Torture

Sleep Deprivation is when you can not get a undisturbed nights sleep.

Sleep deprivation makes it difficult for you to concentrate, to make decisions and may cause you to want to eat all the time or not at all.
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false. Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness". Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.

The temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex is associated with the processing of language. During verbal learning tests on subjects who are fully rested functional magnetic resonance imaging scans show that this area of the brain is very active. However, in sleep deprived subjects there is no activity within this region. The effects of this inactivity can be observed by the slurred speech in subjects who have gone for prolonged periods with no sleep.

Even severely sleep deprived people are still able to perform to some degree on a verbal learning test. This implies that some other area of the brain must become active to compensate for the loss of temporal lobe functioning. In fact, activity can be seen in the parietal lobe that is not present during verbal learning tests using rested subjects . Greater activity within this region corresponded to better performance by subjects in research studies. Still, sleep deprived people do not perform as well on these tests as do fully rested subjects. One possible reason for the poorer performance after missing sleep, aside from unregenerated neurons, could be the fact that since the parietal lobe is not usually used to performing tasks such as these it is not as adept at carrying them out. Therefore, when control switches from the temporal lobe to the parietal lobe some speed and accuracy is naturally lost. Interestingly, sleep deprived subjects have been shown to have better short-term memory abilities than their well-rested counterparts. Since memory is associated with this region of the cerebral cortex the fact that it is already active in sleep deprived people could make it easier for new synapses to be created, thus forming new short-term memories more easily.

While activity is seen within the parietal lobes of rested people as they think through math problems no corresponding activity is visible within the brains of sleep-deprived subjects. Also, no new area of the brain becomes active while the sleep deprived people work on math problems. Since sleep deprived people can still complete math problems, albeit with less speed and accuracy than a well-rested individual, this data implies that a region of the brain already in use is used for this task.

The frontal lobe is the most fascinating section of the brain with relation to sleep deprivation. Its functions are associated with speech as well as novel and creative thinking. Sleep deprived test subjects have difficulties thinking of imaginative words or ideas. Instead, they tend to choose repetitious words or clichéd phrases. Also, a sleep-deprived individual is less able to deliver a statement well. The subject may show signs of slurred speech, stuttering, speaking in a monotone voice, or speaking at a slower pace than usual. Subjects in research studies also have a more difficult time reacting well to unpredicted rapid changes. Sleep deprived people do not have the speed or creative abilities to cope with making quick but logical decisions, nor do they have the ability to implement them well. Studies have demonstrated that a lack of sleep impairs one's ability to simultaneously focus on several different related tasks, reducing the speed as well as the efficiency of one's actions. A person may be able to react to a complex scenario when suddenly presented with it but, similar to the verbal tests, the subject will most likely pick an unoriginal solution. If presented with a similar situation multiple times with slight variations in the information presented the subject chooses the same solution, even though it might not be as applicable to the new senario.

Part of the frontal lobe, the prefrontal cortex, has several functions specifically coupled with it. Judgment, impulse control, attention, and visual association have all been related to this region of the cerebral cortex. A recent study has shown that the prefrontal cortex, usually the most active area of the brain in rested individuals, becomes more active as a person remains awake for long periods of time This region regenerates during the first stage of sleep, giving a person the ability to feel somewhat refreshed after only a short nap. The length of the first stage of sleep cycle is somewhat dependent upon how long the person had previously been awake. The longer the period of wakefulness, the longer the brain remains in the first stage of sleep. When the brain enters into the REM stage of sleep the prefrontal cortex is active once more.

The implications of this data seem to be fairly important in supporting the location of the I-function within the brain. The prefrontal cortex is active whenever a person is awake, no matter how little sleep they have had. Also, this area is active while dreaming. Since the individual is aware of him or herself during both of these instances, but is not aware during the stages of sleep when the prefrontal cortex is shut down, it seems logical that the I-function is located within this region. This indicates that the I-function is what is resting and regenerating during the first stage of sleep. It would be interesting to study prefrontal cortex activity while a person is conscious, but unaware of his or her actions, due to an influence such as drugs or alcohol. According to the results of the sleep deprivation studies little or no activity should be seen in the prefrontal cortex at anytime when the individual is unaware of his or herself.

One of the symptoms of prolonged sleep deprivation is hallucinations. This could also be related to the I-function since it is the system that integrates the input from all other areas of the brain. If the neurons composing the I-function become too taxed then the picture in the head that the I-function produces may be more dissimilar from reality than usual. The neurons, under pressure to continue functioning but unable to perform optimally, create an image useful enough for a person to see most of his or her surroundings. Metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex can drop as much as eleven percent after a person has missed sleep for only twenty four hours. As a person loses more sleep or continues to receive less-than-adequate amounts of sleep the neurons become even more taxed and the I-function may begin to generate even less coherent images possibly resulting in temporary insanity.

Jesus was put to death on the cross.

