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The physical resurrection of Jesus is one of the primary tenets of Christianity. In modern times this doctrine has been questioned with a variety of different approaches. One of those approaches is the assertion that because the Jews in Palestine during the first century were part of a polyphasic culture, the resurrection was only a culturally-approved conceptualization of visionary experiences outside of time and space. This article discusses this position and explains the complications of such an assertion. This includes first defining and elucidating the characteristics of a polyphasic culture and then examining first-century Judaism within that framework. This paper will further argue that the Jews in first-century Palestine distinguished between different types of extraordinary experiences and exhibited high degrees of skepticism when warranted, especially in regards to the resurrection of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) is a promising new self-report measure of state boredom. Two condensed versions of the scale have also been introduced. This study helped explore the psychometric qualities of these scales, using a large sample of Australian adults (N = 1,716), as well as two smaller samples (N = 199 and N = 422). Data analyses indicated strong convergent validity and very high internal consistency for the scales. Test–retest reliability over a 6- to 8-day period was moderately high. Confirmatory factor analyses of the MSBS authors’ suggested factor structure indicated good fit for this model. However, some of the data analyses raise questions as to whether the scale includes meaningful subfactors. Overall, the MSBS (and Short Form) is recommended for researchers who wish to assess state boredom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few longitudinal studies have investigated the functional outcomes of individuals with recent-onset psychotic illness in low- and middle-income countries. Aims: To investigate short-term functional remission and its predictors in a central Vietnamese sample. Methods: A naturalistic 6-month prospective cohort study recruited 79 patients of public health facilities who had experienced a first episode of schizophrenia or related illness in the past 18 months. Individuals and their family members were interviewed using standardised assessments of community functioning, symptoms, treatment, demographics and various psychosocial variables. Rates of functional remission (i.e. no or minimal impairment) were calculated based on rigorous, culturally appropriate criteria. Generalised estimating equations were used to explore predictors of remission. Results: Rates of global functional remission were 28% at baseline and 53% at follow-up. In individual functional domains, remission was least common for occupational activities, intermediate for relationships and relatively common for daily living activities. Global functional remission was significantly associated with absence of negative and cognitive symptoms, average or better household economic status and unimpaired premorbid functioning. Conclusion: Remission rates appeared similar to those seen in many international intervention studies. However, individuals from poor households had markedly unfavourable outcomes, suggesting the need for community-based interventions targeting low-socioeconomic status (SES) groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The near-death experience (NDE) most generally refers to a state of altered consciousness with various features that can occur during real or presumed near-death circumstances and/or life-threatening incidents. Some NDEs are associated with a nonfatal suicide attempt. This paper discusses how a belief by suicide attempters that their NDEs are a true portrayal of objective spiritual reality can at least in some cases be positively associated with a persistence or increase of suicidal ideation and on occasion lead to further suicide attempts, while also exploring why at other times such a belief may reduce the risk of suicide. The formulation of suicidal ideation associated with NDEs among some of those who did not initially try to kill themselves is also explored. Various examples related to NDEs and suicidal ideation are provided and discussed. Furthermore, this paper also offers some theoretical insights related to this matter and points out some specific therapeutic concerns based on this discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telehealth use has had widespread expansion and adoption over the past two years. This study aims to evaluate access to telehealth essentials (TE) using a novel metric. Methods: This single institute study surveyed outpatient surgical patients to determine their access to TE. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship of demographic and county-level variables on access to four TE. Results: 138 patients were surveyed. Sixty-six (47.8%) were from Appalachian Kentucky. In the survey cohort, 122 (88.4%) had smart phones, 109 (80.7%) had devices with video messaging capabilities, 106 (80.9%) had cellular reception, and 112 (82.4%) had access to WiFi. Increasing age and Medicare insurance were the most consistent predictors of lack of access to TE. Conclusion: Rural Appalachian Kentucky has access to TE. Telehealth has the potential to decrease the healthcare inequity in rural populations, but incompletely address this inequity for the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When people experience a near-death or life-threatening incident, they sometimes report an altered state of consciousness in which they have the perception of being out of or away from their physical body. During such an experience these individuals at times have the impression of encountering a spiritual personage who offers them a choice to stay or return to their physical life and/or attempts to motivate them to willingly do so, sometimes conflicting with a simultaneous desire to stay in that altered state of consciousness they perceive as the afterlife. This paper discusses how self-determination theory (SDT) is relevant to this process by meeting the experient’s three basic psychological needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy, resulting in various degrees of effectiveness. It concludes with a postulation that by doing so it may foster a continuing intrinsic motivation to live life well, resulting in a greater overall condition of psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, multiple randomized clinical trials showed an unparalleled treatment benefit of stent-retriever thrombectomy as compared to standard medical therapy for the treatment of a large artery occlusion causing acute ischemic stroke. A short time later, the HERMES collaborators presented the patient-level pooled analysis of five randomized clinical trials, establishing class 1, level of evidence A for stent-retriever thrombectomy, in combination with intravenous thrombolysis when indicated to treat ischemic stroke. In the years following, evidence continues to mount for expanded use of this therapy for a broader category of patients. The enabling technology that changed the tide to support endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke is the stent-retriever. This review summarizes the history of intra-arterial treatment of stroke, introduces the biomechanics of embolus extraction with stent-retrievers, describes technical aspects of the intervention, provides a description of hemodynamic implications of stent-retriever embolectomy, and proposes future directions for a more comprehensive, multi-modal endovascular approach for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]