Neuroplasticity and the Brain

This blog is based on the class from 8/25/09. What interested me particularly was Prof. Yellowbird’s discussion on his family, and what they have experienced in terms of dreams and prophesies, and “seeing and sensing” dead people, as well as being healers, in the endogenous people’s tradition. It must have been an extraordinary upbringing which emphasized these gifts and allowed them to flourish. Growing up in an Irish-Catholic household, I was privileged to grow up with a grandfather who was from Ireland, and who regularly “saw and talked to” his dead wife and shared these experiences with me. Dreams were always intense and meaningful to me, as are prophetic messages which have come through my dreams, I believe. I am looking forward to more significant discussions on these topics by Dr. Yellowbird, and more.

He began the lecture by talking about the mind and its 100 billion brain cells, or neurons, and the fact that these neurons communicate with each other and the body, by means of axons and dendrites. The brain “has far more capacity to respond to stimuli than it does to receive those stimuli in the first place” (Memoryzine, 1996-2009, pp. 1-2).

The parts of the brain divide the brain into “four distinct lobes: the frontal, parietal, temporal, and the occipital lobes” (Memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 1), as well as the cerebellum and brain stem. The cerebrum, in which the basal ganglia is located, acts to control movement. In diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, the basal ganglia is affected.

Memory in humans can “be defined as a function of the brain that gives us our ability to store and retrieve information” (Memoryzine, 1996-2009, p 1). The role our memory plays in sensory, as well as in conceptual modes, is a complex phenomenon. The brain’s capacity for storing messages, such as short-term messages, and long-term memories-which the different lobes process and store, are also complex occurrences. Little is known about how this process
actually works, however. The hippocampus is also thought of as having an ability to store memories (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 2).

The fourth part of this article, “What is consciousness?” (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 1), has been discovered, and is said to exist. It is said that consciousness provides the “presence of a direct link between the mind, human awareness, and the physical brain” (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 1). This article also talks about electromagnetic fields, and the information located in the many, many neurons. When one is fired in unison with other neurons, it has an impact on the electromagnetic field-creating a stronger EM field. Consciousness is associated with these neurons (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 2).

As I look upon the brain with amazement and awe, I see these processes of electromagnetic field theories, a schizophrenic friend once said to me, as the lifeblood of the brain’s ability to function and produce memory, consciousness, etc. I see the brain as an incredible, living, breathing organ which allows us to experience in many ways the information that it embraces. As Prof. Yellowbird said in his introduction to the course, neuroplasticity implies that our brains are continually able to change and adapt to its never-ending experiences (2009, lecture). Neuroplasticity, is the sense of the brain’s being molded, or reshaped, throughout our lives (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 2). Neurons, with their attending axons and dendrites, can send messages across synapses (a point of connection between two neurons [memoryzine, 1996-2006, p. 2]. Information, which races across dendrites, through the synapse, and on to other dendrites, up axons, and on to other neurons, is a wondrous achievement of the brain. Up to 15,000 synapses exist in a toddler’s brain, with declining numbers as people age (memoryzine, 1996-2009). Throughout a course of “synaptic pruning” we delete connections that are incompetent and unused, and build onto those neurons which are more activated (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 3). Learning new ideas or having new experiences strengthens the neuroplasticity of the brain, helping one to learn something new and/or remember it. Short-term memory, which is brought about by electrochemical changes in the brain, can lead to long-term memory by “reverberation”-(although still unclear as to how this process works), scientists theorize that when we perceive information that is new and useful to us, new pathways are created in the brain by neurons speaking back and forth to each other, or through the neuroplasticity of our brain (memoryzine, 1996-2009, p. 3). Functional MRI’s (fMRI) can show this happening in our brain. It holds out a promise of hope for people suffering with degenerative brain diseases or trauma to their brains. (memoryzine, 1996-2009). If it works for them, it may work for other people suffering from mental illnesses-much like EMDR works for those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A therapist that I know uses EMDR on patients with PTSD. It is an exciting, new technology, which has proven to be effective for some people. If we could aid people by simply tapping on various spots on their body, or teach them the methods of tapping, we could maybe, in time, eliminate mental disorders-or at least ameliorate the significance they have in individual’s lives. But, this is a long way off, as I see it.

