It’s Ba-ack.   I have searched far and wide to bring you the very best of the mind, soul, and body, to my mind anyway, as found in my meanderings through the streams of the Ethernet.  Today I have shyness with big egos, the power of positive emotions, your brain on spirituality, the folly of a just world,  dancing in the OR, tickling and belly button lint, some beautiful diseased brains, and the solution to the World’s economic problems, to name just a few.   So without further delay, I present, especially for you, the reader, the absolute best of the internet-

Regarding the Mind-

At Social Anxiety and Everyday Life, Drew reveals his inner paradox, stating that he is both socially anxious and has one big stubborn ego, a devastating combination.  My wife will no doubt count him as my soul mate.

At We’re Only Human, Wray Herbert reveals to us just how it is that positive emotions are as, or more important for our survival than negative emotions such as fear and disgust.  Of course, there are some who see them as an end unto themselves.  Indeed, One could even say, that men are, that they might have Joy.

At Frontal Cortex, Jonah Lehrer has a wonderful post on the mental defense we all have called the “Just World Hypothesis” and how is actually backfires by exalting the status quo, and punishing victims of injustice.  He illustrates by sharing the harrowing results of an old psychology experiment .  Very enlightening.

Regarding the Soul-

At Mormon Matters, KC Kern ponders the implications of a favorite Mormon Maxim, that “the Glory of God is Intelligence,” applying it to some of the extraordinary events we are seeing unfold in the information age.

The Girl Who Cried Epiphany shares some of her latest revelation into where we came from and why we are here, stating that “life is a constant process of remembering.”  She reveals a transcendent belief that we all came from the divine, and that the purpose of becoming human is to learn how to become more divine and reclaim our home.

At Zelophehad’s Daughters, Lynette sparks a wonderful conversation about the role of religion in the public sphere in an attempt to clarify a question that has troubled America since its inception.

Regarding the Body-

Vaughan at MindHacks pointed me in the direction of a beautiful and  stunning gallery of neuroscience photographs showcasing the most amazing and important organ system of them all, The Beautiful Mind.

Mo at Neurophilosophy, continues along the same vein, moving from micro to macro, and finding beauty in brokenness with vintage anatomical illustrations of diseased brains.

At Musings of a Distractible Mind, Dr. Rob continues his uproarious series on the physicians physical exam, from which he had been, um, well,distracted,  This time he focuses on the abdomen, at least until he is sidetracked by an in-depth discussion on the subject of tickling followed by some serious navel gazing and ponderings on belly button lint.

or All the Above-

At Incidental Findings, the good doctor relates one of the most private, tearful and healing moments any doctor could ever have with a patient, as he finds the most powerful thing he could ever do for those patients with disorders like fibromyalgia and irritable bowel disease,which have a strong psychological component , is simply to listen.

At Reflections in a Head Mirror, Dr. Bruce Campbell relates the beauty of a surgery when everything works as it should, comparing the events in the OR to a dance.

At Mormon Organon, Steve continues his wonderful series on the evolution of spirituality as he ponders those areas of the brain and the emotional response involved in religious experience, firmly debunking the notion that these discoveries do anything to weaken the case for religion.

and just because I Liked it-

At Normal Mormons, Daryl Zadok Budd Shares a shocking and hilarious story about a couple of Mormon elders who sought after some of the flock who strayed, only to find they required placement in an entirely different pen.  To put in less cryptically, it’s the story of how church duties landed two elders right in the middle of a drug bust. 

At Adventures in Ethics and Science, Dr. Stemwedel once again proves she has the most amazingly entertaining and inquisitive offspring (sprogs) of any PhD anywhere, as she discusses her child’s conversation on dreams in her fantastic Friday Sprog Blogging feature.

At Other Things Amanzi, Bongi sings the virtues of arrogance when it comes to being a surgeon, even as he firmly notes that their self confidence is usually distorted beyond reality.  All this from a South African surgeon that manages both confidence and humility and great storytelling in a rare and exquisite combination. 

The Book of Nate hooked me up with a hilarious clip from Saturday Night Live that sagely dispenses the key to solving the world’s economic crisis.  It’s Brilliant!

   That is all I got for today.  Don’t worry I am sure the good stuff will keep coming.  If you are still unsatiated, you can check outWorld of Psychology’s ten best depression blogs, The blogs of the fabulous nominees for the 2008 Meidcal Blog awards, Grand rounds, or the fabulous nursing carnival, Change of shift, or you can show me some love by heading to Wellsphere to let them know what a swell blog this is.

   Tagged: brain disease, dance, divinity, dreams, drug bust, economics, ego, fibromyalgia, intelligence, Irrititable bowel disease, just world hypothesis, navel lint, neurons, pathology, pictures, positive emotion, positivity, public sphere, religion, remembering, revelation, social anxiety, somatization, sprogs, surgeons, surgery, tickling