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Knife Crime Poems by © Allan Bennett
Seeking Fame Allan Bennett 04.11.18
Trap house , county lines ,10g’s in my pocket ,not even mine.
Big man says “your fame will come in time”
Big man cannot afford to do time so he’s busy wasting mine.
He snatches the Gs , tosses me a half eaten makky D.
This shits not fine , he points a finger “Your arse is mine”.
Time for bed ,feel like i’m dead.
Filthy matress with spots of red ,
stale sweaty sex and rat piss is where I lay my head.
The sun comes up , my teeth are yellow matching the sun’s colour.
Time to up my game , time to switch the lane.
Yo fam meet Rambo , 9 inches long , tonight cheffin is my aim.
High on Drill and weed , the posse rides hard at breakneck speed.
“Hold it bruv , He’ll do , he aint B19 ,he ain’t from this crew”.
Without warning your aim is true , Rambo peirces his heart .
Like a light switching off , his soul departs.
Linton Kwesi Johnson springs to mind
That mournful lyric from his lengthy rhyme.
“Steelblade drinkin’ blood in darkness”,
Now we’ll witness a mother’s sadness.
In , out and back to his pouch tearing muscle and sinue en route.
Spraying like a hose ,the warm glistening crimson fills the air.
Oh my lord more despair.
Next day on road , whispers of the latest killin.
BBC gives it top billin.
KFC for forty pound , nuff man dem come around.
Hold it Bruv i’ve seen that geeza , the sleep over ,remember?
That red top , the frayed sleeve ,the hole in the shoulder , it’s yours.
You cheffed your cousin from Jamaica.
I jerked forward spilling the contents of my guts like a pavement pizza.
Blue lights surround the house , this fame is my end game.
BUSS CASE AIN’T DA CASE
Recruited at nine you take on a new face.
Pistol whipped ,stabbed ,busted mouth ,they show you no grace.
Of your innocent youth , remains no trace.
In your heart , family have no place.
Moulded ,transformed and transported to an evil place
where death for you , a newly acquired taste.
Pulled by the police , you laugh in their face.
Age is your defence,for you ,jail is not the place.
You knowingly smile , you got off with this one.
Freedom you embrace believing you buss case.
Be sure ,” buss case ain’t da case”.
The system professes “in time , in time , you will be mine”.
Keep committing your crimes , at 14 we will draw the line .
By hook or by crook “ YOU WILL BE MINE”
Our pipeline to prison is organized , functioning and fine.
For you , we reserve a measured space ,
deemed to be your final resting place.
buss case ain’t da case.
Allan Bennett
14.06.19
Windrush , Windrush I hear your cry
Windrush , Windrush I hear your cry.
Citizens of Britain ..a total lie!
40,50 ,60 years , under Theresa May you have no leave to stay.
40,50 ,60 years ,we did our best , paid our dues now seeking rest.
Windrush , Windrush I hear your cry.
Citizens of Britain .. a total lie!
Deuteronomy 28:65 warns us:
With vexation I want to cuss.
65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest.
May , Rudd and Javid put us to the test.
The deciet and lies did not go as planned , deportation for every man.
We raised a ruckus and made our stand.
Windrush , Windrush I hear your cry.
Citizens of Britain.. a total lie!
Stripped of everything , Identity , homes , pensions , falsely imprisoned ,even left to die.
Ripped from our families like a slave to be sold , yes , oh yes it has to be told.
Windrush , Windrush I hear your cry.
Citizens of Britain.. a total lie!
Allan Bennett
15.02.19
STONE CAT
Stone cat , Stone Cat , upon the harsh gravel you have been sat.
So still, lacking in will, rooted and powerless but I beckon you still.
Our every encounter is the same.
You stare ,but yet do I glimpse a soulful imaginary tear?
You change with the seasons , soaking up summer’s warmth inviting your owners touch.
Winter approaches , extracting your embedded summer’s warmth.
Give it up , give it up, winter demands.
Now stone cold and uninviting , your owners touch invokes recoil and is seasonally absent.
Stone cat , Stone Cat , upon the harsh gravel you have been sat.
Allan Bennett
14.06.19
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The Unseen World
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
The Unseen World is a world that is hidden from many of us. It’s in plain sight
but we cannot see it. It’s like something that is in front of us but we never
noticed it before. Like, we look in a mirror and we notice something that has
always been there – but we sometimes need to take a second look.
You know the expression that people see the world through rose tinted
glasses or dark glasses? What you need to remember is that we have a
choice, even though we think we haven’t – as you will see – we do.
The Darwin Matrix process provides powerful insights into how we might be
happy as human beings. This is not a religious process, but a spiritual one. It is
designed to help people of all ages overcome anxiety, depression, suicidal
thoughts and feelings of despair. It is entirely free and is recorded and promoted
as a leadership and well being process, that builds in resilience. It has been
adapted from best practice at the worlds top Universities and learning
organisations. see awarenessproject.co.uk
Bad things happen, and we may suffer, but suffering or the degree of
suffering is choice not a destination.
This implies that our past experiences may have created who we are today,
but we don’t need to hang on to the past. This is perhaps easier said that
done, but it can be done. We can change the way we think.
A dear friend of mine confessed that she had been sexually molested by a
priest when she was very young. I wasn’t probing into her private life – she
just felt she could trust me. Though the experience was a bad one and it had
affected her deeply the real issue was that she felt was that it affected her
ability to have relationships – but she didn’t know how. The obvious immediate
reaction you could understand – was that she didn’t trust men for a long time.
