New Year, New You: Mini Crits

New Year, New You: Mini Crits
Thursday 9 January 2020, 6-8pm

The NewBridge Project : Newcastle, Co–Work Space
Free, members only



I'm looking forward to taking part in the New Year: New You mini crits session that will take place in January next year at The NewBridge Project. Various members of The NewBridge Project will deliver 5 minute presentations relating to their artworks or research at any stage of development. The friendly audience will provide insight and offer guidance.

The ice in voices: Understanding negative content in auditory-verbal hallucinations

In this new article by Frank Larøi, Neil Thomas, André Aleman, Charles Fernyhough, Sam Wilkinson, Felicity Deamer and Simon McCarthy-Jones, the authors explore the complexities of negative content in auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVH), taking into account its theoretical and clinical importance. 

Negative voice-content is the best sole predictor of whether the hearer of an auditory-verbal hallucination will experience distress/impairment necessitating contact with mental health services. Yet, what causes negative voice-content and how interventions may reduce it remains poorly understood. The paper offers definitions of negative voice content and considers what may cause negative voice-content. A framework is proposed in which adverse life-events may underpin much negative voice-content, a relation which may be mediated by mechanisms including hypervigilance, reduced social rank, shame and self-blame, dissociation, and altered emotional processing. At a neurological level, how the involvement of the amygdala and right Broca’s area could drive negative voice-content is noted. As observed, negative interactions between hearers and their voices may further drive negative voice-content. Finally, the role of culture in shaping negative voice-content is considered. 

This framework is intended to deepen and extend cognitive models of voice-hearing and spur further development of psychological interventions for those distressed by such voices. Importantly, much of the relevant research in this area remains to be performed or replicated. In conclusion, more attention needs to be paid to methods for reducing negative voice-content, and further research in this important area is required.

The full text can be accessed via the link below

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735817300946

VR is Helping Solve Schizophrenic Auditory Hallucinations

https://www.hcanews.com/news/vr-is-helping-solve-schizophrenic-auditory-hallucinations-Tom Castles

About 65% of patients with schizophrenia experience verbal auditory hallucinations, which are characterized by harsh voices that emanate from body-less “others.” Usually, these “others” fit a common profile – they're domineering, derogatory and unremittingly hostile, making an already-burdensome condition even more painful for those who suffer from it.

Current treatments for schizophrenia like psychosocial therapy and antipsychotic medications help to ease hallucinations in many patients, but for roughly a quarter of people with psychotic conditions, available treatments just aren’t enough. What’s worse, many antipsychotic medications can lead over time to serious side effects like Parkinson disease and tardive dyskinesia, 2 debilitating movement disorders.

But a new therapy moving through the clinical trial pipeline could provide hope for patients who aren’t getting the results they need from conventional therapies, and so far, it hasn’t shown any adverse safety events. It’s called AVATAR therapy, an aptly-named acronym that stands for Audio Visual Assisted Therapy Aid for Refractory auditory hallucinations.

AVATAR therapy first garnered attention when it was pilot tested as a treatment for patients with auditory hallucinations between 2009 and 2011 by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research. The hypothesis driving the therapy is novel, but based on an old cliché: face your fears. Study authors hypothesized that if patients could confront the voice in their heads by virtually personifying it through a software program and challenging their punitive and domineering tendencies, the patient could either overcome the voice, learn to live with it, or eliminate it entirely.

In AVATAR therapy, patients build a customizable visual representation of the voice in their heads, known as the “persecutor.” The avatar has an appearance and tone of speech that closely matches the pitch and tone of the hallucinated persecutory voice. Suddenly, the hallucination enters the realm of reality.

Patients are then encouraged to engage in a dialogue with the avatar, who is remotely controlled by a therapist. Rather than propagating a relationship where the persecutory voice dominates a submissive patient, the therapist controls the avatar so that slowly, over time, it yields control to the patient.

