True or false? “By the time you reach 18 or 20 your brain is fully grown and fixed for life. It’s all downhill after that.”
For 400 years this was what “experts” believed. But it’s a view that
wasn’t just wrong, it was “spectacularly wrong,” according to Dr. Norman
Doidge, psychiatrist and author of
The Brain That Changes Itself.
Here’s the real scoop – and it can change your life if you take advantage of the new discoveries. . .
Because doctors believed the brain can’t repair itself or grow new
parts, treatment for many brain conditions was considered unjustified or
not even possible.
Since early in the new millennium this perspective has completely changed. The new science of
neuroplasticity
demonstrates that the brain can, with the right stimuli, adapt, repair
itself and restore lost function. (In this context, “plastic” means
“capable of being formed or molded.”)
Energy + Thought = Brain Healing
The fact that the stuff between your ears can grow and change means
that many learning and health deficits associated with the brain are no
longer considered irreversible. They can be improved and sometimes
cured.
The ideal interventions to heal the brain don’t involve surgery or
drugs. They are natural and non-invasive, mainly different forms of
energy such as sound, vibration, light, electricity and motion.
You can use these avenues into your brain to awaken its healing
capabilities by modifying patterns of electrical signals. These in turn
promote structural changes.
By taking advantage of these therapies. . .
- Autism has been successfully treated with certain sounds.
- Attention deficit disorder has been cured through vibrations to the back of the head.
- Stroke has been healed and symptoms of multiple sclerosis reversed by gentle electrical stimulation on the tongue.
- Stroke has been healed and symptoms of multiple sclerosis reversed by gentle electrical stimulation on the tongue.
- Cognitive problems have been resolved with a light touch of the hand
over the body (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease), aka heartburn
Eastern Medicine Has Long Known What The West is Now Discovering
Brain circuits that have become idle can be stimulated and stirred
back into life with these “energy medicine” techniques. When combined
with mental awareness and training, the results are even better.
This combination of energy and thought is central to Eastern
traditions of healing. It encompasses activities such as yoga, tai chi,
meditation and visualization.
Long dismissed by Western medicine, scientists engaged in
neuroplasticity research now appreciate the wisdom of these traditions
and the belief that the mind can alter the brain.
Apart from taking up these activities, there are some very simple
things you can do to preserve brain functioning and increase the number
of neurons and the connections among them.
As we’ve often noted in these pages, one of the best things you can do is take up a new pursuit.
Dr. Doidge explains, “Anything that involves unvaried repetition –
our careers, cultural activities, skills repeated, and neuroses – can
lead to rigidity.”
The flexibility of thinking and acting in new ways can grow the brain.
The Brain Power That Comes From Walking
Walking is another simple way to improve the health of your brain.
Walking was the key component of a 30-year study that included 2,235
men aged 45 – 59. (The other components were eating at least three
servings of fruit and vegetables a day, maintaining a normal weight,
keeping alcohol intake low and not smoking).
Those who walked two miles a day (or cycled ten miles a day) reaped
the benefit of a 60% reduced risk of both cognitive impairment and
dementia.
Walking has also been shown to enlarge the hippocampus, the brain
structure that turns short term memories into long term memories. And
cognitive functioning was shown to improve with 2½ hours of aerobic
exercise a week.
The power of walking is most strikingly demonstrated by John Pepper from South Africa.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 20 years ago, he has
reversed all major symptoms by walking 15 miles a week. That, combined
with a type of mental concentration technique, allows him to live a full
life with none of the classic symptoms of the disease.
The brain is not a machine. It does not inevitably wear out with age.
You can increase the neuroplasticity of your brain and be mentally
sharp throughout life. All it takes is a little effort.
Full Article & Source:
Secrets To Helping Your Brain Repair Itself