There are some groups who believe that Jesus was executed on a stake. However, there is compelling evidence from the early church, historical, archaeological, and scriptural that all confirm Our Lord's execution on a Cross, whereas there is little, if any, real and reliable evidence from any historical or archaeological - or scriptural - source that even remotely suggests his execution on a 'stake'.

The evidence includes:

1. The symbolism of the Cross in the early Church.The cross symbol was already associated with Christians in the second century, as is indicated in the (anti-Christian, so not biased towards Christianity by any means!) arguments cited in the Octavius of Minucius Felix, chapters IX and XXIX, written at the end of that century or, possibly the very beginning of the next. Minucius Felix speaks of the cross of Jesus in its familiar form, likening it to objects with a crossbeam or to a man with arms outstretched in prayer. Also, Clement of Alexandria, who died between 211 and 216, frequently used the phrase τὸ κυριακὸν σημεῖον (the Lord's sign) to mean the cross. In his writings he describes the Cross as a symbol of the Christian - a Cross that was made by a vertical line crossed by a horizontal one. His contemporary, the great theologian Tertullian called the body of Christian believers as crucis religiosi, i.e. "devotees of the Cross". In his book De Corona, Chapter 3, written in 204, Tertullian tells how it was already a tradition for Christians to trace repeatedly on their foreheads the sign of the cross as a mark of their devotion to Christ. Another early Church father, who lived from 130-202, the great Irenaeus, wrote Adversus Haereses where in section II, xxiv, 4 said these words: ."The very form of the cross, too, has five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in the middle, on which the person rests who is fixed by the nails". Irenaeus was a pupil of Polycarp, who was, in turn, a pupil of St John the Apostle, the only disciple cited in scripture that was actually present at the crucifixion. Hence, Irenaeus would hardly have made an error in the cross shape and therefore, the cross , as described by him, must be given serious thought.

2. Historical and archaeological evidence of the Roman Empire. The term 'crucifixion' comes from the Latin crucifixio ("fixed to a cross", from the prefix cruci-, "cross", + verb ficere, "fix or do") and not 'fixed to a stake'. Very occasionally, the gibbet was only one vertical stake, called in Latin crux simplex or palus, or in Greek μόνος σταυρός (monos stauros, i.e. isolated stake). This was the simplest available construction for torturing and killing the criminals. More often, however, there was a cross-piece attached either at the top to give the shape of a T (crux commissa) or just below the top, as in the form most familiar in Christian symbolism (crux immissa).Other forms were in the shape of the letters X and Y. Shapes of cross tended to be local, so that, say a stake would be favoured in one part of the Empire, whilst a cross would be used in another.The earliest writings that speak specifically of the shape of the cross on which Jesus died describe it as shaped like the letter T (the Greek letter tau), or, morfe likely, composed of an upright and a transverse beam, together with a small ledge in the upright.The apochryphal Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 9 mentions this, and, although not a canonical gospel, still undoubtedly belongs to the end of the first or beginning of the second century and contains a great deal of contemporary information that has to be taken seriously.

Archaeologically, the Cross, as well as the fish, the star, the Chi-Rho sign, the anchor and the plough, are to be found on second century ossuaries of the Judaeo-Christian community in Judae which put any doubt as to the nature of the Cross shape beyond all reasonable doubt. Michael Green, an expert on the early church, confirms this in "Evangelism in the Early Church" pp. 214-215. In June of 1968, some 1st century tombs were accidentally unearthed by bulldozers working north of Jerusalem. Archaeologist, Vasilius Tzaferis excavated the tombs and unearthed the skeletal remains of a young man who had been crucified. Mr Tzaferis, who is not a Christian, wrote an article on his findings in the Biblical Archaeological Review. The crucified man was crucified on a cross-shaped cross, suggesting that that was the preferred local method for crucifixion in those parts - ie Jerusalem. Also, in local contemporary graffiti, there is an anti-Christian picture that shows a Christian believer worshipping an ass-headed god on a cross. The figure of Christ is crucified with his arms outstretched - graffiti drawn by a contemporary figure. Finally, within the catacombs in Rome, the Cross symbol is seen frequently as a symbol for Christianity, many of which date from the earliest Christian church there. I saw these symbols scratched onto walls, on tombs and even a stone altar myself whilst on a visit there a few years ago. All of the Cross symbols were of the standard Christian Cross as an upright and cross beam. Nowhere was there any hint of a 'stake' being used symbolically for an event which, along with the resurrection and ascension, was the pivotal belief of the early Church and the one to which Paul referred time and time again.

