Human Experience Research Articles

Timelines and Dystopian Imagery: Modernism and Realism in W.H. Auden's "The Shield of Achilles"

This research item explores W.H. Auden’s amalgamation of different timelines and dystopian imagery using modernist and realist styles in “The Shield of Achilles”. The paper aims to analyze his depiction of societal evolution and human experiences. Auden braids stories of change and existential questions by combining innovative techniques with realistic details. The study deciphers the poem’s layered time periods and it’s method of combining despair and hope while straddling artistic innovation and mid-20th century realities. Auden’s dystopian images reflect the era’s anxieties, while his modernist approach challenges norms. The research item aims to bring forward the temporal layers, revealing his engagement with linear and cyclical time concepts. The study elucidates tensions between avant-garde creativity and mid-20th century existence. In essence, the goal of this study is to analyze Auden’s blending of timelines, dystopian scenes, modern and realistic styles to depict societal experiences, human sufferings including psychologically, materialistically, and lastly existential crisis. It aims to understand his panoramic view combining hope/despair and innovation/reality through close stylistic examination.

Enhancing human well-being and comfort: Optimizing the integration of plants in buildings

The escalating challenges posed by greenhouse effects and the imperative for sustainable solutions have garnered global attention towards mitigating environmental harm, with buildings emerging as significant contributors to carbon emissions. This case study meticulously examines the Shunde Country Garden Headquarters Building, a visually captivating exemplar of plant integration within architectural frameworks. While the initial design emphasizes aesthetics and sustainability, a deeper exploration uncovers shortcomings in considering the well-being of occupants. The integration of plants into building structures holds promise in carbon absorption and reduced energy consumption, making a positive contribution to sustainability. However, the Shunde case underscores challenges such as insufficient natural light, poor ventilation, and elevated indoor humidity levels. These issues highlight the critical necessity of aligning architectural designs with human experiences, transcending mere aesthetics and sustainability. This study also reveals a noticeable oversight in the social dimension of buildings integrated with plants within existing certifications and architectural practices. While certifications like LEED, WELL, Envision, and BREEAM primarily evaluate sustainability from a conventional standpoint, architects often prioritize aesthetics over the living experiences of occupants. The absence of comprehensive guidelines addressing human well-being and comfort impedes the widespread adoption of Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS). In response, this project aims to propose a design guideline that holistically considers environmental, economic, and social aspects. By accentuating occupants' comfort and well-being, the objective is to unlock the practical potential of VGS across various countries. The proposed design guideline encompasses environmental, economic, and social considerations. It delves into lighting, support, and landscape elements for the environment, and addresses economic aspects such as potential, construction, design, and landscape economy. Importantly, the social aspect takes precedence in the guideline, concentrating on innovation, location, and landscape. By addressing environment, economy, and society, this paper endeavors to elevate the impact of Vertical Greenery Systems on human well-being and comfort, fostering a sustainable and harmonious relationship between architecture and nature.

On the Practical Implications of Universalism and its Relation to Suffering

The doctrine of universalism, which asserts that all will find salvation in the life to come, can be critiqued on the grounds that it appears to underplay the real and lasting significance of suffering and injustice in this life, potentially placing its adherents in an improper relation to suffering and sufferers. In this essay, I engage with this problem, first, through examining how Karen Kilby’s critique of conceptual clarity might problematize the doctrine. I argue, however, in this essay’s second part, that the conceptual clarity we might first see is not the full story of universalism. In seeking a fuller story, I approach universalism from the perspective of its practical implications, here borrowing from ideas explored by Simeon Zahl, taking up his call to attend to the concrete outworking of doctrine in human experience. Two possible ‘affects’ of universalism are suggested, which, in a third part, I argue might nurture in the believer a heightened sensitivity to the wrongness of death and the problem of sin. Universalism, examined from the perspective of its practical implications, problematizes in this life some of the suffering that it might appear to resolve in the next.

