The Official discussion thread for "Why Native Americans Keep Their Hair Long"

[8thsinner]

Not saying I agree or disagree, but I thought it was an interesting read. Taken from face book.



This information about hair has been hidden from the public since the Viet Nam War.
Our culture leads people to believe that hair style is a matter of personal preference, that hair style is a matter of fashion and/or convenience, and that how people wear their hair is simply a cosmetic issue. Back in the Vietnam war however, an entirely different picture emerged, one that has been carefully covered up and hidden from public view.
In the early nineties, Sally [name changed to protect privacy] was married to a licensed psychologist who worked at a VA Medical hospital. He worked with combat veterans with PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. Most of them had served in Vietnam.
Sally said, ”I remember clearly an evening when my husband came back to our apartment on Doctor\’s Circle carrying a thick official looking folder in his hands. Inside were hundreds of pages of certain studies commissioned by the government. He was in shock from the contents. What he read in those documents completely changed his life. From that moment on my conservative middle of the road husband grew his hair and beard and never cut them again. What is more, the VA Medical center let him do it, and other very conservative men in the staff followed his example. As I read the documents, I learned why. It seems that during the Vietnam War special forces in the war department had sent undercover experts to comb American Indian Reservations looking for talented scouts, for tough young men trained to move stealthily through rough terrain. They were especially looking for men with outstanding, almost supernatural, tracking abilities. Before being approached, these carefully selected men were extensively documented as experts in tracking and survival.
With the usual enticements, the well proven smooth phrases used to enroll new recruits, some of these Indian trackers were then enlisted. Once enlisted, an amazing thing happened. Whatever talents and skills they had possessed on the reservation seemed to mysteriously disappear, as recruit after recruit failed to perform as expected in the field.
Serious causalities and failures of performance led the government to contract expensive testing of these recruits, and this is what was found.
When questioned about their failure to perform as expected, the older recruits replied consistently that when they received their required military haircuts, they could no longer ’sense’ the enemy, they could no longer access a ’sixth sense’, their ’intuition’ no longer was reliable, they couldn’t ’read’ subtle signs as well or access subtle extrasensory information.
So the testing institute recruited more Indian trackers, let them keep their long hair, and tested them in multiple areas. Then they would pair two men together who had received the same scores on all the tests. They would let one man in the pair keep his hair long, and gave the other man a military haircut. Then the two men retook the tests.
Time after time the man with long hair kept making high scores. Time after time, the man with the short hair failed the tests in which he had previously scored high scores.
Here is a typical test:
The recruit is sleeping out in the woods. An armed ’enemy’ approaches the sleeping man. The long haired man is awakened out of his sleep by a strong sense of danger and gets away long before the enemy is close, long before any sounds from the approaching enemy are audible.
In another version of this test the long haired man senses an approach and somehow intuits that the enemy will perform a physical attack. He follows his ’sixth sense’ and stays still, pretending to be sleeping, but quickly grabs the attacker and ’kills’ him as the attacker reaches down to strangle him.
This same man, after having passed these and other tests, then received a military haircut and consistently failed these tests, and many other tests that he had previously passed.
So the document recommended that all Indian trackers be exempt from military haircuts. In fact, it required that trackers keep their hair long.”
Comment:
The mammalian body has evolved over millions of years. Survival skills of human and animal at times seem almost supernatural. Science is constantly coming up with more discoveries about the amazing abilities of man and animal to survive. Each part of the body has highly sensitive work to perform for the survival and well being of the body as a whole.The body has a reason for every part of itself.
Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved ’feelers’ or ’antennae’ that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex.
Not only does hair in people, including facial hair in men, provide an information highway reaching the brain, hair also emits energy, the electromagnetic energy emitted by the brain into the outer environment. This has been seen in Kirlian photography when a person is photographed with long hair and then rephotographed after the hair is cut.
When hair is cut, receiving and sending transmissions to and from the environment are greatly hampered. This results in numbing-out .
Cutting of hair is a contributing factor to unawareness of environmental distress in local ecosystems. It is also a contributing factor to insensitivity in relationships of all kinds. It contributes to sexual frustration.
Conclusion:
In searching for solutions for the distress in our world, it may be time for us to consider that many of our most basic assumptions about reality are in error. It may be that a major part of the solution is looking at us in the face each morning when we see ourselves in the mirror.
The story of Sampson and Delilah in the Bible has a lot of encoded truth to tell us. When Delilah cut Sampson’s hair, the once undefeatable Sampson was defeated. https://d25bb4s1cxywf2.cloudfront.net/spinner.gif?97522e400348c

[pepperminttea]

:bs: Sounds like urban legend to me. My hair's dead. In terms of basic survival function, it keeps me warm. That's about it. :shrug:

[lilravendark]

Interesting read dont know how factual it is but fun notion none the less :)

[marzipanthecat]

Um. It's a story on FaceBook. And just that. A story.

[Chetanlaiho]

Sounds interesting but I seriously doubt there's anything behind it all :/

[freckles]

:bs: Sound like urban legend to me. My hair's dead. In terms of basic survival function, it keeps me warm. That's about it. :shrug:

yeah, this.

[Baby]

Wow, I would like to read the original report on that, sounds way to amasing to be true. But cool though, I like the spiritual/science thing of it, I would love for it to be true.

[spidermom]

This isn't the first time I've read about power attributed to hair. I like the idea. And in no way do I consider my hair to be dead; I don't care how many declare it.

[florenonite]

I doubt the hair itself has any sort of power. However, if the evidence itself is true, then I would argue that it's more likely a psychological thing than a spiritual or physical thing. These men come from a culture in which long hair is commonplace, and these tracking methods are commonplace as well. If they lose the long hair, they then would feel cut off from this culture, and this could permeate other areas of their life that are linked to that culture.

I'm more inclined to believe it's an urban legend, though, at least until I see the original report (should it exist).

[JuliaDancer]

The story is probably a myth, but when I started shaving my legs, the skin on my legs felt numb. Over time I've gotten used to it, but the movement of those little hairs definitely makes a difference. This story seems a bit extreme though.

[littlenvy]

:) I'm all for all men growing their hair long but I honestly can't credit the story with too much truth.
It those tests were indeed done and done with the results mentioned in the story, the underlining factor could be that the trackers BELIEVED that their hair gave them special powers and once that hair was cut they lost confidence in their own abilities. Psychological results rather than physical.
If this was true then women, and men, who shave their body and p#bic hair should find themselves with a much much lower s*x drive and inability to climax. And that's simply not true.

[bedazzlecat]

I'm inclined to think urban legend but if you think about cat whiskers... However tracking is based on knowing certain signs not 6th sense.

[Safira]

Well, maybe it´s truestory, maybe a fairytale. But I find it joyful to think that my hair has "sixth sense". Maybe and maybe not.

[gretchen_hair]

I tried to read it but the format makes it difficult.

If you but a space or 2 between paragraphs, maybe folks could read it better.

[julierockhead]

This isn't the first time I've read about power attributed to hair. I like the idea. And in no way do I consider my hair to be dead; I don't care how many declare it.

I agree. I have a pretty strong sixth sense myself, and having my hair short did make it less reliable. Noticed every time I cut my hair. Go ahead and laugh.

[KwaveT]

I would like to think this is all true. The article said this was done only for Indian trackers. I think it might be culturally conditioning playing a role. If these results were replicated for other ethnicities, then they may be on to something here. Otherwise, I am more than a little skeptical about this.

[Columbia River]

I don't doubt it, but is it due to a matter of self perception? Im going to research this a little more, Im interested in it.

[Columbia River]

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/2009/06/08/your-hair/ ...treat it like eating fish, keep the meat and spit the bones...interesting however.

[MinderMutsig]

Hahahaha :D


Wow, I would like to read the original report on that, sounds way to amasing to be true. But cool though, I like the spiritual/science thing of it, I would love for it to be true.I highly doubt such a report exsists. Me think someone has had one too many trip to LSD land. :crazyq:

[MinderMutsig]

It has all the ingredients of an urban legend.

1. ancient mysterious practices of old tribes
2. bible reference
3. Government involvement and secret testing
4. Really smart people who were instantly convinced (so you should be too!)
5. jab at modern society that obviously lost it's ways

[Mannaz]

I doubt the hair itself has any sort of power. However, if the evidence itself is true, then I would argue that it's more likely a psychological thing than a spiritual or physical thing. These men come from a culture in which long hair is commonplace, and these tracking methods are commonplace as well. If they lose the long hair, they then would feel cut off from this culture, and this could permeate other areas of their life that are linked to that culture.

My personal opinion is that this is the biggest reason for why the indians felt like they lost their sixth sense (it the repost exists, which I don't find imposible at all). But I have no reason to believe that our manes wouldn't serve as antennas to the outer world.

I myself have noticed that there are some situations in which I don't want to wear my hair down because I feel it makes me more sensitive and vulnerable to my surroundings and energies. At work where there's a lot of people and all sorts of energies and all in all a stressful environment I never let my hair down, and it definitely is not just a practical thing. When my hair is contained, it's easier for me to just focus on what I'm doing and keep my thoughts where i need them to be.

And it works the other way around, when I want to be very aware of the energies around me and I feel safe in the environment, I'll wear my hair down. Call me crazy, I don't mind :shrug:



I highly doubt such a report exsists. Me think someone has had one too many trip to LSD land. :crazyq:

...and I would highly doubt that all kinds of weird reports wouldn't exist (and many of them about trips to LSD land)! :D

[StephanieB]

I believe this was debunked a long time ago.

Also, of all possible sources, why would anybody accept FaceBook (unmonitored) as a source for factual information?!

[Buffy]

Hahahaha...ok, sorry but this is BS!

[Baby]

When my hair is contained, it's easier for me to just focus on what I'm doing and keep my thoughts where i need them to be.


I feel the same, when I´m in school and have to concentrate I have my hair up and when I´m with frends I wear it down.

[jeanniet]

It probably had more to do with the involuntary nature of the haircuts (and thus a symbolic severing of the men from their culture) than with the physical loss of the hair itself. If you're forced to do something you don't really want to do, it can be emotionally very difficult; couple that with the loss being tied up with your culture, and I could see where it could affect you deeply. Of all the Sikh men I've known who've cut their hair, none seemed to be affected by it, but they all did it voluntarily.

