On The Mind

Yes, I’m feeling lazy today, but that’s not why I’m showing you these articles. They’re really worth your time. Promise.

How The City Hurts Your Brain

(Boston Globe)

Every once in a while, I run across an article so fascinating and well written it’s not worth putting my bizarre personal spin on it. This is one of those articles. The subject? The impact of urban vs nature environments on the brain.

So go read the article, then go for a walk in the nearest park.

Blood Sugar Control Linked To Memory Decline

(NY Times)

Whenever I make a list of things to help my brain function better, reducing sugar is always on that list. For me, it’s especially crucial, because I tend to have some pretty wild hypoglycemic reactions that immediately affect my cognitive ability.

But increasingly, it seems like good advice for almost everyone - sugar causes blood glucose spikes, glucose spikes reduce blood flow to parts of the brain crucial to memory and learning.

As we age, our ability to regulate glucose levels begins to falter, meaning that even those with seemingly healthy blood sugar levels can be affected.

But it’s not all about what we eat - physical exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels, too, and the Times article suggests this may be partially responsible for the well-publicized cognitive benefits of exercising.

So again… go for that walk in the park!

Self-Experimenter Freed Himself from Insomnia,
Acne and Love Handles

(Scientific American)

I figure that the majority of “Tweakers” are self-experimenters of some sort or another, constantly running little tests on ourselves. The more scientific our approach to those little experiments, the more likely they are to give us accurate results. And what might have interested me the most about this article? The successful changes the subject made in his life were not things his doctor would have likely ever thought to suggest.

BTW, the “subject” is Seth Roberts: He turned some of his results into the best-selling Shangri-La Diet. Who knows. Maybe if we document our walks in the park, there’s a best seller in our futures too!

So, I was talking (ok, emailing) with a friend of mine the other day (Hi  Robert!) about a project he’s been building, Engage.  The core concept  (assuming I have it right) is about the importance of building (and engaging) personal values, and how those values relate to  success on both a business and personal level. 

I’ve been following his progress for a while now, but given the current world economic "situation" the timing of his project struck me as right on the mark, timing wise.  

Here’s My Thinking…

For the past decade or so, success in Western cultures  (at least in the US)  has been defined almost exclusively by profit margins, productivity, and cost/benefit analysis.  Those  same trends have been evident online, with the number of blogs stressing productivity, efficiency, quick tips lists, and a race for sheer numbers of subscribers/followers.   It’s been all about shallow and broad, rather than narrow and deep. 

But with the money drying up, consumers are fewer and further between, and those who are still spending are pickier with where they spend their money -   that means each customer starts having more value to the company. 

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As most of you know by now, I’m pretty excited about the possibilities of brainwave entrainment. Oh, I know it sounds a bit flaky, and yes, sure, my first exposure to it was in new age music during the 90s.

And although the core theory behind entrainment (exposure to specifically applied frequencies of sound and light can temporarily shift the state of most people’s brainwaves - and thereby temporarily affect their state of awareness - ie, awake, daydreamy, or sleepy) is pretty well accepted, a lot of the claims out there are not so… um.. accepted.

But like hypnosis, meditation, brain-games and other mind-training techniques, the loose definitions and early stages of applied research leaves it open to a lot of marketing hoopla and woo.

Here are a few of my favorites:

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You may have noticed these pretty little colored buttons hanging around the site here and there, and wondered what they weres all about. Or maybe you’ve seen mentions of Holosync and Brainwave Entrainment in posts and comments.

Well, I’m finally getting around to explaining.

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Over the past two weeks, I’ve been unexpectedly spell bound by this years  presidential campaign.  As I’ve watched the candidates and prominent party members speak, posture and pander, one thing has stood out very strongly..  That Republicans and Democrats appear to *think* very differently.   The way they market themselves, the way they reach conclusions, the way they stir up energy and attract (or repel) voters just seems… well… yeah… different. 

A year ago, one of the top stories in the Mind/Brain niche was a simple but fascinating study of conservative vs liberal brain activity. 

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