TOTEM AND TABOO REVISITED: awful and fertile rise of new SUPERSTITIONS

Presentation /presentazione

ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation

(Also an outraging, resentful file against Huxley's book Brave new world is endorsed into the below quoted site moreover against its search and crave to warn the "sacrifice" of  motherhood, home, family, freedom, even love in the name of an "universal [artificial] happiness": BRAVE NEW WORLD? A Defence Of Paradise-Engineering (look below some quotes of it)

Brave New World (1932) is one of the most bewitching andinsidious works of literature ever written. An exaggeration? Tragically, no. Brave New World has come to serve as the false symbol for any regime of universal happiness. For sure, Huxley was writing a satirical piece of fiction, notscientific prophecy. Hence to treat his masterpiece as ill-conceived futurology rather than a work of great literature might seem to miss the point. Yet the knee-jerk response of It's Brave New World! to any blueprint for chemically-driven happiness has delayed research into paradise-engineering for all sentient life. So how does Huxley turn a future where we're all notionally happy into the archetypal dystopia? If it's technically feasible, what's wrong with using biotechnology to get rid of mental pain altogether?Brave New World is an unsettling, loveless and even sinister place. This is because Huxley endows his "ideal" society with features calculated to alienate his audience. Typically, reading BNW elicits the very same disturbing feelings in the reader which the society it depicts has notionally vanquished - not a sense of joyful anticipation....Worse, it is suggested that the price of universal happiness will be the sacrifice of the most hallowed shibboleths of our culture: "motherhood", "home", "family", "freedom", even "love". The exchange yields an insipid happiness that's unworthy of the name.Its evocation arouses our unease and distaste....

Against Maternal Instinct.

IT IS REALLY HORRIFYING WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THEIR STUDIES OF THE MATERNAL INSTINCT. JOSE DELGADO WAS INVOLVED IN THIS RESEARCH.

..it is suggested that the price of universal happiness will be the sacrifice of the most hallowed shibboleths of our culture: MOTHERHOOD, HOME, FAMILY, FREEDOM, even LOVE. The exchange yields an insipid happiness that's unworthy of the name. Its evocation arouses our unease and distaste.

Delgado Index
 Jose Delgado's: Physical Control of the Mind  Chapter 16: Inhibitory Effects in Animals and Man Figure 25 (Page 173)

	Above, maternal behavior is tenderly expressed by both mother monkeys, Rose and Olga, who hug, groom, and nurse their babies, Roo and Ole.
	Below, radio stimulation of Rose for ten seconds in the mesencephalon evoked a rage response expressed by self-biting and abandoning her baby, Roo. For the next ten minutes Rose has lost all her maternal interest (above), ignoring the appealing calls of Roo who seeks refuge with the other mother. Below, Rose is sucking her foot and still ignoring her  baby.

TOTEM AND TABOO

1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> 
 b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural 
 b (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

1 : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or  a social custom)
2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4 : characteristic manner, method, or style - tra·di·tion·al  /-'dish-n&l, -'di-sh&-n&l/ adjective
- tra·di·tion·al·ly adverb

1 a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon 
1 b : PARABLE, ALLEGORY
2 a : a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially : one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society <seduced by the American myth of individualism -- Orde Coombs> 
2 b : an unfounded or false notion
3 : a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence
4 : the whole body of myths

1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY 
1 b (1) : fidelity to one's promises 
1 b (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God 
2 a (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
2 b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof
2 (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs synonym see BELIEF
- in faith : without doubt or question : VERILY

marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion <they're fanatic about politics> - fanatic noun - fa·nat·i·cal·ly  /f&-'na-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb - fa·nat·i·cal·ness  /-k&l-n&s/ noun.

1 : forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers
2 a : banned on grounds of morality or taste <the subject is taboo> 
2 b : banned as constituting a risk

1 : a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force
2 : a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure
3 : belief in taboos

1 a : an object (as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry; also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object 
1 b : a family or clan identified by a common totemic object
2 : something that serves as an emblem or revered symbol

And then: so why nobody stopped just in time dangerously bizarre occurrences?