She also believed that her first choice in marriage was a bad one, in that she
had sought a relationship which compounded her feelings of insecurity rather
than released her. He was abusive and what made the situation a lot worse
was that he abused her daughter. They are no longer married.
The reason I mention this episode was that it illustrates a keen point – that we
are indeed a product of our past experience – but we do not need to be
possessed or controlled by those bad experiences. If we allow these bad
experiences to dictate how we behave and make choices then we are at the
mercy of those events. This is a choice. You may say that in the whirlwind of
the traumas she experienced that she wasn’t in a position to make choices
and there is some truth in that. However, if she understand what is going on
around her – she might realise that she always had a choice but felt she
didn’t. The priest would have used his influence of trust to abuse her. As a
young girl she would be encouraged to be in a world where saying “Yes” to
please someone is the norm.
This is an important starting point on our journey of self realisation. Learning
how to say “No” –
No is the most powerful word in the English language. It is also where respect
begins. My own children were always encouraged to say No – not as a defiant
stance, rather as a means of giving them the right to have a choice. All of my
children have this right, even today and they all are grown up.
You may disagree with this approach – but actually, it does not incur
disrespect – but exactly the opposite. As a means of building self-esteem the
ability to choose has always been an empowering aspect of personal
development. It’s when we don’t think we have a choice that things can come
off the rails.
Can we change the way we think? Why would be want to?
In the case of my dear friend if she had more choices and could have said
No, certainly with her marriage choice, you could argue that she may have
been better prepared to make choices that created less problems in her life.
The relationship with her daughter was deeply affected as you might imagine.
Wouldn’t it have been better if she knew that she had choices in the first place
– rather than going with the ‘yes’ flow?
Neuroscience research has proved that the brain has plasticity – in that it can
change the way it thinks. New programmes can be created including new
ways of thinking – this is an exciting revelation that we will come back to later.
First of all let’s examine something fundamental with our brains.
The brain is a purely predictive device. Anxiety kicks in when things happen
that we have no control over (or we may think we have no control).
We cross the road, it is empty, we feel safe to cross. We cross, we are not
anxious. All good. When we are children we develop according to the whim of
our parents who are the guardians of our safety. We trust them implicitly to
keep us safe. In the real world they might make mistakes, but we still trust
them. We don’t question their authority. I remember a time when I nearly
choked on a fatty piece of bacon – although it was traumatic and I nearly died
my father insisted that I eat the fatty bacon a second time. To this day I
cannot eat fatty bacon without throwing up. My brain predicts that this can
cause my death so – it acts to protect me. We are all subject to these primeval
urges of self protection and prediction, that is what helps us to avoid
situations where we might feel threatened. On the other hand – when things
get complex and are traumatic, the brain can play tricks on us – we can be
drawn into those situations.
One can seek anxiety in the world even though one may fear it. This may go
against the accepted wisdom of the psychiatrists and doctors, but how then
can we explain people accepting back or even wanting or gravitating to
abusive relationships?
The brain is indeed a complicated beast and my contention is that by
understanding why we behave the way we do – is the way we can release
ourselves from the constraints of our own thinking. We are in effect in a
prison of our own making, and it is only by understanding that fact – that we
can free ourselves from our own internal baggage. The baggage that wears
us down and plants doubts in our minds and makes us impotent – we cannot
move forward and we cannot move backwards. It’s only by knowing where we
are and peering into a future that we can predict that we can have some
measure of happiness.
Anxiety then is caused by not being able to predict the outcome, worse still is
anticipating a danger – that our brain wants us to avoid.
However, as real as the anxiety or fear may be – if we can find the key to
unlocking that fear – why wouldn’t we use it?
We all know about causality – that one thing can cause another right?
However think for a moment – maybe there is a different truth we should
explore? What if the trauma (which exists in the past) controls our future?
Surely we may be affected by it – but we can control its influence if we so
wish, otherwise we are always at the mercy of what life throws at us! Again,
this is a choice, not a destination.
Nothing is determined by abuse or trauma, only our interpretation of what it
may mean to us. I am reminded of Kelda Wood, a great woman athlete who
had an accident that crippled her chances of horse-riding in the olympics – did
her world collapse? She chose not to have the path of being a victim of
circumstances, she chose instead to be an athlete in rowing. When she just
failed to qualify, she set up a charity to help other young people who had
suffered similar disappointments – and rowed the Atlantic to raise money for
her charity. Sometimes the negative experiences when interpreted in a
positive way can give our lives meaning.
Automatic response, is the first level of conscious awareness that we need to
understand and in some cases overcome.
Anger – what is it.
An emotional outburst based on an automatic response, Someone cuts us up
at a roundabout. A bad driver nearly hits us. Maybe someone just stood on
your foot? Whatever it may be, our first reaction may be one of anger, to
somehow hit back. If we are at the mercy of an automatic emotional response
then we cannot hope to control the forces that exert themselves upon us. If
we were a small sailing ship in an ocean of waves, we would just be bobbing
around. We would quite literally be at the mercy of waves, the weather and
and the winds.
What if we could resist the urge to hit back? what if we could control our
automatic feedback? Are not these responses the stuff of leaders?
If someone at a roundabout upsets us and we still angry 3 hours later and we
started quarrelling with our loved ones, you may well ask who is in control??
You – or the person who cut you up at the roundabout?
This is what I mean by an automatic response. Instinctively, your heart might
pound at the time, your face may grow the colour of crimson. However, with
some physiological input you might control these automatic responses.
