Neuroplasticity Notes:
Your brain has 100 billion neurons that make 100 trillion connections. These connections communicate your personality, knowledge, character, emotions, memories, beliefs and dreams. The doctrine of the unchanging brain was proven wrong in 1993 by researcher Fred Gage of the Salk Institute. Neuroscience continues to expand on the limitless potential of the human brain to transform through reprogramming. The left prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain wired for positive beliefs and endless possibilities. The right prefrontal cortex tends to process negative emotions, as well as depressive and anxious thoughts.
We have learned that the human brain can be totally re-wired simply by re-training thought processes. The part of the brain that gets exercised the most becomes the most dominant. The type of thoughts we think, dream and imagine the most will activate and strengthen specific corresponding parts of the brain. By changing our thoughts, and beliefs we ultimately change our brain, our body and our life’s reality. Research continues to provide us with many examples of this:
By simply imagining that one is playing the piano they can drastically alter their brain’s motor cortex in exactly the same way as a concert pianist. By imagining perfect contentment and health one can stimulate their immune chemistry in such a way as to stimulate immune cells and drastically improve mood and health. By willfully re-programming obsessive compulsions as lies rather than truths patients are able to drastically alter their OCD.
The latest cutting edge neuroscientific research continues to discover that with nothing more than mental training and intense mental focus the brain can be rewired in such a way that one can drastically alter their thoughts, behaviors, beliefs, even their chemistry and ultimately their reality. The conscious mind (positive intentions) can process 2,000 bits of information per second. The unconscious mind (negative memories and the programming of expectancy) can process 400 billion!
Examples of intense mental focus are common occurrences in day to day life. Concert musicians, professional athletes, combat heroes, experienced meditators and even grandmothers who lift cars off of their grandchildren are all examples of those who exercise intense mental focus. The one common denominator of all those who experience such intense mental focus is they are all in a kind of ‘zone.’ This life changing ‘zone’ is merely a state that can be trained, rehearsed and programmed into any healthy functioning human brain.
Neuroplasticity Exercises:
1. Erase and Replace: Pay very close, conscious attention to all negative dialogue patterns within and around you. Mentally erase all negative dialogue and replace it with positive substitutions.
2. Shock Exercise: For 10 minutes each day repeat the following phrase: “I am the master of the universe!” Remember, positive is passively good, positive and shocking is far more neurologically activating as it gains greater re-formatting access deep into nerve pathways. The brain is not unlike the body. Sit ups are good, but changing your sit ups after a few weeks shocks the body into having to pay closer attention.
3. Associative Jolt: For 10 minutes a day, visualize a realistic positive vision (like being at peace on a beach) with an unrealistically good vision (like getting into a $450,000 Ferrari as you peacefully leave the beach. Once again, it is essential to shock your nervous system if you want to get its attention for re-formatting.
4. Dual Minding: Write down four emotions and add, subtract, multiply and divide their letter combinations ex: anger (5 letters) plus sadness (7 letters) = 12. Happiness (9 letters) multiplied by anxiety (7 letters) = 63. Also, engage the dual brain simultaneously. Ex: Do 10 simple math problems while listening to, or humming music. Depression and anxiety are expressions of right prefrontal pathway overload. As your unconscious mind thinks about emotion and math simultaneously, new left prefrontal nerve pathways will open up.
Neurobic Brain Training Exercises:
Confusion Exercises:
1. Write a color name such as red on paper in green ink. Continue to look at it until you are no longer distracted by the difference.
2. Look down at the ground and repeat the word ‘up’ until you are no longer distracted by the difference.
3. Lift your right hand in high in the air and repeat the word ‘left’ until you are no longer distracted by the difference.
4. Draw an upside down smiley face and repeat the word ‘happy’ until you are no longer distracted by the difference.
5. Place your hand over your heart and repeat the word ‘mind’ until you are no longer distracted by the difference.
Keys: Shock and confuse the brain with new challenges, new tasks, and periods of no rules. Engage the dual mind simultaneously.
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