`NEAR DEATH'  -  `NDEs'  -  `LITTLE DEATH'

          `brain-washing' - `inspiration' - `sexual-loyalty'


 1) `near death' - Pavlov's dogs

 Ivan Pavlov (1849 - 1936) was a medical man experimenting on dogs to determine
 their physical responses - digestion, health etc.  You might have heard of his
 `bell-ringing' to announce feeding time by which he obtained a `conditioned
 reflex' of salivation by the dogs.

 An accident resulted in both fire and flooding of the experiment building -
 some dogs were killed and most were traumatized by `near death'.
 
 Pavlov noticed that as a result the dogs reversed their previous habits,
 routines, responses, even loyalties.  He figured out it was an `evolutionary'
 response (i.e previous behavior `resulted' in near-death, so reverse the
 behavior).

 Sadly these results were used by rulers around the world, cruelly, as a
 `brain-washing' technique for them to use on their own citizens, on captives
 or in interrogating `suspects' - and are still used today.

 Significantly Pavlov was never oppressed by the various Soviet regimes, a
 rare circumstance - and he was also awarded a Nobel Prize.

 See

 www.perceptions.couk.com/greatest.html

 for other examples of corrupt political mis-use of science and also corrupt
 use of the Nobel awards]

                        **************

 2) NDE - `near death experience' in humans

 It seems significant that humans who've experienced `near death' in accidents
 or during medical procedures, operations etc. also tend to report a life-
 changing experience or phenomenon.

 The human brain/mind gestalt is not only complex but may be uniquely self-
 referencing (so far as we know) - therefore its `near death' experience could
 be expected to produce a more richly illuminated (and perhaps `illuminating')
 scenario to the conscious mind.

 See

 www.perceptions.couk.com/conscious.html
 www.perceptions.couk.com/percepts.html

 for examples of our brain's conscious perception - and mis-perception]


                        **************

 3) `Little Death' - la Petite Morte

 Used here exclusively to describe the human male's post-coital sadness -
 obviously first described by a French male.

 We speculate that this is also a (linked?) evolutionary ploy.  Humans need to
 invest in their family to ensure reproduction.  And the next generation ideally
 needs a mutually-loyal set of parents for optimum survival / development of the
 children.

 `Perceptions' thinks the "petite morte" phenomenon serves to realign / refresh
 male loyalty to his female sexual partner.

 This can bring problems, as can any evolutionary ploy, when conditions are not
 `normal' or `natural' or are out of line with those experienced by the average
 population over (long) periods of time*.

 (*past - evolution can't have `reacted' to the future or even to the present).


 Results:

 Unconscious suspicion

 A `wife' / female partner unconsciously suspects infidelity when her male partner
 displays a change in physical or even intellectual loyalty.

 She will (unconsciously) display resentment.
 
 And that could result in very negative consequences, but might only be due to
 an `innocent' experience undergone by the male, one that might be equally
 `unconscious' on his part.


 Failure of effect over time?

 Conversely the male's (unconscious) change of attitude could simply be due
 to the fact that the couple haven't had sex (constructively) for too long
 a period.

 Ie. we don't know how long the `little death' loyalty effect is actually
 _effective_ in maintaining loyalty.


 Change of partner

 Logic implies that if a male actually does change partners, the `petite morte'
 effect should ensure loyalty switch to the new partner - if he is monogamous.


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 See

 www.perceptions.couk.com/monogamy.txt

 for a practical view of humans' sexual history, and maybe also

 www.perceptions.couk.com/genes4.html

 for overall sexual situation in nature - so far as we know.

 
 -----------------------------------------------------------

              FURTHER REFERENCES

  GO - "search perceptions" - in SEARCH-ENGINE


file-ID www.perceptions.couk.com/near_death.txt