[Shany]

The only thing I can think of, since scalp is sensitive, vibrations and other external stimuli are detected by the follicle receptors . Long hair could conduct those vibrations to the follicle receptors better than very short hair. Hair can ''sense'' movements.

http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa031.shtml

[rusika1]

It has all the ingredients of an urban legend.

1. ancient mysterious practices of old tribes
2. bible reference
3. Government involvement and secret testing
4. Really smart people who were instantly convinced (so you should be too!)
5. jab at modern society that obviously lost it's ways

Agreed!

Besides, if Native American trackers lost their 'magical' tracking abilities, the much more obvious and sensible explanation would be
that they were unable to adapt to the massively different environment they'd been placed in.

Another complete give away (that it's nonsense): The Viet Nam War has been over for almost 40 years, and active duty military are still sporting short hair. Not 'again, but for a while there they all totally had long hair and were really smart', but 'still, because telling service members how they must wear their hair is one of the ways we keep control over them, plus it's a unifying factor.'

I do so wish schools would teach analytical thinking and scientific method. I just had to explain (for the umpteenth time) WHY there is no such thing as earthquake weather, and what conformation bias is. My coworkers humor me. They nod their heads, and say they understand, and go right on believing in earthquake weather. Sigh.

[Cassie 123]

Fact or fiction, I love this stuff. Thanks for posting! :cheese:

Oh, and yes, I had heard of the "hair as antennae" idea, from the sikhs, kundalini yoga, and with respect to dog and cat whiskers, but I'd never heard this particular story before.

[roundforest]

I don't find the story convincing at all, but it is refreshing that it's not selling anything. At least believing it won't cost anyone any money, do them harm, or cause them to forward silly emails to all their friends.

[lilravendark]

This story reminds me of the vril damen which were a group of psychic mediums who kept their hair long and was usually put up in a ponytail which was a strange style for grown women in the 40s, the vril were part of the Nazi regime if you search on Google there a few good images of their hair lol they were a kooky bunch the society was interested in ETs and Ufos apparently the long hair was also an antenae to communicating with extraterrestrials ;-)

[Das Siechtum]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved ’feelers’ or ’antennae’ that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex." This is the best part.

So, since my hair is longer than classic I've got awesome superpowers? Cool.... :-)

[Tigermama]

I think this is kind of true. After studying antomy I realize that no matter how much we understand about ourselves, it is only the tip of the iceberg into just how cool we really are. Insects are covered with sensory hairs to interact with their environs, why would ours be so different? If not esotericly sensitive, what about mechanically sensitive (such as able to pick up vibrations)?

[Das Siechtum]

the human hair is not sensitive, since its evolutionary purpose was keeping us warm or cooling us depending on the climate conditions.

[lillylonghair]

Thats really interesting,whatever grain of truth there is to it. YOu know,it got me thinking about how whenever I have have cut my hair off (like pixie length) it was in part to cut myself off from old emotions and when I cut my hair off I felt colder,more removed.

[The_Redhead]

If the report exists and was factual (the existence part I believe is less likely), I think it would be more a result of cultural beliefs rather then antenna. Hair care and events relating to hair (counting coup) or cutting as part of a grief ritual was very common in most tribes. Details change, but the underlying concept was the same.

That said, having thought about my hair because of this. I also put my hair up during times of stress or when I need to block out "extra" distraction. Yesterday, my hair was down. Very stressful meeting, hair went up immediately afterward.

Does it mean anything, maybe not, but it's an interesting reaction. Maybe it was just bugging me, but why was it bugging me when it hadn't up to that point.

Today, I'm apparently girding for war. My hair is braided and bunned.

Shannon

[Savvyhorsez]

I've not heard of it before, but it's a great story, wouldn't it really be something if it were actually factual?!

[Cassie 123]

I think this is kind of true. After studying antomy I realize that no matter how much we understand about ourselves, it is only the tip of the iceberg into just how cool we really are. Insects are covered with sensory hairs to interact with their environs, why would ours be so different? If not esotericly sensitive, what about mechanically sensitive (such as able to pick up vibrations)?

I agree. Although articles about supernatural powers make for fun reading, the truth is usually more mundane but no less fascinating. For example, this recent article in New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128301.800-the-unsung-sense-how-smell-rules-your-life.html) discusses findings about the (often dismissed) human sense of smell and how it helps us navigate our world, including enhancing our ability to perceive human emotions. And hairs do help transmit sensation, as anybody who has gone from fully unshaven legs to shaven knows well. It is not so far-fetched to think that our sparsely-clad, fully-haired ancestors would have used the subtle sensory cues transmitted by hair for the day-to-day work of hunting, gathering, and communicating with other humans.

[MsBubbles]

Somebody may have already said this...but here are my thoughts: nothing spooky about it. I can see how perhaps having your hair flowing around your ears as opposed to shaved/crew cut might make you 'listen' differently. The 'study' does leave a lot of gaps of course, but it doesn't sound far-fetched to me to think that I do behave differently with long hair than I did with it short. I hold myself differently, I hear differently (if my hair is down), and I take into consideration that my arms perceive wind and nearby movement differently if my hair is touching them.

So I am not dismissing it, but am not going all twilight-zone about it, either.

[ilovelonghair]

I'm inclined to think urban legend but if you think about cat whiskers... However tracking is based on knowing certain signs not 6th sense.

That was the thing I was thinking, but that would only work if something is already really closeby and you can sense movement of air around you or actual touch. For the rest probably a big fat load of ***

[HairFaerie]

I think your hair can be used however you want it to be used.
If you view it as just dead matter, then it will be just dead matter.
If you view it as a magical portal to other dimensions, then it will be a magical portal to other dimensions.

The first thing I thought of when I read the article too is the Vril Society. That is some interesting stuff, to me.

I believe this 100%. Rather the hair "actually" made them better at tracking or they "thought" their hair gave them better tracking skills, it doesn't matter. Either way, the ones that kept their long hair were better trackers. Period. Thoughts are very powerful. If you "think" your hair gives you powers, then it will! This is the foundation for Magick.

Call me a nut job, I don't really care. My hair is going to be a magical portal to other dimensions! :)

[FrozenBritannia]

very cool! I love the idea of it. Couldn't say if it's likely to be true or not, but there are stranger things in life than in fiction, and much like Harry Potter, wouldn't it be nice?

Personally, if growing my hair super long gives me a great sex drive, bring it on! LOL.

[ladylovecraft]

The story seems like an extreme exaggeration of what we already know to be true. Your hairs, for example the ones on your arms or legs, are used as sensors. Mostly for example, if you shave your legs or arms you'll realize how much sensation you have lost, especially when it comes to feeling bugs crawling on you. You can also feel wind or movement due to the hair. Without it, your skin does feel a little 'numb'. I'm sure this applies to hair on your head as well - by feeling your hair move in the wind, you know which direction the wind is blowing.

Now I doubt this would apply to some of the circumstances the story seems to imply, but there's also the psychological aspect to consider. I certainly feel empowered by my hair growing... there's no reason a male wouldn't either : )

[Chetanlaiho]

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/2009/06/08/your-hair/ ...treat it like eating fish, keep the meat and spit the bones...interesting however.

That was, interesting xD I've had blunt bangs over a year now, yup I can still look a male in the eye ;) (actually I find it harder to do when my bangs are pinned to the side because I feel more exposed! :p)

[Amber_Maiden]

Like the story, but obviously, a fake.

[Wind Dragon]

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/2009/06/08/your-hair/ ...treat it like eating fish, keep the meat and spit the bones...interesting however.

My goodness, but that was one bony fish. :p

This, from the end, is priceless:

You know how the legs move, right? On both sides of the legs there are hairs. Those hairs create an electromagnetic field which balances the movement of the pituitary. You shave it and it is your problem; they say it can make you insane.

So that's what happened! Alrighty then, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. :gabigrin:

[Rusticular]

Agreed!

Besides, if Native American trackers lost their 'magical' tracking abilities, the much more obvious and sensible explanation would be
that they were unable to adapt to the massively different environment they'd been placed in.

Another complete give away (that it's nonsense): The Viet Nam War has been over for almost 40 years, and active duty military are still sporting short hair. Not 'again, but for a while there they all totally had long hair and were really smart', but 'still, because telling service members how they must wear their hair is one of the ways we keep control over them, plus it's a unifying factor.'

I do so wish schools would teach analytical thinking and scientific method. I just had to explain (for the umpteenth time) WHY there is no such thing as earthquake weather, and what conformation bias is. My coworkers humor me. They nod their heads, and say they understand, and go right on believing in earthquake weather. Sigh.

About the 'earthquake weather'; the way I see it, gravitational pull from the moon/closer planets/etc has a definite effect on the tectonic plates and increased movement. While the weather itself isn't a giveaway, the tides can tie in with it.
http://www.predictweather.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=338&type=home
Quite interesting.

AAANYWAY, onto the topic at hand. Definitely an urban legend, though the notion is pretty awesome. I wouldn't take much out of that 'article', but come to think of it, the idea that hair serves a greater purpose than just keeping us warm is perfectly rational. Why is it that such a small patch of hair grows to such lengths, when the rest of our bodies are essentially 'naked'? Why do we freak out when our long hair's been lopped off, if after so many years of never having it so short? When my hair's up in a bun, why do I feel so ridiculously cut-off from everything around me?

[MasCat]

A pagan friend of mine posted it on his wall today and I thought I'd share :)

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

Another reason to have your hair long :)

[PinkyCat]

Thats so interesting.

[moxamoll]

Love it! Although if I get any more intuitive, they're gonna start calling me a witch. :P

[cheetahfast]

I think I've seen this posted here before. I don't know how true the article could be. :shrug:

[Eboshi]

This article is interesting and yet I have to disagree with their hypothesis. "Native Americans" are not a monolithic entity but are separate and sovereign entities. There is no universal reason for long hair among the Native American nations, when there is long hair present at all.

Traditional Mohawk hairstyles anyone?

[spidermom]

I love stories like that. It doesn't matter if it's true, only that it's told well. haha

I've grown into an appreciation of my hair as its own unique self rather than as a fashion accessory. I think there's more to hair than we know.

[Velvet Dreamer]

That's so fascinating. Just more motivation for me to not cut my hair, definitely.
Maybe that's why my great-grandmother was so proud of her hair.