Scientific definition of “trial” The Clinical Trials and Informatics Support team provides  statistical and data processing support for all multicentre and some single-centre research projects undertaken by the Programme, as well as technical advice on the design, management, analysis and interpretation of research projects.

1 a : the action or process of trying or putting to the proof: TEST
1 b : a preliminary contest (as in a sport)
2 : the formal examination before a competent  tribunal of the matter in issue in a civil or criminal cause in order to determine such issue 
3 : a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation; broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance 
4 a : a try out or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness 
4 b : one of a number of repetitions of an experiment
5 : ATTEMPT

Epidemiologo, studi sbagliati al 50 per cento La verita' scientifica? Forse non esiste. Le conclusioni raggiunte dalla maggior parte degli studi potrebbero essere sbagliate. Pescando a caso un qualunque lavoro tra quelli pubblicati in letteratura, la probabilita' che concluda il giusto sono inferiori al 50%. A disilludere ricercatori, medici e opinione pubblica sull'affidabilità degli studi scientifici e' l'epidemiologo John Ioannidis, della Scuola di Medicina dell'universita' di Ioannina, in Grecia. In un articolo sulla rivista 'Plos Medicine', l'esperto chiama in causa non solo l'errore umano, ma anche e soprattutto problemi sperimentali e statistici. Limiti il piu' delle volte insuperabili, che inevitabilmente finiscono per compromettere la correttezza dei risultati ottenuti. Secondo Ioannidis, i piu' a rischio di arrivare a conclusioni sbagliate sarebbero gli studi molto piccoli, quelli 'disegnati' male e quelli che producono risultati numerici bassi (il caso, per esempio, di un farmaco efficace solo nel 10% dei pazienti). Ma lo specialista invita a 'prendere con le pinze' anche i dati degli studi di dimensioni piu' vaste, di quelli ben disegnati e di quelli che lavorano su argomenti particolarmente 'caldi', relativamente ai quali i ricercatori sentono maggiori 'pressioni'. 'Dovremmo accettare il fatto che la maggior parte delle ricerche verra' confutata. Alcune saranno ripetute e confermate', aggiunge Ioannidis, sottolineando che, almeno in campo scientifico, 'replicare un dato ha piu' valore di scoprirlo per la prima volta''. L'esperto avanza dei dubbi sulla correttezza dell'espressione ''statisticamente significativo', ben nota ai lettori di studi scientifici. ''Comunemente - ricorda - un dato viene considerato 'statisticamente significativo' quando esiste solo una probabilita' su 20 che sia unicamente frutto del caso'. Ma questo metodo di calcolo non da' sufficienti garanzie, ''specialmente quando, per esempio, si tratta di collegare una certa malattia al gene che potrebbe esserne il responsabile''. Molte certezze potrebbero dunque crollare? A rassicurare uomini di laboratorio, clinici e pazienti e' Solomon Snyder, senior editor di 'Pnas' ed esperto di neuroscienze alla Johns Hopkins Medical School di Baltimora, Usa. Quando leggo la letteratura scientifica - osserva l'esperto su 'New Scientist' online - non penso certo di trovarmi di fronte a un manuale'. Non c'e' la pretesa di trovare 'la risposta', bensi' 'il desiderio di ottenere nuove idee'. 30-08-2005 21:26

Scientific definition of “trial” The Clinical Trials and Informatics Support team provides  statistical and data processing support for all multicentre and some single-centre research projects undertaken by the Programme, as well as technical advice on the design, management, analysis and interpretation of research projects.