Fold your arms for a moment, then unfold them. Now fold them again but with
the other arm on top. Something strange has just happened. You have just
undone your automatic response. You have overridden your programming,
just for a moment. Habits and programming are built up over many years –
and we can choose (if we so wish) to undo them. So it is the same with
plasticity in the mind – we can choose to override the programme, indeed we
can override the negative thoughts if we so wish it. How you may ask??
Well, there is an exciting process called EMDR which is an abbreviation for
Eye Movement Desensitising and Reprocessing. It’s a method that has been
hailed a breakthrough in trauma the world over. It began in the United States
by a therapist named Shapiro. She noticed after a recent upset, that when
she walked in the park, she had a habit of looking right to left, then left to
right. The eye movement she noticed after a few minutes reduced her trauma
and her feelings of unease.
Something in the brain was able to process in a good way the feelings of
trauma, she just had to focus on the upset. Subsequently she found that any
stimulation right to left, whether it was a vibration or a sound would trigger
similar processing that would alleviate the trauma. The key is to focus on the
trauma. Floods of tears are followed by an enormous sense of relief. Rape
victims have particularly found this helpful. This is well documented.
Similar to EMDR is EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). The idea is to
focus on the block or upset and to tap on the temples and other key areas of
the face such as just below the eyes on the cheek bones. The point here is
that the Health community resisted EMDR for many years. Then enterprising
bosses in the Health profession decided they could make money out of it, so
they legislated to make it difficult for anyone to access these techniques. The
technology consisted of a light bar about 3 foot long containing LEDs that
moved from left to right. Fortunately it is used more and more by cognitive
therapists and the like, though with anything new it is still resisted despite its
effectiveness.
A word about tone of voice.
One can always tell when someone is angry, but what if we could control that
anger and speak in a calm voice? If we have the control – we would like to
have – we could raise our voice like an actor does. Perhaps to create an
effect. Likewise when we speak to a loved one, we will use soft tones. If we
thought about how we speak and adjusted the way we speak – we would be
exercising powerful physiological control which calms ourselves and even our
adversary.
Why do emotions play such an important part in our evolution? We know
through brain scans that the amygdala region lights up when we are
emotionally aroused, but it is also true that many other parts of our brain are
ignited. Neuroscience helps us to understand that with 300 billion neurons
representing many more billions of options at our disposal – the brain is a
complex predictive organism. Neuroscientists believe that these emotional
states spring up when we feel threatened or aroused, they lay down paths
which are not literal or visual but work in a more intrinsic way to co-ordinate
our thinking so that our standing, stature or wellbeing is maintained. Status is
an important element in our emotional and social states, so that whatever is
decided at a subconscious level is supporting our social and survival status.
Neuro-plasticity is one aspect that we should all take comfort from, it means
we can reform our pathways in our subconscious. Neuro-genetics, an equally
younger science, however, means we can create new neurons – which is a
much more exciting possibility. Simply it means, we are capable of almost
anything and we don’t have to accept our past experiences as being the total
measure of our accomplishments or limitations.
Take for example, depression or symptoms of anxiety – we do not have to
accept them as inevitable consequences of previous trauma. They are not
hard wired, but soft wired and we can override these pathways. This does not
mean to say it is an easy task, but with co-ordinated efforts which can be as
abstract as listening to music, drawing or dancing, it is possible. As part of a
reprogramming exercise connected to the apparent blocks, we can alleviate
these symptoms. Bearing in mind they can re-appear as neural pathways if
the triggers are sufficiently strong enough to manifest themselves, again.
This is where the transferring of neuron information to both sides of the brain
can assist greatly in the brain self healing (EMDR and EFT).
How do we find these new neural pathways??
If we imagined that once we smoked cigarettes (I did) – we find that there are
certain triggers that induce ‘lighting up’ – such as coffee? In my case I would
wind down my car window in readiness for lighting up. Unfortunately the
trigger still worked for a while, I am conscious that it used to trigger this
response. So – if you managed to override this response, by replacing signals
(triggers) with others, then you will have the basic understanding of what
plasticity of the mind can achieve. Rather amusingly, I used to have in my car
sticks of celery and every time i wound the window down – i would put some
celery in my mouth. This was most amusing to police officers who pulled up
alongside me at traffic lights and stared – to witness me chewing a large
protrusion from my mouth.
Emotions are stronger than any rational behaviour and they are deep seated –
so the best you can do – is to encourage a new emotional or motivational
response. In the case of smoking I felt a duty to not hurt my unborn child. This
is a powerful motivation – and this is where you can plough new pathways –
because the emotional desire is there. These motivations – provided they are
powerful and not whimsical like, i gave up smoking because it made me smell
– are enough to help you to want to trigger new pathways. In the case of
depression, a strong urge to view the consequences, for example that you
may not be able to help others overcome their fears is a good motive.
One of the most powerful inducements to overcome anxiety is the feeling that
you may transfer some of your anxiety on to your children. or a loved one. In
psychology it is called transference. Many people who have suffered traumas
in their lives have a strong psychological motivation to help others in a similar
predicament – simply because it works as therapy for the individuals who take
that step. Like a samaritan may help another and become a samaritan
because they were in turn helped by a good person. In a general sense this
allows for the collective conscious to play a role in shaping our society.
So, we know the basis on which we might use plasticity of the mind to forge
new pathways. However, in order to do this – one has to take the red pill (as in
the film – the Matrix) – you cannot make a new path if you don’t know where
you are now and where you are headed. Whilst it is useful to cling on to the
past (for comfort) – this is a falsehood that can seriously damage your ability
to find your true self. – This is not a movement towards ‘change’ itself – rather
it is evolution and the growth of your own mind.
