Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Sri Lanka

  • When daydreaming becomes a problem

    S.T GamageColombo, Sri Lanka “They say there’s no harm in daydreaming, but there is.”— Charlaine Harris An excessive amount of daydreaming can lead to a psychological condition called maladaptive daydreaming (MD). It is also known as daydreaming disorder. Professor Eliezer Somer from the University of Haifa, Israel, first identified this condition. It is a disorder…

  • A history of blood: hysteria, taboos, and evil

    Danielle DalechekNorfolk, Virginia, United States “Who has fully realized that history is not contained in thick books but lives in our very blood?”— Carl Jung Historically, the opposite of purity was often viewed and represented as evil. This was especially true if you happened to be a woman. Even the most chaste and abiding women…

  • Serendipity: Is it mere lucky coincidence?

    Isuri WimalasiriRatmalana, Sri Lanka Many Sri Lankans may not be aware that the origins of the term “serendipity” are linked to their country. The word was coined by English writer Horace Walpole, who wrote a letter to a friend about a folk story he once read called “The Three Princes of Serendip.” In that story,…