Life in Erican College

Erican college is one of the college in Malaysia, located in the center of Kuala Lumpur city, founded in 1990 by Datuk Eric Chong, with six main programmes offered. As for me, I chose Diploma in Business Administration because I want to pursue my career as HR executive, and eventually a college lecturer. Perhaps being a college lecturer isn’t possible without a PHD nowadays due to supply over demand, therefore, I will have to find another back up plan about it.

   I started my college days on 2015 at the age of 23 with my own financial savings. Due to me myself could not get a credit in Mathematics SPM, I opt pursue A-Level in this college with Maths subject. However, due to the falls of ringgit Malaysia in late 2015 and the hike of examination fees on 2016,, the semester and examination fee hikes slightly and I was barred from the examination on my third semester, as I short of only RM1200. Before the falls of ringgit value, the fees alone could accommodate me for two semesters. I fell into depression at that time, because I spend so much money on it and get barred instead. If I were to take deferment, I will have to pay the entire tuition fees again as there is no refund, due to me being last minute inform them that I had financial problem at that time.

   My whole world was crumbled. I fell into despair. As for my single mother, we have fought a few times because of me myself wanted to pursue my studies, and she always demand for almost 60% of my income when I was working, and I only managed to save a portion each month to finance myself for my further education. She does not want me to continue studies because of her think tertiary education is a meaningless investment, interest can't be treated as rice bowl and so on. As for me, how can a SPM grad get a job as a HR executive, or lecturer? I realized, giving all 60% of my income wasn’t fair to myself. I found myself a job, work for a year, and doing research on other colleges before started my third semester in the particular college some time around 2017 .But I realize, what if the tuition fees hike again? As I only managed to save RM4000 (I wasn’t able to save much because my mother threatened me to get out from the house if I do not pay half of the house rent and bills), and I can’t even withdraw my EPF to finance my A-level fees due to the terms and condition, I really lost. I feel embarrassed to my ex classmates. To cure myself from depression, I’ve deleted everyone I knew in my college from my social media.

   One of my colleague, an intern from Erican College whom has done his Diploma in IT had told me that Erican College fees is the second affordable after the college that I have attend. The difference of the price for Diploma in Business Administration is almost twice from the college I have attend. I tried to register my name into the website, despite being stopped by my colleague, claiming that Erican College wasn’t provide a good quality education.

   Fortunately, I ignored his advice, and I get into Erican College, pursuing Diploma in Business Administration, without the requirement to get a credit in SPM Mathematics on March 2017. As for my fees, I paid with my own saving, and partially with my EPF withdrawal. However, there is one thing bugging my mind. My relationship with my mother getting worst, and my prospective classmates are getting younger. I don’t really have a topic to talk to them. On the first day of the orientation day to the second, I was sceptical to talk to anyone. The orientation day, to be honest wasn’t as organized as the previous college I’ve attended. The previous college, encouraged everyone to formed in a group to do some activities such as ice breaking, therefore encourage communication among the students. As for Erican College, we had to make a long queue to register again in six freaking booth. I was thinking, wasn’t I registered through my councillor?

   I started my class in the following week, the 7 weeks short sem with two MPU subject, Malaysian Studies and Personal branding. I was disappointed at first because those two subjects have nothing to do with the course I’ve taken. During the class time, I always sit behind, avoid confrontation with other students, just like a mysterious loner anime characters. However, things get worst during the Personal Branding class, when the lecturer keep on asking the students about their own personal issues such as my age, accomplishment, weaknesses and strength. At first, I wanted to avoid sharing my personal information to everyone. But since everyone knows me, I have no choice.

   On the fifth week of my course, I managed to make some friends albeit I feel uncomfortable to talk to them at the first time. When more and more people getting to know me deeper, after the MPU course, I was a bit disappointed because some of these friends whom just getting along with me, had to separate from us in different course after the final MPU examination.

   During my second semester, I was able to study those subject related to the course I have taken. However, again I feel disappointed, because those subjects we studied, was condensed as easy as possible. Compare to my A-level course, my time table was packed from Monday to Friday, with 5 lecture hours and 2 tutorial hours a week one subject, where in this diploma course during the long semester, only two lecture hours and one tutorial hours one subject. Furthermore, those subjects were made as easy as possible without the requirement for the students to utilize their critical thinking skills and relate the theory they have studied into the real life case studies, analysing it critically and provide a solution.