Improving algorithmic trading consistency via human alignment and imitation learning

Research on algorithmic trading using reinforcement learning has become increasingly popular in recent years. Although most of the current reinforcement learning methods are employed to train the agent for some kind of modeling or data problem, it is worthwhile to explore in aligning agents with human behavior in applications as crucial as financial trading. Achieving such consistency by incorporating human expert experience into agent behavior is a key for potential improvements in this field. Imitation learning learns directly from examples of humans or other agents performing tasks. However, using imitation learning alone suffers from the problem of transitionally fitting expert example data. By combining the advantages of imitation learning and the Advantage Actor–Critic method, the Human Alignment Advantage Actor–Critic (HA3C) algorithm is proposed, to enhance single-asset trading strategy. First, by adding daily and weekly frequency trading data as input features to TimesNet, which is specifically designed to extract correlated temporal patterns from time-series data, it can capture both short-term and long-term features, thus capturing time-series features more comprehensively. Second, an expert action labeling method is proposed to train a strategy prediction network through supervised learning of behavior imitation. Third, a pre-trained strategy network is transferred to balance the exploration and exploitation of the agent’s behavior. Imitation learning techniques leverage finance-specific knowledge to enhance algorithmic trading consistency. This approach enables algorithms to mimic and adapt human decision-making patterns in finance, ultimately improving overall performance. This paper introduces a novel return-based function that efficiently balances short-term and long-term returns over flexible time horizons. It considers the maximum return from different positions and uses flexible time windows to capture trends while maximizing returns. Finally, evaluation on six commonly used datasets, such as DJI and SP500, demonstrates the advantages of the proposed HA3C algorithm compared with other classical and reinforcement learning-based strategies. Notably, on the HSI dataset, the HA3C strategy significantly outperforms other methods, achieving an impressive cumulative return of 681.55% and a Sharpe ratio of 5.07. These results show the superior performance of the HA3C algorithm in enhancing stock trading strategies and its potential to impact algorithmic trading consistency through aligning agent behavior with human expertise.

Dreamscapes of Belonging : Draft, based on the presentation at the IAJS Conference 2023, work in progress

Jungian Art-Based Research (JABR) is a distinctive methodological framework that explores the intersection of analytical psychology and the arts. It primarily utilizes Jung's theories of the psyche, integrating these with artistic processes to investigate and express unconscious dynamics. Susan Rowland, a pivotal figure in this field, has significantly advanced the understanding of how Jungian theories can be applied within art-based research (Rowland, 2023). Her contributions elucidate how artistic expressions act as mediums through which the unconscious can be explored and articulated, thereby offering profound insights into both individual and collective unconscious processes. The objectives of Jungian Art-Based Research are manifold. Firstly, JABR aims to provide a methodological approach that allows researchers and practitioners to delve deeper into the symbolic and transformative potential of art. This is achieved through the engagement of the unconscious in the creation and interpretation of art, thereby fostering a holistic understanding of the psyche. Secondly, JABR seeks to expand the scope of psychological inquiry by incorporating artistic expressions as legitimate sources of psychological data. Lastly, it aspires to foster a dialogue between psychology and art, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration that can enrich both fields. By integrating analytical psychology with artistic creativity, JABR contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the human experience, offering valuable perspectives that challenge conventional research paradigms. This paper presents a personal journey through the application of Jungian Art-Based Research (JABR), initiated by attending a course by Susan Rowlands. It delves into the transformative experience of exploring the multiverse of dreams and their impact on the author's professional and personal development. The exploration began with the author’s repetitive dreams, characterized by detailed urban landscapes, serving as the primary material for research. By physically mapping these dreamscapes and integrating various symbolic materials, the author engaged in a deep, introspective process, highlighting the non-linear and spiraling nature of JABR. This journey further intertwined with reflections on identity, homelessness, and the longing for a sense of belonging, amplified by historical and cultural dislocations. Through spontaneous dance and subsequent reflections, the author confronts the disillusionment with idealized spaces and faces the reality of changing perspectives and attachments. The paper concludes by pondering the broader implications of our attachment to the Earth, suggesting that our efforts to save it might be hindered by our need to name and possess, rather than embrace its intrinsic, unnamed existence. Through a Jungian lens, the author proposes a reevaluation of our relationship with the planet, advocating for a detachment from specific names to foster a more universal and sustainable connection.