3. The evidence in scripture. In their representations of Christ on what they call a torture stake, the Watchtower society of Jehovah's Witnesses always show 'one nail' through both of Christ's hands. However, in contrast to this, the Bible clearly states that Christ's crucifixion bore the marks of two nails in his hands and not one. This is seen in John 20:25 which records Thomas as saying: "...Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." Note that the plurality of the nails refers to the hands only and not the hands and feet. This is evident both in the English account and the original Greek. In addition to this text, further biblical evidence that Christ was crucified on a cross, rather than a torture stake, can be gleaned from Matthew 27:37, which describes the charge placed "above" Christ's "head": "This is Jesus The King of the Jews". Again, the Greek is specific - the charge was placed above Christ's head. If Christ had been crucified on a torture stake, the charge would have been unreadable, as His hands would have obstructed the words. If it was placed higher up the pole, it may have been more appropriate for Matthew, normally a stickler for detail, to have written that the charge was placed above His hands. However, the traditional historic view of Christ being crucified on a cross, would both make the charge easier for all to have seen, and, as the text says, been placed above His head. In addition to this, all four gospels record Jesus carrying his Cross. In, e.g. John 19:17, the word used admittedly is stauros "και βασταζων εαυτω τον σταυρονεξηλθεν εις τον λεγομενον κρανιου τοπον ο λεγεται εβραιστι γολγοθα" But this does not mean that the word 'stauros means a stake in this context or else it would be described as 'monos stauros' instead. Certainly the earliest original Greek-to-Latin Bible translators knew the Cross as just that - so that the word 'Crucis' was used rather than anything else. The reasons for the misconception about the word stauros are too many and complex to go into, but there is an excellent inbiassed article that examines the original Greek etymology of the word and the Jehovah's Witness claims. The address is http://www.freeminds.org/doctrine/jesus/the-facts-on-crucifixion-stauros-and-the-torture-stake.html. Finally, Paul, in many of his letters, refers to Jesus being crucified on a Cross (stauros) and never, ever a stake (monos stauros).

There are some Christian faiths that believe it was a stake. And they have tons of citations to back that up, citations that primarily are convincing to themselves.

Secularly speaking, the Romans were not such slaves to detail as to do things exactly the same every time. There were executions by what would look to us like a cross. Others were executed by two beams that were in a capitol "T" shape. And some were executed on what could be called a stake.

As the writers of the various gospels do not perfectly well agree on the last words of Jesus, it is doubtful that any agreement as to the exact shape of the wood he was executed on will be had.

Nor, from a theological standpoint, should it matter. The theological point is in Jesus sacrificing himself for our sins, not the exact manner of his execution. One nail causing holes in both hands, two nails causing holes in both hands, or let it be three nails that all fell out and they tied him to a hook on a wall.

The point is, believing in his divinity or not, it is the story of a man who did no wrong, and died trying to assist others. For those who follow this "Prince of Peace" to have hot debates over his execution is unseemly.

The notion of Jesus being nailed to a stake frequently comes from the New World Translation.

The NWT is commonly recognized among both Catholic and Reformed exegetes as having highly controversial translations of passages due to religious bias. This translation is read primarily among Jehovah's witnesses, and their Watchtower magazines frequently illustrate Christ nailed to the stipes, or vertical beam with a singular nail through both hands.

However, the idea of a single vertical stake with a singular nail through both hands is exceedingly difficult to reconcile with the gospel of John:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called The Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Consequently the other disciples would say to him: "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands (plural) the print of the nails (plural) and stick my finger into the print of the nails (plural) and stick my hand into his side, I will certainly not believe." (John 20:24-25 NWT)

Here, even the New World Translation has a pluraluse of nails corresponding to Jesus' hands, of which St. Thomas wanted both visual and tactile confirmation, and which corresponds to the ancient Roman tradition of having the condemned carry a patibulum, or crossbeam.

I claim no medical education or suggest making significant changes to your lifestyle before consulting a doctor with your intention.

In my opinion, yes. Anemia, workaholic and sleep depravation go hand in hand. I mean if you work odd shift night and day it less likely to have an influence but working day night day night day night with only few hours sleep on a frequent basis, then yes. A lot of forums argue this myth but after test and test and no answers.

My logic is that lack of sleep cause, chemical, hormone imbalance, fatigue, depressive states and lack of physical exercise beyond work, which increase/ induces? anemia. There is no direct link sleep deprivation > anemia X wrong

sleep deprivation > body imbalances and fatigue (poor body function)> anemia.

Anemia > poor body function > fatigue..

a pattern there, i think.

Possible way to recovery

I would say, sleep for 6-8+ hours a night ANDdrink orange juice (vitamin c) "increase iron absorbion, eat a balance diet and eat iron rich foods. This over a long period should help, binges of this won't because iron absorbed through food is limited so wont have any effect.

Please note, i think this is a lifestyle change and many will feel this is too much to recovery, i would take time to think, plan and make these step strong in your mind as half hearted attempts are likely to end in failure.

If you feel this helps you, good, and if you wish to share this please do.

Kindest Regards

It is possibly because of Laius' murder that the Sphinx tortures Thebes in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, no reason is given in the play as to why the Sphinx terrifies Thebes with her ravenous appetite for freshly killed Thebans. But she shows up immediately after Theban King Laius' death, which is not solved and for which no mandatory cleansing rituals are carried out. Other sources suggest that she is Laius' illegitimate daughter and that she arrives because the environment is polluted from the lack of mandatory purification procedures being carried out for Laius' murder.