1 a : the action or process of trying or putting to the proof: TEST
1 b : a preliminary contest (as in a sport)
2 : the formal examination before a competent  tribunal of the matter in issue in a civil or criminal cause in order to determine such issue 
3 : a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation; broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance 
4 a : a try out or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness 
4 b : one of a number of repetitions of an experiment
5 : ATTEMPT

FASHION is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place <the current fashion>.
STYLE often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste <a media baron used to traveling in style>.
MODE suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated <slim bodies are the mode at this resort>.
VOGUE stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion <short skirts are back in vogue>.
FAD suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion <last year's fad is over>.
RAGE and CRAZE stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad <Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time> <crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted>. 
synonym see in addition METHOD

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Violence in the womb and at birth has always been a concern to members of APPPAH. Ironically, in modern hospital birth, violence and pain have become routine for babies. For most of the 20th century, neither obstetricians nor psychologists have regarded pain as a reality for newborns. Therefore, doctors have not hesitated to expose the baby to a harsh environment at birth, or to introduce painful routines, or painful instruments... Babies protest being jabbed with needles for blood samples and vitamin K shots, don't like to be turned upside down, rushed through space, and handled by different people. Their skin is extremely sensitive and they complain when rubbed and cleaned. We have been making them angry, afraid, defensive, sad, and confused--for the greater part of the century.

The origins of circumcision are approached by studying the distribution of sexual mutilations on the map of continents and their severity among indigenous cultures. The analysis suggests that Africa is the epicenter for altering the genitalia of both males and females.Frederick Hodges, now a medical history fellow at Oxford, supplies a fascinating history of how involuntary sexual mutilation was institutionalized in the United States. What began as a cure for masturbation, and all the illnesses thought to be caused by onanism, has been lauded and subsequently dismissed as the cure for epilepsy, immoral behavior, cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases. Hodges argues, quite convincingly, that the validity of the current medical justifications do not differ much from the original justifications. He notes, "Whatever incurable disease happens to be the focus of national attention in any given time period will be the disease that circumcision advocates will use as an excuse for circumcision.

Circumcision is part of mainstream American culture, and, despite having its medical credibility essentially decimated, it continues unabated....

Sexual Mutilations: A Human Tragedy
George C. Denniston and Marilyn F. Milos (Eds.) New York: Plenum Publishing, 237 pages, 1997. ISBN=0306455897
A major portion of the book addresses the issue of female genital mutilation as currently practiced inparts of Africa. Berhane Ras-Work, the current president of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, provides a history of the organizational attempts to end the practice of FGM in Africa. Efforts started with general statements from international organizations and are now being implemented by people in the community. Outside interference is shunned and only acts to galvanize opposition. While the prevalence of FGM in Europe is unknown, Italian investigators Amnesty International (°) presented their estimates of the number of genitally mutilated women in their country. Likewise, a representative of Germany's organization (I)NTACT spoke to how her country is responding to this practice.  [(°)Sono almeno 135 milioni, secondo l'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, le ragazze e le bambine che hanno subito mutilazioni sessuali e ogni anno se ne aggiungono altri due milioni. Le MGF sono praticate soprattutto in Africa e in alcuni paesi del Medio Oriente (Egitto, Yemen Emirati Arabi). Vi sono anche casi di mutilazioni in alcune parti dell'Asia, nelle Americhe e in Europa - compresa l'Italia - all'interno delle comunità di immigrati.]

Macabre tales of medical arrogance

Maternal instinct??? Experiments on children? Induced on children artificial pregnancy???
How medicine could have succeed to induce artificial pregnancy??? But then: what will have become the babies?

no need to explain what happened to these EIGHT YEARS old little girls!!!
Their bellies showning a six monthes pregnancy? At least a very mandatory NEED to get known how horrific can become scientists's shameless power!

Maternal, parental instinct? Or: children "hired" as human guinea-pigs for atrocious, disfiguring and/or mutilating experiments?

