Notes on the Psychology of Hope
W. W. Meissner, Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr., 1973), pp. 120-139

“In his hopelessness, the patient makes a basic presumption that he possesses no inner resources to bring to bear on the solution of problems or the fulfillment of wishes, or at least that his inner resources are completely inadequate.”

“A particular manifestation and expression of hopelessness is boredom. Boredom carries within it a sense of purposelessness, of the meaninglessness of things, of a lack of interest, of apathy and general disinterestedness. It is the death of wishing.”

This article brings to light the discussion about whether “wishing” or “hoping” is man’s greatest weakness, or whether it is what sustains us. It links hopelessness with the idea that one no longer has the capacity to fulfill his own wishes, and therefore has nothing to look forward to in life and depression sinks in. Meissner puts forth that most “depressed, withdrawn, and apathetic states” in disturbed or neurotic patients are caused by a lack of hope. While the concept of “hope” is not exactly the area I want to explore in my research, I find myself leaning more toward the view that “hope” – and in turn, the ability to wish – is something that drives everyone in life. Our wishes may all be different (and this is actually the part that interests me), but without the knowledge or hope that these wishes may actually sooner or later be fulfilled, our lives lose meaning and purpose. Of course, this then leads to the question of why people lose hope – often, it is because people wish too much or too big, and the lack of fulfillment of these then lead to a sense of hopelessness. So, I guess its always important to strike a balance between the realistic and the whimsical!

I enjoy reading, but not nearly as much as my wife, who loves a good novel.  Recently Kristia read a brand new novel called The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner.  As part of a blog tour for the book, Kristia agreed to share some of her impressions.  If you’re interested, she has an extra copy that she will give to the first person who asks for it in the comment box below.

The Shape of Mercy, by Susan Meissner

Women of all ages will appreciate this highly-readable, layered, and fast-paced story about self-discovery at all stages of life.  With rich undertones of intrigue and romance, this contemporary novel with a historical twist explores personal blinders and how upbringing and conditioning can shape people to judge others in ways that can lead to unhappy consequences.

Lauren Durough is a college student who finds herself on the road to self-discovery as she is hired by octogenarian Abigail Boyles to transcribe the journals of Mercy Hayworth, a seventeenth-century victim of the Massachusetts witch trials. Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul.  But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge?  Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?

Readers will identify with Lauren’s struggle to break away from society’s expectations and her attempt to strike out on her own while figuring out what parts of her own story to hold on to.

Kristia says:
“The Shape of Mercy  has a great story line.  I was impressed with the way that Meissner uses history and present day circumstances to draw the reader into the lives of the characters.   This story offers romance, history, spiritual insight, and even suspense. While I tend to prefer more lighthearted fictional books that have a  prominent romantic element, I would still recommend this book to a reader who enjoys a deeper plot with  lots of suspenseful twists and turns.”

About the Author
From early school-day projects to becoming editor of a local newspaper in Minnesota, Susan Meissner’s love for writing has been apparent her entire life.  The Shape of Mercy is her latest novel in a string of books that delve into the deeper issues of life. She is the author of nine novels and lives with her family in San Diego.  Find out more about her at www.susanmeissner.com.

Muchas veces hemos escuchado hablar sobre materiales superconductores y sabemos que tienen la capacidad de transportar electricidad “casi” sin pérdidas. Aunque este campo de aplicación es de gran importancia, no es el único.

Otro menos conocido, pero tanto o más impresionante es el efecto que tienen los materiales superconductores en combinación con el magnetismo. Debido a que un material superconductor se convierte en un material diamagnético puro se producen efectos muy interesantes como la levitación.

Todos conocemos los famosos trenes que parecen flotar sobre sus rieles, como es posible esto? gracias al Efecto Meissner.

Todavía queda mucho por investigar en el terreno de la superconductividad, se requiere un enfriar el superconductor a una temperatura muy baja para lograr el efecto Meissner. Y por otro lado, la energía que se requiere para enfriar los conductores para lograr la conductividad ideal (resistencia cero) es mucho mayor que la que se ahorra por efecto Joule. Pero como dijimos antes este es un campo sobre el que se están dando los primeros pasos.

Yo mientras espero avances en el tema me voy a comprar este trencito para jugar en casa.