Saved by Jocelin Tania and
how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
The brain uses a process called sensory gating to filter out redundant or familiar information so it can conserve energy. It’s brilliant for survival and focus, but it comes at a cost.
Over time, neural pathways become myelinated through repetition. Myelination speeds up communication between neurons, making processing faster and more efficient,... See more
Over time, neural pathways become myelinated through repetition. Myelination speeds up communication between neurons, making processing faster and more efficient,... See more
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
You can train your awareness by lowering the sensory gating and treat stimuli as novel again by deliberate practice.
find novelty through attention, not newness. you don’t need new experiences to feel wonder. novelty is created when attention is deep and precise. bring fresh awareness to what you already do every day, and the brain responds as if it’s encountering something new.
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
When you practice presence (through meditation, mindful attention, or entering flow states) you override your brain’s efficiency protocols. Studies show that focusing intently on sensory experience increases activity in the primary sensory cortices (visual, auditory, somatosensory) while decreasing DMN activity. In other words, the networks... See more
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
The locus coeruleus (a small, but important!, region in the brainstem) releases norepinephrine during novel or emotionally significant experiences. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that increases the brain’s signal-to-noise ratio by boosting the activity of neurons responding to what matters and quieting the ones responding to everything else.... See more
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
Children, especially younger ones, spend far less time in this state because both the DMN and the prefrontal cortex that helps regulate it are still developing. These systems support self-reflection, long-term planning, and abstract thinking.In other words, kids are naturally more anchored in real-time sensory experience.
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
Children have no choice but to be present, and hence, look through the eyes of the innocent and everything feels new.
Presence isn’t something we find, it’s something we return to. And when you return to presence, you return to yourself.
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
The default mode network (DMN) tends to activate when we’re not fully engaged in the present moment. The DMN is a collection of interconnected brain regions that drift through memories, simulate possible futures, and maintain our ongoing sense of self. This allows us to plan, imagine, and reflect, but it also pulls us out of direct experience. In... See more
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
DMN is activated by default, when we’re not putting attention into the front of our minds - i.e. the state of drifting.