For that to happen you have to take a second look in a mirror, not at the face
staring back, but you need to look into your own mind, and reflect on who you
really are, what are your values, what makes you unique in this world. If
arrogance stairs back, or hostility or complacency, then you may be in
trouble.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Finding you true path in life may invoke change, but it is wisdom itself that
you will acquire. Wisdom about your self. First we must take baby steps – be
willing to grow outside your comfort zone. Moving away from fear to a new
type of discomfort (not too threatening) – so you don’t have to jump out of an
aeroplane to experience a new sense of accomplishment. It could be as
simple as taking a course of learning to play a new instrument. Meditation is a
powerful way to re-align your thoughts and adopt new ones. You are in effect
asking you inner mind for help, and – provided you are not on drugs – your
mind will help you. Maybe one of your ambitions is to reduce your
dependency on drugs, this is fine too. You just need to give your brain
permission to solve these issues.
All conscious decisions emanate from the subconscious, that is your real
asset and source of power. It’s there to help you, not hinder you. You need to
work with your benevolent brain – not fight it. I don’t mean – go with the flow. I
mean listen to the silence of your thoughts and allow them to work with you.
You are not meant to be unhappy, it’s a choice, and you always have a
choice, you need to find that wisdom to open up your mind, and take charge
of your life.
We are here to learn and grow and find ourselves – that is our meaning, and
to help others to find their own path, without fear. There are many other paths
that you will have to find on your journey, paths that are healing and
benevolent. You just have to take the first step.
The Matrix described at the beginning is a mind map, it has six pathways to
self – actualisation. You first task is to discover things about yourself and what
you are thinking and then later we will ask some questions…
Anxiety is a normal state of mind when we cannot predict (or feel we cannot
predict) outcomes. Anxiety is based on our survival instincts. Cortisol is
released and this is meant to prepare us for action. The trainer (above)
represents the conscious mind, usually the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala
(the emotional part of your brain is represented by the elephant). However
much our conscious brain tries to control our emotions, the emotions play a
greater role in how we might respond. For example, if there is some
perception of danger like a lion in the vicinity then the amygdala will take
control. It is only by understanding our own motivations that we can learn to
control our automatic responses, no matter how good intentioned they may
be. We still have the emotional responses of a 2 million year old brain with no
upgrade to hand, so have to relearn how to manage our physiology, the way
we think and the parts of the brain that control us, if we are going have any
measure of calm, success or happiness.
Within all of us – there is a great and aspiring leader within. You will believe
this absolutely when you reach your own self actualisation.
How AI and neuroscience can save our children’s mental health and well being.
How AI and neuroscience can save our children’s mental health and well being.
AI can be our worst enemy or our best friend, but we do have a choice. Humans have a bias towards fear induced decisions, what do I mean by that? Our brains have evolved over millions of years, but have only been hit with technology in the past hundred years or so. Our brains are still geared to preservation, sexual reproduction and just plain survival.
To paraphrase the words of the famous physicist Niels Bohr who was referring to quantum physics ‘If you are not shocked by the prospect of AI and its effect, on the human race you have not understood it.’
To make matters worse we are still governed by an outmoded system of political and religious conformity that impinges on our education and culture. AI has no bias, but only seeks truth.
To quote Demis Hassibis of Googles Deep Mind, “Its amazing how Deep Mind teaches us that all of our conditioning takes us down the wrong paths.”
There are a number of complex factors that are creating an unparalleled movement towards individual freedom of expression versus a complete shutdown of free thinking. It is like the immovable object meeting an irresistible force. Whatever your views on this subject, one thing is certain – we are facing a tsunami of technologies that mean – we can never go back to the caveman or cavewoman of the past – we have to adjust, evolve or we die. Unfortunately as a consequence of the amount of self destruct technology such as nuclear weapons, this remains a true possibility, if mankind has a hand in creating the doomsday button.
Here are a few examples where AI can have a health benefit to our our children’s thinking. According to the New York Times our ability to spot suicide tendencies in young people is limited by our lack of understanding or prediction of who is going to self harm. There is no certain way of assessing this outcome until now. The Crisis Text Line is a suicide prevention hotline in which people communicate through texting instead of phone calls. AI technology has analysed more than a 100 million texts. You might think that words like ‘suicide’ or ‘die’ might indicate who is the most vulnerable? In fact it is words like ‘ibuprofen’ or crying emoticons that indicate the most urgent cases, they are up to 14 times more likely to self harm or take suicidal action.
Many words are frequently used such as ‘always’ or ‘never’ or ‘anymore’ to indicate stress. There are also the tones that can help us identify vulnerable people. The use of phone texts where there is a staccato of expressions rather than a continuous flow of communication, again are also giving AI algorithms that help to identify the people most needing help.
When we worked with counsellors at the Samaritans they had to very quickly assess the risk in the conversations they had, with this type of information they could stand a better chance of identifying those who need the most help, especially in relation to young people.
Did you know for instance that research reveals that children respond better to Avatars than humans? This presents a whole new wave of opportunities for the role of AI in education. Rather than ask yourself why this fact indicates a liking for Avatars – we perhaps should be asking why we don’t respond as well to human interaction?
AI is not a panacea for everything, but if we do not learn how to overcome our prejudices and fears we may be stuck in outdated forms of a one size fits all type of education.
I can visualise a day when we get the best out of our children by allowing them to learn at their own pace and for each child to feel free to express themselves with respect and integrity for others. Our education system can and should be customised for every individual, we should get rid of this idea of treating children like automatons that are all exactly the same. One size fits all does not work. Machine learning will be able to identify the educational needs of children – where the gaps in the learning are, so that teachers can put in the resources that the child needs to reach their own individual potential. With IoT and Cloud based technologies such as the Darwin Matrix, pupils can learn thousands of miles away – rather than seeing learning as just a school based activity.
