It involves memorising at least 320 basic routes, 25,000 streets within those routes and about 20,000 landmarks and places of interest. This is a test of memory and is one of the most difficult tests in the world to pass. In order to become a London taxi driver, would-be cabbies have to pass ‘The Knowledge’. To do this, they called on London cab drivers and some serious brain imaging. Let me tell you a true story …Ī bunch of neuroscientists wanted to explore how brains can change. The things you do, the people you spend time with, every feeling, thought, and automatic experience will influence the wiring of your brain to make you who you are and to influence who you can become. A regular practice of mindfulness, for example, will increase the activity of genes that have the capacity to soothe a stress reaction in the heat of a moment, ultimately making you more able to deal with stress.Įverything you experience will alter the physical structure of your brain in some way. It also seems to reach into our genes (the tiny atoms in the DNA inside the nuclei of neurons) and change the way they function. It’s because throughout our childhood, we sing the alphabet song and have it sung to us so many times, that the relevant neurons are repeatedly activated enough to eventually form rock solid connections.Įxperience doesn’t just effect change by creating new connections and strengthening existing ones. It’s not because we were born baby geniuses with a cute alphabet jingle imprinted into our brains. This is why, for example, we can recite the alphabet without thinking. Repeating or prolonging an experience will keep the connections between neurons strong and ensure that they stay. Every time they are activated, they are elevated a little in the order of importance. The space is reserved for the neurons that you need the most – the ones that will best support you given the life you’re living.Įvery time we have an experience, the corresponding neurons are activated. You can’t grow the edges of your head so your brain occupies some precious real estate. This withering away is normal and healthy and is one way the brain grows into its most efficient self. The neurons that aren’t as needed will eventually wither away. The more connected the neurons, the stronger that area of the brain, the more responsive and effective it will be. The neurons that are connected to your immediate experience – what you are feeling, thinking, seeing, sensing, doing, experiencing – will fire and new connections will start to form within minutes. The ones that are will depend on the experience you’re having. About 100 billion neurons are waiting and ready to act, but not all of them will be recruited. Being human is complicated and our brain drives all of it – it’s no wonder we are still discovering its secrets.Įvery time you have an experience, the relevant neurons switch on and start firing. As this happens, neural connections get stronger and new synapses start growing.Įven as you read this, sparks are flying in your head. Different neurons are responsible for different parts of our experience, whether it’s eating, feeling, sleeping, sensing threat, firing up, falling in love, spelling, laughing, remembering, learning, nurturing – you get the idea. ![]() How does it work?īetween the walls of our skulls, billions of neurons (brain cells) work together to shape us into the humans we are. Our experiences are the fuel for this shaping and everything we see, feel, experience, sense and do is slowly but surely changing the architecture of our brains, sending gentle instruction on how they can build to best support us. It is constantly shaping itself to be the best one it can be for us. We now know that just isn’t true.Įach of us has a brain that is designed to be malleable and plastic and open to our influence. ![]() Up until the last decade or so, it was thought that the brain stayed fairly much the same and wasn’t open to influence or change. Just think about that for a minute: You have incredible capacity to change your brain through your experiences. The implications for all of us are profound.Īt the heart of the research is the finding that experience changes the brain. The research around it has caught fire and the findings are powerful. It’s called experience-dependent neuroplasticity. ![]() The message is real and comes fortified with some serious science. What you focus on is what becomes becomes powerful.
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