Protein quality, nutrition and health.

Dietary proteins are energy macronutrients providing nitrogen, amino acids (AA), and energy. AAs are the main nitrogen-containing compounds in the body and are the precursors for the synthesis of body proteins and of several other AA-derived molecules. Among the 20 AAs included in protein sequence, 9 are classified as "nutritionally essential" or "indispensable" AA (IAA) because they cannot be synthesized in the body and must be provided by the diet. IAAs are limiting components for protein synthesis. An adequate intake of protein is required to support growth, maintenance, body functions, health and survival. Official definition of protein requirement is based on nitrogen balance. Protein quality is related to the capacity of protein to provide an adequate quantity of nitrogen and of each of the 9 IAAs for the different physiological situations in humans. Protein source is considered high quality for humans when the protein is readily digested, simultaneously providing an adequate quantity of nitrogen and of each of the 9 IAAs to maintain an adequate metabolic AA pool. The most accurate assessment of protein quality of foods for humans is through metabolic studies that measure nitrogen balance. The protein quality score is the ratio of the content of each IAA in the food and in a reference profile. This score corresponds to the calculated composition of a protein which, when meeting protein requirements, simultaneously meets the requirements of each of the 9 IAAs. AA scores as predictors of protein quality must be adjusted for protein and AA availability.

Bayesian optimization based extreme gradient boosting and GPR time-frequency features for the recognition of moisture damage in asphalt pavement

Moisture damage is one of the major defects in asphalt pavement, and will evolve into potholes in a short time which will affect traffic safety. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an effective non-destructive testing (NDT) method for detecting moisture damage but its data explanation replies on human experience and subjects to labor intensive. To address this issue, an automatic detection method based on extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) combined with Bayesian hyper-parameter optimization (BHPO) was proposed to detect moisture damage area from GPR traces. High frequency GPR antenna with 2.3 GHz was used to detect the moisture damage area from simulation, laboratory and field tests, and moisture damage dataset with 7960 traces was collected. Thirty time-frequency parameters were extracted from each GPR trace, normalized to unify the three data source, and then optimized into 12 sensitive parameters by feature importance method. These 12 parameters were used to build the recognition model with XGBoost, and the model tuning parameters were optimized by BHPO. To obtain optimization model, random forest (RF) and artificial neural network (ANN) were also trained with BHPO, and compared with XGBoost model. The results indicate that performance of XGBoost model with BHPO achieves the highest accuracy and lowest time cost both in moisture damage and normal trace classification, the accuracies for moisture damage are XGBoost (96.9%) > ANN (95.6%) > RF (95.4%), respectively, and normal are XGBoost (96.5%) > RF (96.1%) and ANN (96.0%), respectively. On this basis, field tests were conducted by core samples, which verified the correct result of XGBoost model. Our method provides a swift and accurate method to locate subsurface targets directly from GPR signals.

Zooming through History: Active Perceptual Experience Mediated by Technology

This article examines the evolution of zooming and its impact on human perception, blending historical analysis with concepts from enaction and ecological psychology. The paper traces the advancement of magnifying tools from ancient lenses to modern optical instruments, highlighting their transformative role in extending human capabilities to perceive beyond natural limits. Central to this exploration are Zoomable User Interfaces (ZUIs), which exemplify the integration of perceptual theories into technological innovation. ZUIs are presented not just as tools but as interactive platforms that embody enactive and ecological principles, enabling users to engage dynamically with multi-scale digital environments. This approach challenges traditional views of perception, emphasizing an active, embodied experience that aligns with our cognitive abilities, opening up new perceptual agencies. The paper concludes by exploring future possibilities in virtual reality and multimodality, suggesting new directions for zoom technologies to enrich human perceptual experiences. This work offers a narrative that underscores the continuous human quest to enhance our understanding and interaction with the world, marking the expansion of human perception and interaction with our environment.