The most exciting development that can enhance the prospect for the Darwin Matrix is the potential for AI integration for learning algorithms, whereby each student would have their own Matrix and could learn at their own individual pace.
With electronic headsets (EEG) we are moving closer to full integration of AI with IoT and the future of engaging and accessing Wikipedia for instance, or Google – just by thinking about it. Whether this is a positive or negative outcome is a debate that all of society should engage.
Tan Le is a member of the world economic forum, she is also head of Emotiv which produces non invasive brainwave headphones. Passive control can help us to work with AI – where the project of individual experiences can be enhanced., for example – if we need to feel calm – we might have ‘suggested’ music. The ultimate customisation? Tan Le believes that our brains thrive on novelty and with a better understanding of neuroplasticity this will help us to rehabilitate or heal ourselves. Our health, wellness, cognitive skills can increase, optimising education and well being – tailoring content to suit the individual needs.
Neurotechnology is wide open to innovation – the therapeutic applications can be powerful and help society reach new beneficial heights that are less influenced by human fears and doubts. Technologies such as AI, Blockchain and IoT can create a new sense of consumer power that embraces integrity and compassion as a core intrinsic value, a positive evolution for humankind, as each technology empowers and democratises society as a whole.
The commercial application of brainwave technologies will help us to understand how we might understand our own thinking in a better way. At the moment we use them in focus groups to help marketers understand behavioural characteristics and their customers unconscious preferences for product likes or dislikes. It has certainly helped businesses gain a competitive edge. In Houston, Texas – we used algorithms to help find patterns in the way scientists were thinking, so that we could use their subconscious thoughts to produce aligned concepts to guide us to innovation and produce brand new patents. This is great for new technologies, as we have found, but it has a healthier prospect I believe in helping us to understand what contributes to our well being, what motivates us and how. Neuroscientist Pranav Yadav observes that all our decisions are made in the subconscious, we just need to make them conscious. This research will help in that quest for clarity and offer robust scientific scrutiny. Please get in touch, if you wish to help or would like to collaborate,
The Darwin Matrix visual process means that you only see the data that’s important to you, and you can retrieve it more easily rather than experience data overload – this can be as Adam Stafford (see Video) said “it’s an absolute goldmine for us, it’s what innovation is” The bigger picture is to create an entrepreneurial eco-system that encourages self belief and a ‘can do attitude’ in society as a whole. For more information about the benefits of the Darwin Matrix and its integration with AI and Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity please contact [email protected] We are conducting research, working with scientists and technologists using brainwave imaging to help determine algorithms that help with our education, health and well being.
See the cloud based Darwin Matrix promo video below which demonstrates the basics of the visualised modelling tool that can be accessed in real time, anywhere in the world, developed by Strawberry Fields, digital innovators and business strategists.
We are launching a website within a couple of weeks (watch this space) that is and will become a free resource to help with education, mental health and well being for people of all ages, this includes helping to create a ‘future ready workforce’ that will be able to embrace these new technologies, such as AI, IoT and Blockchain with less fear and a more informed and enlightened view rather than an apprehensive (fear induced) viewpoint. We will also offer ‘Transformational Leadership’ courses to prepare business and organisations for the 4th Industrial age. We will be postulating questions such as how will AI, Blockchain, IoT and fast 5G will affect industry and how should the workforce respond or adapt? Are these technologies a threat or could they be our salvation and free us to be creative, emotionally developed and more capable as individuals? What mental health issues could arise with the advent of these new technologies? It is an exciting time, but we must be emotionally prepared as well as intellectually. Our ‘cave brain’ is more comfortable with predictive outcomes, that is why we must prepare our minds for the challenges ahead and not leave it to chance, as Darwin said, “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent that survive, but the ones that are more responsive and that can manage and adapt to change.”
The ‘awareness project’ website will be comprehensive and include videos, blogs, world speakers, podcasts and eventually a forum that will be similar to the Crisis Text Line but will respond to the algorithms, so that people are not just signposted – but can get help directly through an avatar that will be able to identify the needs of vulnerable adults and children. We are actively seeking funds for this amazing project, that will be called the ‘awareness project’ – in the meantime we are launching this with our own private funds, simply because there is a genuine need for help, and because we believe as a society, we are all responsible for our children’s future mental health and well being.
If you would like to know more or get involved please contact John Rainford, Chief Executive of Strawberry Fields. +44 (0) 7940 872434
AI can be our worst enemy or our best friend, but we do have a choice. Humans have a bias towards fear induced decisions, what do I mean by that? Our brains have evolved over millions of years, but have only been hit with technology in the past hundred years or so. Our brains are still geared to preservation, sexual reproduction and just plain survival.
To paraphrase the words of the famous physicist Niels Bohr who was referring to quantum physics ‘If you are not shocked by the prospect of AI and its effect, on the human race you have not understood it.’
To make matters worse we are still governed by an outmoded system of political and religious conformity that impinges on our education and culture. AI has no bias, but only seeks truth.
To quote Demis Hassibis of Googles Deep Mind, “Its amazing how Deep Mind teaches that all of our conditioning takes us down the wrong paths.”
There are a number of complex factors that are creating an unparalleled movement towards individual freedom of expression versus a complete shutdown of free thinking. It is like the immovable object meeting an irresistible force. Whatever your views on this subject, one thing is certain – we are facing a tsunami of technologies that mean – we can never go back to the caveman or cavewoman of the past – we have to adjust, evolve or we die. Unfortunately as a consequence of the amount of self destruct technology such as nuclear weapons, this remains a true possibility, if mankind has a hand in creating the doomsday button. .
