Heart Em Energy

You may be familiar with the work being done at the HeartMath Institute, where researchers have been studying the heart and its electrical field for over two decades. I always pause whenever an email from Sara Childre, President of HeartMath Institute (HMI) pops up in my in-box and read what she has to say. Recently, one of her communications reminded me that “Even through the brain is a principal energy force, it turns out the heart actually has an electrical field estimated by HMI to be 60 times the amplitude of the brain.” Many studies have shown that the electromagnetic energy or Em energy that is generated by neurons in your brain and heart can be detected by another person in close proximity. Which, of course, always makes me want to be sure that the Em energy my neurons are generating is positive. More tomorrow.

A Picture Worth 3200 Years

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. How about a picture worth 3200 years? One of my strategies for age-proofing my brain while growing older is to look for interesting pieces of information. I ran across one the other day, the National Geographic Society always being a good source. Photographers took and managed to take and piece together 126 photographs. This means that for the first time ever there is a picture of ‘The President.’ No, not the US president. Rather a giant sequoia that stands at 247 feet tall, is estimated to be over 3,200 years old, and has been nicknamed ‘The President.’ The story of how they did it is amazing, too.

http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=19511

Struggling with Forgiveness?

Anger, bitterness, hostility, and unforgiveness are hungry parasites that feed and feed until there is nothing left for the brain or heart to eat. ¾Arlene R. Taylor

So begins my mini-monograph on forgiveness. I’ve been asked to speak about the brain and forgiveness a lot lately. Some have heard about the work to Herbert Benson MD, internationally known cardiologist and researcher. His studies have shown how critically important forgiveness is for the health and wellbeing of the person doing the forgiving. You forgive for ‘your’ health and longevity, not for the one you are forgiving. This means that the person you are forgiving need not even know he or she is being forgiven, need not even be still alive. Once your brain ‘gets’ that forgiving yourself and others is healthy selfishness, it makes it easier. It’s about you, not them. By request I took the time to write out some of the information on forgiveness—the URL is below. I encourage you to embrace forgiveness; it’s good medicine.

http://arlenetaylor.org/files/PDF/150804-ToForgiveorNottoForgive--aMini-Monograph.pdf

Origin of Phrases, 3

1.      Showboat: These were floating theatres built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat. These played small towns along the Mississippi River. Unlike the boat shown in the movie ‘Showboat’ these did not have an engine. They were gaudy and attention grabbing which is why we say someone who is being the life of the party is ‘showboating.’

2.      Over a barrel: In the days before CPR a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water. It was rarely effective. If you are over a barrel you are in deep trouble.

3.      Hogwash: Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled so bad they would be washed before being put on board. The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless ‘hog wash.’

Two Goals at a Time, 2

When humans pursue two goals A and B concurrently, a part of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) divides so that half of the region focuses on one task and the other half on the other task. The anterior most part of the frontal lobes enables you to switch back and forth between the two goals, i.e. executing one goal while maintaining the other one on hold. This inter-hemispheric division of labor explains why humans appear unable to accurately carry out more than two tasks at one time. If you want to look at a visual representation of how this works in the brain, I’ll include a URL below. Credit for the representation goes to principle brain researcher: Etienne Koechlin, INSERM-ENS, Paris, France.

http://www.livescience.com/10992-3.html

Two At a Time for the Brain

Many people believe they can ‘multitask’ very efficiently. Those who do, may need to think again. Studies by researcher researcher Etienne Koechlin of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France show that “… we can readily divide tasking. We can cook, and at the same time talk on the phone, and switch back and forth between these two activities. However, we cannot multitask with more than two tasks.” According to Koechlin, the study results might also explain why humans seem to have difficulty when decisions involve more than two choices. When faced with three or more choices, subjects don't appear to evaluate them rationally; they simply start discarding choices until they get back to a binary choice. This is perhaps because your brain can't keep track of the rewards involved with more than two choices.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/multitasking-two-tasks/

Fiji Under the Sea

In actuality, I know very little about Fiji – although as I child I was so curious about it and hoped I could go there one day.  Well, next year I may get my wish as I have been invited to present some brain-function seminars that. What fun! Opening my email today I discovered that my friend and colleague, Dr. Banford, had send me the URL for a YouTube presentation about life under the sea in Fiji. Just having finished presenting three brain-function seminars I kicked off my shoes in my hotel room and proceeded to watch the YouTube. Oh, My, Goodness. Most of the underwater creatures I had never seen before and they were amazing. You may want to take a few minutes and watch this . . . And, last but not least, Happy Birthday to my friend and superb composer-pianist-organist, David H. Hegarty.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/mcbHKAWIk3I