[Rilig]

Very intriguing! Maybe that's why women tend to be more intuitive than men. ;)

[MonaLisa]

I've read this the first time it was posted - but these replies now I like so much more! :)
There is something to it, definitely. Hair does tell us something... And it's not growing for no reason :)

[Maelyssa]

Thank you so much for sharing the article. Really interesting concept to ponder. Definitely going to pass it on to my man.

[boudica]

Loved this article! When I read it, I rushed over here to post, but this community is too quick for me!!

Am making my long-haired husband read it. He wishes to become a short-haired husband. . .

[Orangerthanred]

What group of Native Americans? Not all of them have long hair. Can't just throw everyone in a group and say they all have (insert style here) hair just because they live in the same general area.. All of their cultures are vastly different, imo, just as all cultures are different.

[Anywhere]

The article made me cringe inside. I just finished a class about Native Americans, and one of the things we read was about how a man named Curtis made the NA's he photographed wear wigs to hide their short hair and make it seem long, etc.

And of course we discussed the forced homogeneity of the tribes being forced into a specific stereotype based on the white ideals.


My professor would have quite a go at this article. :rolleyes:

[Orangerthanred]

And of course we discussed the forced homogeneity of the tribes being forced into a specific stereotype based on the white ideals.


White as in Caucasian race or white as in skin colour? I might sound rude, but I don't really understand what anyone means by white.

[pepperminttea]

It's been passed round before, there's another thread here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=78536).

Not so much an "article" as a "story" to me. :shrug:

[misspurdy06]

My hair's condition affects my mood and confidence. If I were a long haired person recruited by the army and they cut off all of my hair I wouldn't be very confident in my skills either.

[Alun]

My hair's condition affects my mood and confidence. If I were a long haired person recruited by the army and they cut off all of my hair I wouldn't be very confident in my skills either.

That's what I think must be nearer the truth. The explanation they actually give seems like hocus pocus to me, but it would definitely have affected me in a negative way psychologically if Id' been drafted and had my hair hacked off. Fortunately, that was all over and done with before I would have been old enough.

[MasCat]

I searched for some keywords but couldn't find the thread mentioned :) The mods could merge the treads though :)

I find things like that fascinating :)

[morrigan*]

My hair's condition affects my mood and confidence. If I were a long haired person recruited by the army and they cut off all of my hair I wouldn't be very confident in my skills either.
This.:thudpile:

[PinkyCat]

White as in Caucasian race or white as in skin colour? I might sound rude, but I don't really understand what anyone means by white.

I think Anywhere means white as in the English and French people fighting with the Native Americans.

[Aveyronnaise]

The article made me cringe inside. I just finished a class about Native Americans, and one of the things we read was about how a man named Curtis made the NA's he photographed wear wigs to hide their short hair and make it seem long, etc.

And of course we discussed the forced homogeneity of the tribes being forced into a specific stereotype based on the white ideals.


My professor would have quite a go at this article. :rolleyes:
This article is completely offensive , I call it "The Psychic Indian Genre" ...I am honestly tired of seeing it around.
I have sprained eyeballs rolling at it.

It's the written equivalent of those cheesy Psychic Native American pictures of braves talking to spirit wolves or something.

[lapushka]

I am honestly tired of seeing it around.
I have sprained eyeballs rolling at it.

Same here!

[katienoonan]

Interesting, but another extension of psuedo science...

[Venefica]

This is an interesting article on the relationship between intuition, paranormal sensitivity and long hair. I do not know if the information in the article is true or not but it is interesting reading.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

[allio21]

That is so interesting! I am Native American my self and know for a fact that they did recruit men from the reservations to go to Vietnam. And hair in the Native American culture is sacred. I've never heard of anything like this but I know when someone close in the family dies it is a ritual to cut length off the hair.

[Juneii]

All hypothesis and no evidence. Just because the man supposedly had a "sixth sense" when he had long hair there is no solid proof that the hair was the cause of some super ability or whatever. For all we know it could be some external factor that causes them to loose their ability to "sense" their enemy. Or it could just be all in their head, they probably believe that shorter hair keeps them from performing their best so then they subconsciously don't perform as well to support their theory.
This is kind of like saying eating rice causes black hair because Asians eat rice and they have black hair. Yes, Asians eat rice and they have black hair but it is because of genetics that they have black hair, not the rice.

[ktani]

I do believe in Native cultures hair plays a role in spiritiuality.

However, I was very curious about the website this article and others like it appear on for several reasons, one being no actual Native has been writing in support of this story from their perspective.

I am not the only one who has been curious about where and from whom this information has appeared.

I am beginning to agree - Cult!

http://www.truthaction.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2434

ETA: More http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?625-Laura-Knight-Jadczyk-whats-wrong-with-her

[Chamy]

Very interesting reading!

[CastaDiva]

There's already a thread about this article:)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=83495

[ktani]

There's already a thread about this article:)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=83495

I think this makes the third actually. However, there are multiple henna and cassia threads too.

[Aveyronnaise]

I think this makes the third actually. However, there are multiple henna and cassia threads too.



Yeah but they aren't completely offensive .I just want to add that my father's family are Huichol from Nayarit,Mexico and I believe in shamanism. But this article is just totally offensive , I'm sure it's on Snopes ? And even if it is true , what's so great about it , the govt trying to exploit brown people to go kill other brown people? wow.

ETA I am not opposed to discussing in a general sense psychic abilities or shamanic abilities and their relationship to hair .

[CastaDiva]

I think this makes the third actually. However, there are multiple henna and cassia threads too.

Oh, ok, sorry then, didn't mean to offend.

[Aveyronnaise]

I think this makes the third actually. However, there are multiple henna and cassia threads too.

I am sorry I hope I didn't come off as too harsh !This darn article is all over my FB wall right now too. I am interested in any general discussion about the subject ...

[ktani]

I am sorry I hope I didn't come off as too harsh !This darn article is all over my FB wall right now too. I am interested in any general discussion about the subject ...

No worries I did not interpret your post that way. I just find the parent website on which this story appears very disturbing.

I read some other things on it and I find it highly questionable.

The topic itself is of interest. However, the presentation of "facts" as facts is suspicious to me, not the possibility that people are affected by the loss of a part of their person (hair), when it has a deep meaning to them.

[ktani]

Oh, ok, sorry then, didn't mean to offend.

I am not offended. People get enthusiastic and there are often multiple threads touching on the same topic, that is all. It happens here frequently.

[Chamy]

Theres another thread about this exact thing. :) interesting read though.

[lynnala]

Very interesting article!

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

[Nae]

I guess I had never thought about it quite like that before. Very interesting. I really enjoyed that article.

ETA: Also the comments are pretty fun to read for the internet. (No obvious trolls anyway, seems like fairly intelligent people.)

[NymphSpirit]

Wow, that was really interesting indeed! (Can't help but think of how some men believe women are able to read minds! haha)


(offtopic; lynnala both your hair and your tattoos are fantastic!)

[lynnala]

Wow, that was really interesting indeed! (Can't help but think of how some men believe women are able to read minds! haha)


(offtopic; lynnala both your hair and your tattoos are fantastic!)You can go off-topic any old time with comments like that, thanks! :D

[akuamoonmaui]

I've found that the longer my hair gets, the more in-tune I get which has made for a much more pleasant life experience. The shorter my hair, the more unsettled I've been, so on some level this article has merit.

Thanks for sharing it!

[LadyKate]

What a fascinating article! I've become more and more comfortable with myself and confident in trusting my instincts over the last 10 years (since the last time I cut my hair), and I think I am much more intuitive than the rest of my family who cut their hair regularly. On the other hand, my ex grew his hair out with my encouragement and it didn't seem to make him any more intuitive or sensitive! On the rare occasion that I wear my hair loose, I do almost feel like it's an extension of my senses... I always thought it was just in my head, but maybe not?

[FroggyMonkeyMom]

I read this the other day and thought it was pretty cool. I was explaining to my Native friend who posted it how I had cut my hair short after 12 years and felt very depressed, lost, and "scatterbrained" for months. I also notice that since it has grown back I do feel more "in touch" with myself and am able to get a better "read" of other people, like judge of character or if they are being truly honest or are hiding something. Never really thought it was or could be connected to hair, though. :-) but what about those who shaved their heads or had short hair, I wonder.

Anyway, really cool theory. (and kinda Avatar.) I definitely feel more like myself now that my hair has grown back. I think once you've had it for so long or passed a certain length it's more than just "hair."

[spidermom]

There was another thread about this exact same article only a couple of days ago.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Wow, that was some interesting reading. I had to continue on and look up the history of the Nazarenes ( my grandmother was Nazarene - but I didn't continue with it) and the Long Haired Franks. I never knew that Sampson was a Nazarite and therefore the reason for his long hair.

Absolutely fascinating.

And as a cat lover I know that hair- as in whiskers - is a sensory organ for them. The common belief is that they know they can squeeze into any opening that is at least as wide as the whiskers on their face - so they will never get stuck.

Take a look at your cat if you have one, are his whiskers as wide as his body ? I have quite a few cats and it does seem to hold true.

[Changling]

This article is completely offensive , I call it "The Psychic Indian Genre" ...I am honestly tired of seeing it around.
I have sprained eyeballs rolling at it.

It's the written equivalent of those cheesy Psychic Native American pictures of braves talking to spirit wolves or something.

Thank you T__T I'm Cherokee on my dad's side, and people just do not know the difference between being in tune with your environment (i.e. paying attention) or plain common sense, and magic psychic powers. Its like if a white guy makes a good guess, it's just a good guess, but if a native guy makes a good guess, he's psychic.

And I agree...chop off anyone's long hair, and they will be out of sorts for a while.

[EdG]

My sixth sense is telling me the article is BS. :bull:
Ed

[swearnsue]

Reading the article made my scalp tingle! Just a thought. You know how some women cut their hair short when a relationship ends? It could be a way of "cutting off" painful feelings. Thank you for sharing the article. *still tingling like crazy*

[gthlvrmx]

:) i like this article it's funny. It's true, you do numb out a little bit when there is less hair. But did i read something about cults on another thread? oh joy.

[gthlvrmx]

Oh i found the other thread with the same article. What a great article :) It was fun to read. I like the part about the cats, i've noticed that about them.

[auburntressed]

This article sounds more than a little like a conspiracy theory!

[Venefica]

I think cats are sensitive to the paranormal hair or no. I have a short haired queen and she is extremely sensitive, I would go so far as to say that cat is spooky and I could tell you some stories about her. :D

Maude, my cat, seam to know what I am thinking and at one time she seamed to be pushing a door open with telekinesis, she is an amazing cat.