Testing the Conjecture That Quantum Processes Create Conscious Experience.

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest-pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness, yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. In the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because, to date, no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here, we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human conscious experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.

Rapid Establishment of a Regeneration System for Astragalus membranaceus Mongholicus

Background: Astragalus membranaceus Mongholicus (Astragalus) is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in the world. It is a traditional Chinese medicine plant that has been used to treat various human diseases and conditions, such as inflammation, gastrointestinal bacterial infections and malignant tumors. With the expansion of artificial planting areas, the demand for high-quality Astragalus seedlings is also increasing. The traditional seedling-raising methods of direct seeding and induced callus have problems such as a long growth period, unstable genetic traits, strict sampling and rooting difficulties. Therefore, it is very important to multiply the excellent germplasm by optimizing the tissue culture regeneration system. Methods: In this study, Astragalus field cultivated plants, which are easily available, were used as materials and the method of tissue culture cuttings was used to select the direct inoculation method of stem segments as explant materials to establish a plant regeneration system of Astragalus and the best sampling period, sampling site and optimal medium for regeneration of field cultivated plants were screened. Result: The best sampling period for plant regeneration of Astragalus in the field was about 40 d after the emergence of the 3-year-old Astragalus and the rooting rate of the regenerated plants was 100.00%. The best sampling site is the middle section of the stem and the regeneration system using the middle section of the stem as the explant is better than using the top and bottom of the stem as the explant and the rooting rate of the regenerated plants is 100.00%; the best medium for the regenerated plants is N22: 1/2MS+1 mg/L NAA and T28: 1/2MS+1 mg/L ABT, the rooting rates were 76.67% and 96.67%, respectively. The regenerated plants established with the stems of the field cultivated plants of Astragalus as explants were all able to induce seedlings after 1 week and the regenerated seedlings start to take root after 3 weeks of growth and can be transplanted and propagated after 6 weeks of culture. The regeneration system established in this study by direct cuttings from cultivated Astragalus stems is more rapid and efficient, breaking through the difficulties of limited access to material and long growth period of regenerated seedlings in the traditional regeneration system and providing technical support for the conservation and utilization of wild resources of Astragalus and rapid expansion of new varieties and germplasm conservation.

Presence of Prisoners with Mental Health Prisoners in Detention and Correctional Centers in the Republic of Kosovo

Conventions adopted by the United Nations and Council of Europe pay special importance to the treatment of prisoners with mental health problems. Their treatment is closely related to respect for human dignity, torture, cruel and degrading treatment or punishment. The European Court of Human Rights, in many cases, has ruled that the detention of a mentally-ill person can raise issues from Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that the lack of adequate medical care can result in treatment contrary to this article, especially with regard to inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment. The Republic of Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations and Council of Europe. However, it has incorporated in its Constitution a number of Conventions adopted by the United Nations and Council of Europe, which are very important international instruments for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Also, Kosovo has adopted a legal frame work which prohibits torture, cruel and degrading treatment or punishment in accordance with the international Human Rights standards. The Constitution, also provides that Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution shall be interpreted in accordance with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. This paper is based on the reports of international Human Rights monitoring mechanisms and their findings regarding treatment of prisoners with mental health problems, such as Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Ombudsperson of Kosovo reports, reports of governmental bodies, as well as reports of Kosovo NGOs, which are authorized to monitor Human Rights situation in places of deprivation of liberty. Based on Ombudsperson’s reports, Committee for the Prevention of Torture reports, reports of Prison Health Department of Kosovo Ministry of Health, as well as reports of the NGOs in Kosovo, the treatment of prisoners with serious mental problems in detention and correctional centers in the Republic of Kosovo remains a serious challenge, despite the efforts of the competent authorities to change this situation and to increase human and institutional capacities. Prisoners with serious mental health problems continue to be accommodated in detention and correctional centers, instead of being accommodated in the relevant health institutions, due to the lack of institutional capacities and personnel. Key words: Human Rights, mentally ill prisoners, international standards, applicable legislation in Kosovo

The human auditory system uses amplitude modulation to distinguish music from speech.

