Cruise
Ship Lecture Programme
Gill offered a selection of lectures, broadly
titled "Cruising towards happiness"
- A series of lectures looking at what helps us
to be happy based on scientific research and evidence.
Lecture
Titles
1.
"Laughter - the best tonic. Laugh more, live
longer"
Biological research into immunology
has found that laughing and even false smiling
can raise your immune levels. Conversely, sadness
and distress can lower our immune levels and leave
us open to ill health. This lecture looks at the
evidence, includes examples and applications of
these findings and provides opportunities to participate
in laughter.
2.
"Spirit has no Age - the older you get, the
happier you can be"
Studies into personality
have shown that whether you are born an optimist
or a pessimist can have a direct effect on your
lifespan. It also affects how lucky you are in
life. This lecture shows how you can change your
basic outlook on life to increase your luck and
good fortune by changing the way you view the
world. Scientific case studies and opportunities
for audience contributions support this lecture.
3.
"Think your way to Happiness"
How changing
your thinking will influence your behaviour and
in turn how you deal with life's ups and downs.
This is called CBT. The U.K. has identified it
needs to train 5000 health professionals in CBT
techniques to help deal with the second most prevalent
illness of depression in the U.K. This lecture
teaches the basics that we can all apply in our
work, family and personal lives. The lecture includes
examples and is also fun as well as informative.
4.
Luck, Superstitions and beliefs
There is evidence
in most cultures of lucky charms and ancient beliefs.
Many cultures have customs and rituals believed
to help increase good fortune in life. Are people
born lucky or do you make your own good fortune?
Do you want to increase your luck? Gill's lecture
will show you how.
5.
Depression - can it be good for us?
It's a fact
that 1 in 4 people will experience a form of depression
in their life. How do we know if we are depressed?
What can we do? The World health Organisation
predicts for the year 2030 that depression will
be the major debilitating illness in high income
countries, followed by heart attack. In middle
and low income countries, after AIDS, it will
be second and third major illness. This is a huge
cost both economically and socially to relationships
and families. Does money buy happiness or is there
a cut off point? Come along and discuss this in
the session.
6.
Why keep animals as pets?
The beneficial and therapeutic
effects of keeping pets is well documented. Are
there differences in cultural attitudes towards
keeping pets? Why keeping a pet can be good for
your health. How the Japanese have developed high
tech 'furry handbags' for companions for older
people and to record their memories. Have you
got a story of how a pet helped someone to communicate
or help them recover from an illness? Past cruise
passengers have shared amazing, touching stories
of pet power. Come and tell us more!
7.
Sports Psychology
'The hole is greater than the sum of it's putts'
How to improve on the golf
course? Applying Psychology to sport and physical
activities in life. Lee Travino's philosophy on
golf. Duncan Goodhew's academy of motivation.
Nigella Lawson's culinary passions. They all have
common psychology. Come along and find out what
it is.
8.
The Art of Palmistry
Using an example of an ancient
form of interpreting life events through a physiological
medium ie the palm, find out how your hand can
reveal information about you. This is not a session
with glass balls and headscarves (well, not many)
but it links old customs to modern day psychology,
illustrated by slides, and lets you make your
own mind up. Gill will look at modern research
which looks at links between between right brain
left brain differences in people. Come and find
out which you are!
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