[Nocturnal]

Not related to the article at all, there were some saying women with longer hair can accumulate more psychic energy by which they can influence men, and men should keep their hair short to... not sure what, be less influenced? act more???

[Venefica]

There is allot of folklore when it comes to hair, but I suspect that the whole influencing men kind of thing is based on men generally liking to took at women with long hair, a majority of men like long hair in women so I think the magic of allure there might be mundane magic. I do think however that hair stores up energy, just think about how much Chi the body uses to make it, and that energy do not vanish, it get transformed into hair. So in a way I think hair is a form of Chi. If that makes sense at all.

[kallarina]

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

I thought this was kind of interesting. I know they can't confirm that it's true, but it would certainly be an interesting study. Wish I could find more info on this.

[PixxieStix]

That is fascinating indeed, amazing. Obviously un-confirmable, but that is so neat. Even more reason for me to let my hair grow long. :D

[Indigostreams]

Interesting! Another reason why long hair is awesome...

[julierockhead]

The was another thread about this article a while ago. Perhaps someone can find it and link? And maybe some enterprising interweb machine genius can find more information on the subject.

I think hair is like a cat's vibrissae, sensitive in many subtle ways, even though it is technically dead. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this article was ever confirmed to be true. It wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be an urban myth either, though!:wink:

[kallarina]

Oh, it could very well be nothing but a myth. But it still makes a good story, eh? Gives us a reason to grow our hair beyond otherwise "reasonable" lengths to those who tell us we are ridiculous for growing!
I know I'll certainly use this as an excuse! :p

[juliaxena]

Why are there plenty of spiritual traditions that require shaved heads then and with people being just as sensitive and why are there plenty if sensitive people with short hair around?

[Littlewing13]

Does this mean if I grow my hair I will suddenly be an awesome tracker? ;)

[BlazingHeart]

Urban legend.

The writer claims that a bunch of people at the VA hospital stopped cutting any of their hair, when the VA (like branches of the military) has long had a set of grooming standards in place. I find it extremely hard to believe that they would just...not enforce them like that.

Also, you'll notice something about whiskers that act as sensory organs - animals have muscle control over most of them and can move the whiskers around. We can't do that with any of our hair anywhere on us.

I'm sure I can come up with more rebuttals to this myth, if I work at it.

~Blaze

[faellen]

Does this remind anyone of Withnail and I?

"I don't advise a haircut, man. All hairdressers are in the employment of the government. Hair are your aerials. They pick up signals from the cosmos and transmit them directly into the brain. This is the reason bald-headed men are uptight."

:D

[Hairizona]

Arlo Guthrie said it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_OT0hH7xIU&list=FLyvqYHUj2BwOBotPkS_NitQ&index=43&feature=plpp_video

[Micayla47]

maybe this explains "women's intuition"!

[MinderMutsig]

The was another thread about this article a while ago. Perhaps someone can find it and link? And maybe some enterprising interweb machine genius can find more information on the subject.
I think if we really search the LHC archives we'll find there is a topic about this article every six months or so.

I think it's a load of hokum.

[julierockhead]

Hokum is soooo much fun.

[Suze2012]

Well...I'm thinking it could be just a lack of self confidence thing.

Having long hair all your life.
Being amazing at a particular talent on your home turf.
Being chosen for that talent.
Having the hair you have always lived with buzzed cut short.
Being in an environment you're not terribly familiar with many different values.
Missing your home.

..could all be reasons.

[firegypsy]

Well...I'm thinking it could be just a lack of self confidence thing.

Having long hair all your life.
Being amazing at a particular talent on your home turf.
Being chosen for that talent.
Having the hair you have always lived with buzzed cut short.
Being in an environment you're not terribly familiar with many different values.
Missing your home.

..could all be reasons.

if they're reporting correctly only the first would apply. They're saying if they hair WAS NOT CUT they still performed.

I will say as someone who went from waist length to practically shaved I was disoriented. It wasn't a spiritual crisis, my HEAD felt different, my ears felt different, there was no more weight etc etc etc. and I can definitely see that having an effect when your job is to tune in. My focus was elsewhere because of the new sensations.

I don't think the hair was a part of it, other than it's something that changed. If they had been raised with short hair then they would have been fine. IMO, anyway!

[jacqueline101]

Very interesting I'd like to hear more on the subject.

[coffinhert]

Just found this amazing article about long hair endowing people with sixth sense-type intuition. Does anyone have any stories of long hair and sensing danger or other things in their lives?

http://www.whale.to/c/truth_about_hair.html

[ravenreed]

I have intuition whether my hair is long or not. I actually had a premonition that someone was going to pass away, which he did that night, and my hair was pixy length. This article has been discussed previously. For one thing, not every Indian tribe had long hair.

[lapushka]

I have intuition whether my hair is long or not. I actually had a premonition that someone was going to pass away, which he did that night, and my hair was pixy length. This article has been discussed previously. For one thing, not every Indian tribe had long hair.

Not only has this article been discussed before (many times, actually), it's also been endlessly discussed. :)

[jacqueline101]

I get hunches all the time I'm only fourth apache. I also had short hair afew times.

[Allychan]

Well I haven't seen this before and found it an interesting read :) , skeptical though because their conclusion is based on an evolutionary theory

[leilasahhar]

I don't know if this is matters or not but Im a cancer moon according to the calculations of Vedic astrology ..and moon sign being in cancer are supposed to be highly sensitive to energy/emotion as I am and my hair has always been pretty long.

[Sharysa]

The article the OP mentioned smacks of MAGICAL NATIVE AMERICAN SECRETS. It showed up in one of my pagan forums a couple of months ago, and it wasn't received very well.

If growing your hair out helps with "sensing your environment" or developing intuition, then longhaired people should be LESS prone to getting their hair caught in things or having random accidents. As many tongue-in-cheek threads here clearly demonstrate.

[Mommyof4]

I have significant Native American ancestry, and I must admit I feel more in tune with my soul with long hair.. but that's just me....

However, My opinion is that after the men got haircuts, they felt out of their element. As many tribes believed their hair was important, they may have even lacked during these tests because of self-esteem or placebo effect. They may have even deliberately failed the tests so their fellows would not have their hair chopped, or as a sort of revenge at the whole ridiculousness that people can come and use them as a guinea pig for their "experiments".


My cousin that is half Cherokee was always taught that your hair carried your memories by elders of the Res. Not your strength.

It is a cool read, though :D

[Sharysa]

I find it funny in that cringe-inducing way. As a Filipino-American, Magical Native American Secrets hits too close to home about all the Magical Asian Secrets that Hollywood likes to say we have.

The decision to grow my hair out was more a side-effect of getting back in touch with myself, rather than my literal hair.

[bahoban]

I just found this very interesting article:

https://www.thehairshaman.com/native-americans/the-truth-about-hair-and-why-indians-would-keep-their-hair-long/

and really make sense to me :joy: , I feel that six sense too, is not the same with short hair,,, what do you think guys???

(I hope this information has not been posted before in another thread I just found about it, and if so, sorry!!:p)

[SerinaDaith]

It was brought up but in passing on another thread. Super cool stuff by the way.

[akka naeda]

sorry, but this

Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved ‘feelers’ or ‘antennae’ that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex.

is just untrue.
And if it was I'd be in a seriously bad state now as I'd have massively increased my nervous system, which is already damaged from birth and prone to all kinds of twitches and tremors.

What long hair does is to increase the weight on the head, so tightening up all the cranial muscles and causing a restriction in the bloodflow in the scalp. It can therefore cause a great deal of damage to the nerves and blood vessels in the head and the neck.
Hair length has no bearing on 6th sense at all.

[browneyedsusan]

It's a fun article. Doesn't sit well with my scientific background, but it's still fun! :)

[marykatz]

I'm skeptical. Why would the government cover this up? Wouldn't they use it to their advantage?

[Celtic Morla]

The Gov't didn't "cover it up" it was reporting on the issue they found in research. The writer is making it sound more ominous than it was. However the bigger issue was the Gov't schools which required Indians to cut their hair as long hair in most tribes was a part of cultural identity and by cutting it and forbidding th euse of native tongue the Gov't was hoping to destroy the Native's culture.Lucky for them it didn't work or there wouldn't have been th eCodetalkers during WW2

[nobeltonya]

Being that the ends of your hair are dead, I wouldn't think that the length of the hair would have any bearing on this kind of thing.. your hair is a great determinant of your overall health and adds to aesthetics, but I wouldn't think it's connected to your nervous system and adds any kind of clairvoyance or other special powers to a person.. but I'm not a specialist in this area, so you never know.. *shrugs* :disco:

[AnnaB]

that is a curious article, I wonder how much of it is actually true. Or was it just the belief the their long hair was giving them the advantage, and when they lost the hair, they have lost the confidence in themselves.

[lapushka]

It was brought up but in passing on another thread. Super cool stuff by the way.

Every once in a while, this article somehow magically resurfaces. :lol: It's like it *never* stops!

[SerinaDaith]

By the way I don't endorse long hair = super powers, I think our body hair may have more to do with some things, like the hairs rising on the back of your neck but it really is just a secondary response to subconscious stimulus. I am a bit of a hippy chick but this one does not strike me as something provable scientifically. Even my long haired bio teacher would probably scoff at it. Loss of hair could = loss of confidence which could alter performance, especially in a culture where hair can be so important. Perceptions can alter reality in some ways especially when it has anything to do with your own mind. I know that when I am feeling good I am more likely to do well in class and enjoy interacting with people. When I am feeling bad then I tend to be less focused and less friendly. That is my mind altering the world as I see and interact with it, nothing is different other then my mood, I would probably have a good day if I allowed myself to. If someone told me that I had to cut my hair off which I attributed some level of my ability to do some things then my ability would drop off, no sixth sense just mental conditioning for better or worse.

[truepeacenik]

Other things that could have upset the recruits, separation from tribal unit, change in diet, including personal scent, disconnection from spiritual practices, or worse, replacing them with the local missionary, realization of who, exactly, the enemy really was....

Even if I bought into hair as etheric body, this is nonsensical.

Plus, his Mojave illustration (cannot read the man's name) has dreads. That also leads to a lot of spiritual discsussion.

[Unofficial_Rose]

Put me in in mind of this from Withnail and I. "Hair are your aerials, they pick up signals from the cosmos..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NeBfY6U4n8

I quite like it as an idea, although it seems pretty fanciful.

