Nature Knows and Psionic Success
Brain Health and Willful Consciousness
Less than 20 years ago, people thought that running or going regularly to the gym was for fitness freaks. But step outside your front door today and you can barely move for joggers and cyclists, while it’s entirely normal to be a member of a gym. In short, most people understand that their physical wellbeing is largely down to themselves, and that it can be vastly improved if only they choose to do so. But what most don’t realise is that exactly the same is true of their brain fitness, too. Just as our bodies age, so do our brains — with consequences that range from the irritating, such as forgetting why we came into a room, to the terrifying, such as dementia. However, just as with our physical health, there are a range of options available to us to improve our brain health. In fact, the single most important discovery neuroscientists have made since I first became a brain surgeon 15 years ago is that your brain’s health is largely within your own control. The brain has a remarkable ability to heal itself. We already know, for example, that every brain can make a comeback following a devastating illness or injury. Neurosurgeons like myself witness the living proof in patients who’ve experienced strokes, injuries or brain cancer yet who manage to make incredible recoveries. Neuro gym: The pecking order When you’re trying to remember things, use the lesson of the pecking pigeons (see main article) and intentionally practise area-restricted searches. Diligently scour your brain, first for categories and then for items in each category. This easy exercise takes less than five minutes — all you need is a piece of paper and a pencil. Set a timer for two minutes then write down the names of as many […]
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