Over 100 Trillion Connections ? Neurons form networks along which the vortices travel. From each neuron’s dendrites to the sometimes very distant tip of its axon, these vortices propagate through the neural membrane in the form of electricity. But because neurons communicate with one another without touching, they use special molecules called neurotransmitters to pass…
Glial cells and Neurons The human nervous system is composed of 2 types of cells: glial cells and neurons. The neurons make us think and act. Various studies suggest that the brain contains ≈100 billion glial cells and neurons, which form ≈150 trillion connections. Glial cells provide the neurons with nourishment, physical support, and protection. They also dispose…
PLASTICITY IN NEURAL NETWORKS All of our memories (of events, words, images, emotions) correspond to activities of specific circuits of neurons. Learning depends on the plasticity of these circuits. Plasticity refers to the neurons’ stunning powers to make lasting changes in the efficiency of their synaptic wiring patterns, even in adult brains. What we experience…
Neural Learning When we learn something, neural circuits are altered in our brain. These circuits are composed of a number of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with one another through special junctions called synapses. To memorize a new word, we repeat it to ourselves several times, and this selects and strengthens the synapse connections among…
Are Chemicals or is Surgery the answer ? Is treating a chronic condition with drugs or surgery not like trying to achieve silence by telling the other to shut up? In the case of AIDS, what kind of environmental cues would create a somatic response that shuts down someone’s entire immune system? With cancer, what…
Neutral Attention ? When an entity’s neural circuit is ignited by a signal from the environment, it transmits what it is being through neural activity. If it represents a resistance to being struck on the leg, it transmits sensations recalled from that experience. Forget medical terms and ask yourself how it actually feels. You may…
Is a neuron the same as a moron ? Over 80% of our neural connections are made after birth. 3/4 of brain development happens during the 3 years after birth. Human beings create ignited neural circuits all the time. We may refer to them as ‘neural entities’ because they often operate independently, displaying their own…
BELLY BREATHING (BB) Main Objective: To re-acquire the Art of natural breathing in order to remove stress, anxiety, and information overload. Rapid and/or shallow breathing reduces mental alertness, because it reduces the amount of energy and fresh oxygen fed to the blood. Insufficient chest movement causes (a) the rib cage and surrounding muscles to get stiffer…
BELLY BREATHING May I suggest you start with ‘breathing through the belly’? Let’s practice this a few times: Stand up and shake arms and hands a few times. Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose or your pursed lips. Push your stomach and then your chest out. Hold the…
Lecture Portion of the COURSE INTRODUCTION TO EFFECTIVE LIFE IMPROVEMENT PART I WELLNESS WHEEL How about taking a quick look at yourself? Save a copy of the Wheel’s PDF file on your desktop, or print out a copy. When done: Rate where you are in life right now from 1-10 in each of the 8 sectors…
Neuronal Network An artificial neural network is software designed to mimic how our brain works. After proper ‘training’, it can learn how to recognize certain objects or patterns in a huge dataset. Our neuronal pathway network is made visible via brain scans and looks similar to the fractal (self-similar) networks of: star studded skies branch…
Somatic Marker Mechanism When the brains recognize the image of an aggressor, they simultaneously trigger the bodily state of fear as a response to that image. For future action planning, the brains must create a representation of the threat for future reference. This representation must contain information about the externally perceived image plus the internal…