...un'idea di bellezza canora durata oltre tre Secoli dalla seconda metà del Cinquecento, inizio della Controriforma, agli inizi del Novecento quando Alessandro Moreschi - the "last castrato" come lo battezzarono i pioneristici discografici inglesi venuti a registrarne la voce - era ancora attivo nella Cappella Sistina. Non fu veramente l'ultimo, abbiamo testimonianze di anziani evirati vivi fino ai Sessanta, ma dal 1903 un motu proprio Vaticano decise che non si potevano più accogliere bambini castrati per addestrarli alla professione di cantante. (Vedi Sandro Cappelletto: Una voce pochissimo fa (di soprato e baritono)  La Stampa giovedì 6 gennaio 2005 pag 25 "Cultura e spettacoli" Vedi Il castrato di Simone Bartolini). Ma se nei secoli scorsi si castravano bambini per mantenerne la voce bianca e così ottenere dei soprani "speciali"  la mutilazione  sottocitata - ...un - creduto! - e ampiamente sbandierato successo del COMPORTAMENTISMO è ancora più raccapricciante nella sua quasi "banalità" di situazione "privata", ma esemplifica bene teoria, impostazione e principi del Comportamentismo stesso. E qui presentiamo questa storia "privata": la storia di un caso singolo, ma non per questo meno significativa di una certa cultura pseudo-scientifica, di un certo modo ufficialmente programmatico di NON-RISPETTARE la Natura e gli esseri umani.

Comment from Amazon.com Once you begin reading As Nature Made Him, a mesmerizing story of amedicaltragedyandits traumatic results, you absolutely won't want to put it down. Following a botched circumcision, a family is convinced to raise their infant son, Bruce, as a girl. They rename the child Brenda and spend the next14 yearstrying to transform him into a her.Brenda's childhood reads as one filled with anxiety and loneliness, and her fear and confusion are present on nearly every page concerning her early childhood. Much of her pain is caused by Dr. Money, who is presented as a villainous medical man attempting to coerce an unwilling child to submit to numerous unpleasant treatments. Reading over interviews and reports of decisions made by this doctor, it's difficult to contain anger at the widespread results of his insistence that natural-born gender can be altered with little more than willpower and hormone treatments. The attempts of his parents, twin brother, and extended family to assist Brenda to be happily female are touching--the sense is overwhelmingly of a family wanting to do "right" while being terribly mislead as to what "right" is for her. As Brenda makes the decision to live life as a male (at age 14), she takes the name David and begins the process of reversing the effects of estrogen treatments. David's ultimate successful life--a solid marriage, honest and close family relationships, and his bravery in making his childhood public -- bring an uplifting end to his story. Equally fascinating is the latest segment of the longtime nature/nurture controversy, and the interviews of various psychological researchers and practitioners form a larger framework around David's struggle to live as the gender he was meant to be. -- Jill Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Paradigmatiche vicende italiane:

Vedi René Spitz: IL PRIMO ANNO  DI VITA. Studio psicanalitico sllo sviluppo delle relazioni oggettuali. Armando Editore (traduzione C.Masina e V.Volterra Capogrossi): Deprivazione emotiva parziale (depressione anaclitica). Figura 14: Posizione patognomonica. / In his book - First Year  of Life: A Psychoanalytic Study of Normal and Deviant Development of Object Relations René Spitz considered this position typical of the anaclitic depression when he applied this term to the behavior of infants separated from "good" mothers for extended periods of time in hospital. After three months of separation from mother displays of distress in the infants studied would be replaced by vacant unresponsiveness.

1. a description, an anthropological and even ergonomic description, concerning one, this strange one, of the various ways how to manage babies’ sleep: the why and how and exactly when and by whom this strange idea could arise and become so worldwide spread. To lie prone? However this enough already warning situation displays another more “absurd” fact,  a new more weird query arousing from: how is it possible that a quite new, not traditional at all, an even strange custom as “face-down babies”, could become an ineffaceable myth, something as a ruthless superstition?
2. But here it should be added another consideration and example, regarding how all facts can be chained beyond the times, encircling generations and - true or artificial - knowledge. An Anthropologist - i.e. a scientist not a whoever commonplace uninformed person - said that he would have been compliant to doctor’s prescription.
3.  Instead a doctor considered - at least - APPALLING such assertion, and answered that a liable doctor should NEVER  take the responsibility (and so: culpability) to instigate some one to do something doubtful for <