   During the GBL camp, I felt so embarrassed to get myself into it. Because I am an adult whom have met various cycle of working life, from a merely waiter in a nightclub, to a retail worker, and admin and account officer. The camp itself is the preparation to the students, whose going to graduate soon, to face the challenges in their future life. I have faced it, I was thinking, the camp itself was pointless to me after all. Anyhow, the GBL camp, is a ripped off itself from the Christian confirmation camp that I had went eight years ago. I was thinking, will my mom be present on the second day? My assumption was correct. My mom was there with everyone’s parents. My mom was crying when she sees me, probably she had listen the lecture from Datuk Eric Chong. My relationship with my mother is getting better, albeit she still provokes me every time we argued due to our difference in ideals and opinions from each other.

   Anyhow, my current college life wasn’t as colourful as any other students. As an adult myself, I feel much more comfortable to get along with someone around my age or older than me. Like I have said, me and the other classmates, does not have common interest. If I were grew up using my black and white Nokia phone, a classic Samsung colour phone and Sony Ericson mobile phone, they, at such tender age as 13 already owned a sophisticated smartphone. I have being through their age before, so I do understand how our difference in maturity affects our daily conversation. At the same time, I feel worthless whenever I see my peers, some whom working as an account executive, HR executive, marketing executive, doctors, nurses, fitness instructor, shop manager, flight attendant and so on; they have such a successful life, while I myself just a poor student at the age of career building period. Thus, I don’t know whether to continue my degree, or get my a** off to work. If I were to continue my degree, I would be 29 years old or 30. But if I were to work, I’m afraid a diploma alone with my job hopped work experience wasn’t enough to compete with ten thousand graduates produced each year. As for now, I’ll just let the fate decide.

   

Gods, Flying Saucers and Aliens

God with enormous thunderbolt like Jupiter

A prophet with a technological ability to separate waters, and building a DNA bank

A flying Vimana

Creation of humans using genetic modification

And some thousand years old artifact that can't be imitate by a current technology.

Many of us believe that we were visited by beings, known as Gods and deities in the past. What if it were true? Ancient astronaut theorist believe that the beings, are the extra-terrestrial entities, visited our Earth to shape our society. The evidence that supported the theory can be found in various ancient text such as the Roman mythology, Sumerian text, Vedic text, the Bible and even the artifact itself. Before I further on this blog, please be aware that were written here is just a theory and I have no intention to insult any religion.
   The theory is first popularized by Erich von Däniken in his book, Chariots of the God in 1968 that involved a closer contact between the extra-terrestrial beings and ancient humans influencing the ancient knowledge and technology. Further examples can be found in Nazca Lines in Peru that depict various shapes that are visible from the sky, Japanese figurine, the Dogu from the Jomon Period ( that 1000-400 BC) that resemble a person on spacesuit, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramid, a 3000 years old Egyptian New Kingdom carving that resemble a helicopter, Vimana from the Vedic text and the Ezekiels vision of stairway to heavens, wheels and angels in the Bible that resembles a spacecraft.

Comparison to Dogu Statue in Japan's Jomon Period(right), a Mesoamerica carving during the Mayan period(left) and a modern human wearing a spacesuit (center)

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph resembling a modern knowledge.

Further evidence

Creation myths
The further evidence can be found in Bible and Sumerian hieroglyph tablets details the account of possible genetic engineering on primitive human. in Sumerian text, Annunaki was descended from the star name Nibiru(Planet Nibiru?) and create some modern humans to mine gold where the gold resources are already depleting in his star. In this creation myth, the first human he created named Adamu. After some time, more and more humans were created and became the labour force to mine more gold in short period of time. A similar text can be found in Bible, the book of Genesis where God create the first human, where he named him Adam. To give him a companion, He took a portion of Adam's ribs to create a human female. The mind blowing facts were debated throughout the history after the ancient astronaut theory proposed, is that both Adamu and Adam and Eve were both genetically altered human. The Sumerian text and the Book of Genesis also revealed many similarities in their stories ; Gods descended to Earth and create the first human, and also the languages that marks them came from the similar origin. For example, Adamu in Sumerian refers as the 'first man', while Adam in Hebrew refers as 'man'. Ancient astronaut theorist believes that both Annunaki and God, and Adam and Adamu are the same entities despite the difference of both religions.