Music and speech are complex and distinct auditory signals that are both foundational to the human experience. The mechanisms underpinning each domain are widely investigated. However, what perceptual mechanism transforms a sound into music or speech and how basic acoustic information is required to distinguish between them remain open questions. Here, we hypothesized that a sound's amplitude modulation (AM), an essential temporal acoustic feature driving the auditory system across processing levels, is critical for distinguishing music and speech. Specifically, in contrast to paradigms using naturalistic acoustic signals (that can be challenging to interpret), we used a noise-probing approach to untangle the auditory mechanism: If AM rate and regularity are critical for perceptually distinguishing music and speech, judging artificially noise-synthesized ambiguous audio signals should align with their AM parameters. Across 4 experiments (N = 335), signals with a higher peak AM frequency tend to be judged as speech, lower as music. Interestingly, this principle is consistently used by all listeners for speech judgments, but only by musically sophisticated listeners for music. In addition, signals with more regular AM are judged as music over speech, and this feature is more critical for music judgment, regardless of musical sophistication. The data suggest that the auditory system can rely on a low-level acoustic property as basic as AM to distinguish music from speech, a simple principle that provokes both neurophysiological and evolutionary experiments and speculations.

Dreamscapes of Belonging

Jungian Art-Based Research (JABR) is a distinctive methodological framework that explores the intersection of analytical psychology and the arts. It primarily utilizes Jung's theories of the psyche, integrating these with artistic processes to investigate and express unconscious dynamics. Susan Rowland, a pivotal figure in this field, has significantly advanced the understanding of how Jungian theories can be applied within art-based research (Rowland, 2023). Her contributions elucidate how artistic expressions act as mediums through which the unconscious can be explored and articulated, thereby offering profound insights into both individual and collective unconscious processes. The objectives of Jungian Art-Based Research are manifold. Firstly, JABR aims to provide a methodological approach that allows researchers and practitioners to delve deeper into the symbolic and transformative potential of art. This is achieved through the engagement of the unconscious in the creation and interpretation of art, thereby fostering a holistic understanding of the psyche. Secondly, JABR seeks to expand the scope of psychological inquiry by incorporating artistic expressions as legitimate sources of psychological data. Lastly, it aspires to foster a dialogue between psychology and art, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration that can enrich both fields. By integrating analytical psychology with artistic creativity, JABR contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the human experience, offering valuable perspectives that challenge conventional research paradigms. This paper presents a personal journey through the application of Jungian Art-Based Research (JABR), initiated by attending a course by Susan Rowlands. It delves into the transformative experience of exploring the multiverse of dreams and their impact on the author's professional and personal development. The exploration began with the author’s repetitive dreams, characterized by detailed urban landscapes, serving as the primary material for research. By physically mapping these dreamscapes and integrating various symbolic materials, the author engaged in a deep, introspective process, highlighting the non-linear and spiraling nature of JABR. This journey further intertwined with reflections on identity, homelessness, and the longing for a sense of belonging, amplified by historical and cultural dislocations. Through spontaneous dance and subsequent reflections, the author confronts the disillusionment with idealized spaces and faces the reality of changing perspectives and attachments. The paper concludes by pondering the broader implications of our attachment to the Earth, suggesting that our efforts to save it might be hindered by our need to name and possess, rather than embrace its intrinsic, unnamed existence. Through a Jungian lens, the author proposes a reevaluation of our relationship with the planet, advocating for a detachment from specific names to foster a more universal and sustainable connection.

