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The benefits of daydreaming

Concentration is probably overrated. By working harder, focusing and forcing ourselves to think, we just block up and obstruct our mind, causing a so-called cognitive block. In contrast, neuroscientists have linked daydreaming and resting our mind with increased cognitive abilities. Research suggests that because insight and creativity (key processes linked to intelligence and problem solving) use relatively remote parts of the brain, daydreaming allows the networks between these distant regions to communicate but more importantly to permanently strengthen our minds ability to connect and use these areas. So relax and let your brain get on with it.

100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less

by Dr. Katie Featherstone

www.100lessons.com

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Love is a drug
Neuroscientists suggest romantic love may be a form of addiction. Imaging studies have found similar responses within the brains of people experiencing romantic rejection and those of drug addicts craving cocaine. Studies examining people rejected by the object of their love suggest that when we experience what the neuroscientists term romantic love we are in a driven state, with our actions focused on achieving a goal, like drug addicts trying to obtain drugs, rather than experiencing a specific emotion. This may be why dealing with rejection or unrequited love is an extremely difficult emotion to control.

100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less

by Dr. Katie Featherstone

www.100lessons.com

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Is talking to yourself normal?

Yes (phew!) although it is hard to gauge the extent of our internal monologue. One study, which asked volunteers to record (when they heard a random beep) the way in which they were thinking, suggests that the majority (up to 80 percent) of our thoughts are verbal in nature rather than purely visual or emotional. Our stream of consciousness influences how we make sense of the world. Language doesnt just allow us to communicate with others, its also important for thinking and perception, and this internal monologue enables us to think, make sense of, and process the world around us.

100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less

by Dr. Katie Featherstone

www.100lessons.com

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The value of perseverance

Why do some people seem to have a natural ability for a particular skill or talent? They have not inherited a gene for their talent and studies have failed to identify physical and cognitive differences that might set them apart. Instead, what sets apart high achievers is practice, hard work and perseverance. For the most accomplished the critical difference is the number of hours of solitary practice. Although painful, practice leads to success and as proficiency improves, this motivates further practice. Those with the most grit, who continue despite setbacks, are most likely to succeed.

100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less

by Dr. Katie Featherstone

www.100lessons.com

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Does practice make perfect?

Plasticity, the brains ability to rewire and develop connections, is important for learning. Studies of athletes and musicians with highly specialized skills have found that brain regions associated with their skills (such as hand control for a musician) develop enhanced networks for delivering the best possible performance. Scientists theorize that the intense practice and repetition required to develop these skills produces permanent connections between neurons and stronger networks within the brain. You can also strengthen those connections by repeatedly rehearsing and visualizing a skill in your mind. Intense practice works, but just going over something in your head also helps.
100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less
by Dr. Katie Featherstone

www.100lessons.com

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100 Lessons on Your Brain in 100 Words or Less

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The benefits of daydreaming Love is a drug Is talking to yourself normal? The value of perseverance Does practice make perfect? Can a dead salmon have brain activity? Can we feed our brain? How many genes control our brain? We can buy happiness The limits of neuroimaging Our brain never rests Making the perfect soldier Our cells have a memory Brain training doesnt work Having a brainwave? Did you have an imaginary friend? Drug addicts may not be weak-willed Why do we crave junk food? How do we recognize objects? Stolen thoughts How does awareness happen? Obesity is bad for your brain Why do we have emotions? Can we inherit a risk of mental illness? The drugs work, but how? Meditation, the real mind gym Could faulty brainwaves cause mental illness? How can we manage pain? Could we download our brains? Sweet dreams remember this Are men and womens brains built differently? Could our immune system affect our emotions? Can depression be good for you? Have a questioning mind The brains toxic brakes Where do we store memories? Focus can be achieved Could learning disabilities be reversed? Neuroscience at the movies Why do we cry? Who are neuroscientists? Do criminals have different brains? What can neuroscience tell us about art? Connectopathies How much of our brain do we use? Do men and women experience sex differently? Lying takes practice The brains of WEIRD people? Does size matter? Can we train our brains to be fearless?

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It aint the meat its the motion Dreaming soothes the brain Studying the brain during orgasm The secret to studying for exams Are you born with all your brain cells? Do we have free will? Did you see the gorilla in the room? Can neuroscience make you buy? Is there a Mozart effect? What made our brains different? Keep doodling When do our brains mature? What sets the human brain apart? Feeling average? Dont worry Keep your socks on What is normal? Do dreams have meaning? To have a future we need a past Is dj vu just a glitch in our memory? Can the brain heal itself? Theres something in the air The importance of known unknowns Do you really need killer breasts? Are we left or right brained? Hardwired for criminal behavior Your neurons may need a nap Multitasking-friend or foe? Get outside and reset your body clock Pleasure is a vital emotion The benefits of boredom Stimulating thoughts Do we ever really sleep? Why do we (me) crave chocolate? Should we neuro-enhance ourselves? Can debriefing aid recovery from trauma? Your brain on trial A pill for forgetting Our bodies may not limit us Exercise grows more than muscle Remote control 100 years of schizophrenia Illuminating thoughts Surveillance society Our rapid response system The language gym Primed for success What is consciousness? How do neuroscientists create emotion? A problem of association The Jennifer Aniston neuron

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For further information please contact: Michael Lenz m.lenz@visualaid-publishing.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7097 8974 Visual Aid Publishing Limited 117 Camberwell Grove London SE5 8JH www.visualaid-publishing.com wwww.100lessons.com www.facebook.com/100lessons Author interviews available on request.

Draught Associates, authors of Visual Aid: Stuff Youve Forgotten, Things You Never Thought You Knew and Lessons You Didnt Quite Get Around to Learning and Visual Aid 2: You can never know enough stuff, incorporated Visual Aid Publishing Limited in 2010 to manage the growing commercial interest in the project.