[Coffeebug]

Put me in in mind of this from Withnail and I. "Hair are your aerials, they pick up signals from the cosmos..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NeBfY6U4n8

I quite like it as an idea, although it seems pretty fanciful.

Hahaha that's exactly what popped into my head when I was reading it... I love that film.

[faellen]

Hahahaha I was thinking of Withnail and I too! :D

What a nonsense article :lol:

[leslissocool]

Many Wiccans feel a connection with long hair and Psychic ability. Some practices actually say natural red heads have stronger magic (which lead to the whole "redheads are evil nonsense). DH was/is part of this specific one, many of the priestess had red hair naturally.

I don't believe in religion and divinity though :shrug:.

[HylianGirl]

I don't believe that, it doesn't seem to have any scientific base.

[truepeacenik]

Another take:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_OT0hH7xIU&sns=em

Arlo Guthrie as Alan Moon, Birds of Paradise.
(RIP, Jackie Guthrie)

[auburntressed]

10 thingy............

[natural_shine]

http://www.spiritoliberomag.com/?p=313

Opinions, pls. It really intrigued me.

[Kittney]

Each man enlisted in the army must have a standard cut but perhaps the cut for those who have a cultural or self identifying association with their hair will break them in ways. If their spirits are down it would be difficult to rely on more instinctual senses. So i do see how this would effect performance but the connection stated for today's people doesn't quite work since the cut is typically voluntary but i do think the story of the natives and peoples ability to ignore current environmental issues is attributed to a desensitization. Today part of our spirit is broken by our surrounding enveloping problems and to try and feel better we keep ourselves constantly entertained further removing us from being conscious of our world....well that's my take on it.

[woodswanderer]

Wonder why they mentioned the Kirlian photography differences in before and after haircuts but didn't show an image.

[AmyBeth]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system"? I don't think so. Not sure what to make of the article- but I really do like long hair!

[natural_shine]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system"? I don't think so.

Maybe like cats sense stuff with their whiskers.

[spidermom]

I think there's something to it. I personally have noticed that I will feel different in the brain when my hair is styled various ways, and I'm not talking about tension headaches or anything like that. It's not the scalp but something more internal, probably my nervous system.

[In2wishin]

Maybe like cats sense stuff with their whiskers.

But it is not the whiskers themselves that sense things, it is the large number of very sensitive nerve endings in the whisker pads.

[natural_shine]

But it is not the whiskers themselves that sense things, it is the large number of very sensitive nerve endings in the whisker pads.

Yes, exactly. We don;t have the senses of cats, but some nerve endings we do have at the root of the hair. You feel wind better with long hair, for ex. ... maybe these nerves also have other "talents" besides sensing wind.
Don't know... When I wear my hair in ponytail or loose, I have the sensation that it acts like a "steering wheel" a bit, I'm more in balance.

[spidermom]

P.S: I could find no Kirlian photography pictures of long hair versus short hair.

[natural_shine]

Yup. Searched high and low, no such pics. But it does make sense in a way... The hair itself has a light around it- more hair=more light. So there must be a diffrence in pics. http://gdvsale.com/podg/files/images/volosy.jpg

[leslissocool]

:shrug: I don't get it, I have long hair and I ALWAYS get accused of being insensitive and cold, environmental distress....I don't know, my son felt better after a hair cut (that he asked for) and he is VERY sensitive to hair and usually detests hair cuts.

There are always doing "secret" research on extra sensory powers and stuff, so to me this isn't anything new.

[ravenreed]

This article has surfaced several times here before. One of the biggest issues I have with it is the idea that all Native Americans had the same long hairstyle. There are many tribes, and historically were distinct in dress/hairstyles... It's like saying all Celtic peoples wore plaid. Another is any lack of corroboration, or any link to an actual study. It is really easy to influence a study one way or another, and here we don't even know is such a study was actually carried out. Even if it was and the findings were true, it could easily be the perceptions of the person who had his hair cut that he could no longer be as effective with short hair.

In my own experience, as my doctors says, I am a HSP (highly sensitive person). I am allergic to everything, extremely reactive to medications, sensitive to temperature and humidity, and extraordinarily sensitive to the emotional states of those around me. I also have Fibromyalgia so all my pain signals are ramped up too high. I suspect that all my little nerves are just constantly flooding my brain with too much info that other people normally filter out. I have had my hair as short as a pixy and is now as long as fingertip and that sensitivity has never changed in all these years. In fact, I am getting better at reducing it to background noise so it isn't as overwhelming.

[Sharysa]

Oh lord, it's this article again. It's pretty much outdated Noble Savage spin with a hint of "MANLINESSSSSSSSS" thrown in.

Natives grew (or didn't grow) their hair for cultural, social, religious, and personal reasons. Like pretty much everyone does.

If hair length could help me sense my environment, I'd be a lot less accident-prone and awkward.

[jacqueline101]

I think it's interesting but I'm not sure what to think about the nerve endings part.

[sumidha]

Is this an article about how Indian trackers would loose their ability to track for the army once their hair was cut?

Call me an Occam's Razor kind of gal, but I always suspected that the men in question used their hair being cut as a convenient excuse to get out of the military after realizing maybe it wasn't quite their cup of tea...

[Wavelength]

Call me an Occam's Razor kind of gal, but I always suspected that the men in question used their hair being cut as a convenient excuse to get out of the military after realizing maybe it wasn't quite their cup of tea...

That makes a lot more sense. I like your theory! ;)

[dollyfish]

Hahahaha

After studying vertebrate phylogeny/physiology in college I'm pretty certain there's no strict "physical" reason for this; short hair vibrates with air movements just as well as (if not better than) super long hair. Nothing to do with vibrissae (whiskers) or anything. Pretty sure this is an effect of the psychological trauma due to the military haircut. A person who has suffered trauma is going not going to perform well. A person who believes himself to be whole (especially if he believes his long hair is tied to his abilities, as these men did) is going to be more alert, more capable, and yes, even more capable of figuratively "sleeping with one eye open" (as in the example) because this stuff is in the brain. You know how some times it's possible to wake up at the proper time without an alarm clock (especially if you believe yourself capable of this)? Horrible example and not at all comparable, I know, but that's the best I can do for a parallel.

[Sharysa]

Hahahaha

After studying vertebrate phylogeny/physiology in college I'm pretty certain there's no strict "physical" reason for this; short hair vibrates with air movements just as well as (if not better than) super long hair. Nothing to do with vibrissae (whiskers) or anything. Pretty sure this is an effect of the psychological trauma due to the military haircut. A person who has suffered trauma is going not going to perform well. A person who believes himself to be whole (especially if he believes his long hair is tied to his abilities, as these men did) is going to be more alert, more capable, and yes, even more capable of figuratively "sleeping with one eye open" (as in the example) because this stuff is in the brain.

Exactly.

I mentioned either here or on UTT that a lot of Native children were shipped off to boarding schools and (especially the boys) had their hair chopped off to assimilate them into white/Caucasian culture. They had the exact same traumatized reaction as the Native soldiers.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

That is why I always reject the statement "Its just Hair" when people talk of cutting it. I always felt it was more. It has to be to be so controversial. In the 60's people were really afraid of african americans with long hair especially the men. The constant verbal attack on african american woman who want long hair. The abuse that many woman take for especially older woman to keep or grow long hair. Instinctively people know it represents an extra power or sense that they are either afraid of reaching for or jealous of.
I am very pleased to see that long hair is becoming more popular. Maybe now society is not so afraid and going back for that fullness of the human experience. It was once so apart of society. And then some how it became something to be shunned and denied.

[alyanna]

A friend of my posted a link to the following article. I found it inspiring and helped me get ideas of getting a pixie out of my head!

http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long (http://unitedtruthseekers.ning.com/forum/topics/the-truth-about-hair-and-why-indians-would-keep-their-hair-long-b?xg_source=activity)

United Truth Seekers
Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:32 CDT
http://www.sott.net/images/print_article.png?1289256289 (http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long#)




http://www.sott.net/image/image/s4/80516/medium/black_elk_young_sm2.jpg (http://www.sott.net/image/image/s4/80516/full/black_elk_young_sm2.jpg)© Black Elk

This information about hair has been hidden from the public since the Viet Nam War .

Our culture leads people to believe that hair style is a matter of personal preference, that hair style is a matter of fashion and/or convenience, and that how people wear their hair is simply a cosmetic issue. Back in the Vietnam war however, an entirely different picture emerged, one that has been carefully covered up and hidden from public view.

In the early nineties, Sally [name changed to protect privacy] was married to a licensed psychologist who worked at a VA Medical hospital. He worked with combat veterans with PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. Most of them had served in Vietnam.

Sally said, "I remember clearly an evening when my husband came back to our apartment on Doctor's Circle carrying a thick official looking folder in his hands. Inside were hundreds of pages of certain studies commissioned by the government. He was in shock from the contents. What he read in those documents completely changed his life. From that moment on my conservative middle of the road husband grew his hair and beard and never cut them again. What is more, the VA Medical center let him do it, and other very conservative men in the staff followed his example.

As I read the documents, I learned why. It seems that during the Vietnam War special forces in the war department had sent undercover experts to comb American Indian Reservations looking for talented scouts, for tough young men trained to move stealthily through rough terrain. They were especially looking for men with outstanding, almost supernatural, tracking abilities. Before being approached, these carefully selected men were extensively documented as experts in tracking and survival.

With the usual enticements, the well proven smooth phrases used to enroll new recruits, some of these Indian trackers were then enlisted. Once enlisted, an amazing thing happened. Whatever talents and skills they had possessed on the reservation seemed to mysteriously disappear, as recruit after recruit failed to perform as expected in the field.

Serious causalities and failures of performance led the government to contract expensive testing of these recruits, and this is what was found.

When questioned about their failure to perform as expected, the older recruits replied consistently that when they received their required military haircuts, they could no longer 'sense' the enemy, they could no longer access a 'sixth sense', their 'intuition' no longer was reliable, they couldn't 'read' subtle signs as well or access subtle extrasensory information.

So the testing institute recruited more Indian trackers, let them keep their long hair, and tested them in multiple areas. Then they would pair two men together who had received the same scores on all the tests. They would let one man in the pair keep his hair long, and gave the other man a military haircut. Then the two men retook the tests.

Time after time the man with long hair kept making high scores. Time after time, the man with the short hair failed the tests in which he had previously scored high scores.