Here are a few examples where AI can have a health benefit to our our children’s thinking. According to the New York Times our ability to spot suicide tendencies in young people is limited by our lack of understanding or prediction of who is going to self harm. There is no certain way of assessing this outcome until now. The Crisis Text Line is a suicide prevention hotline in which people communicate through texting instead of phone calls. AI technology has analysed more than a 100 million texts. You might think that words like suicide or die might indicate who is the most vulnerable. In fact it is words like ibuprofen or crying emoticons that indicate the most urgent cases, they are up to 14 times more likely to take suicidal action.
Many words are frequently used such as ‘always’ or ‘never’ or ‘anymore’ to indicate stress. There are also the tones that can help us identify vulnerable people. The use of phone texts where there is a staccato of expressions rather than a continuous flow of communication again are also giving AI algorithms that help to identify the people most needing help.
When we worked with councillors at the Samaritans they had to very quickly assess the risk in the conversations they had, with this type of information they could stand a better chance of identifying those who need the most help, especially in relation to young people.
Did you know for instance that research reveals that children respond better to Avatars than humans? This presents a whole new wave of opportunities for the role of AI in education. Rather than ask yourself why this fact indicates a liking for Avatars – we perhaps should be asking why we don’t respond as well to human interaction?
Ai is not a panacea for everything, but if we do not learn how to overcome our prejudices and fears we may be stuck in outdated forms of one size fits all type of education.
I can visualise a day when we get the best out of our children by allowing them to learn at their own pace and for each child to feel free to express themselves with respect and integrity for others. Our education system can and should be customised for every individual, we should get rid of this idea of treating children like automatons that are all exactly the same. One size fits all does not work. Machine learning will be able to identify the educational needs of children – where the gaps in the learning are, so that teachers can put in the resources that the child needs to reach their own individual potential. With IoT and Cloud based technologies such as the Darwin Matrix pupils can learn thousands of miles away – rather than seeing learning as just a school based activity.
The most exciting development that can enhance the prospect for the Darwin Matrix is the potential for AI integration for learning algorithms, whereby each student would have their own Matrix and could learn at their own individual pace.
With electronic headsets (EEG) we are moving closer to full integration of AI with IoT and future of engaging and accessing Wikipedia for instance, or Google – just by thinking about it. Whether this is a positive or negative outcome is a debate that all of society should engage.
Tan Le is a member of the world economic forum, she is also head of Emotiv which produces non invasive brainwave headphones. Passive control can help us to work with AI – where the project of individual experiences can be enhanced., for example – if we need to feel calm – we might have ‘suggested’ music. The ultimate customisation? Tan Le believes that our brains thrive on novelty and with a better understanding of neuroplasticity this will help us to rehabilitate or heal ourselves. Our health, wellness, cognitive skills can increase, optimising education and well being – tailoring content to suit the individual needs.
Neurotechnology is wide open to innovation – the therapeutic applications can be powerful and help society reach new beneficial heights that are less influenced by human fears and doubts. Technologies such as AI, Blockchain and IoT can create a new sense of consumer power that embraces integrity and compassion as a core intrinsic value, a positive evolution for humankind.
SELF HELP FOR DEPRESSION
SELF HELP FOR DEPRESSION
Print or download Self Help for Depression as PDF
Depression can happen to anyone – and does happen to one in four of us over our lifetimes. Different factors that make it more likely to happen, include biological make-up, upbringing, or reaction to life events. What keeps it going though, is how we deal with those things. The way we think and what we do affects the way we feel. Depression is often accompanied by other feelings such as guilt, shame, anger and anxiety.
Thoughts
People who are depressed tend to think very negatively about themselves, the future and the world around them. It can be like seeing life through “gloomy specs“.
Everything is hopeless – nothing can change
I’m useless, worthless
It’s all my fault
The world is a terrible place – everything goes wrong
We can dwell on these thoughts repeatedly, mulling over things, asking ourselves why, thinking regretful things about the past, what we should or shouldn’t have done.
“When the past calls, let it go to voicemail – it has nothing new to say.”
Physical Sensations
Tiredness, fatigue, lethargy
Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Sleep changes (sleep more or less)
Eating changes (eat more or less)
Lose interest in hobbies, activities, sex
Behaviours
Because of the tiredness, difficulty sleeping and eating, and negative style of thinking, we tend to do less and less. We stop doing the things we used to do and enjoy. It could get so bad that we can`t even go to work, or do things at home. We want to stay in bed, or stay at home doing very little. We might isolate ourselves from friends and family.
Vicious Cycle of Depression
Vicious Cogs of Depression
By looking at the “cogs” that keep the central problem going, we can target and make positive changes in each of the cogs, which will at least, slow down, and at best, stop, the central problem, for example:
Print a blank Cogs PDF and fill in the factors that keep your depression going.
Depression Self Help VIDEO
BREAKING THE CYCLE
Activity & Physical Exercise
When we’re depressed, we can feel particularly tired and lack any motivation to do anything. Just increasing our activity and exercise levels can make an enormous impact on our mood as it stimulates the body to produce natural anti-depressants. Just increasing our activity and exercise levels can make an enormous impact on our mood by:
- Making us feel better about ourselves
- Making us feel less tired
- Motivating us to do more
- Improving our ability to think more clearly
- Helping us think about something other than focussing on our unhelpful thoughts
- Using up the adrenaline resources created by anxiety and anger
- Increasing motivation
- Giving us a sense of achievement
- Enjoyment
- Being with other people
- Stimulating the body to produce natural anti-depressants
- Making us generally more healthy
- Stimulating our appetite
Schedule ACE activities each day which give you a sense of:
- Achievement
- Closeness to others
- Enjoyment
Use an Activity Diary, or the ACE Log PDFs
ACE Activity – video
It’s important to get a healthy balance of activities which give you a sense of achievement, enjoyment and being close to others. Choose activities which are important to you, have positive meanings, or are purposeful, and you might want to plan rest periods too.
