Meditation and consciousness: the words conjure up images of yoga retreats and Buddhist monks. But maybe they should make a very different picture: a man hunting hat, smoking one elbow, Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself. Great detective literature in the world is someone who knows the value of concentration, "pull your brain out of action", as Dr. Watson expressed. Unitasker is the ultimate in multitasking.
Most times, when a new case indicates, Holmes just sitting in his leather chair, close your eyes and fingers to build long arms of attitude for quiet. It may be the most active in the world is there. Considered thinking the same approach as cognitive psychologists when they want to say attention.
Although the term has its roots in ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese traditions in terms of experimental psychology, the emphasis is less on spirituality and concentration of information: the ability to calm the mind, the present attention, and talking are coming away refuse. Court returns psychologist Alan Nigeria, who proved in 1970 that awareness can lead to improved cognitive function and indices of vital signs, including older people to work.
Now we learn that the benefits can continue thinking cheaper than at the time Professor of Nigeria. Even in small doses, attention to significant changes in the way we think and feel -. And it makes the basic neural level
In 2011, researchers showed by the University of Wisconsin daily meditation of the brain's frontal lobe activity pattern changes associated with what cognitive scientists call a positive approach focuses on emotional situations - situations that make us more likely to participate in the world rather than retreat.
Participants are invited to relax with eyes closed, concentrating on breathing and recognition and resolve the random thoughts that come up. So they had the opportunity, nine sessions of 30 minutes of meditation will receive training five weeks. Examination a second time, activity patterns of neurons was a radical change front left asymmetry - despite his job and training 16.5 minutes per day.
Just five minutes a day of intensive Holmes and inactivity as your outlook is more pleasant to be taken - but it seems especially enjoy Holmes himself, what with his attacks of melancholy and forget flirting with a solution of 7 percent. Quick survey shows that paradox is an illusion: Holmes is pressed when there is no purpose in his spirit. Enter your project, and the balance is restored.
However attention on improving emotional regulation. Carefully Exercise can also help this scourge of modern life: multitasking. Of course, we want to believe that our attention is endless, but it is not. Multitasking is a persistent myth. What she actually does is to focus our attention rapidly from one task to another. Two bad things happen as a result. Do not put much attention on one thing, and the quality of our attention. If we are aware of some of this attention disappears ease, as if of their own accord.
In 2012, researchers investigated by a team from the University of Washington led the meditation training effects of multitasking real environment. We asked a group of human resource professionals involved in this type of planning was usually done at the same time. Each participant is a person's office with a laptop and cell phone, and asked to complete various typical tasks: the cyclical nature of some meetings and conference looking for wizards, write a note on the subject of creation, and so on. The information required to perform these tasks? Delivered as it should be: e-mail, instant messaging, telephone and person. The list must be completed in 20 minutes or less.
After all free multitasking, participants were divided into three groups: one was a meditation course of eight weeks (2 hours per week) related, and another group not taking took at first, but later, and the last group took a relaxation of the body of eight weeks. Each given a second round madly.
Participants were improved only received training in mind. Not only reported less negative emotions at the end of the mission, but his concentration has improved significantly. They can not resist and switching between tasks remain rare. While not all the time spent on different tasks than other groups, spent more effectively. They spent an average of slightly more than 40 "missions" Loneliness - behaviors trial set start and end time - about 36 seconds to spend on the average rates of 48-50 tasks attempted Unlike other groups - with an average of only 30 seconds spent each activity. He remembered very well what she is doing better than other study participants.
Benefits of brain training camp are not only behavior, but physically. In recent years, attention proven to improve attention network connectivity between regions of the brain and the front and medial treatment - changes that will save us a distraction. Attention, in other words, to be able to communicate our supply chains better and with less interference, they will do it.
In sleep in 2012 at Emory University that meditation was associated with increased connectivity enhanced the prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral, a brain region involved in attention and memory monitoring and connection insula right, an area in which, as we have feelings and thoughts of our own control, and is considered an important point relating to the two major networks in the field of health, standard and executive used.
Not only do they. Greater connectivity can switch between tasks and awaits to be our own health, but also reflects the more efficient management of all our resources, limited attention
Trains the brain even been shown to affect default brain network - the network of connections that are active when we are called sleep mode - with regular meditation higher functional connectivity idle and better connectivity in general. After a dose of vigilance, network standard approach is constant information of our inner states, and better ability to control the environment.
These effects are important: the center of attention is the ability of attention. This is exactly what Holmes was still touching fingers or breathing at the end of a thin layer of clouds of smoke. It focuses on one element. And somehow, despite the apparent calm activity occurs again and again, energy long before his countryman. Time, Detective Ben Mac all the cities in search of a missing cyclist in the "Valley of Fear" tour, Holmes solves the crime, all without leaving the room where the murder was s. That's all for attention. It seems slow, but actually gives you the resources you need to speed up their thinking.
The difference between Holmes and Watson is the actual fact. Caution is ready, it's true - but it is also capable of becoming. Change our methods intently thinking more like Holmes, who can build characteristics of nerve cells, is better able to deal with infinitely connected with Htzrcimim diverse modern world endless multitasking. And even if we did not, in the past, attention can be surprised how quickly the obvious benefits.
Until recently, 20 were considered to be the point of me wiring of the brain was almost perfect. But new evidence suggests that not only do you learn advanced age, but the structure of our brains can continue to change and grow. In 2006, a team of psychologists has shown that neural activation patterns of the elderly (especially activation in the prefrontal cortex), which started much younger blue after five sessions of looking at working control of attention. Brains to coordinate multiple tasks more efficiently - and advantage in unskilled labor, which means that it was a symptom of the general improvement offer.
Similar changes were observed in the default network (brain activity at rest) observed. In 2012, a researcher at Ohio State University showed that elderly people who received higher scores increased alertness scales default network connectivity, particularly in two important centers for information from the brain. And although we know that this kind of increased connectivity is a very good thing, there are more of these results. Specific areas that show the attention to cross-platform connectivity also known pathophysiology of AD.
Effects are tempting. Attention to preventive effect: it can strengthen the areas that are sensitive to cognitive impairment. When we learn unitask think more in line with the individual approach of Holmes, we can expect our ability. We can invest in future spacecraft mind - no matter what our age.
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