Flying saucers
The vimana from the religious Vedic text, there are many references of flying objects that  can be possibly decipher as a flying saucers, or  Vimana that were used by many Gods including Indra. The Vedic text also illustrate the mechanical technique on creating a vimana were made and depict as a double-deck, circular aircraft with portholes and a dome, just like how a UFO described by the witness who claim to saw the flying saucers. Vimana stated to be flew with the "speed of the wind" and gave forth a "melodious sound." 

An illustration of the vimana in Mahabaratha text depict vimana as a double-deck,
circular (cylindrical) aircraft with portholes and a dome.

How vimana would look like if the current civilizations could possibly mimic the vimana creation.

   Some medieval paintings also depicts the flying saucers in the paintings, including the religious paintings as shown below.

A flying saucer were seen in background during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

An altar piece painted by Italian artist Carlo Criveli (1486)illustrate  the Virgin Mary became a mother of Jesus as blessed by Angel Gabriel. A flying saucer is clearly visible.

The Madonna with Saint Giovannino,  painted in the 15th century by Domenico Ghirlandaio. In the background, a man and his dog is shown to have witness the flying saucers.

A disk shaped object appears shines beams of light on John the Baptist and Jesus during his baptism ceremony.

What do you think about these medieval painting? Coincidence?


The Architecture

In Giza, Egypt, the most mysterious of Egypt’s pyramids built more than 4,500 years ago, the Pyramids at Giza are the famous monumental tombs where ancient queens and pharaohs were buried. But there is an astronomical reference of the pyramids, which is said to align with the stars in Orion’s belt. 

The alignment of the three pyramids and the belt of the Orion constellation is strikingly matched.

Who built the pyramid? What is the reason for the pyramid to be built in such alignment?

   The answer perhaps can be found in Teotihuacán’s Pyramid of the Sun in ancient Mexico. Describe as the City of Gods, it were said to be built by the Mayans to allow the Gods to descend from the sky. As the enormous monument could houses 200 000 people,ancient astronaut theorist suggest that the pyramid is built to allow the ancient aliens to land their space craft on it. The Teotihuacan Pyramid also said to be built by the Aliens long before the homo sapien even exists.

Pyramid of Teotihuacan, Mexico.

Conclusion

There are dozens more of evidence of ancient aliens can be found in various monuments, artifacts and mythology. Despite the difference of culture and society, Gods and angels often depicted as an intelligent beings from the sky, just like Gabriel, Annunaki, Akhanathen, Aphrodite, Artemis, Mercury, Shiva, Guan Yin and Poseidon. 

   Today, the ancient astronaut theory being criticized and ridiculed as one of the controversial, fabricate and illogical pseudoscientific  concepts by both scientist and religious body as the evidence can be explained without relating the non-existant ancient astronaut. On the other hand, a famous philosophical physicist, Stephen Hawking believes that the alien race out there existed and were solely responsible for our 4000 years of civilizations and warned that any of our message could be scane billions of light years away to the Launching the Breakthrough Listen project , which will scan the nearest million stars for signs of life, He states that “If aliens visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.” 

   What do you think about the theory of ancient astronaut? Leave your comment below.

Does Parallel Universe Exist?

Everyone has a choice to make throughout their life. Some of you perhaps wanted to work after school to ease the burden of your parents for raising you up, maybe a fashion model, or an IT technician, or you may even create a new invention through computer application to ease the society just like the invention of smartphones. Well, frankly speaking, you may have not achieved your dream in this universe as you are just a student, and a college lecturer, but you may do, in another universe, or in another words, a parallel universe.

   Parallel universe or known as the many world interpretation is a philosophy of quantum mechanics that implies that there are another universe exist besides our own with different histories, where all your life choice you made in this world, will be played differently in another universe, overall, everything known as multiverse. Originally develop by Niel Bohrs and Werner Heisenberg through Coppenhagen Interpretation Paradox and being hypothesized in physics, religion, cosmology, astronomy and philosophy and eventually it spuns into numerous science fiction series and media and such as Star Trek and Clannad anime series. The parallel universe also known in other context as parallel timeline, alternate history, multiverse, quantum realities, and parallel world.

The model of multiverse. Each universe consist of thousands of galaxies.