Carol Dweck, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, and wrote the book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” in February of 2006. It is a book which talks of two ways of thinking and being-1) the fixed view of self and the world; and 2) the growth mindset, about stretching and growing yourself in the world (Dweck, 2006). She spoke on NPR’s Tech Nation, and was interviewed by Moira Gunn (2006). Dweck (2006) talked of two boys who “loved failure.” This, she said, was not a life-defining experience for them, but was part of the growth mindset. They looked for opportunities to change. Dweck also said: “When people are rejected and have a fixed mindset, their mindset is about revenge. They do not have a taste for forgiveness and moving on” (Dweck, 2006). She compares praise for intelligence, and praise for efforts or strategy. She said those children who were praised for their intelligence, when confronted with a difficult class, and who had a fixed mindset, didn’t put as much effort into studying. For those taking the same class, but having a growth mindset, they received better grades, and wanted to try something new. Also discussed by Dweck (2006) were the CEO’s of Enron, who had a fixed mindset and couldn’t make mistakes. Their business went down the tubes. They figured that they knew all the answers. Learning a growth mindset is just a belief that can be taught, and you can’t tell the potential that people have, once taught this mindset. This mindset information is important for growing and understanding the workings of the world.

EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, also known as Meridian Tapping Techniques, is about tapping in certain spots on your body. This practice is derived from the fourteen points of acupressure from Chinese medicine (Reed, 2009). Gary Craig developed EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, in the early ‘90’s (Craig, 2009). It was first discovered by Dr. Roger Callahan, an acupuncturist and psychologist, and originated from TFT, or Thought Field Therapy (Reed, 2009). Craig was a student of Dr. Callahan’s, who simplified this process, and made it more accessible to the common man.

What all of these techniques have shown is the power and majesty of the brain, and how to change it. Dan Rathers report on the XIV Dalai Lama and Buddhist monks interacting with scientists at the Waisman Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin. Here Dr. Richie Davidson began to engage the Dalai Lama in conversation at the Dharma Sala’s “Mind and Life Institute” 16 years ago (Davidson, 2008). The scientists, began to study compassion. The Buddhist monks had 10,000 hours of training in meditation. What they found was that fMRI machines measured the gamma activity of Buddhist monks, showing neuroplasticity of the brain. There was a connection between the mind and the brain, with the brain being able to rewire itself. It was thought that the brain stopped developing in early childhood (Rather, 2008), but the exploration of neuroplasticity showed that the brain was capable of transforming itself, even in older people. Using a stroke patient, they showed a man with determination and purposeful behavior moving a limb, which before the onset of neuroplasticity was thought to be impossible. They showed that getting disabled limbs to
move was not impossible, but only had to be trained by using the brain through a process of constraint induced movement. When you exercise the brain, you are growing new connections, which then further stimulates the brain. “There is a direct link between exercise and neurogenesis” (Rathers, 2008). This led into a discussion on science and religion. The Dalai Lama was able to say that “beyond the monastery is secular ethics, for people without belief in religion, they can have common sense beliefs based on science” (Lama, 2008). Scientists were able to see that “meditation on compassion, and a desire for peace…and keeping compassion even towards your enemy,” (Lama, 2008) is a worthwhile way of living.

What these writings showed to me were that the neuroplasticity of the brain allows for us to grow and create our lives in such a way that there is hope for mankind on the largest frontier of man’s life-the brain. What we are heading for is a transformation of mankind based on the brain, and its ongoing and ever-changing complexity.

References

Craig, G. (1990’s), retrieved from: http://www.psychotherapy-center.com/eft_intro.html

Dweck, C. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success. Retrieved from: www.mindsetonline.com/abouttheauthor/index.html

Gunn, M. (2006) on: NPR’s Tech Nation, 3/14/06.

Memoryzine. (1996-2009). Retrieved from: http://www.memoryzine.com/howmemoriesaremadeinbrain.html p. 1.

Memoryzine. (1996-2009). Retrieved from: http://www.memoryzine.com/howthebrainworks.html pp. 1-2.

Memoryzine. (1996-2009). Retrieved from:
http://www.memoryzine.com/neuroplasticity.htm pp. 1-6.

Memoryzine. (1996-2009). Retrieved from:
http://www.memoryzine.com/partsofthebrain.html p. 1.

Memoryzine. (1996-2009). Retrieved from:
http://www.memoryzine.com/whatisconsciousness.html pp. 1-2.

Rathers, D. (2008). Retrieved from: Dan Rathers Reports on Mind Science (part 1 of 6) (On YouTube, 5/5/08).

Reed, S.B. (n.d.) The history of EFT. Retrieved from:
www.eft-therapy.com/eft-basics.htm

Yellowbird, M. (2009). From: lecture