encourage debate about how cities should respond to the challenges of the present and the future. By voting in this worldwide campaign, people everywhere can decide the seven cities that best represent the achievements and aspirations of our global urban civilisation."

There are three more elimination phases, and the competition will end on December 7, 2014.

The 28 finalists:

• Athens, Greece

• Bangkok, Thailand

• Barcelona, Spain

• Beirut, Lebanon

• Casablanca, Morocco

• Chicago, US

• Doha, Qatar

Doha, Qatar. Picture: Getty Images Source: Supplied

• Durban, South Africa

Cabana Beach, Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, South Africa. Picture: Jody D'Arcy Source: Supplied

• Havana, Cuba

El Capitolio in Havana, Cuba. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Istanbul, Turkey

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Batu Caves at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

• Kyoto, Japan

• La Paz, Bolivia

• London, United Kingdom

• Mendoza, Argentina

• Mexico City, Mexico

• Mumbai, India

• Perth, Australia

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Prague, the Czech Republic

Prague. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

• Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador. Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

• Reykjavik, Iceland

The Reykjavik skyline. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

• St. Petersburg, Russia

• Seoul, South Korea

• Shenzhen, China

• Vancouver, Canada

• Vigan, the Philippines.

View the original article here