   Before the theory being develop, reality is viewed as a single history just like a straight line. With multiverse theory, the reality said to be start of as a single line and branches off into multiple realities with every possible outcomes of an events results in many alternate histories emerged in another universe.

History

One of the famous thought experiment regarding the parallel universe is Schrödinger's cat theory developed by Erwin Schrodinger. He proposed that when a cat being locked in the steel chamber with a hammer, poison, radioactive material and geiger counter, where the cat's life and death depends on the radioactivity material ; the geiger counter will detect the radioactive material, the hammer would smash the poison and thus killing the cat. Until the box is open, the cat may be either dead or alive.
   As nonsensical as it seems, the condition of the cat split into two outcomes according to the parallel universe theory. In this universe, the cat might have died due to the poison, but the cat might also alive somewhere in a parallel universe with different law of physic applied.

The condition of the cat split into two outcomes according to the Schrodinger's cat theory.

The Evidence

One theory suggest that every human beings and animals are able to make an interdimensional journey through dreams. Reality perceived as the world that we are currently live in, while the dreams are the 'Butterfly Effect' that people encountered when we make a different choice in our life, which explains our intense emotion and familiarity during the dream experience. For example, you may have dream about your ex lover, the romantic dates, et cetera, but in fact, you don't have any lover yet in your waking life. The nostalgic feels and the familiar scene might be happen in an alternate reality. This is because you have connect to your other self in another universe; there may be two of you, and even thousands to infinite numbers of you outside this universe that you live in, living in a different life.

   In 2010, Stephen M. Feeney analyzed Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data and suggest that our universe may have collided with another universe in the distant past, although there are no significant evidence such as bubble universe collision nor gravitational pull from our universe to the other universe.


The Models of Parallel Universe

What if? The simplest way to transport yourself to a parallel world is to imagine how you, yourself might all the ways might have turned out differently if you make a different life choice. All of these alternate realities represents a parallel universe. The mathematician Gottfried Leibniz states that we are living in the “best of all possible worlds” and that all these remained unnoticed from our own universe. Contemporary physicists who proposed the Anthropic Principle argue that if the universe’s conditions were slightly different in terms of law of physics, it couldn’t have supported intelligent life, and we may not be here today to speculate more about it. 

There could be infinite amount of you in another universe.

Alternative realities made possible by time travel: The time travel term were popularized by science fiction writers, although Einstein’s general theory of relativity is the sources of the possibility of time travel. The theory of relativity distinguish relationship between space and time and hypothetically permits travels to the past, though the mechanics of such a journey are still largely beyond our ability. Also, the journey to future where made possible when the strength of gravitational force enhanced thus, a wormhole is created, and caused time dilation; a minute in the strong gravitational field, may be a month on Earth. In recent decades, the ideas of travelling the time backward published in reputable physics journals. If it is possible possible, what would happen if we attempt to changed history? Will a new timeline emerge as a new universe, where the chain of events was different from the default timeline? 

Copycat regions of the universe: We are now being turn from a small to the incomprehensibly large universe. If the universe is infinite, as many cosmologists proposed, then if you travel far enough you may reach some regions nearly identical to ours.  If you take a certain number of elements and mix them into an infinite number of combinations, eventually chance will reproduce one of the previous arrangements. Hence, by chance, there might be a parallel Earth where a nearly-identical version of you is reading this article using a different device from laptop and smartphone.

Bubble Universes and Baby Universes: In general relativity, an energy field of the right proportion can caused space to grow extremely large. This phenomenon  explain why the universe expanded rapidly during the inflationary era. However, they’ve come to realize that if explosive expansion took place in one part of space, it probably happened elsewhere, too. Thus, myriad bubble universes could have emerged from the cosmic sea of energy. Baby universes is just an idea developed by cosmologist, in which universes could be placed in the extreme conditions of black holes. In other words, the universe itself may be a living beings, while the planets, galaxies and life forms, are functioned as a 'cells' to the universe.

Are You Living In A Simulation World?

