BRAIN Archives - Mindful Happiness

December 16, 2016 By Admin

The Amazing Human Brain – Plasticity

Plasticity – The Amazing Human Brain

We humans are very fortunate in that our brain is one of the most complex entities in our known universe. Natural selection, genetic modifications, and use-related neuroplasticity have blessed us with a brain quite capable of some of the most complicated tasks imaginable. Some of these tasks (medical miracles, landing on the moon, kindness and compassion, love, etc.) are very dramatic and positive; other tasks (possible nuclear destruction, hacking weaknesses of the internet, weapons development, cyber-hate, cell-phone addiction, etc.) we would be better without. In this post I will discuss briefly some of the amazing things about YOUR brain.

The brain’s neurons fire at both conscious and autonomic levels at the speed of lightening. That is very, vert fast! It is estimated that the brain contains over a trillion cells, with 100 billion neurons among them. That is a huge number of cells at work in YOUR brain right now. As far as all possible combinations of cell-firing in the brain, that number is set at a staggering 10 to the 1,000,000th power. All of this wonder stems from 3.5 billion years of brain evolution, and the power of brain plasticity (“neurons that fire together wire together”). Our DNA is so, so close to that of the chimpanzee, but the small difference is what make the great difference. It is said there is no other known entity as complex as the human brain.

According to Dr. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., our intention, attention, and attitude have much to do with how well we use our brain for the better good. This better good improves life for each of us as well as for others on this great earth. Research at the University of California (Berkeley and Davis) suggests that specific neuroplastic training may improve mental health (anxiety, depression) as well as compassion/self-compassion, contentment, joy, gratitude and happiness. In addition, important human functioning areas such self-care, calmness, mindfulness, motivation, social connection, and intimacy may also be improved. These outcomes of practice-based neuroplasticity, in and of themselves, are quite miraculous. We are indeed fortunate.

Research being done by Dr. Bruce McEwen, Ph.D., at Rockefeller University in New York suggest that specific activities and practices help to rewire the brain. Once again, the wonders of neuroplasticity are at work here. It is suggested that specific evidence-based activities like regular mindfulness practices, social support, meaning and purpose in life, regular physical activity, even cognitive-behavioral therapy may all play important roles in plasticity-related, human resiliency. The important things here is that all these practices work against the reactive and chronic debilitation caused by severe and/or chronic stress. We Americans are plagued by high stress in every-day life; our stress comes from economic, social, work, relationship, health, and digital communication demands. The never-ending need to remain connected electronically, and to reach expected levels of achievement have good and bad consequences. It has been noted that regular physical activity and helpful care-taking behaviors (compassionate action) enhances the function of the hippocampus (short-term, long-term, and emotionally important memory).

So, be sure to take good care of your brain. Watch what you eat! Stay away from the “SAD” diet – the Standard American Diet. Get lots of regular exercise, Stay away from mind-altering substances. Be a kind and caring person. These practices will help keep your mind/brain and body healthy.

For more information refer to related posts and training opportunities at www.nicabm.com/brain-science, www.thefoundationsofwellbeing.com/science, and other sources.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

February 22, 2016 By Admin

Your Brain on Meditation

Mindful Happiness – Brain on Meditation

Reports from various MRI and self-report measure studies support the proposition that your brain changes (neuronal plasticity) when you practice meditation on a regular (daily) basis. The same is likely true when you practice yoga on a regular basis. Here are some noted changes in brain functioning that produce differences in psychological and emotional adjustment – all for the better. This list will focus on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the center for (among other things) executive functioning. Other research shows changes in other parts of the brain; these studies are not the focus of this post.

MEDITATE REGULARLY VS DO NOT MEDITATE

More calm in stressful decision making Less so
More peaceful generally Less so
Show more compassionate action Less so
Once in samadhi, PFC highly active Less so – cannot achieve samadhi
Less afflictive emotions (suffering) More so – more afflictive emotions
Signs of brain symmetry (whole brain) Less so
More able to dis-identify with unpleasant emotions Less so
More passively reflective in thinking Less so
Better executive PFC strengthening (plasticity) Less so
Less reactivity in the amygdala (limbic system) More so – impulsive, reactive
Somewhat due to the above – generally happier Less so

So, what is in your way? Yes, we humans are creatures of habit. With these documented benefits, motivation should not be a problem. Short time periods in meditation (12-15 minutes) can be helpful if practiced on a daily basis. Do it!

For more information refer to Perlmutter, D. and Villoldo, A. (2011). Power Up Your Brain: The Neuroscience of Enlightenment. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, pp. 1-10.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

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June 26, 2014 By Admin

Perception and Processing of Emotional Experiences-

From The Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation

We humans have a unique way of perceiving and processing emotional experiences. Years ago I developed a formula to understand the perception and process of emotional experiences: CABS-VAKGO-IS/Rels. The C stands for cognition; we spend a great deal of time thinking about pretty much everything we experience in awareness and even in our dreams. We are a species dominated by our cognition and consciousness. We also have affect, of in lay terms the A implies emotional experience – especially the internal aspects of sensations and feelings. The B stands for behavior, which is often the end-product of cognition coupled with emotion. It tends to be our cognition and behavior that make us suffer or “experience” happiness. It can be our behavior (self-medication with mind altering substances) that may result in serious life problems.

Mindfulness-based “wise-mind” skills may help us to enhance positive, helpful, effective life habits – thus creating highly adaptive and mindful responses to life’s challenges. Human also use sensory systems to navigate the world of emotional experience. VAKGO represents visual, auditory, kinesthetic, gustatory and olfactory. We use our senses (to see, hear, feel, taste and smell) in memories of past experiences, in sensory awareness of present moment experiences, and in mental projections of possible future experiences. Humans also use intuition and spirituality to better understand our emotional experiences. Lastly, the Rels refers to all inner human experience in relationship to significant people, places and things in our lives. We may develop both problems and skills utilizing each of these perceptual processing channels. It is ultimately up to us; we can develop unhelpful habits that lead to suffering and pain, or we can develop helpful habits that lead to greater joy and happiness. All this occurs in our brain via mind training.

The human brain does some fascinating things with our sensory perception. Perception consists of energetic impulses in our sense organs. Then after brainstem processing, the thalamus acts as a relay station. Sensory inputs are relayed to various brain regions for processing and evaluation. For example, emotional events are transmitted to the amygdala, and verbal/word events are transmitted to the temporal areas. Color and visual inputs move to the occipital area, and touch and movement inputs are relayed to the parietal area (as well as to the somatosensory and somatomotor strips). The all-important hippocampus records and stores memories; it also initiates memory categorization (over 20 types of memory categories). The prefrontal area, the limbic area (amygdala and hippocampus), the reward centers, and various sensory-related brain regions interact to solidify precise meaning-making of the events (short-term memory).

Eventually the brain retains long-term memories of emotional events. In the future when a sensory system or memory fragment is stimulated, the human brain is capable of re-activating the entire memory – the neural networks in the sequence of event and its associated emotional realities. Through brain plasticity our amazing brain promotes intelligence and adaptability in the future. The more we know about HOW to USE our minds to influence our brain’s processing and evaluating, the greater mindfulness power we have to reduce personal suffering and enhance personal happiness.