Come to the calm of a well functioning brain.
Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have been researching the brain to discover how past memories affect our current state of getting information from our senses. The brain perceives pieces of images without getting the full picture, then the body reacts to a blurred image as something that could be entirely different. This can be linked to people that have hallucinations and how the brain gets overwhelmed with what it is currently experiencing.
With this experiment the subjects were given images that were blurred and then they were given increasing clearer images of the dog, for example. Their brains were being measured by an fMRI that could measure the activity of the brain and the different areas that fired up as the brain started to recognize the image. This would be a fun way to watch the brain and how it processes information. LENS neurofeedback helps the brain to process information in a better way. This helps people to become more organized and able to process information better.
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The brain grows, changes and grows until we are about 25. We then can use these 4 things to help us understand how to keep the brain changing and creating new ways of growth.
The first idea is about neuroplasticity. This is the brains ability to constantly change itself by creating new neural pathways. It can create new pathways and then lose what is no longer needed. This can be related to adult learning and emotional intelligence. It helps us to overcome biases, be more open minded and intuitive. This is created by learning a new language or a new instrument. It requires stretching ourselves. Brain agility is indicated by getting out of your comfort zone. This helps us to become more flexible and resilient. This means learning how to look at life from a different perspective. Find someone that does not fit in with your world and stretch it by asking questions and learning to understand. Get into mindset mastery. Those with a fixed mindset avoids new challenges out of fear of failure. Mindset growth is finding new everyday challenges as opportunities. Most successful people are aware of the resistance to change and expose themselves to new activities. Simplicity is part of pressing the pause button on life. This gives the brain time to relax and can have a big impact on life. This means slowing down to enjoy the present moment and get back into breathing. This in turn lowers the cortisol levels (stress hormone) and increases the folds in the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that is in charge of the higher functions of thought processes. LENS neurofeedback is good for the brain. It helps it to heal. Every time we turn around, there is something about diet and exercise and how this can impact a healthier life. Agreed... So an ingredient that we can add to this mix is keeping good company. Researchers are finding that health behaviors can be contagious with our friends, in person and on line. These friends can influence obesity, anxiety and overall happiness. Exercise is also connected to our social network.
A person that has researched relationships is named Dan Buettner. He is a fellow of National Geographic and a writer. He went to Okinawa, Japan to research how the women in this culture live to be 90 years old on average. This age is the highest in the world. He found that when babies are born they become part of a group of 5 other people called a moai. These people support each other through all of phases of their lives. They support each other with births and deaths, financially, emotionally and socially. (My hand is up) Dan Buettner and his team are starting to form these groups here in America. First they find similar interests, passions and values. And off they go. LENS neurofeedback supports life in a way that can only lead to improvement. Give it a try. Alzheimer's disease affects 5 million Americans. Dr. Diamond from UT Southwestern has discovered the beginnings of the tau proteins and how they form tangles in the brain. They found that tau proteins expose themselves by turning an inside part out. This in turn starts the process of forming larger tangles, that in turn create the memory and cognitive decline. These tangles start to kill the neurons around them. This spreads through out the brain like a virus. For more information go to neurosciencenews.com.
LENS neurofeedback helps to keep the progression of a disease from forming too rapidly. It will not cure the disease but will help to lengthen the healthy part of life. Neuroscientist Arvid Carlsson died on June 29, 2018. He devoted his life to understanding how the brain works. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering how dopamine effects movement. Dopamine is a chemical in the body that is made from the amino acid tyrosine. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters in the brain that is part of the information network. Arvid Carlsson experimented with rabbits. He decreased the amount of dopamine in the brains of the rabbits and found that they had the same movement problems found in people with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the brain cells to die over time. People with this disease have problems with movement that includes uncontrollable shaking, slowed movement, and sudden freezing. So the logical thing to do was to give dopamine pills or injections. This did not work because the dopamine does not cross the brain barrier. So they then started using the precursor to dopamine called levodopa. This helps with some of the symptoms, but does not stop the brain from it's cell loss.
LENS neurofeedback can help to slow the progression of auto-immune disease. It will not cure these diseases. The first step should be the acknowledgement that there is a wound that needs healing. You need to understand that there is pain, uncomfortable and at times unbearable. Can you also recognize that there is some positive experiences that can be remembered?
Next, learn to embrace not push away the feelings of loss. We want to push the pain away. We want to distract ourselves with food, drugs, alcohol, the television. We try to control the pain and keep it away. But it just keeps coming up and then... more of the numbing. Stop, stand there, embrace the part of you that is hurt. Make a list and research the emotions that are behind this stuck place. (It is not really stuck, it is our teacher.) Look for emotions that are unexpected, There could be memories, thoughts, emotions and some nice unexpected things. At times all of the losses can seem overwhelming. It will feel like a wave that sweeps you under, hold on for the wave to pass. Writing about it can help. Just let it take you were it is going, if you try to fight it, it just pushes you under. Watch out for unhelpful thoughts. This is usually an old pattern, set up in your past. I should be over this by now. Life is so unfair. I don't what to do this anymore. It is all my fault. If I had only done something different. Find a song you can hum or sing about this loss. Connect with what matters. It can find a place of even mattering more now. This is still meaning to be found, letting the negative thoughts win gets you in a hole to dig yourself out again. Your pain is proof that your still alive. Who do you want to be. Start there. Find out what is close to your heart and find your goals and values. You know what is important, go in that direction. LENS neurofeedback will help you to get on track. You can be the driver on the train. What do I do with this emotion? I am afraid of getting out of control. I do not think that it is good to have this feeling.
So what to do to express this emotion in a healthy way? First of all try to cool down. If you are fuming, take a break. The brain has been hijacked and it is impossible to think clearly. Stop, take a breathe, drink water, go for a walk. Do what helps you to regain your composure. Can there be different parts of this anger? Are you sad or hurt? You are the one feeling this emotion, so take a look. Is it connected to your sorrow, rejection, or pain. Are you blaming the people or situations around you? Most of the time we lash out to the people around us, they are just there. Research how you’re feeling. This is usually related to old stuff. Get curious about what is going on with the other person. They could be acting this way because of their old stuff. Get interested in how that person is reacting to what is going on. Get compassionate about the other person. Develop understanding, with civility and empathy. Get to know how this complex person is working. Communicate your perspective by using statements that start with “I”. Ask the other person to share their view and listen with sincerity. LENS neurofeedback can help the person to be less reactive. Come and try it out. There is a mindfulness technique called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. The people at the University College London Hospitals have been researching this therapy, along with relaxation therapy.
Tinnitus is basically regarded as an awareness of sound that is not caused by an external noise. It can cause emotional stress, insomnia, lack of hearing and concentration problems. At this time there is no treatment. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teaches the person to have a purposeful, present moment attention. It does not stress having the tinnitus go away. It is about allowing and accepting what is happening, verses fighting it and pushing it away. This study found that the tinnitus became less intrusive, to the point of going away. This study compared this therapy with relaxation therapy. Relaxation therapy teaches specific skills to reduce stress arousal levels. MCBT was the leader in effectiveness. LENS neurofeedback helps to produce this state of awareness. It helps to create an acceptable level of awareness. Scientists at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have been looking into how breathing affects the brain neurons. Neurons are the communicators in the brain. We have 100 billion of them. The breath is not just for oxygen, it also affects the brain function and so influences behavior. This also influences emotional judgment and memory recall. The scientists also found a relationship to inhalation and exhalation. There is also a link to whether the person is using the mouth or nose.
In this study the nose won out, when mouth breathing was used there was no affect. If a person in the study was asked to find the difference between a fearful face and a surprised face, they could recognize the face better if there was an inhale. This activity is linked to the amygdala, which is in charge of recognizing fear. When the subjects were asked to remember something, then the inhale won out again. This process is linked to the hippocampus. Come and try LENS neurofeedback. It will help with these problems of fear and memory response. Just remember to inhale when you want better results with understanding the brain. |
AuthorHello, my name is Dana Lee Collins M.A.,L.P.C. I am a psychotherapist that has been trained in the art of neurofeedback. This science helps to heal the brain of trauma. I am dedicated to helping people heal. Archives
January 2021
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