Humans. There are 7.5 billions of human in all around the world. We are growing doubled in numbers compare to five decades ago. Some reached their self enrichment, some are trying so hard reach their goals, some were born with a silver spoon, and some even born in unfortunate life. There is scientist, dentist, lecturers, singer, housewife, students, waiters, and there are so many kinds of human with different personality and attitude living in this society in different culture. Some of us  were so used to play computer games which simulate the real life simulation like Warcraft, Counter Strike, The Sims and Sudden Attack. We were controling our characters in these simulation games, and sometimes we even control our characters through creative writings, and movie making. But what if, your life, is also a simulation? The coffee you drink, the rice you eat, the friend you have met, the cat you've petted at the roadside, and even the article you are reading in your device right now, is a form data, that have been processed into a simulation output?
   Let's take it an example ; you feel hungry out of sudden. You grab your Maggi to curb your hunger. Perhaps you were eating while watching a horror film from your computer. Next, lets say, you wanted to kill someone who stole your boyfriend. You managed to kill the b***t. Now, if I were to apply the hypothesis of simulation reality into the above situation, you were probably being programed by 'somebody' : the maggi you grab, and the horror movie that you choose to watch, is actually chosen by the one who controlled you, is not exist, but your consciousness assumed that they were there. Just like when you were playing The Sims, and the girl you have killed, is actually a simulation to the 'somebody' from an advance civilizations or a mature 'posthuman',  just like how you control characters in GTA V and Yandere Simulator. These characters weren't exist just like us. Sounds creepy but yet skeptical? Relax. Calm your chest. This is just a hypothesis and doesn't necessarily reflect the true facts, albeit, it could be real.

The History Simulation Reality

The history of simulation reality can be traced back to 3rd century BC, where an ancient classical Chinese book, Zhuangzi, written by Zhuang Zhou, a Taoist philosopher during the late Warring State Period was published. The book contains large collection of fables, anecdotes, parables and allegories which reflects the society behaviour during the period.
   One of the story, The Butterfly Dream, portrays that Zhuangzhou dreamed himself become a butterfly. He flew happily everywhere forgetting that he was Zhuangzhou. Then he woke up, and in confusion, he doesn't know Zhuang Zhou dreamt as a butterfly, or a butterfly dream as Zhuangzhou. Between Zhuangzhou and the butterfly, there must be some distinction! It is called 'Transformation of Things'.

   There were some accounts of proto simulation reality portrays in Vedic text known as philosophy of 'Maya'. Maya known as an illusion that appear as a present object but they are not what they seem to be. In the concept of Atharvaveda, Maya stands for everything that has material and physical form, human or non human that does not revealed the implicit knowledge that creates it. In simpler explaination, it means that this world is both real and false due to its existance, thus, this world does not appeared as what it seems to be.
   Lets take a simpler example. Take a look on the picture below.

What did you see? A man with a huge legs? Weird isn't? If you see it clearly, it was the angle of the photo taken that shows that the shoe is bigger than the man in nearer angle. But what does it have to do with the hypothesis that I am talking about? Well it does. The man with the 'big legs' is an allusion of what we witnessed in our everyday life, while in real situation, our consciousness might be programed by an unknown force, as how the photographer manipulate the position of the photography to create an illusion that the man has a giant leg.

The Simulation Argument

   We are living in a world that we assume everything that happens remain in a constant logic : that logic applies to any events is based on what we know. We won't see an apple float on the air. But the one whom may programmed our consciousness might have a different law of logic. For example, you are holding a handheld device to read this article. In reality, you are actually holding a solid state particles and atoms that formed the device on your hand, and the particles are actually a pixels in a highly advance supercomputer.

   The theory of simulation hypothesis had attract a great attention since its introduction by Nick Bostrom. According to his theory of reality notion, human does not have body flesh, but our brain exist as the network of computer, while living in a notion of simulation that does not exist, and the actual reality is above our basic understanding of the logical reasoning in our simulation world.

   If the theory proposed were true, that means everyone in the world are living in super computer simulation. In afterlife, there will be a possibility that we our consciousness will be uploaded in a different simulation after our death in our present simulation. Our fate will be determine on how we behave before our death. Heaven and hell, and reincarnations may just another form of virtual simulation that happens in the other form of universe with different logic applies, and maybe even the God himself, is the one who are usinh our consciousness to form a simulation world, or an advance being that trying to recreate the simulation of the extinct human for their studies on our culture and society.

   He also uses the anthropic reasoning and discovered that if the simulation reality is indeed true, almost everyone are certainly living in simulations, and the total number of simulated ancestors, would greatly exceed the total number of humans that have been simulated.
   Elon Musk recently had mentions that the probability that we live in base reality is close to zeros and more likely to live in historical ancestor simulation created by the advance civilizations from the distant future. Fiften years ago, we wouldn't imagine our technology would be advance as what we have today. Today, we have internet connections everywhere, a close to realistic simulation game, and many more technologies available. Do you think you are living in a simulation world? Think again.
  

Darwinian's Theory on Human Evolution

Stand right in front of your mirror, look at your body. Move your fingers, and look around. Move your leg and walk, then run. Think about what to eat for your dinner, and what is your plan tonight. The way you move, the way you see the world with rich colours, the way you grab things with your hand, and even the way you think, can be traced back to your distant ancestor in the past. If you know how to look the people around you, everyone is actually possessed by the ghost of their ancestral animals from the past.
   In 1859, Charles Darwin published On The Origin Of Species, which became the central foundation of the evolutionary biology studies, also known as Darwinian theory. Darwin suggest that all living beings, including humans, mammals, reptiles, plants and sea creatures originate from the common ancestor. Through the natural selection, every species develop an ability to adapt the ability to compete, survive and reproduce. When a species gain a new ability to survive during the isolation of reproduction, the genes passed on to their descendants, thus formed a new species.  

It is not the strongest nor intelligents who survive in this harsh environment, but the one who can adapt the changes are - Charles Darwin, 1809

   The theory however sparked controversial dispute among scientist and religious community, as the concept of evolution or Darwinism conflicted with the creation of life from religious perspective. For example, in the Old Testament in biblical mythology, Adam was created by God mimicking His own image. Eve emerged, and they were reproduced to form the societies until today. Despite various evidence of archaic humans found throughout the century, particularly Lucy, the controversial debate from the two different fields between science and religion seemingly never end.

Natural selection occurs when a species adapt to changes and eventually, formed a new species.

The Human Evolution

The studies of human evolution includes various fields of dicipline such as evolutionary biology, primatology, physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistic, paleontology, genetic biology, ethology, evolutionary psychology, embryology  neurobiology and sociology. Genetic research revealed that early primate ancestor diverged from the mammals 80 million years ago, around the Late Cretaceous period. The oldest known proto primate known as Plesiadapis which exist around 50 million years ago from North America, followed by Archicebus from China.

Specimen of plesiadapis, the earliest primate found.

   The human species separated with the last common ancestor with chimpanzee when the homo genus begins to develop bipedalism, increased in brain size, increase in colour vision and decrease of sexual dimorphism. Bipedalism occurs when proto human species need to carry food around and hunting with stones, creating tools, causing the brain size enhanced it's growth and using lesser energy than quadrupedal knuckle walk. As proto human hands shrinked in size, which make the species easy to run. Tails were disappeared during the divergence as it serve no functions to human. However in rare case, some human babies born with tails, which further support the theory of evolution of humans.
   One of the proto human fossils develop bipedalism, Lucy, a Australopithecus afarensis human species discovered in Africa in 1974. The age of the fossil estimated around 3.5 million years ago, suggest that early humans diverged even longer before the discovery of archaic humans such as Homo Erectus, homo Neanderthal, and homo antecessor which anotomically similar to evolved modern humans.

Reconstruction of Lucy.

Lucy(Scarlett Johansson) meet prehistoric Lucy in a scene in Lucy (2014 film)

   Modern humans or homo sapien have been theorized to be evolved from homo Erectus, which emerged 143 000 years to 1.9 million years ago during the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Homo erectus believed to beemerged in Eurasia and migrate to Africa 1.85 million years ago. Fascinatingly, homo erectus had develop the ability of using fire to cook their meals and make primitive tools using stones for hunting purpose. Homo erectus also believe to be diverged with homo ergaster which develop much more sophisticated tools compare to homo erectus.

Skull of a homo erectus.

   Homo Neanderthal begins to diverged between 400 000 years to 800 000 years ago. Various fossils of Neanderthal has been found from throughout the centuries particularly around European Union countries, suggest that they could be evolved from Europe. Research shows that the DNA of neanderthals and modern humans shares 99.7% similarities, shows that the species could be related. Because of the similarity, some theory suggest that neanderthal may have interbred with some sub species of archaic humans and developed the early modern human, as the earliest modern human whom appeared 100 000 years to 200 000 years might have coexisted with neanderthals during their lifetime. Neanderthals completely extinct around 24 000 years ago possibly due to hybridizations, climate change, and most probably, aggresion with early modern humans that caused violence as proposed by paleontologist after the analysis of Neanderthal bone injuries due to sharp primitive weapons.