Results of the pilot study were encouraging. Patients who underwent the novel AVATAR therapy showed mean reductions in total Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS) auditory hallucinations of 8.75 (P = .003), and in the Omnipotence and Malevolence subscales of the Revised Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R) of 5.88 (P = .004). On the other hand, the control group experienced no changes during the study period.

Researchers behind a recent follow up study published in The Lancet set out to recreate those results in a larger, powered, randomized controlled trial, and again found that patients experienced favorable outcomes, with 83% meeting the primary end point – a reduction in auditory verbal hallucinations at 12 weeks.

The study’s lead author Tom K J Craig, PhD, FRCP, emeritus professor of social psychiatry at King’s College London (pictured), was surprised by the study’s positive results. But he said the evidence was compelling, and that he was most impressed by the number of patients who clearly improved with therapy.

“Most dramatic were the people for whom voices stopped entirely. Although Julian Leff had found this in his first pilot work, we did not really expect to see it repeated in our larger [powered, randomized] controlled study,” Craig told MD Magazine, a sister publication of Healthcare Analytics News™. “While that was the most striking outcome, the wider reductions in frequency and severity of voices reported by many people was also striking.”

In the follow up study, Craig and colleagues described the significance behind the transition of power from persecutor to patient.

“The operation of power within this relationship is viewed as crucial…the voice-hearer assum[es] a submissive role characterized by feelings of inferiority and powerlessness that can reflect social relationships more generally,” researchers wrote. “The therapist (switching between speaking as therapist and as avatar) facilitates a dialogue in which the voice-hearer gradually gains increased power and control within the relationship, with the initially omnipotent voice loosening its grip over the hearer by becoming more conciliatory over time."

The results are especially encouraging because the trial involved a sample of people suffering from persistent psychoses who reported unremitting and distressing auditory hallucinations for at least the previous year, despite regular supervision and continuing pharmacological treatment. Moreover, more than a third of all patients across both therapy groups had a clinical record of treatment resistance and were prescribed clozapine before the start of the study.

In the follow-up study, the reduction in PSYRATS total score at 12 weeks was significantly greater for AVATAR therapy than for supportive counseling, with a mean difference of -3.82 [SE 1.47], 95% CI -6.70 to -0.94; (P<.0093). Moreover, there were no apparent adverse events attributable to the therapy.

According to the authors, the study “corroborated the primary hypothesis concerning clinical efficacy by showing a rapid and sustained reduction in the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations by end of therapy at week 12 that was significantly superior to that achieved by supportive counseling…Our second and third hypotheses were also largely supported, in that AVATAR therapy had a positive and significant [effect] on omnipotence, and that these positive effects on voices were sustained at 24 weeks. However, it had no significant effect on the reported malevolence of voices.”

The authors acknowledged limitations, including the absence of a treatment-as-usual control condition. They also noted that the results could reflect regression to the mean in both groups, but considered that unlikely because participants were selected for persistent symptoms and were not recruited in crisis.

“The participants were all people who had suffered for many years with troubling auditory hallucinations and all had diagnoses of major psychoses (schizophrenia spectrum disorders mainly, but also psychotic depression). The auditory hallucinations were just one symptom among the several that make up these diagnoses. All were taking medication,” Craig said. “So using that to put AVATAR into perspective, I would say we have a promising add on treatment.”

Craig emphasized that the study did not provide any evidence that AVATAR therapy could replace medication or be provided instead of a wider cognitive behavioral treatment for psychosis, although there is potential for it to form part of a longer therapy of that type in the future.

Follow-up research is required before AVATAR therapy could be instituted widely across clinics, he added. Craig first recommended a future multi-center replication to test whether the therapy is effective across different service settings and cultures, and secondly, further work to unpack the active ingredients to strengthen the size and duration of positive outcomes.

“I think the next step is probably the multicenter study. There is considerable national and international interest, so I am hopeful we will have more definitive results within the next 5 years. Once we have this, it should be possible to see AVATAR therapy as a recommended treatment in clinical guidelines with wide availability,” Craig said.