Keep your goals realistic and set achievable limits. Eg aim to walk for 15 minutes rather than a half-marathon, or wash the dishes rather than spring clean the whole house. Don`t set yourself up to fail! You can build up your activity over time.
If you struggle with motivation….use the 5 minute rule. Commit to do the activity for just 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, you can choose to stop or continue (and you might find that you want to continue)
See NHS Exercise Videos here
Rewarding yourself
When you’re doing well, or remembering to pace yourself, doing more of what helps, or doing less of what doesn’t – give yourself a treat, a pat on the back.
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
If lack of activity and tiredness is helping to maintain our negative thinking, and therefore keeping us depressed, then doing more (in spite of feeling tired and depressed) will help us feel better.
Do something different (to what you normally do)
- STOPP
- Mindfulness – learn Mindful Breathing
- Focus your attention fully on another activity – Mindful activity
- Relaxation techniques – try lots and find one that works for you
- Put on some music – sing and dance along, or just listen attentively (use music that is likely to help you feel your desired emotion – avoid sad songs if you`re depressed)
- Meditation or Prayer
- Help others
- Be with others – contact a friend, visit family
- Talk to someone
- Grounding techniques – look around you, what do you see, hear, smell, sense? Hold a comforting object.
- Physical exercise – walk, swim, go to the gym, cycle
- Nature as Therapy
- Engage in a hobby or other interest – if you don`t have one, find one! What have you enjoyed in the past? What have you sometimes thought about doing but not got around to?
- Recharge your battery and plan more energising activities – do more of those things that help you feel better (see video below)
- Write down your thoughts and feelings – get them out of your head. Just write, or use a thought record sheet.
- Just take one step at a time – don`t plan too far ahead
- Pamper yourself – do something you really enjoy, or do something relaxing
- Positive self-talk – encourage yourself, tell yourself: I can do this, I am strong and capable – find an affirmation that works for you (even if you don`t believe it at first!). Write it down and memorise it for when you need it.
- Do something creative – make a box of items that remind you to use the techniques that help, or put photos on paper, or write and decorate a list
- Consider using a Light Box– particularly with Seasonal Affective Disorder (Depression due to lack of natural light, e.g. every winter, although some people experience SAD at other times)
- Use Safe Place Imagery
- Colour breathing
- Tell yourself: “This will pass, it`s only temporary”. “I`ve got through this before, I can do it now”. When we`re going through a tunnel and become fearful of being trapped, there`s no point in stopping – we just have to carry on in order to reach the end of the tunnel. That light is there, and waiting!
- Notice the positives – write down or record 3 positive things every day.
Visualise yourself enjoying doing the things you used to enjoy doing, or would like to enjoy doing, and successfully doing the things you need to do.
The Battery: LIFT vs DROP activities
THINKING DIFFERENTLY
STOPP! Pause, take a breath
Ask yourself:
- What am I reacting to? What have I been thinking about here?
- Am I getting things out of proportion?
- Is this fact or opinion?
- How important is this really? How important will it be in 6 months time?
- Am I expecting something from this person or situation that is unrealistic?
- What is the worst (and best) that could happen? What is most likely to happen?
- Am I using that negative filter? Those gloomy specs? Is there another way of looking at it?
- What advice would I give to someone else in this situation?
- Am I spending time ruminating about the past or worrying about the future? What could I do right now that would help me feel better?
- When I think back to that time I made such a bad decision, could I be looking at it with a hindsight bias?
- Am I putting more pressure on myself, setting up expectations of myself that are almost impossible? What would be more realistic?
- Am I jumping to conclusions about what this person meant? Am I (mis)reading between the lines? Is it possible that they meant something else?
- What do I want or need from this person or situation? What do they want or need from me? Is there a compromise?
- Am I just focusing on the worst possible thing that could happen? What would be more realistic?
- Is there another way of looking at this? The helicopter view
- Am I exaggerating the good aspects of others, and putting myself down? Or am I exaggerating the negative and minimising the positives? How would someone else see it? What`s the bigger picture?
- Notice the positives
- Things aren`t either totally white or totally black, there are always shades of grey. Where is this on the spectrum?
- This is just a reminder of the past. That was then, and this is now. Even though this memory makes me feel upset, it`s not actually happening again right now.
- What would be the consequences of doing what I normally do?
- Is there another way of dealing with this? What would be the most helpful and effective action to take? (for me, for the situation, for the other person)
- Challenge your automatic thoughts
Visualisation: Breathe in orange (for positive energy) and breathe out blue/black. Colour breathing
Best Explanation for Anxiety Self Help
Anxiety is the body’s way of responding to being in danger. Adrenaline is rushed into our bloodstream to enable us to run away or fight. This happens whether the danger is real, or whether we believe the danger is there when actually there is none. It is the body’s alarm and survival mechanism. Primitive man wouldn’t have survived for long without this life-saving response. It works so well, that it often kicks in when it’s not needed – when the danger is in our heads rather than in reality. We think we’re in danger, so that’s enough to trigger the system to go, go, go!