A complete specimen of homo neanderthal.

Comparison of reconstructed homo erectus (right), homo neanderthal (center) and modern human (left)

Linguistic and Cognitive Abilities

The origin of linguistic and cognitive capabilities of archaic humans remains mystery. Despite the millenial extinction of some species of archaic humans, various theory of the origin of language has being develop. Language may not necessarily be spoken, but the ability of our closest cousins, chimpanzee, orang utan and gorilla to learnt sign languages fascinates both scientist and people without science background. Koko, a female gorilla reported to have learnt 1000 signs of American sign language, 2000 spoken English words, and even  expressed her inner thoughts. Kanzi, a bonobo, whom learnt sign language from Koko also reported to have develop linguistic capability using keyboards with lexigram and American sign language learnt from Koko the gorilla.

Koko the gorilla and her pet cat. She also mourn for the death of her friend, Robin Williams whom commited suicide on August 2014.

Kanzi, the bonobo who can mimic human speech and uses American sign language whom she learnt from Koko.

   If Koko and Kanzi had develop such a deep language thoughts, how does a Neanderthals, erectus and Lucy communicate with their own species? Do they speak with a similar manner like modern humans do? The answer perhaps can be discovered in Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. On 2013, Dan Dediu suggested that Neanderthals and modern human shares the similar capacity of language. This is due to the discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid bone in 1989, which is very similar to modern human. However, research shows that neanderthal humans lack of quantal vowel which results in higher pitch dubbed as High Pitch Voice Theory. As for homo erectus, they do possessed an ability of speech and likely to communicate using proto languages as they does not have developed structure of modern human language, but more develop than non verbal animals such as bonobos and gorilla. Homo erectus also among the earliest archaic humans known for using tools for hunting and creating hut and using fire for cooking.

An artist depiction of homo erectus in their everyday life.

   Neanderthals also shown to have symbolic thoughts as they could carved some artistic drawing in a cave where they live hundred thousands of years ago. Their diet mainly consist of animal protein shows that they are likely to be carnivorous and even practices cannibalism during the winter season when there were scarce of food source. Some researches even suggest that neanderthals do practices animism.

An artist depiction of homo neanderthal performing body mutilation for sacrificial burial or possibly cannibalism.

Conclusion

Almost everything about the studies of archaic humans are controversial as the studies required a long period of research from various field. Of course, everything mentioned here might be a theory, but it could be even true. Perhaps, the only time when we could get the best answer, is the period where time machine is exist.
  

Sleep Paralysis : Myth and Causes

Have you ever open eyes when you are sleeping, and awake from sleep? Your eyes were opened, but you can't move your limbs? But you can only move your eyes, looking around your room, and suddenly, you've seen a malevolent force appeared right besides you, and sometimes on your chest! You are too scared to look at it and you try to close your eyes. If you do encounter this eerie nightmare when you're awake, you are not alone.  In fact, many people encountered this wide awake nightmare at least once in their life time. This phenomenon scientifically known as sleep paralysis.

     

   The series of sleep paralysis generally lasted for a single episode or recurrent. Typically, this phenomenon caused by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, and abnormal sleep cycles which triggered the patients awake during the rapid eye movement(REM) while falling asleep.

        REM is a sleep stage when an individual is fall asleep, and brain activity is triggered as the particular person is wide awake. Images, ideas, emotions, sensations and voices manifest in the individual mind vividly while asleep, which is known as dream. The brain activity  responsibles for movement were shut down to prevent the sleeper from experiences sommanbulism syndrome or sleep walking. When REM stage and waking stage of sleep dysfunctionally overlaps, sleep paralysis occurs as sleep patterns disrupted; the eyes of an individual probably wide awake during the REM stage, thus, triggered fear in the individual mind. As the person frightened for being unable to move, he or she may experience a frightening visions such as demon, ghost, supernatural entities and  aliens: human generally fears of the unknown. Common noises such as hissing, static, zapping and humming were reported when sufferers experiencing sleep paralysis.