نگرشی مقایسوی بر نظریه امام ابوحامد غزالی و ابوعلی ابن مسکویه پیرامون فلسفه اخلاق

The study of Islamic heritage by predecessors of the Ummah regarding moral philosophy reflects the views and thoughts of Muslim philosophers who have elucidated the nature and essence of ethics and discussed its fundamental principles and theoretical foundations. In the introduction of these intellectuals, two prominent Islamic philosophers, Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazali and Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad Miskawayh, stand out among others. The perspective of these Muslim philosophers on the concept, subject, and goals of the science of ethics, as well as the originality of their theories concerning their relative dependence on the ethical theories of Greek philosophers, is a matter that requires an analytical-descriptive investigation. The present findings indicate that the ethical theory of these two great thinkers generally aims at objectives such as the growth and elevation of moral conscience, purification of the soul, purification of the heart and inner self, strengthening the relationship between the self and the Almighty Creator, moral refinement and optimization, organizing and rectifying human conduct and behavior, achieving balance among the dimensions of human existence, strengthening fraternal bonds, cooperation and benevolence within society, and institutionalizing goodness and virtue, wisdom, courage, chastity, and justice among society and humanity at large by adhering to Islamic ethical standards.

From Pastoral Vistas to Urban Realities: Exploring the Transformative Journey through the Primordial Village of Aathi in Sara Joseph’s Gift in Green and Pallikaranai

Space in its purest form is a pristine canvas, a blank slate awaiting the brushstrokes of life. Space is a profound repository, a vessel into which the essence of actions, movements, emotions, and sensations can be infused. It invites the human experience to inscribe its tales, thereby creating a complex tapestry of moments, memories, and significance. Space's vastness invites exploration and self-expression; it is a stage awaiting the magnificent performance of existence. Nevertheless, space is not a single entity. It is similar to a chameleon in that its meaning varies depending on the observer. What a particular location signifies to one person may be vastly different from what it means to another. This paper intends to characterize the transformational journey of cityscapes, tracing their emergence from rural or pastoral settings and elucidating their profound impact on the physical and mental health of their denizens. This article seeks to utilize Henri Lefebvre's seminal concept of representational space, or lived space, as a potent analytical tool for a comprehensive investigation of Sarah Joseph's literary work Aathi translated into English by Valson Thampu as Gift in Green. Furthermore, this study engages in a comparative analysis, drawing parallels between Sara Joseph's evocative depiction of the asphyxiated fictional realm of Aathi and the tangible urban reality of Pallikaranai in Chennai, thus casting light on the intricate interplay between fiction and reality.

Preface. Multisensuality in Historical and Cultural Contexts

This section contains four original articles addressing the matters of interaction, coexistence and representation of the human senses in various historical and cultural contexts. The multisensory experience of the world in relations to the past, the present and the future constitutes the main theme of the selected articles. The authors analyze how, in various cultural texts and historical moments, human experience was depicted through the prism of sensory perception, sometimes combined with sensory memory and the powerfulness/powerlessness of the (non)human corporeality. The authors analyze a variety of historical and cultural sources to answer the question of the impact of multisensory experience on our view of the world: in the past, the present and the future. Nina C. Rastinger in her article “Capturing Extraordinary Multisensory Experiences in Writing: Reports on Natural Disasters in an 18th Century Newspaper Corpus” deals with written representations of natural disasters, which constitute extraordinary multisensory experiences, in historical newspaper texts. Natalia Giza in her study “Multisensuality in the Satirical Prints of the Georgian Era in England” shows how sensory perception enhanced visual humor in the satirical prints of Georgian England, examining how English caricaturists used various sensory elements such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Jules Sebastian Skutta in his paper “Tactile Vision and Othering: Ethnographic Engagements and Racial Differentiations in 19th Century Travelogues” demonstrates on the basis of ethnographic travelogues from German East Africa and from the time of German colonial rule that the transmission, emergence, and dissemination of features of racial differentiation are based on the interplay of different sensory perceptions. Finally, Bartosz Mroczkowski, in the article entitled “Designing the Future Through Touch” focuses on the sense of touch in the process of designing the future. The aforementioned articles illustrate that multisensuality is a multidimensional concept that requires a thorough analysis from different academic perspectives and with the use of various methodological approaches.

