Clipmarks | morgainelefaye's Brain collection

Why Desire Drives Us Wild

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:16:17 GMT

Most mammals, including humans, experience moments of overwhelming desire — be it for food, sex or other things — that can be followed by seemingly magical feelings of satisfaction and bliss if the desire is met. But scientists have found that, thanks to brain circuitry, we're often likely to be left wanting rather than satisfied.

According to a study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, wanting and liking are separate urges in the brain that are controlled by different circuits. When these urges occur in sync, the impact on the brain is very powerful.

But there’s a catch. Mammal brains appear to have fewer mechanisms for pleasure than they do for desire.

Tags: brain, science, neuroscience, mlf

Wiping out memories

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:01:35 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.nature.com

A single, specific memory has been wiped from the brains of rats, leaving other recollections intact.

The study adds to our understanding of how memories are made and altered in the brain, and could help to relieve sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the fearful memories that disrupt their lives. The results are published in Nature Neuroscience

Tags: brain, neuroscience, science, mlf

Mindfulness in Plain English IV

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:43:32 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.urbandharma.org

You can't develop mindfulness by force. Active teeth gritting willpower won't do you any good at all. As a matter of fact, it will hinder progress. Mindfulness cannot be cultivated by struggle. It grows by realizing, by letting go, by just settling down in the moment and letting yourself get comfortable with whatever you are experiencing. This does not mean that mindfulness happens all by itself. Far from it. Energy is required. Effort is required. But this effort is different from force. Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. The meditator cultivates mindfulness by constantly reminding himself in a gentle way to maintain his awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently.

Mindfulness is not trying to achieve anything. It is just looking.

Tags: brain, mind, mindfulness, mlf

Mindfulness in Plain English III

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:38:10 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.urbandharma.org

Mindfulness is the English translation of the Pali word Sati.

Mindfulness is pre-symbolic.

Mindfulness is mirror-thought.

Mindfulness is non-judgmental observation.

Mindfulness is an impartial watchfulness.

Mindfulness is nonconceptual awareness.

Mindfulness is present time awareness.

Mindfulness is non-egoistic alertness.

Mindfulness is goal-less awareness.

Mindfulness is awareness of change.

Mindfulness is participatory observation.

Mindfulness is an extremely difficult concept to define in words -- not because it is complex, but because it is too simple and open.

There are three fundamental activities of Mindfulness. We can use these activities as functional definitions of the term: (a) Mindfulness reminds us of what we are supposed to be doing; (b) it sees things as they really are; and (c) it sees the deep nature of all phenomena.

Tags: brain, mind, mindfulness, mlf

Mindfulness in Plain English II

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:25:05 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.urbandharma.org

You are practicing mindfulness for which you need only a certain degree of shallow concentration. You want to cultivate mindfulness culminating in insight and wisdom to realize the truth as it is. You want to know the working of your body-mind complex exactly as it is. You want to get rid of all psychological annoyance to make your life really peaceful and happy.

What we face every day is unpredictable. Things happen due to multiple causes and conditions, as we are living in a conditional and impermanent world. Mindfulness is our emergency kit, readily available at our service at any time.

We should speak mindfully and listen mindfully to be benefitted by talking and listening. When we listen and talk mindfully, our minds are free from greed, selfishness, hatred and delusion.

Tags: brain, mind, mindfulness, mlf

Mindfulness in Plain English

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:19:26 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.urbandharma.org

Through the process of mindfulness, we slowly become aware of what we really are down below the ego image. We wake up to what life really is. It is not just a parade of ups and downs, lollipops and smacks on the wrist. That is an illusion. Life has a much deeper texture than that if we bother to look, and if we look in the right way.

You don't need to figure everything out. Discursive thinking won't free you from the trap. In mediation, the mind is purified naturally by mindfulness, by wordless bare attention. Habitual deliberation is not necessary to eliminate those things that are keeping you in bondage. All that is necessary is a clear, non-conceptual perception of what they are and how they work. That alone is sufficient to dissolve them. Concepts and reasoning just get in the way. Don't think. See.

Tags: brain, mind, mindfulness, mlf

Move to Boost Mood

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:12:28 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.psychologytoday.com

What would you say about a remedy for depression that lifted your mood, restored your energy, realigned your brain chemistry, improved your sense of self—and cost nothing?

Tags: depression, exercise, mlf

Knowledge Center Map

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:41:27 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.knowledgecenter.com

Tags: science, noetic science, brain, mlf

Communicating by Brain Waves

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:02:18 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.psychologytoday.com

It is the stuff of nightmares: trapped in an immobilized body, unable to move a finger or bat an eyelid, yet with sight and hearing and thought undiminished. The impulse to whisper, "I love you," or to scream, "I am in pain," is smothered by one's own unresponsive muscles. To the outside world, you are all but dead. Inside, you burn with life.

Tags: brain, neuroscience, science, mlf

Tony Buzan talks about Mind Mapping

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:11:38 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.buzan.com.au

[Video]

Mind Maps® act as the ‘Swiss Army Knife of the brain’ allowing you to improve and accelerate your learning and thinking skills.

Our brains are divided into the left and right cortex. The left side is dedicated to tasks involving order, logic, words, lists, numbers and analysis, the right side deals with rhythm, colour, imagination and daydreaming. If we want to improve memory, learning and thinking skills we have to use the whole brain.

Tags: mind, mind map, video, mlf

Mindmapping for creativity

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:44:23 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.mind-mapping.org

Mind Maps give us an excuse to play. They give us a reason to keep a whole set of colored pens right on our desk for everyone to see. Mind maps allow our thuggish left brains to make friends with our timid rights. For once, there's harmony on the playground!

Tags: mind, mind map, mlf

Mind Map Laws

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:39:28 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.mapyourmind.com

Mind Map® Laws

These are the brain-reflecting foundation structures of a Mind Map®. The more of them you follow, the more effective your Mind Map®.

* Start in the centre with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colours.

* Use images, symbols, codes and dimensions throughout your Mind Map®.

* Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.

* Each word word/image must be alone and sitting on its own line.

* The lines must be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.

* Make the lines the same length as the word/image.

* Use colours - your own code - throughout the Mind Map®.

* Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping®.

* Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map®.

* Keep the Mind Map® clear by using Radiant hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

Tags: mind, mind map, mlf

How to make a Mind Map

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:38:27 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: www.mapyourmind.com

How to make a mind map® in 8 steps

Step 1: Start at the center of the page

Step 2: Don´t be serious!

Step 3: Free associate

Step 4: Think as fast as you can

Step 5: There are no boundaries

Step 6: Don´t judge too fast

Step 7: Go, go, go....

Step 8: Add relationships and connections

Tags: mind, mind map, mlf

Mind map

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:34:09 GMT

clipped by: morgainelefaye

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, and decision making.

It is an image-centered diagram that represents semantic or other connections between portions of information. By presenting these connections in a radial, non-linear graphical manner, it encourages a brainstorming approach to any given organizational task, eliminating the hurdle of initially establishing an intrinsically appropriate or relevant conceptual framework to work within.

A mind map is similar to a semantic network or cognitive map but there are no formal restrictions on the kinds of links used.

Tags: mind, mind map, mlf

Map of the Brain

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 17:53:06 GMT

clipped by: Wilhelmina
clipper's remarks: This is a cover from TIME magazine, I really loved it.

Clip Source: www.time.com

Tags: map, brain, time, speech, emotion, vision, balance, feelings, wires