Here is a Typical Test:

The recruit is sleeping out in the woods. An armed 'enemy' approaches the sleeping man. The long haired man is awakened out of his sleep by a strong sense of danger and gets away long before the enemy is close, long before any sounds from the approaching enemy are audible.

In another version of this test the long haired man senses an approach and somehow intuits that the enemy will perform a physical attack. He follows his 'sixth sense' and stays still, pretending to be sleeping, but quickly grabs the attacker and 'kills' him as the attacker reaches down to strangle him.

This same man, after having passed these and other tests, then received a military haircut and consistently failed these tests, and many other tests that he had previously passed.

So the document recommended that all Indian trackers be exempt from military haircuts. In fact, it required that trackers keep their hair long."

Comment:

The mammalian body has evolved over millions of years. Survival skills of human and animal at times seem almost supernatural. Science is constantly coming up with more discoveries about the amazing abilities of man and animal to survive. Each part of the body has highly sensitive work to perform for the survival and well being of the body as a whole.The body has a reason for every part of itself.

Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex.

Not only does hair in people, including facial hair in men, provide an information highway reaching the brain, hair also emits energy, the electromagnetic energy emitted by the brain into the outer environment. This has been seen in Kirlian photography when a person is photographed with long hair and then rephotographed after the hair is cut.

When hair is cut, receiving and sending transmissions to and from the environment are greatly hampered. This results in numbing-out .

Cutting of hair is a contributing factor to unawareness of environmental distress in local ecosystems. It is also a contributing factor to insensitivity in relationships of all kinds. It contributes to sexual frustration.

Conclusion:

In searching for solutions for the distress in our world, it may be time for us to consider that many of our most basic assumptions about reality are in error. It may be that a major part of the solution is looking at us in the face each morning when we see ourselves in the mirror.

The story of Sampson and Delilah in the Bible has a lot of encoded truth to tell us. When Delilah cut Sampson's hair, the once undefeatable Sampson was defeated.

Reported by C. Young

Comment: SOTT can't confirm this story or the research it suggests took place, however, we have wondered on many occasions, what is the use of hair and why so many legends refer to hair as being a source of strength, from Samson, to Nazarenes, to the Long Haired Franks.

[CurlMonster]

I'm skeptical about the source, but I can imagine hair gives us some added sensitivity. Perhaps not to the degree presented in this article, but we can definitely feel when something makes our hair move. I can imagine that in a dangerous situation your hair could help you to notice slight changes around you (wind, movement, etc).

[SongofLove]

Great article, thanks for sharing :)

[Buffy]

lol i'm sorry but that's bs :rolleyes:

[faellen]

This has popped up on here before, and I'm afraid I'm in the "this is total BS" camp. The claim that hair is an extension of the nervous system is just laughable.

[jacqueline101]

Great article.

[furnival]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex. "

This is so far beyond bullsh!t that I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[neko_kawaii]

*snort*

Read previous responses to this
here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=78536)
here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=113233)
and here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=111807)

[Thinthondiel]

No way this is true. Sounds like an internet urban legend/copypasta to me.

[alyanna]

I figured this must've shown up on here before too!
I also doubt the source and of course all of this is totally unscientific. But anything mystical usually is!

I wonder if Natives still believe in the power of hair, or if any other cultures hold the same beliefs...

[MadamM]

I always use the example of how the hair on your arms (or the back of your neck) will stand up when you're spooked. The energy from our bodies can effect our hair, so there is no reason to believe that there isn't an energy/sensitivity connection.

[Sharysa]

Oh lord, this article again. Yes, hair is very important as a spiritual/cultural marker, and SOME people inclined to magic say it helps them focus better, but it's like saying "Some people like using wands/staves, but others think they get in the way."

If ONLY growing long hair helped you feel closer to deity/spirit, how do you explain all the religious hair-offerings, shaving, and cutting that scads of cultures did? And on a personal standpoint, at least two of my goddesses want me to give them braids of my hair specifically because they like all the work I've put into it, and one of my gods has already gotten one. (He had to strong-arm me into it due to timing constraints, but I don't regret it at all.)

By this article's logic, the gods should be putting a spiritual force-field around my hair instead of asking for bits of it.

[Komao]

It's interesting. I'm keeping my long hair regardless of this being true or not.
If it is true, I have only things to gain for survival and sharpening my instincts.

Thanks

[Peggy E.]

Umm, isn't hair dead? As such, how could it possibly contain "nerve endings" which would function in "feeling" - whether in sensing or in the actual touch. If it's blowing around, or something softly brushes it, it could touch the skin and this could be picked up. However, your actual hair is not going to feel anything!

Still, like the idea of respecting cultural significances, even if the justification is a tad whack-o.....

[Panth]

I always use the example of how the hair on your arms (or the back of your neck) will stand up when you're spooked. The energy from our bodies can effect our hair, so there is no reason to believe that there isn't an energy/sensitivity connection.

Or, it could just happen because of basic science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrector_pili_muscle).

No need to invoke magical "energy" woo.

(And, yes, the article is complete and utter BS.)

[jeanniet]

Or, it could just happen because of basic science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrector_pili_muscle).

No need to invoke magical "energy" woo.

(And, yes, the article is complete and utter BS.)

And unsubstantiated to boot. Someone made up this crock of poop and since it's online, you know people are going to believe it, even though there's no science or even historical record to back it up. Just because someone said it, doesn't make it so.

[Killahkurlz]

in the Indian culture (dot not feather), some believe that u shouldn't trim ur ends because ur ends have some antennae or some nerves or something that takes 3 years to grow back/heal w/e

[Killahkurlz]

this is y they constantly smother their ends with oils

[WilfredAllen]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex. "

This is so far beyond bullsh!t that I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Whiskers are exactly that, if I remember correctly.

It's an interesting hypothesis. Human hair is no where near as stiff as whiskers so I doubt it would be even close to being as effective of a sensory tool I wouldn't be particularly surprised if body hair and head hair follicles pick up on some external info (wind/movement being the obvious one). The article presents and interesting idea, but without sources or a reputable writer, it's not much more than a fun read and an interesting thought to save for later when there is more relative research available.

[WilfredAllen]

I figured this must've shown up on here before too!
I also doubt the source and of course all of this is totally unscientific. But anything mystical usually is!

I wonder if Natives still believe in the power of hair, or if any other cultures hold the same beliefs...

As always, it would vary by tribe. Rastafarians and Sikhs both tend to keep their hair uncut (because it is commanded, because it is seen as a gift from God, and (I have heard) it is sometimes believe to have or assist and sensory/psychic abilities). People in various cultural/reigious pockets seem t also hold this belief, but it's not mainstream at all anywhere really.

[Panth]

Whiskers are exactly that, if I remember correctly.

It's an interesting hypothesis. Human hair is no where near as stiff as whiskers so I doubt it would be even close to being as effective of a sensory tool I wouldn't be particularly surprised if body hair and head hair follicles pick up on some external info (wind/movement being the obvious one). The article presents and interesting idea, but without sources or a reputable writer, it's not much more than a fun read and an interesting thought to save for later when there is more relative research available.

No, whiskers are not "exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae'". They have no nerves attached to the hair, never mind in the hair. Even if there were, I don't know why anyone would think exteriorised nerves was a good thing (think exposed nerve in a cracked tooth!). Saying they are a specialist form of feelers/antennae is also rubbish. Yes, both are used to detect movement and investigate the world via tactile sensations, but they have nothing else in common. You might as well say that whiskers are highly evolved fingers!

Hair can be used to detect "external info". That's obvious from daily experience. It works by the fact that external forces cause the hair shaft to move, which is detected by nerves that terminate in the skin and surrounding area. Whiskers (vibrissae) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskers#Vibrissae) go several steps further: they are extra-large follicles, producing extra-large hairs, so movement at further distances from the skin can be detected and (I presume) there may be some amplification effect (rather like a seesaw with uneven arms); they have a special hair follicle which is has a blood sinus and many, many nerves so the detection of movement by the hair is much greater; also, the stiffness of the whisker (which is caused by having an extra layer in the hair, the medulla) which also helps small forces against the tips of the whiskers to be transfered to the base of the hair where they can be detected (think poking someone with cooked vs. uncooked spaghetti - one transfers the force of the poke better whilst in the other the force is lost as it bends).

However, the ability of hairs to detect movement (and of highly specialised hairs (whiskers) to be very good at that) has absolutely nothing to do with any "sixth sense" or ability to detect "extrasensory information" (whatever that is supposed to mean). The article is bull! If we suspend our disbelief and presume that the story in the article actually happened, well... The effect of a haircut is down to no more or less than the fact that if you rip someone from their culture and forcibly remove all attributes of that culture (clothing, hairstyle, makeup, etc.) then they will unsurprisingly be rather traumatised, which could impact their ability to function as they used to. Equally, when this is done to someone and they have no real way to escape it, it is quite plausible that they would not want to assist the people who did this to them. Haircuts depriving them of magical powers could be an excuse - and seeing how often this article comes up and how gullible people repeatedly are about it, it seems that (independent of whatever the hypothetical Indians actually believed) it is a pretty good way of fooling scientifically and culturally ignorant Westerners.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I love articles like this. It really challenges you to think about what you're reading and whether or not something is 'legit' or not.

[RedStripe]

An interesting read with some gorgeous photographs.
http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2013/08/elders-talk-about-significance-of-long.html

[Chiyoe]

Hey thanks for sharing!! When I was a little girl, I loved loved everything to do with Native Americans. I would soak up as much information as possible, but I never knew about this. Even in the Bible it says, "if a woman has long hair, it is her glory." So many cultures value long hair... I wonder why we don't, in the U.S.? There's a research paper in there, hmm... ;)

[jacqueline101]

That's interesting I liked it.

[Alexblue]

Very interesting and you're right, wonderful photos.

[Skade]

Thanks for sharing, interesting and beautiful photos... as have already been said. :o

[alyanna]

I love reading this sort of thing. Thanks for sharing.

[Sharysa]

Oh boy, this is an awesome article. I thought it was the "Why Indians keep their hair long" article again, but the mention of elders REALLY relieved me.

I enjoyed reading the parts about cutting your hair at certain moon phases, and the spiritual differences between having straight hair or curly/wavy hair. A LOT of people with waves/curls joke about their hair being a sentient being because of how hard it is to physically manage, and the whole "straightened/cut it for years just to fit in" story is really common--especially on LHC. After all, you don't hear a lot of straight-haired people complaining that they curled/chopped their hair for years because they or their parents couldn't deal with it.