Conversation with Anjeline de Dios

Following a recent blog post about my research into voice hearing, a number of researchers and voice hearers have contacted me. One of these is Anjeline de Dios, a geographer and maker of music in/from the Philippines. This morning (UK time) we began our first Skype conversation, and what followed was an incredible 2 hours of sharing and developing ideas.




I'll attempt to provide a summary of some of the topics of conversation we covered.


Anjeline provided a brief introduction to the cultural context in the Philippines. With over 80% of the population being Catholic, singing is very popular. People are not scared to sing in public and choirs exist in institutions such as churches and schools, but also at work.


Anjeline's PhD centered around Filipino music practitioners who are entertainers on cruise ships. She spoke about how they are a kind of their own, viewed as unauthentic as they cover existing songs, and do not have a sense of affinity with other musicians.


What are the performers listening to?
What are they listening for?
What songs do they sing for different people?


We then discussed Anjeline's experience of singing and vocal meditation. She set out with the aim of bringing herself to the point of tears, and was trying to find out what she sounded like; embodying the music.


Does singing in a group change the emotional level that one can reach when singing alone?


Group singing and singing for an audience introduces room for self doubt, vanity and self inhibition. There is a threat that one will not sing as they would when they are alone, but group singing and singing for an audience allows for inter-subjectual listening, meaning that the singer is in conversation with others and can find out what other people hear.


We acknowledged the human tendency to take on board the bad things we hear more than the complements we receive, and how this is a survival tactic.


I spoke about my difficulty at focusing on one conversation at once when in a situation with lots of conversations happening, and how I am most able to concentrate on my inner voice when I am walking. Anjeline recognised that I am responsive to external stimuli, and spoke of the modern trend to multi-task.


Our conversation moved onto the inner critic: the internal voice that tries to infiltrate one's thoughts with negativity. You are not good enough, your actions are not good enough, the inner critic attempts to prevent you from doing things and be less confident. We recognise that the inner critic is frustrating and it takes a lot of effort to challenge the thoughts, but that there is some purpose to the inner critic. It drives us to better ourselves.


I introduced my experience of the presence of a creative critic in addition to an inner critic. Whereas the inner critic tends to focus on the person as a whole, the creative critic is critical of what I am creating artistically. It tries to prevent me from continuing pursuing ideas and belittles what I do.


I spoke about my recent experience of contacting my inner child, and the development of an ability to identify with my different selves, accept the different selves and work with the different selves in a way to make my mental health as positive and stable as possible. This has taken years, and is still very much in the process of developing. It is a skill that can be learned and practiced.


We ended with a discussion about the relationship between creative individuals, an inner critic and a creative critic in relation to experience, in particular education.


Is the creative critic a development of the inner critic?
Do creative people turn to creativity as a way of dealing with their inner critics?
Are creative people more able to tune into their inner critics because of their creative education?
What does this mean for education in the creative fields?


I am really excited about continuing these discussions with Anjeline, and collaborating in some form or other.


To find out more about Anjeline's music and research, please visit her website


http://anjeline.ph/

Costumes from Cirque Du Soleil

For my Circus Between Worlds performance I'm thinking about possible options for costumes, and have been researching examples. Cirque Du Soleil are masters at creating striking, sculptural and Surrealist costumes. Here are a few that particularly caught my eye.

http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Los_Angeles_Entertainment_109/cirque-du-soleil-iris-review.php

http://www.disunplugged.com/2011/10/15/iris-a-marriage-classique-of-cirque-d-soleil-and-hollywood/

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/promo/dream-weavers/home.aspx

https://vikkikidd.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/cirque-du-soleil-dominique-lemieux/

http://www.fashionoffice.org/film/2007/cirquedusoleil11-2007.htm

"Veteran designer Eiko Ishioka is the mastermind behind Varekai’s costumes. Using a unique combination of moleskin (Lycra), along with flexible titanium rods and fire-resistant materials, Ishioka transforms the human body to allow for extreme acrobatic techniques."

http://dfwstyledaily.com/2014/02/21/cirque-du-soleils-varekai-spins-into-frisco-costumes-steal-the-show/

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/275634439670649395/

Circus Between Worlds Sources of interest - Oleg Kantemirov circus arts producer, director, and acrobat

Following on from the last Circus Between Worlds rehearsal, Ive been thinking more widely about ideas relating to balance and movement within the circus.

A number of my blog posts to follow will show research imagery and sources of interest related to these ideas.

These clips have been selected by Oleg Kantemirov as examples of some of the best of what Russian circus has to offer

Interaction of colour - Colour is relative

I've spent a good few hours looking at, reading and admiring the contents of a slip-cased limited edition, of 'Interaction of colour' by Josef Albers, complete with the full range of screen printed plates to accompany his text. Albers writings demonstrate principles such as color relativity, intensity, and temperature; vibrating and vanishing boundaries; and the illusion of transparency and reversed grounds.

Colour relatively 

A colour can appear to change depending upon the other colours around it.

The following examples illustrate how the same colour can be made to look different.

Tulip fields

Having been on a flight, my friend Graham sent me a message;


"on the plane magazine there were aerial photos of Dutch tulip fields ...... Google them ....... It's just so you and your work"










I see his point!

Markus Linnenbrink

As I am preparing work for my solo exhibition at 1 Royal Terrace, I am thinking about how the work addresses the categories of sculpture, installation and painting, and if these categories are actually necessary and/or useful. 

I am conscious that I want the exhibition to be varied enough to avoid being predictable, but for it also to sit together as a coherent whole.

I have been looking into artists who work in similar ways to myself, and came across the wonderful work of Markus Linnenbrink

  

 

Linnenbrink creates sculpture, installation and paintings, and I have been investigating the way in which he spans the different disciplines when installing a solo exhibition.

At the moment all the work I have been making for my 'Brimming' exhibition is made from plaster, but I think that another dimension is needed in the form of another material and/or different process.

I am working on some two-dimensional drawings and prints which will, potentially be included in the exhibition.

Interview with Fiona Millar - Exploration of Career Management Practices of Creative Individuals (CI-CMP)

This afternoon I had a very interesting telephone interview with Fiona Millar, a PhD student at the University of Stirling regarding her Exploration of Career Management Practices of Creative Individuals (CI-CMP).

 

This is how Fiona explains her research:

“I am a PhD Student at the University of Stirling, conducting research that explores the career management practices of creative individuals from Fine Arts and Digital Media backgrounds.  The project aims to explore how creative individuals manage their careers by identifying the issues that affect an individuals’ ability to manage their career and the steps an individual takes to make themselves more employable.  Through my research I am hoping to explore how creative individuals manage such traditionally unconventional careers and deal with the obstacles that they face in achieving their career goals. I have currently enjoyed informal chats with three Fine Artists and Four Digital Media Workers in Scotland hearing about their career journeys and educational backgrounds, discussing career decisions and interplays throughout their careers. It’s been really exciting exploring such wonderful and varied careers and the passion from each participant about their career has been overwhelming and truly enjoyable! The data collected is currently being analysed and will lead into a bigger study that hopes to commence in late November this year (2013). 

 

In a first step, CI-CMP seeks to identify the influences that affect an individual’s ability to manage their career and support their employability. In a second step, CI-CMP will then identify the career strategies that individuals utilise in order to positively support the management of their own careers.  This research endeavours to generate avenues for future research in this field and it is also hoped that valuable data and information on the career management practises of creative individuals will be generated which may enable change in policy or support provisions."

 

You can follow bites of Fiona's research on Twitter @Fiona_Millar or by following the hashtag #CMgtinCI where she regularly give snippets of her research. She would like to actively engage with persons who have views on this subject.

 

 

Visual research photos from trip to London

London has a vast array of shops with beautiful window displays, design products and homeware. I spend many a happy hour admiring these sights, and draw inspiration from them.

Here are a selection of such images from my London trip.

visual research from trip to London - St Pancras Station

visual research from trip to London - Portobello Road

visual research from trip to London - Portobello Road

visual research from trip to London 

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The British Museum

visual research from trip to London 

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop