The Brain that Changes Itself

[Immortal4life]

For many, many, years, scientists claimed that the human brain, was like a machine. That it developed from birth to adulthood, and was fixed in it's function and abilities from there.

 

However, in much more recent years this has been found to be wrong. A quality of the human brain that science has called "Neuroplasticity" has turned all the old ideas upside down.

 

Not only has it been discovered that the brain is changeable and adaptable throughout one's entire lifetime, it has also been discovered that pathways within the brain, and how the brain works, can be changed through how you use the brain, how you train it, and even by what your thoughts are.

 

Here is a special with Dan Rathers about the implications of Neuroplasticity, and many ways in which it can be taken advantage of, including Meditation.

 

Dan Rathers reports, The Science of the Mind-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXtz72hjDI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFhZYB8YDrg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsWsaE9aRhQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-HGDktuIM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyt2J39fIes

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

 

CBC documentary, The Brain That Changes Itself-

 

Bonus Article, How Meditation affects the Grey Matter of the Brain-

How Meditation Affects the Gray Matter of the Brain

Edited January 11, 2011 by Immortal4life

[NeiChuan]

Ya, I've always thought this is one of the most interesting qualities of the brain.

 

It adapts to what you need and work to be good at, and physically changes.

[9th]

Where do we store habits? Habits and autopilot responses are stored on the cerebellum, at the back of the brain. The control centre to fire off these habits is in the reptile brain at the top of the brain stem. It is called the reptile brain because that is exactly what it looks like, a reptiles brian. Our evolution has been through 5 distinct steps as each part of the brain has evolved and advanced these are the Brain stem, Reptile brain hypothalamus, cerebellum and the cortex. There are many other structures of the brain but these are the main ones.

 

So what so special about a crocodile? Obviously the crocodile is a reptile, and if you throw a chicken into the crocodiles vicinity they lurch and grab the food. However, if you throw in a brick they go for that just as enthusiastically. In fact you can throw bricks all day long and a crocodile will never learn to recognise the difference between a brick and a chicken.

 

So in the middle of our heads is a control system with no learning behaviour. This is the reason why alcoholics or drug addicts cant stop their destructive habit even though they know its killing them.

 

So how do we bypass this system that works against us?

 

First the bad news, the scientists don't really know, further research is needed in this area. However, like learning to drive its not a 5 minute solution. It takes time.

 

- Robert Fahey

[Immortal4life]

First the bad news, the scientists don't really know, further research is needed in this area.

 

lol

[phore]

lol

lol

scientists may not really know

 

Ive been using hypnotherapy, meditation, and nlp for years now. I dont think that any of this stuff would work very well without neuroplasticity.

 

Im adopting this theory for its practical application

[pennyofheaven]

lol

scientists may not really know

 

Ive been using hypnotherapy, meditation, and nlp for years now. I dont think that any of this stuff would work very well without neuroplasticity.

 

Im adopting this theory for its practical application

 

Yes agree nice science is confirming that.

[Immortal4life]

[Otis]

CBC documentary, The Brain That Changes Itself-

Darn it; can't watch these in the U.S., and they're not on Netflix. (Can't even watch them on the CBC's website). Any idea how else to see this?

[Immortal4life]

Ah, that's too bad. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any other version other than the official CBC version.

 

Well, at least you have Dan Rathers!

[Otis]

I like (in part 2 of the Dan Rather show) how the Dalai Lama declares that his brain is nothing special. He's a statesman, after all, not a meditation expert. He admits: "I don't have much time for meditation."

[Immortal4life]

Haha yeah, a lot of people probably assumed he did a ton of meditation.

[Birch]

Yes agree nice science is confirming that.

 

"nice" ?

 

Apologies for the cynicism...

 

Anyway, I have the book if anyone wants a freebie.

 

Caveat: you have to be a wood person lacking in water per a decent Bazi reading

 

It's for a scientific experiment I'm doing

[Immortal4life]

Check this out!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27162401/ns/technology_and_science-science/

[Birch]

Check this out!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27162401/ns/technology_and_science-science/

 

Like I was saying..."nice"?

 

Of course there have to be some "therapeutic" applications for it to be in any way acceptable

[Immortal4life]

Or military.....or entertainment....

[Birch]

Or military.....or entertainment....

 

no free lunch

[Immortal4life]

I must have misunderstood quite what you meant by "nice" and "acceptable"

[Birch]

I must have misunderstood quite what you meant by "nice" and "acceptable"

 

That's ok!

[pennyofheaven]

"nice" ?

 

Apologies for the cynicism...

 

Anyway, I have the book if anyone wants a freebie.

 

Caveat: you have to be a wood person lacking in water per a decent Bazi reading

 

It's for a scientific experiment I'm doing

 

Yes. Great, cool, excellent in a nice kind of way. Did you think I meant something else? Or you don't agree?

 

It is clear that neural pathways have been developed in the different forms of therapy amongst other things or they would not be able to do these kinds of therapies Not everyone has the ability to do the different kinds of therapies available today so it is evidence that they have developed or aided in developing these neural pathways naturally but had no proof. Now science is proving and are confirming that new pathways can be learned through brain plasticity. The new pathways arise from the brain perceiving more of 'what is' as sages old and new have done. Just no scientific proof at the time.

Edited January 12, 2011 by pennyofheaven

[Birch]

I meant that I don't agree that it's just "nice".

 

I think it could be both "nice" and not so "nice" in the therapeutic setting- much like other forms of "therapy" have had mitigated results (to put it mildly).

 

So I'd be watching this stuff particularly closely, especially since, unlike a spiritual practice that is taken on by the self (I guess we could also discuss forced religious indoctrination at some point too...) "therapy" may not always be in a person's best interest- although that very much depends on the therapy and therapist(s), granted.

[Immortal4life]

That's an interesting idea and possibility

[pennyofheaven]

I meant that I don't agree that it's just "nice".

 

I think it could be both "nice" and not so "nice" in the therapeutic setting- much like other forms of "therapy" have had mitigated results (to put it mildly).

 

So I'd be watching this stuff particularly closely, especially since, unlike a spiritual practice that is taken on by the self (I guess we could also discuss forced religious indoctrination at some point too...) "therapy" may not always be in a person's best interest- although that very much depends on the therapy and therapist(s), granted.

 

Oh ok.

 

Watching brain plasticity you mean? Or the therapies?

[Birch]

Oh ok.

 

Watching brain plasticity you mean? Or the therapies?

 

Therapies. For example, I read somewhere that some anti-depressant medication is used to increase brain plasticity that can then be exploited in therapy to correct the patient's "issues".

 

I don't know how reliable this idea is. Sounds fishy when compared with other research that suggests that the brain's plasticity is an ongoing thing. I'd say that qi-gong is the best research tool for plasticity (and many other things) that I've come across so far!

[Vajrahridaya]

Therapies. For example, I read somewhere that some anti-depressant medication is used to increase brain plasticity that can then be exploited in therapy to correct the patient's "issues".

 

I don't know how reliable this idea is. Sounds fishy when compared with other research that suggests that the brain's plasticity is an ongoing thing. I'd say that qi-gong is the best research tool for plasticity (and many other things) that I've come across so far!

 

Hi Kate,

 

Now that I got my own ego off my chest.

 

Based on direct experience, I do agree with you... deeply.

 

I would like to come at you with less sharpness. I do see where I am wrong. Thank you for being a teacher of that for me. I need to lighten up in a certain way, even if I am in other ways. There's always more malleability for me to research about myself.

 

So, thanks to you.

[Jetsun]

Perhaps he meant formal meditation practice? Advanced spiritual practitioners are able to achieve a meditative state 24/7. Maybe he doesn't need to sit?

 

The Dalai Lama sits for 3-4 hours every morning in meditation and has 3 month retreats some years, it's quite scary he says this isn't enough, I doubt I will ever be able to meditate for half that length of time, although I suspect he is just being humble when he says he has special mind worth looking at.