People who get anxious tend to get into scanning mode – where they’re constantly on the lookout for danger, hyper-alert to any of the signals, and make it more likely that the alarm system will be activated.
Anxiety Thoughts
I’m in danger right now
The worst possible scenario is going to happen
I won’t be able to cope with it
Physical Sensations – The Adrenaline Response
When there is real, or we believe there is a real, threat or danger, our bodies’ automatic survival mechanism kicks in very quickly. This helps energise us to fight or run away (‘fight or flight response’). The action urge associated with anxiety is to escape or avoid. We will therefore notice lots of physical sensations.
Adrenaline: Click to enlarge
Anxiety Behaviours
- Avoiding people or places
- Not going out
- Going to certain places at certain times, e.g. shopping at smaller shops, at less busy times
- Only going with someone else
- Escape, leave early
- Safety Behaviours: Go to the feared situation, but use coping behaviours to get you through, such as: holding a drink, smoking more, fiddling with clothes or handbag, avoiding eye contact with others, having an escape plan, taking medication. Safety behaviours can also help to keep your anxiety going. Whilst you depend on them to help you cope, you don’t get to find out that without them, the anxiety would reduce and go away on it’s own.
Whilst avoiding people or situations might help you feel better at that time, it doesn’t make your anxiety any better over a longer period. If you’re frightened that your anxiety will make you pass out or vomit in the supermarket aisle, you won’t find out that won’t actually happen, because you don’t go. So the belief that it will happen remains, along with the anxiety.
Vicious Cycle of Anxiety
We all feel anxious some times. A certain amount of anxiety helps us to be more alert and focused. For example just prior to an exam, a few exam nerves have a positive effect – motivating us, helping us focus our thoughts on the job in hand, making us more alert. Too much anxiety, or constantly being anxious, is unhealthy and detrimental to our lives and relationships.
Vicious Cogs of Anxiety
By looking at the “cogs” that keep the central problem going, we can target and make positive changes in each of the cogs, which will at least, slow down, and at best, stop, the central problem, for example:
Print a blank Cogs PDF and fill in the factors that keep your anxiety going
Anxiety Self Help VIDEO
Identify your triggers
What or when are the times when you are more likely to get anxious? If you can see the patterns, then maybe you can do something about those situations, and do something different. See Overcoming Avoidance.
- Certain places?
- Certain people?
- Anytime, anyplace?
- See certain things?
- Hear certain things?
- Think ahead to certain situation?
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
If avoiding situations and using safety behaviours helps to maintain our anxiety over the long-term, then it makes sense that learning to confront it might be uncomfortable in the short-term, but will help us take control and helps us feel better over time.
Make a plan to gradually do the things you normally avoid. For instance if you normally avoid going out to big social events at work, then start with a small dinner at a restaurant where you feel more comfortable, with few close colleagues – not the annual Christmas party! Whilst it will feel uncomfortable, you will learn that you can enjoy these events, and that the anxious feeling does go away.
Make a hierarchy of fears. If you have a fear of particular types of places (e.g. lifts), then you could start by listing different particular places (smaller, bigger lifts, taller, smaller buildings, glass walls or enclosed etc). You could start by standing next to a lift for a couple of minutes each day for a couple of weeks, then slowly build up to standing in the doorway with the doors open, then to getting in the lift without the doors closing, then to letting the doors close before opening them again, then to going up one floor etc. You can use breathing techniques or self-talk (challenging your unhelpful thoughts and repeating more realistic thoughts) to get you through these times. See Overcoming Avoidance
FACE Fear and Avoidance – VIDEO
If you normally depend on ‘safety behaviours’ to help you cope, then list them in order of importance, then start by dropping or not doing the least important, and gradually work your way up over time.
What to do when you feel anxious
STOPP Pause, take a breath, don’t react automatically
THINKING DIFFERENTLY
Ask yourself
- What am I reacting to?
- What is it that I think is going to happen here?
- Is this fact or opinion?
- What’s the worst (and best) that could happen? What’s most likely to happen?
- Am I getting things out of proportion?
- How important is this really? How important will it be in 6 months time?
- Am I overestimating the danger?
- Am I underestimating my ability to cope?
- Am I mind-reading what others might be thinking?
- Am I believing I can predict the future?
- Is there another way of looking at this? What’s the helicopter view?
- What advice would I give someone else in this situation?
- Am I putting more pressure on myself?
- Just because I feel bad, doesn’t mean things really are bad.
- What do I want or need from this person or situation? What do they want or need from me? Is there a compromise?
- What would be the consequences of responding the way I usually do?
- Is there another way of dealing with this? What would be the most helpful and effective action to take? (for me, for the situation, for others)
- Challenge your automatic thoughts
Visualise yourself successfully coping with the situation that you feel anxious about. See it through to a successful completion.
How to deal with the physical sensations of anxiety
Counteract the body’s adrenaline response – it’s readiness for action, by using that energy healthily.
- Practice calming or mindful breathing – this one act alone will help reduce the physical sensations, emotions and intensity of thoughts.
- Visualisation: Colour breathing. Breathe in blue (for calm) and breathe out red.
- Go for a walk, run or cycle, or maybe do some gardening or housework.
There are different kinds of Anxiety Disorders, so it might be helpful to identify if one of these fits for you:
- Health Anxiety: constantly worrying about having a serious illness
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Constant worry about everything, “what if…?”
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): intrusive thoughts mean I must check or do rituals
- Panic Disorder : Repeated panic attacks
- Phobias: Fear of particular situations
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Flashbacks, anxiety and anger relating to trauma
- Social Anxiety: anxiety in social situations, fear of being criticised by others