Professor Changiz Geula at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern's Feinberg School in Illinois said that their research has shown that, we accumulate these tangles as we grow older. These protein tangles are associated with memory loss. People with Alzheimer's disease have more of these tangles compared to those without.

What makes this more interesting is the result of their study on the brains of "super aged" people who have died---they have much fewer or zero tangles! "Super aged" people are the elderly whose memories stay razor-sharp and performed way better than regular dudes their age.

It would be cool then if these geeks in white could find a way to "untangle" these tangles in the brain, right?

Ajan Raghunathan of psychology4all.com cites de Bono with the following list of most important misconceptions regarding thinking:

Misconception No.1:  The present education system develops and enhances thinking and so the more educated you are the better thinker you are.

Fact:

Actually, education suppresses free thinking. Creative thinking has almost no place in current education. Moreover, education even destroys creative thinking abilities by its over emphasis on logical thinking and critical thinking which are relatively lower types of human thinking.

Since argument, reasoning, and problem solving are given over importance, students develop a need to become correct and successful all the time. Again, because our present education system is so information oriented that it gives ready-made answers, this kills the student's natural tendency to explore, experiment and to experience. Thus, the highly educated person ends up having lesser ability to think creatively although he/she may have a lot of information at his/her disposal, and also have admirable abilities in logical and critical thinking.

Misconception No.2: Less Educated or Uneducated can never become good thinkers.

Fact:

Actually, those with less education, display higher abilities in creative thinking. This is because they do not have an inflated ego that demands correct answers or success in all endeavors. Again, they do not have ready-made-answers (i.e., book-answers) and so are forced to explore, experiment and experience things themselves. This empowers them to go through less explored answers and even find original answers.

Misconception No.3: IQ and thinking ability are the same. The more IQ one has, the better thinking ability one has. On the contrary, those who have lower IQ have only low thinking abilities.

Fact:

It is true that those who have greater thinking ability, as a rule, have high IQ. But this does not mean that all those who have high IQ are good thinkers. Usually high IQ people use their thinking skills for logical thinking, arguments, critical thinking. They very rarely use creative thinking. Thus high IQ is actually a blockage to creative thinking. It has also been found that those who have average IQ can become better thinkers.

Misconception No.4: Thinking ability, decision making ability and problem solving ability are inherent and there is very little we can do to develop these.

Fact:

This is the most terrible misconception regarding thinking. In fact, Dr.Edward de Bono (and also many others) have proven that thinking is a skill that can be enhanced by training and practice. Thus decision making, problem solving and creative thinking can be developed and improved.

He says it feels like he's wearing goalie equipment these days; the early setting sun is stimulating his appetite as if he were preparing to hibernate for the winter. Fact is, today, millions of people living in the northern hemisphere are also affected by this type of seasonal depression some might liken to the "winter blues." While a true SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a seriously disabling illness, D. Murstein, M.D of the University of Chicago says this milder version of SAD could still be impairing and uncomfortable.

With shorter daylight hours and the cold weather, folks who try to keep a regular exercise regimen tend to feel down and less motivated to exercise. The fact that they can hide their few extra kilos in thick winter clothing doesn't help either. What makes it worse is, when you don't exercise, you miss out on your happy hormones (endorphins) that you get by exercising. Whoa! You get grumpier!

Here are a few simple tips to fight "winter blues"

Well, Mike...get on it! Have some fun!

 

Scientists today are ganging up against the practice of multitasking. Neuroscientist Earl Miller at MIT says "People can't multitask very well, and when people say they can, they're deluding themselves. The brain is very good at deluding itself." When you think that you are really paying attention to all the things around you at the same time, you are not. What you do is you switch between tasks very rapidly and no matter how good you think you are with multitasking, you are more prone to suffer misses than when you concentrate on a single task from start to finish.

Npr.com's October 30 issue reports on the different levels of a person's multitasking skills based on his age. It says a child is more focused and could literally ignore everything that goes on around him when doing a task--meaning, he could only do one task at a time. University of Michigan psychology professor Cindy Lustig tells us that as the child grows, his multitasking skills develop and reaches its peak between ages 20 and 30. "Beyond that, the brain experiences ‘internal chatter' and has to work a lot harder to suppress distractions and maintain focus."

This explains why a student can do a research on the internet while watching tv, and talk to a friend on the phone at the same time. You will be amazed to discover that she's also constantly switching on iTunes, Twitter, and is on IM with another classmate the whole time.

However, as you grow older, "internal chatter," as Lustig points out, cause you to diminish your ability to focus. Jon Hamilton, in a post about multitasking, wrote, "Brain Overload, Something's Gotta Give." David Meyer at the University of Michigan says, "multitasking causes a kind of brownout in the brain, a dimming of lights there's just isn't enough power." When you get back to a task after another, the "connecting" thought process you did for that task must be re-created and connections re-established again. This is where your lapses could happen.

