BRAINETHICS
Among all the marvelous things on earth, none is more outstanding than the human brain. Even after more than 6000 years of human civilization, we still do not fully comprehend how the mind works and the depth of its capacity.
I stand in awe any time I consider the human brain. Just take time to think about all the marvelous things that has emerged from this organ weighing just 4 pounds, the weight of an apple fruit: the effortless flying machines, the incredible communication gadgets, the life-saving medical machines and equipment, the amazing pieces of engineering on the earth: talk of Dubai magnificent palm island, the numerous sky-scraping towers, awesome bridges, among others.
All these pieces of evidence testify to just one truth; the fact that the HUMAN BRAIN IS INFINITE and CAPABLE of UNIMAGINABLE POSSIBILITIES. Some scientists believe that the human brain is capable of mastering all the courses in all the universities in the world, learning and speaking fluently all the languages of the world, committing all the encyclopedias and dictionaries into memory and still having some space left. Amazing! Right? Yes, it is. And fortunately, everyone came into the world with a brain. This fact is the discovery of the 21st Century and the very reason for these incredible and impossible achievements in the first place.
Fortunately, you have the single honor of programming this all-important tool to achieve whatever you desire. To do that, I have meticulously selected, after a long period of observation and experimentation, the most practical ways of training your brain to achieve the impossible;
1. YOUR BRAIN IS A MUSCLE
That is perhaps the most important piece of information I gathered about the brain. What this means is that the brain like any muscle is dynamic and capable of being stretched and expanded. In other words, you can expand the capacity of your brain the way you would your body. Isn’t that good news? Of course, it is! You can increase its capability anytime you wish with proper training.
Science tells us that we all started with about 100 billion interconnected neurons and these neurons are also capable of duplication when subjected to exercise. If that is true, then think about the potential you have within yourself.
I find the exercises below most effective. I cannot say enough how I have benefited from them:
a. Day-dreaming: Surprised? Do not be. As silly as it appears, daydreaming is a special treat, one that offers a valuable advantage for your brain. Remember your brain is a muscle and a vigorous mental activity such as day-dreaming, which makes mental movies and creates mental images cannot be ignored. I have been day-dreaming ever since I was a kid and I still enjoy it. The results over the years like an improved memory, a sharp thinking faculty, and an improved creativity and imagination, to me, are blessings. Besides, it also exercises your right brain, the part responsible for creativity. So, be a child again and use your imagination.
b. Brain Games: Wonder why the electronic gaming industry is making a huge profit each year? It is not because of just the entertainment they provide, but also the benefits to brain cells, are responsible for their huge profits. Games like Sudoku, Puzzles, and my favorite FIFA, as well as many others, provide the necessary stimulant for brain nerve growth and mental development.
c. Exercise: Can one make any health recommendation without mentioning exercise? I doubt that. Exercise seems to me like a cure for almost every problem. I believe it because the brain runs on oxygen, a byproduct of exercise. The more you work out, the more oxygen you get to the brain, and the sharper the brain get. So, never miss an opportunity to exercise.
Besides, improper circulation due to stress, especially to the brain, results in the release of Cortisol, a hormone unsettle nerve interactions in the brain. However, physical exercise helps concentration, clear thinking, and creativity.
2. DISUSE ATROPHY
Humans were created with the capacity to grow and evolve. The brain is no different in this regard. No one was born with a “big” brain. It is true that we come into the world with the capacity to learn, but how much information and the type of information we acquire is absolutely within our preserve. Think about that.
Our brain expands with use but degenerates when not in use. Remember: it does not stay in its normal state when not in use but degenerates with disuse.
3. REPETITION IS RETENTION
Repetition consolidates memory and facilitates recall. The best way to learn a thing and ensure its easy recall is to keep repeating it. The more, the better. When we repeat often and say aloud what we wish to recall, we improve the process of encoding and retrieval. Reviewing your work immediately after a study is still a good habit.
4. WE LEARN WITH OUR SENSES
Most of all of the information that enters your mind is through your conscious mind, in other words, your senses. That means our brain finds it easy to process and retain any information we receive from our senses, be it visual, auditory, touch, taste or smell. In other words, we remember with ease, what we see, hear, touch, taste, smell and imagine.
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Let us do a little exercise that will help you grasp this point. What comes to your mind when I mention “cup”. Is it the word C-U-P or the object cup? You will agree that it is the object cup and not the word C-U-P. This clearly indicates the sensual nature of your mind and in this case the visual part. In other words, we think in pictures and not in words.
That means you will communicate better if you pack your PowerPoint presentation with pictures than with words. The more the senses involved, the easier the recall process.
5. TRY SLEEP THERAPY
Our subconscious mind does not sleep even when we are sleeping. It continues to consolidate information by properly sorting and storing information for us. It is easy to do this when we are asleep because the conscious mind cannot interfere in the affairs of the subconscious mind when we are asleep. That is why sleep, especially immediately after studying, is so important. Sleep improves retention, concentration, problem-solving and even increases willpower. It also helps the brain to process, recharge and reset. Making sure you get the 8-hours sleep per night is still a wise health practice. A nap during the day can also do wonders for your brain.
6. DEAL WITH STRESS
Stress is the brain’s worst enemy. Like I said earlier, improper circulation due to stress, especially to the brain, results in the release of cortisol, a hormone that can unsettle nerve interactions in the brain. Your brain works well when you are RELAXED. The more informal your learning ENVIRONMENT and METHODS are, the easier the recall process. That is why the DEEPEST LEARNING takes place in the LABORATORY OF LIFE.
For example, Sir Isaac Newton discovered Gravity while sitting under a tree and not when his head was buried in a book or when he was in the laboratory. If you want to improve your brain, then, by all means, go stress-free.
7. YOUR BRAIN IS A LINKING ORGAN
We do not lose any memory. Everything we perceive in our consciousness, be it an image, sound, thought, etc. is stored in our mind permanently, yet the brain does not get full. It is better than the best supercomputer in the world. Remember: the supercomputer is a product of the human brain. That makes the brain more powerful than the supercomputer.
This infinite capacity to store information makes it easy for the brain to find patterns and relationships between the new information and what you already know. This means that you will benefit a lot if you look out for the “how” and “why” in the information you want to recall. The more detailed your observation, the better the recall process.
Besides, everything is connected and related to some other thing in some way.
8. UNDERSTANDING IS RETENTION
When you understand any piece of information or people it is easy to retain the information and even apply it in a unique way to solve problems. As such, making it a point to find out all the relevant information about a subject by asking the right questions like the “why?”, the “why not?” the “who?” the “where?”, “what?”, the “what-if?” the “how?”. If you make it a point to understand your subject, you do not have to worry about recalling and applying the material when the need arises.
“KNOWLEDGE IS LIKE A GARDEN.
IF NOT CULTIVATED,
IT CANNOT BE HARVESTED”
~NNEANA
#YaaSheWill
(An excerpt from The Motivator; Unpopular way to Excellence. By Boadzie Daniel)
References:
1. GLENCOE HEALTH; YOUR GUIDE TO WELLNESS BY MARY BRONSON MERKI, Ph.D. AND DON MERKI, Ph.D. GLANCE/McGraw-Hill, 1987.
2. AWAKE (2/09): YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY! PUBLISHED BY JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES. p. 29
3. Mastery by Robert Greene. Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