One Universal Civilization: Superiority and Eurocentric Conception of the Rest

The prevailing notion suggests a universal or human civilization, positing all as subsets of a shared human experience. This article critiques this perspective, arguing that the contemporary concept of human civilization is predominantly synonymous with Western civilization. This article will elucidate its argument by drawing upon the insights of Western scholars in the field of civilizational studies. Subsequently, it will undertake a critical examination and assessment of the Western discourse, evaluating its outcomes as evidenced in contemporary foreign policy shaped by the historical backdrop of colonialism. The article uses direct quotations and historical narratives to not only scrutinize the inclination to depict Western civilization as singular, extraordinary, and unparalleled but also to highlight the persistent tendency to undervalue the importance of other civilizations, often termed as 'the rest'. It relies on primary materials authored by Western scholars concerning the notion of civilization, supplemented by secondary references citing influential intellectuals in the field. In addition to primary sources such as interviews and contemporary statements regarding pertinent events, secondary sources encompass literature on civilization within the framework of global south studies. The notion of Western civilization is depicted as a constructed political construct utilized to perpetuate Western hegemony, engender othering, and perpetuate colonialist agendas. This dynamic persists even in the post-Cold War era, wherein ongoing Western hegemony perpetuates dominance over non-Western powers. Instances reflecting this neo-colonialist paradigm include the US intervention in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan, and the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza as of late 2023.

Alimentary Images as Metaphor of Education

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to explore how the history of images and conceptual metaphors resulting from them that we use in educational reflections are formed regardless of if they are problematized in practical life. Insight into history shows how these images are shaped not only by our own experiences and by the context of our lives, but also by the history of such images, which are unconsciously inscribed in our metaphorical speech through so called “residues of meaning”. The paper clarifies this, using the examples of alimentary images, that are a transition from nutrix (wet nurse) to nutritor (teacher). The text offers selected examples of consideration of alimentary images. These are among the most primitive and therefore the deepest images of human experience. This history is an example of a cultural line that goes from ancient educational imagination to the more recent forms of such images, even if always with different accents.

Silence as a magnifying glass for uncertainty and affect: The qualitative case studies of Karin and Dana’s journals

This article focuses on what diverse forms of silence (i.e., silence-phenomena) convey about affective processing and meaning-making as processes. Departing from a dialogical perspective that informs sociocultural and existential theories, we qualitatively analyze Karin and Dana’s (pseudonyms) cases. These two Master’s students attended a three-week-long intensive and interdisciplinary course at a Norwegian university. The course is about silence-phenomena, group dynamics, and quality of life. Our primary data consisted of journal entries (Karin, n = 21; Dana, n = 30) that the study participants wrote at different moments of the day during this course, including a morning session called “The Silent Time.” We also included email follow-ups exchanged with the students after the course ended (Karin n = 1; Dana, n = 3). We use Developmentally oriented Thematic Analysis (DOTA) as a method of analysis in order to address both state and process-oriented narratives in their writings. Our research findings suggest that silence-phenomena can amplify the human experience of uncertainty by bringing contrasts that shift our attention inwards or outwards, activating diverse emotions and positionings of the self. We discuss these findings in light of the model of hypergeneralization of affect in cultural psychology and how this model can integrate phenomenological time and existential meaning.

Rhetorical Risk Zones in Mediatexts of Turbulent Times

The concept of rhetorical risk is introduced and actualized within the framework of the rhetorical decoding of the text concept aimed at studying the mechanisms of effective text formation. The phenomenon of textual effectiveness gains particular significance in turbulent periods of human existence. The research material consists of a corpus of mediatexts created during the COVID-19 pandemic and in April 2024 during the devastating flooding in the Southern Urals and Western Siberia. The aim of the article is to identify the zones of rhetorical risks in the text and to identify their indicators. In accordance with the methodological principles of linguorhetorical reconstruction, the zones of rhetorical risks in the text were identified as inventive, dispositival, and elocutive. Indicators of the inventive zone include the implicitness of the speaker’s practical goal-setting and the orthodoxy of the thesis put forward. Indicators of dispositival risk zones include one-dimensionality of argumentation, excessive use of statistical data as arguments, and frequency of related reasoning. The elocutive zone of rhetorical risks arises due to the speakers’ neglect of such a significant communicative criterion for turbulent times as dialogism. The research results can have broad professional applications — from educational activities to mass media and linguo-expert practices.