Then I noticed that a lot of girls my age complain that "My hair's wavy, but it's not the GOOD kind of waves!" They're usually the ones who straighten their hair most of the time, then want to look glamorous/bohemian and use a curling iron for perfect spiral/ringlet curls that are only present naturally in about 2% of curly-haired people.

Maybe there's a subconscious spiritual link between modern society's overwhelming desire for straight hair and the "good" kind of waves/curls? I'll probably have to think about it more, though.

[norths]

very interesting

[SongofLove]

Wonderful article! Thank you for sharing!

[gnome82]

Wow that's a good read, Thank You for sharing :blossom:

[Mindy]

Thanks for posting this! I found the part about hair color changing especially interesting. My grays started coming in while I was a teenager. Now, at the age of 34, I'm 75% gray (have been for years) and always viewed it as a bad thing. This has given me a new perspective. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad about going gray so early. I will try to view it in a more positive light from now on - as something maybe a little unique and special.

[Dandelion6]

What a beautiful hair meditation!

[Unicorn]

Thanks for posting this! I found the part about hair color changing especially interesting. My grays started coming in while I was a teenager. Now, at the age of 34, I'm 75% gray (have been for years) and always viewed it as a bad thing. This has given me a new perspective. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad about going gray so early. I will try to view it in a more positive light from now on - as something maybe a little unique and special.

There's something particularly striking about those with "prematurely" grey hair. You'll be way young enough to have that amazing look by the time you're full platinum.

Unicorn

[dreamingstar]

Fascinating and very educational article. Thank you for sharing!

[Jeno86]

Oh boy, this is an awesome article. I thought it was the "Why Indians keep their hair long" article again, but the mention of elders REALLY relieved me.


Not alone there lol!

Thank you so much for posting this. I've been studying Native spirituality, mainly Cherokee (I'm 1/8 Cherokee), lately and this article not only appeared at the perfect time but it was fantastic to read. Thank you again ^_^.

[Bagginslover]

That was really interesting, Thank you for sharing :)

I found particilarly interesting the part about cutting hair as a sign of a new beginning or chang. How many people do actually cut their hair when grieving, after a break-up, or when they just want to change some aspect of their lives. I'd be willing to bet very few people know of any spirtual significance this has, yet do it anyway. Very interesting.

[Silver Sister]

Great hair article. Fascinating read. If you watch the videos they talk about never cutting hair, as hair is power. The exception is a small trim following a death of a loved one.

[Taenarian]

I gather their Elders understand immediately when any LHC'er devotes time to S&D :D

Seems a bit unfriendly for henna fans, though.

[blace]

I loved this article. Thank you so much for sharing.

[SoftCurlyHair]

Reading this article may offer insights into why those who do not have long hair are either fascinated/inspired by it, while others want you to cut it.

[Andeee]

I thought a few of us longhairs would find this article interesting!

http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long (http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long)

[Tail Feathers]

oooh!
thank you !!

i am 50% apache

i am off to read this one right now !!

[GoldLady]

I came across this cool article about what special forces discovered about Indian scouts with long hair
and their almost supernatural ability to track stealthily. There is also a study included about the
mammalian body and the function of hair. Enjoy!


The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long (http://unitedtruthseekers.ning.com/forum/topics/the-truth-about-hair-and-why-indians-would-keep-their-hair-long-b?xg_source=activity)

[Amapola]

Interesting. Can't say I agree with the author's conclusions. It's interesting though.

[Of the Fae]

I read it before. It's a fascinating story but I'm not sure what to think about it. I do think there is a link somehow with very long hair and a sort of sensitivity to certain things, but I cannot rationally motivate this.

[GoldLady]

I suspect it really has more to do with taking away their identity. The mind is a powerful thing.

[Islandgrrl]

I'm sorry, but I find the article absolutely ridiculous.

[Jeno86]

Ive always had a problem with this article. I'll skip all my ranting about the legitimacy of the research but not all tribes kept hair long. My tribe (Cherokee) it was traditional for women to wear a single braid while the men would either be bald or have a small patch at the back of the head that often was worn as a braid. Head coverings were also worn. Some tribes wore mohawks, some chin length hair, often if hair was worn long it was braided and covered with leather and skins. I recommend this site for a better view on why some wear their hair long. http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2013/08/elders-talk-about-significance-of-long.html?m=1

Sorry about the rant/ramble.

[Tlb2012]

Ive always had a problem with this article. I'll skip all my ranting about the legitimacy of the research but not all tribes kept hair long. My tribe (Cherokee) it was traditional for women to wear a single braid while the men would either be bald or have a small patch at the back of the head that often was worn as a braid. Head coverings were also worn. Some tribes wore mohawks, some chin length hair, often if hair was worn long it was braided and covered with leather and skins. I recommend this site for a better view on why some wear their hair long. http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2013/08/elders-talk-about-significance-of-long.html?m=1

Sorry about the rant/ramble.

This is very interesting to me, since I am part Cherokee!

ETA: I also love the way the article mentioned full moon and new moon cutting, or trimming!

[jeanniet]

It can't be on the internet if it isn't true! :rolleyes: There's no evidence anywhere to suggest that this is anything other than made-up claptrap, rolling around online to infinity. Actually, it gets reposted on here every so often. Last time wasn't all that long ago, IIRC.

Sikh men keep their hair long, but it's not at all uncommon for them to cut their hair after they've been in the US for a while, especially if they don't really practice the religion. All the men from my dad's side of the family who live in the US cut their hair a long time ago, without disasterous consequences, either personally or professionally. In fact, one could probably argue that they're far more successful with short hair than with long (really due to increased opportunities here vs. in India). Don't believe everything you read.

[didrash]

The very way the article is written makes me doubt it... Who calls Native Americans "Indians" nowadays? The whole thing sounds like it was written by a 10 year old.

[rosiedeam]

Thank you Jeno86 for sharing what I agree is a more accurate article. The original artical is very interesting as well, although I believe the conclusions they drew are inaccurate I do think it is interesting. I believe that whatever change in tracking ability the military observed had to do with a loss of culture and a sense of alienation.

[Anje]

Hi folks. I merged these threads, since they're discussing the same article. Cheers!

[WilfredAllen]

This article gets linked to every few months. It's hosted on quite a few websites, and I strongly suspect it was originally composed as a short writing project/assignment. There are quite a few obviously flaws in both facts and reasoning, and there is also no sources. Right or wrong, it's an interesting subject and I can see why it's so popular.

In at least some case, hair is used to collect sensory information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskers), so I wouldn't hastily dismiss the entire theory that other types of hair can do something similar. Also, criticizing an argument based on the writer is an ad hominem

[jeanniet]

This article gets linked to every few months. It's hosted on quite a few websites, and I strongly suspect it was originally composed as a short writing project/assignment. There are quite a few obviously flaws in both facts and reasoning, and there is also no sources. Right or wrong, it's an interesting subject and I can see why it's so popular.

In at least some case, hair is used to collect sensory information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskers), so I wouldn't hastily dismiss the entire theory that other types of hair can do something similar. Also, criticizing an argument based on the writer is an ad hominem

Whiskers don't actually collect sensory information, though. The hairs merely transmit to the nerves in the follicle, and cutting the hair itself doesn't change the follicle's sensory ability. Whether human hair follicles are in any way comparable to whiskers (which certainly do have a function) could be an interesting topic for discussion, but based on some kind of science/logic, not an article that doesn't even understand that "Native American" doesn't translate to "one culture."

[Sillage]

Whether human hair follicles are in any way comparable to whiskers (which certainly do have a function) could be an interesting topic for discussion, but based on some kind of science/logic, not an article that doesn't even understand that "Native American" doesn't translate to "one culture."

I could not agree more. Very well said, Jeanniet, thank you. :)

[jeanniet]

I could not agree more. Very well said, Jeanniet, thank you. :)

There could conceivably be something to the notion that involuntary loss of hair is psychologically traumatizing, but you can't simply extrapolate that to all Native American cultures--and in any case, since according to the article the recruits enlisted, cutting their hair was voluntary. If hair was so important, you'd think a) they'd know it; and b) they wouldn't be willing to cut it.

A useless military study wouldn't surprise me, though. That's the only part of the article that might have some basis in fact, lol. :p

[Bombadillo]

I like it merely because it says that long hair is good for guys- however poorly the article might be constructed.

I can't say that I jibe with the being in tune with the environment thing though, as I need to pull my hair away from my eyes and ears (if it is not already tied back) in order to 'sense' anything not blatantly obvious. Example of something non-blatant: Sensing that a television is on in the house, even at the other side of the house and behind a closed door, and come to find the set is on the 'input' channel and not making noise out of the speakers. Does anyone else have this superpower?

[Sillage]

A useless military study wouldn't surprise me, though. That's the only part of the article that might have some basis in fact, lol. :p

:rollin: Isn't that the truth!!!!

Bombadillo you better be careful about bragging. You may find yourself in a secret military installation undergoing some "tests". :laugh:

[florenonite]

Whiskers don't actually collect sensory information, though. The hairs merely transmit to the nerves in the follicle, and cutting the hair itself doesn't change the follicle's sensory ability. Whether human hair follicles are in any way comparable to whiskers (which certainly do have a function) could be an interesting topic for discussion, but based on some kind of science/logic, not an article that doesn't even understand that "Native American" doesn't translate to "one culture."

Well, our follicles have some capacity to feel movement on our hair (like if someone runs a hand up an unshaven leg) which is, pretty much, what whiskers do. Whether or not our follicles are as sensitive as, say, a cat's, I don't know, but I doubt that in general we have hair stiff enough to feel movement more than maybe a centimetre from the follicle.

And this line of thought has led me to dwarf beards in the Artemis Fowl universe :lol:

[furnival]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex."
I say this every time this article comes up: this is utter, utter tripe. Anyone who has ever had a trapped nerve or a broken/rotten tooth will be able to imagine the agony that haircuts would cause if our hair was really 'exteriorised nerves'. :p

Even whiskers contain no nerves themselves- their sensing ability is due to the movements of the stiff hair being 'read' by specialised follicles. The type of hair that we have is more comparable to the hairs of an animal's coat than to its whiskers. Whatever the biological function of our strange mops of hair actually is (do we even know this?), it ain't sensing if people are coming to kill you.

