Yo! How's Your Brain? IV: Genesis

It was a dark and stormy night....no wait...that's another story. 

At long (longer than originally intended, and yet the days and weeks have passed so quickly...) last, we have arrived.  It is the dawning of the day; the rising of the sun; the birth of a nation; the beginning of a new world order; the genesis of an alternate universe of heretofore unimagined possibilities; the most miraculous of all miracles (except possibly some of the stuff that Criss Angel does--which is totally whack!). Yes, it is the moment you have been longing for: the time when the secrets of self-willed creation of brain matter finally and for the first time ever shall be revealed!! **

OMG! 

Now, down to business. During the 1980's and 90's, advances in molecular biology and computer imaging allowed scientists to literally watch how and where the brain 'thinks'. Through experimentation and comparison, a startling fact emerged: certain specific combinations of sensory input and physical activity can do more than increase the efficiency of cognitive processes. They can actually stimulate the growth of new brain cells.

So there is a cerebral equivalent of muscle-building, which authors Manning Rubin and Dr. Lawrence Katz--in their book "Keep Your Brain Alive"--have dubbed 'Neurobics'. 

The really cool things about this book are:  1) through concise summary of relevant scientific findings, it enables you to get a clear picture of what is going on (physiologically) in your brain during various types of activities;  2) it explains--in plain English--how Neurobics works;  3) it provides 83 Neurobic exercises that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine, any one of which will create replacements for your diminishing dendrites;  4) doing the exercises is fun;  and 5) it is still in print, and is cheap -- just $8.95 from Workman Publishing or from your local bookseller. 

And now, for your reading and self-regenerating pleasure, the three Super-Secret, Earth-Shattering Fundamentals of Self-Activated Neural Growth (emphasis is mine) are revealed!!

1. Involve one or more of your senses in a novel context. Blunt or negate the sense you normally use and force other senses to take up the slack. (example: take a shower with your eyes closed the entire time)

2. Engage your attention!  Find ways to change things around at home or at work to make them new, surprising, and fun. (example: keep several small jars of scented oil next to your alarm clock, and each morning as soon as you shut off the alarm, select a jar randomly, inhale the scent, and free-associate.) Neurobics are especially effective if you engage your emotions. 

3. Break up a routine but complex activity in an unexpected, non-trivial way. Novelty, by itself, is not Neurobic, but a new complex challenge can be (examples: navigate a completely different route to work without using a map; shop at a farmer's market instead of at a grocery store.)

So there you have it. The rest is up to you. 

**At least, it's the first time at talabesian-coordinates.blogspot.com. The book was copyrighted in 1999, but this minor detail does not diminish the enormity of significance this revelation brings to this select, highly influential, and potentially neuron-depleted audience.