Having episodes of reading on "auto-pilot"? Do you end up re-reading a single paragraph over and over again without getting what it says? Volition Thought House says this frustration is caused by the unfocused and low performance brain state. You are not "in the zone." By listening to iMusic IvyFocus, "you'll experience amazingly high levels of focus, stamina and mental acuity that will deliver" positive results in minutes.

And the boss in the office? He's back on the intercom: "Hey, John! My Blackberry won't charge. Can you come in here and find out what's wrong? Where's my coffee? .....John?.....John?....Hello?"

Poor John.

A terrifying fall that seems to go on forever, or being chased by a horrible creature which could be anything fearful like a ghost, a monster, (or a zombie IRS agent!) while you try so hard to flee but you're fixed on the spot, are some of the most common, but disturbing nightmares, people could have.

A nightmare could be anything from terror -- you think your head will explode with fear -- to something so terribly upsetting that you wake up gripped with misery.

If you think chronic nightmares fall into the realm of the unexplained, you are in for a pleasant surprise: having chronic nightmares is a medical problem and it can be treated. Dr. Ross Levin, a psychologist and sleep researcher at Yeshiva University in New York says when you slip into REM sleep (made evident to observers by the rapid flitting of your eyes behind closed lids), "the whole brain changes. Neurochemically, it's like the Fourth of July. The limbic system becomes incredibly active, much more so than when you're awake, which is why you're emotionally on edge in dreams." The limbic system, as Dr. C. George Boeree says in a separate paper here, "appears to be primarily responsible for our emotional life, and has a lot to do with the formation of memories."

Scientists believe that nightmares are a result of the brain's struggle to process stress or severe trauma. Unfortunately for some people get stuck in a recurring pattern of troubling nightmares. Treatment of recurring nightmare is through "image rehearsal therapy." You will be delighted to learn that this type of treatment is usually brief-lasting only for two to three sessions.

REWRITING THE SCRIPT

You don't like your nightmare? (who does!!??) The treatment involves helping you with imagery rehearsal therapy, where the focus is on rewriting the script of your nightmare during the day. If your nightmare finds you falling from the air, you could train yourself to spread your arms and transform that fall into an enjoyable flying maneuver; if your recurring nightmare is about a monster or a ghost chasing you and you cannot run, you can choose to imagine turning around to face your fear and it will disappear in disappointment.

Dr. Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Hospital in New York , says,"We mention the nightmare once and forget about it. I tell patients to change it anyway they wish. You can change a tiny bit of it, or change the whole thing." The basic element to the treatment is to practice the new version of the dream by recreating a more desirable one several times during the day.

The treatment has proven to be successful and some have developed the ability to change the nightmare while they are in it. Dr. Harris says those who are often awaken by recurring nightmares, or those who are developing insomnia, or fear of sleeping, must seek professional help before things get worse.

Recurring nightmares could lead to the disruption of your REM to non-REM sleep cycle, loss of sleep or insomnia which could in turn greatly impact your cognitive functions. iMusic Deep Sleep Suite is one scientifically tested and proven tool that could greatly help you get that restful sleep, and wake up ready for the world!

Freddy Krueger?---Just say, "I'm not afraid of you!" (Repeat 24x a day and call me in the morning).

"Run to the Beat" is a festive 13 miles (it's a half-marathon) with different musical stations less than a mile apart (there are 16 music spots along the way!) Even t certified music lovers and party-goers that are non-sport buffs, also flock to the area. After all, the O2 is an entertainment district.

Music, being a great motivational tool at the gym or when doing repetitive exercises, is the main ingredient of "Run to the Beat." Organizers who cooked up this event must have been inspired by the new breakthrough scientists are making about the amazing power music has over our mental and physiological performance.

Dr. Costas Karageorghis, picks the music being played in each station, based on the contours and physiological demands of the ground being covered, to help the runners when they need to be pushed further by the challenge.

In a research report released by Brunel University, it said, "Listening to the right songs before and during exercise will not simply reduce feelings of tiredness, it will increase performance levels by up to 20 per cent." To illustrate this point, James Cracknell, English rowing champion and double Olympic gold medallist, said he has Red Hot Chilli Pepper's "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" album as an integral part of his pre-race preparation. This also brings to mind our own Michael Phelps and his ubiquitous pre-race iPod.