[jeanniet]

"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex."
I say this every time this article comes up: this is utter, utter tripe. Anyone who has ever had a trapped nerve or a broken/rotten tooth will be able to imagine the agony that haircuts would cause if our hair was really 'exteriorised nerves'. :p

Even whiskers contain no nerves themselves- their sensing ability is due to the movements of the stiff hair being 'read' by specialised follicles. The type of hair that we have is more comparable to the hairs of an animal's coat than to its whiskers. Whatever the biological function of our strange mops of hair actually is (do we even know this?), it ain't sensing if people are coming to kill you.

Yes, exactly. Hair is dead, dead, dead. Follicles are not. The type of hair used for sensory detection (cat's whiskers, for example) are much different than body hair (fur), and the follicular nerves are different as well. You wouldn't want highly sensitized hair follicles all over your body! That doesn't mean that the follicles on our head don't have some level of nerves, which is why it hurts when our hair is pulled. They're just not as sensitive as whisker follicles. And the hairs/whiskers themselves are inert, period.

[Nadine <3]

http://obscure-vision.com/the-truth-about-long-hair/

Very interesting, anyone here feel like their hair gives them a sixth sense type of thing?

[ashke50]

Nope, sorry, my hair is just dead protein and has no "evolutionary function" besides keeping my scalp warm and protection from the sun.

ETA: you may like this thread though, do you believe your hair contains power or magic (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=72025)

[Siowiel]

I don't believe in the conspiration theories aired in this article, but I do believe hair can take on a spiritual meaning for the individual, and if this individual is forced to cut heir hair, it would certainly impact their spiritual well-being and possibly affect abilities of all kinds.

[fiðrildi]

Wow, this is really interesting! I've never had short hair, but when I'm wearing a bun I do have the feeling that I am naked, exposed, and vulnerable... technically, the neck is a very vulnerable part of human anatomy, so it would make sense to feel protected or stronger when hair is covering it. As for the sixth sense, it sounds a little weird, but who knows (after all, a lot of animals can "sense" their enemies through their hair, or act as touch-receptors) :P

[jacqueline101]

This article is interesting and I wonder if my hair has a special power. I'm not cutting it.

[ChloeDharma]

I saw this today and thought it might appeal to some people here

http://truthseekerdaily.com/2014/03/the-truth-about-long-hair/

[LauraLongLocks]

I've seen this article before. It's definitely something that hasn't been proven by science. That does not mean it is false, because there are many things science cannot or has not explained. In any case, long hair is amazing and everyone who wants long hair should have it. Hair length should not limit job opportunities. I am particularly upset thinking of how many men, my oldest brother included, have chopped off their hair so they could keep a job. He used to have MBL hair but his boss wanted him to cut it because customers were afraid of him. His hair is now in a typical short hairstyle for men. Sad. My second oldest brother has not had to chop his hair off yet, but his boss gives him trouble about how long it is. His is shoulder length now. Sorry for my little off-topic rant... I was reading through the comments below the article and the subject of men having long hair preventing them from job opportunities came up. I guess it set me off.

[anastasiashea]

Interesting and I admit possible, but I would definitely need to see some references before I believed any of it.

[Ferngear]

"When hair is cut, receiving and sending transmissions to and from the environment are greatly hampered. This results in numbing out. Cutting of hair is a contributing factor to unawareness of environmental distress in local ecosystems. It is also a contributing factor to insensitivity in relationships of all kinds. It contributes to sexual frustration...." etc.

So... what this is saying basically is that people with short hair suck at everything? I know plenty of men with long hair/beards who could be described as "unaware" and clean-cut short haired and clean-shaven men who aren't. Wasn't cropped hair and a clean-shaven face considered civilized? Right or wrong, it was a fashion followed by most civilized peoples for the last several hundred years, including scientists, environmentalists, spiritualists. Besides... I don't think I get much in the way of sensory perception from my hair since it's so long; if the ends are disturbed, the root often never know it.

[Sharysa]

Oh boy, "The Truth About Long Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long" is infamous among Native Americans for being "Noble Savage" bullcrap. The minute I saw "war vets," I knew it was the same rehashing of the other article.

If long hair makes you psychic or an inhumanly good tracker, what about really curly hair that takes forever to grow out? What about African-American/kinky hair?

Also, Native Americans in particular DID NOT keep their hair long because it made them psychic/expert-hunters/whatever. Certain tribes kept their hair long because it was a sign of beauty, health, or status, only for both genders and not just women. Other tribes would only cut their hair in defeat or mourning, so naturally they'd be averse to short hair. Still other tribes just liked certain hairstyles that required long hair to pull off.

Every time I see this article, it just annoys me to no end.

[ChloeDharma]

Every time I see this article, it just annoys me to no end.

Yikes, sorry about that. I didn't mean to offend anyone by sharing the article, it just appeared on my facebook timeline so it occured to me some here might find it interesting.

[Halliday]

Thanks for sharing, Chloe :Star:

[wilderwein]

Hahahaha a random one, wich is completely opposite to that article, I saw at avatar (an anime) that a monk made another guy to shave his head couse this way he could sense more air movement, therefore snake attacks!
I totally like both filosophies even tho non of those have been proven scientificly. I believe It has a sense of truth on this story, couse when you have been a whole life with long hair I guess you may develop some new abilities as the article says, I dont belive is the hair itself rather than the people learning to use this part of their body too!

[MINAKO]

wilderwein, that being said i would love to think of myself as advanced human, but frankly i cannot even handle my hair when its down at home, let alone going outside. im just so used to wearing it up that it almost feels like im bald exept for that giant lump at the back of my head that i sometimes realize when it feels particularly heavy or i start picking out strands to play with. but fact is, to this day i dont know how to move with loose hair, its more in control of me than the other way around, hehehe.

[wilderwein]

wilderwein, that being said i would love to think of myself as advanced human, but frankly i cannot even handle my hair when its down at home, let alone going outside. im just so used to wearing it up that it almost feels like im bald exept for that giant lump at the back of my head that i sometimes realize when it feels particularly heavy or i start picking out strands to play with. but fact is, to this day i dont know how to move with loose hair, its more in control of me than the other way around, hehehe.

Ahahahaha that is probably becouse we didn't had to fight or hunt or something, so we just grow them long, but I believe If it would be neccesary you could sense the movement of your hair from a back attack for example! I cant stop picturing tho using our hair to climb trees and stuff ahahahaha a mix of tarzan and rapunzel image!

[MINAKO]

lol, i think my hair would be strong enough to support my weight, but i would probably get caught in the tree and not able to free myself again.
i get what you mean with the additional sensing, but i cant even accept my hair as an inactive part of my body, like some girls i see just wear it down and dont bother with it. but if i do it feels like i constantly need to keep an eye on it, plus it keeps attacking my face and hands, so its almost like taking an animal for a walk that happens to sit on my head.

[wilderwein]

lol, i think my hair would be strong enough to support my weight, but i would probably get caught in the tree and not able to free myself again.
i get what you mean with the additional sensing, but i cant even accept my hair as an inactive part of my body, like some girls i see just wear it down and dont bother with it. but if i do it feels like i constantly need to keep an eye on it, plus it keeps attacking my face and hands, so its almost like taking an animal for a walk that happens to sit on my head.

Maybe this way you develop abilities =O You learn to live with that "animal" so that gives you patience and patience gives wisdom...? (I'm trying to find the point in the article hahaha )

[MINAKO]

yeah, wearing it down more often would be good training to sharpen its and also my senses, but thats so not going along with the protective style philosophy we are teaching each other here. im obsessed with the thought of something bad happening to it, like getting caught in the door or someones hand while they smoke a cigarette or something. pretty much like a dress you never wear because its too fancy for anything. good thing is that haircare wise this absolutely pays off. maybe one day i will find a nice middle ground and some inner peace about it. :)))

[Stormynights]

My Mother bought me a vibrating hair brush years ago. I just thanked her and put it away. I had no plans to ever try a vibrating brush in my hair. My Mom has now passed and I ran across the brush a couple of months ago. I put batteries in the thing and started gently brushing the ends of my hair. I noticed that I could feel the vibration on my scalp with the brush only touching the last 6 inches or less of the ends. It made me wonder if that might stimulate a growth spurt. I can't say that has happened, but I can definitely feel the vibration from the ends to the scalp. That makes me think that there may be some truth to this article.

[MINAKO]

i have seen these brushes on a few japanese websites some time ago and was wondering if they are any good, but unfortunately all of them were vall tipped, so i didnt even think of ordering one to try. they should make a scalp attachment for the clarisonic tho, so i can use that in the shower.

[veryhairyfairy]

I'm sure this has been mentioned in the other threads about this hypothesis/article/whathaveyou, but I always inferred that maybe the young men's performance issues had nothing to do with sixth sense and all that, and had more to do with the men feeling dis-empowered by being shorn.
:shrug:

[wilderwein]

yeah, wearing it down more often would be good training to sharpen its and also my senses, but thats so not going along with the protective style philosophy we are teaching each other here. im obsessed with the thought of something bad happening to it, like getting caught in the door or someones hand while they smoke a cigarette or something. pretty much like a dress you never wear because its too fancy for anything. good thing is that haircare wise this absolutely pays off. maybe one day i will find a nice middle ground and some inner peace about it. :)))

Hahahaha I know that, I'm obsessed too, I am just joking with the article couse long hair even in a bun are still long hair and yet I personally havent experienced any unique powers! The only thing that may give you some "abilities" is the confidence it may give you, personally if I cutted my hair short I wouldnt probably be able to talk in front of 200 people or something, I would feel less important....

[MINAKO]

i does make a difference that way for sure.
the close we get to becoming the süitting image or our former inspiration confidence we gain.
i totally lack the princess hairstyle skills and sometimes i have days when i wish i could cut back to a bob, but getting over it requires some strength too.
no other part of my body gets as much atrention from me as my hair, even when it was short i loved it alot.

[wilderwein]

i does make a difference that way for sure.
the close we get to becoming the süitting image or our former inspiration confidence we gain.
i totally lack the princess hairstyle skills and sometimes i have days when i wish i could cut back to a bob, but getting over it requires some strength too.
no other part of my body gets as much atrention from me as my hair, even when it was short i loved it alot.

I feel the same about my hair, I wonder if there is a phychological/biological explination about this kind of bond of people with their hair.