      

       What does the poor patient see during the sleep paralysis? Well, different culture may probably see's different hallucinations. This may explained the theories of alien abduction, usually from the western culture, where sometimes, victims claim to have communicate with the aliens through telepathy, physical and physiology experiment and sexual assault. Other apparitions include Night Hag, an old witch, succubus, demonic visitation and shadow people. As for the eastern culture, sleep paralysis known as 鬼压身(Gui Ya Shen) or ghost pressed on the body and kanashibari in Japan.
   As for Malaysia, a few decades ago, oily people or Orang Minyak reportedly haunt everywhere in Malaysia particularly girls in Malay villages. Most probably, the sightings of orang minyak occurs due to the mentioned phenomenon.

The Scientific Perspective of Sleep Paralysis
The patophysiology of sleep paralysis is yet to be identified, but various theories has been proposed about the caused of the eerie awakening.
   Firstly, it was caused by irregular REM stage as mentioned above. Secondly, the brain function that promotes sleep were out of balance causes different stage of sleep to overlap with each other.
   But what is the caused of the hallucination even if we are a healthy human being? The research from neuroscientific doctors shows that the sense of intruder arise during hallucinations, due of the disturbance of the multisensory processing of body, and also temporoparietal junction. As
as a result, terrifying apparitions hallucinate by the sufferers.
   The hallucinations may be worsen when the patient develop hyper-vigilence when the individual wake up paralysed and feel vulnerable to the attack, he or she may have intense fear and tried to move away from the terrifying vision, which explains the series of alien abductions were so vivid in the memory of an individual who experienced it.

       Sometimes, out of body experience occurs when the individual tried to 'fight back' with the malevolent vision. It was believe that this phenomenal caused by the mirror neuron system modulate by the sensory afferents and prefrontal cortex, and allows the brain to 'see' the world from third person perspective.

Treatment

Sleep paralysis can be avoided by improving our sleeping habits.

※ Firstly, we should get a good night sleep, as adult generally needs 6-8 hours sleep per day.
※ Secondly, we should go to bed around the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
※ Thirdly, create a comfortable environment which is not too hot, not too cold, quiet and dark.
※ Fourthly, avoid drinking coffee and eating big meals an hour before going to bed.
※ Do exercise regularly but not everyday.
※ Avoid stress and anxiety
※ Seek medication such as antidepressant if you are chronic sufferer of sleep paralysis.

Now, if you are unlucky enough to encounter sleep paralysis, what should you do?

※ Relax your body. Do not fight or move your body forcefully as this will increase the chance of 'it' to appear in your mind.
※ Gently move your finger and toes as the smaller movement tell the brain that your body is awake and ready to stop the REM sleeps.
※ Blink your eyes and look around your room. Slowly, move your lips and facial muscle. This will even further the trigger to your brain to awake your body.
※ Breath slowly, deeply, and relax. Tell yourself that this is just a scientific phenomenon that can be occur to everyone. Sing your favourite song, preferable with a catchy beat in your mind and imagine that you were chilling at a beach.
※ If you have a sleeping partner shares bed with you, consider to ask them to help you. Focus your attention to your throat, choose a short word and murmur 'help' when sleep paralysis occurs, so that your sleeping partner shake your body to fully awake you, but do not scream as you will say it in your dream: your imagination will take over you if you tried to do that.

Media

There were few movies journalize the phenomenon of sleep paralysis in fictional accounts. Some of these films are based on a true story!

1 - The Nightmare

The documentary focus on Ascher, interview with eight sufferer of sleep paralysis. Their experience was reennacted by the professional film actors.

2 - The Conjuring

   

In one of the main scene, the guy sits on a chair and find himself unable to move. After awhile, he rise up and saw his own body. Although sleep paralysis wasn't the prime focus in the movie, the scene alone can caused some discomfort to the viewers.

3 - The Babadook

  

An Australian horror movie which chronicles a mother discovered that a malevolent creature from her son's storybook haunts them in real life, including sleep paralysis.

4 - Dead Awake

   

A private investigator investigates several unusual death which are all connected and all the victims suffers from sleep paralysis.

5 - Shadow People

   

An investigator investigate the series of death involving the victims seeing the nocturnal entity known as 'shadow people' before their death. This film is claimed to be based on a true accounts on victims  encountered shadowy figures before dying in their sleep.