Dr. Karageorghis says,

1. Music can narrow attention and divert your mind from sensations of fatigue

2. Music can be used as a form of stimulant prior to training (loud, upbeat music) or as a sedative to calm feelings of anxiety or nervousness (soft, slow music)

3. Synchronising work rates to music increases performance levels. Music tempo regulates movement and thus prolongs performance

4. Music can enhance the acquisition of motor skills and create a better environment in which to learn new skills.

While Dr. Karegeorghis claims that he has tried this on his own athletes and have gained positive results,

he laments, "there's no definitive playlist for today's gym goers or tomorrow's sporting heroes." 

You'll be surprised to find out that 20% increase in performance isn't the only positive thing you'll get, especially when using iMusic!

 

While we feel our heart somersault and go thumpity-thump-thump when we see the love of our life, it is actually our brain that is in action here. Scientific American cite findings, from scientists at the University College London, that the area right behind our cerebral cortex - our "thinking" part of the brain-is what accounts for feelings of love.

Stop the press! Revision is needed.  We ought to rewrite all those romantic lines to "I love you with all of my brain!"

Curiously enough, putamen and insula (the regions where brain scans showed activity when experiment volunteers were shown pictures of a loved one) are also the regions identified with aggression and disgust. No wonder love and hate seem to be treading on a thin line!

More curious yet, is a discovery by Professor Semir Zeki, team leader; that a large part of the cerebral cortex ("thinking" part of the brain-remember?) deactivates (meaning, the person becomes less judgmental) when shown a picture of a loved one.

Now you have it ! If your best friend falls in love with a guy less comely than Quasimodo, don't ask her, "What were you thinking?" because she isn't.

 

 

It is not so much the book, but the author whom I find interesting. The first time I saw Joel Osteen was on CBS' 60 minutes with the reporter describing him as someone who preaches "prosperity gospel." Believed to be the most popular preacher in the country today with 42,000 people attending his church plus another seven million viewers watching him on TV every week service, Osteen's service (which is about empowerment and inspiration) is described to be "part rock concert, part spectacular."

The book, as the title suggests, is about the 7 keys to improving your life:

1. Keep pressing forward.
2. Be positive toward yourself.
3. Develop better relationships.
4. Form better habits.
5. Embrace the place where you are.
6. Develop your inner life.
7. Stay passionate about life.

Here's what one reviewer has to say, "At the heart of Osteen's message is that achieving a successful, prosperous life of fulfillment can only occur when we stop worrying about the past or future to make the most of each present moment by using our God-given strengths and talents to achieve our goals. The key to doing so is the seven steps Osteen outlines: Enlarge Your Vision, Develop a Healthy Self-Image, Discover the Power of Your Thoughts and Words, Let go of the Past, Find Strength Through Adversity, Live to Give, and Choose to Be Happy."

I may try the audio download ... could be good material for my iPod while I do my afternoon jog. If you don't dig any reference to Christian scriptures or any of that religious stuff, this might not be your cup of tea.

If that is the case, I would recommend one read that I keep on going back to: Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

During the book-reading session, all members of both groups registered brain activity in the regions of the brain associated with language, reading, memory, and visual abilities in their functional MRI data.

Get this: when members of both groups were asked to do internet searches, both registered the same brain activity pattern as when they were doing book-reading tasks. However, the web-savvy participants also registered in the fMRI brain activities associated with decision-making and complex reasoning.

The scientists from UCLA found out that the web-savvy participants showed a remarkably greater brain activity (21,782 voxels) against those with little internet experience (8,646 voxels). A voxel is the unit of brain activity measured by the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

As shown in the above photo, red shows brain activity while reading a book (left); the image on the right displays activity while engaging in an Internet search. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of California - Los Angeles)

While we have already reported on the benefits of brain-exercising crossword puzzles, memory consolidating deep sleep, brain-boosting iMusic, and computer games, this discovery (which will be published on the next issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry) presents a significant change in the way we view net-surfing.

Quite the contrary. Daeyang E&C (Korea), through its distribution arm CTT, introduced MC Square here in the good ol' U.S. of A just last year.

CTT's big boss John B. Nano said his company aims to "be at the forefront of this paradigm shift of treating individuals with biophysical as well as biochemical methods." Setting an eye towards the healthcare market, Nano said, "In addition to the MC Square for stress reduction, CTT has the pain management therapy in its portfolio of innovative technologies."

The MC Square, much looking like a snazzy mp3 player, was created and designed in Korea to provide stress relief, improved concentration and relaxation. This gadget with preset settings for relaxation, concentration, deep sleep and other modes "connects to earphones and goggles to use ‘rhytmic light and sound to induce particular brain waves, resulting in improved concentration, reduced stress and fatigue and relief from test-taking anxiety'."

Gearlog.com reports it to be priced at $437.89 (including the earbuds and googles). A bit pricey for an mp3 player but iMusic welcomes Daeyang E&C. Works best for us. Now you have something to compare with the superiority of iMusic's patented brainwave entrainment technology.