How Your Brain Works & Changes

Learning: what aspect of my nervous system (emotion, perception, sensations) am I trying and are available to change? How to structure the change?

Synapses are the gaps between the neurons. Memories are stored in patterns of energy in neurons, similarly to a piano, where the different keys combined together form a song. The keys (electrical activity) dictates our memories and experiences.

Does medicine make the biggest advances during / after war due to the influx in patients with very various injuries?

Neuro modulators bias which neurons are likely to be active and which are not active (kind of like a playlist that plays only particular „moods“ or genres). It makes certain circuits more or less active. Chemical systems like neuro-modulators have a lot of receptors, which behave like parking spots. Once the chemical attaches to the receptor it cau... See more

Neuroplasticity allows your brain to rewire and convert something deliberate (and strainful) into something reflexive (and automatic).

Central pattern generators: control reflexive actions that are well trained. Intention: duration, path, outcome to deliberately rewire the nervous system. Top-down control causes the release of neuropenephrine, which causes you to feel agitated. Self-control and learning therefore feels agitating.

Bottom-up processing: information is directing your activity deliberately or reflexively depending on your attention. Brain tries to direct as much activity as possible in a reflexive way.

Neuroplasticity only occurs after focused attention during rest or sleep. Diffused thinking is also consolidating the memory and skill pathways (no duration, path and outcome).

Perception: taking in the sensations and focusing on them. Under the control of your attention. Two attentional spotlights are possible and you can dilute, concentrate your attention.

Sympathetic nervous system (responsible for attention) has a 24 hour cycle. We have altradian rhythms during the day: