More people are learning about the principles of neuroplasticity and its role in brain health and mental fitness. Neuroplasticity governs the brain’s ability to repair and grow. If you want to boost your mind’s health, you need to know about neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the key to memory and learning, and it is also the key to healing brain injury. It is all about how the brain changes and responds to various stimuli. The evidence points to Neuroplasticity use it or lose it nature. And neuroplasticity is something you don’t want to lose it.
Brain Structures and Mental Processes
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the nervous system to rewire itself. It’s the tool the brain uses to repair itself. The medical community conducts research into neuroplasticity. Much of this research centers on people recovering from traumatic brain injuries or strokes. When a part of the brain is damaged, brain structures and mental processes are automatically rerouted to keep things running.
It affects the health of our body, mind, and spirit. We see its connection to the mind and body but often overlook the spiritual implications. A holistic approach to health redefines injuries to the brain. When we think of traumatic injuries, we assume they are physical injuries. But psychological injuries are just as debilitating as physical ones. (1)
What Are The Principles of Neuroplasticity?
What are the principles behind this process, and why should you care? Neuroplasticity governs brain health and mental fitness. It is a fragile process. Neuroplasticity use it or lose it exemplifies this fragility. if we lose it, we become vulnerable to disease and mind-control tactics.
Using psychological techniques for mind control is becoming more pervasive now than in the history of humankind. Mobile devices make data mining easier for extremists to use. Here’s how they use your brain chemistry against you. They know how the brain changes and how to take advantage. Here are the underlying principles of neuroplasticity:
1. Neurogenesis
This is the process through which the brain undergoes continuous changes. It generates new neurons in response to various stimuli. This phenomenon highlights the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and evolve.
Neurogenesis is key to neuroplasticity for brain health and mental fitness. This process shapes how we think, remember, and adapt. The creation of neurons through neurogenesis enhances our brain’s plasticity and resilience. These functions contribute to our ability to learn and grow throughout our lives.
The brain’s ability to regenerate and adapt is remarkable. It shows how complex and dynamic this vital organ is.
2. Creating new synapses
New synapses form when we have new or intense emotional experiences. This process is very important. Synapses connect neurons. They help neurons talk to each other. When we face new or emotional situations, our brain creates new synapses. These help us store and process information about those experiences.
Synaptic plasticity is key for learning, forming memories, and managing emotions. Our brains remain flexible through the continuous formation of new synapses. This helps us handle the complex world and our feelings better.
Among other things, neuroplasticity means that emotions such as happiness and compassion can be cultivated in much the same way that a person can learn through repetition to play golf and basketball or master a musical instrument and that such practice changes the activity and physical aspects of specific brain areas. — Andrew Weil
The emotional impact of traumatic events highlights the light and dark sides of neuroplasticity. On the dark side, it means traumatic events get more emotional juice, which can lead us to relive these events. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has its roots in the elevated number of emotional connections.
On the light side, it means that with the use of proper therapy, we can turn down the volume of the emotional impact of traumatic events. We can change brain structures and mental processes with routine learning.
Everything having to do with human training and education has to be re-examined in light of neuroplasticity. — Norman Doidge
3. Repetition and practice
Practicing and repeating are key to strengthening synapse connections in the brain. When you repeat an action, thought, or behavior, it strengthens the links between synapses. This process, known as synaptic plasticity, allows for more efficient communication between neurons.
So, the more often you practice a task, the stronger the synaptic connections get. This phenomenon is crucial for learning and memory, as it helps to solidify new information and skills. Repetition and practice strengthen synapses. This means regular and focused effort is vital for better brain function.
Here again, we see the light and dark sides of neuroplasticity. Exposure to groupthink manipulation tactics strengthens the negative thought scripts. These are the scripts associated with bias and prejudice. It’s what installs extremist ideologies, turning people into killers.
4. Synapses that are not used are discarded
Synaptic pruning strengthens connections that are used often. It also removes those that aren’t needed for clear neural communication.
Synaptic pruning is key to brain development. It sharpens neural circuits and boosts how the brain processes information. Removing unnecessary synapses helps the brain work better. It allows the brain to adapt to changing environments. The constant updating of the synaptic network is vital for learning, memory, and thinking. We see this in the erosion of memory. When people ask, “What are the principles of neuroplasticity?” this is one thing they don’t want to hear.
5. Neuroplasticity, use it or lose it!
The concept of “Use It or Lose It” means that if you regularly use certain parts of your brain, those areas will stay strong and efficient. For example, if you practice math problems often, the parts of your brain involved in solving math will become better at it. However, if you stop using those parts of your brain, the connections can weaken, making it harder to perform those tasks.
The main reason for diminished capacity is lack of use. To increase neuroplasticity, use it or lose it. Boredom and apathy are signs of a decline in brain activity. They have mutual cause and effect. The more bored you become, the less you use your mind. When you do not use your mind, you become bored and apathetic. (2)
The principles of neuroplasticity help us understand how the brain works. It showcases the importance of this process in regulating brain structures and mental processes. There are several factors that also impact these critical functions of the brain, and we have direct control over many of them.
Factors Affecting Neuroplasticity for Brain Health and Mental Fitness
Neuroplasticity is influenced by several factors which can either help or hinder the brain’s ability to change and adapt. Here are some key factors:
1. Age: Younger brains have a higher capacity for adaptability and can transition more effortlessly. As people get older, their brains can still adapt, but it might take more effort.
2. Learning and Practice: The more you learn and practice new skills, the better your brain becomes at forming new connections. Regular practice helps keep your brain sharp.
3. Physical Exercise: Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and helps create new neurons. Activities like running, swimming, or playing sports can boost the health of your brain.
4. Healthy Diet: Eating foods like fruits, vegetables, and fish gives the brain the nutrients it needs to work well and adapt.
5. Sleep: Getting enough sleep is crucial. The brain regeneration process happens when we sleep. Neuroplasticity for brain health and mental fitness are enhanced by healthy sleep patterns. While we sleep, the brain processes information and strengthens connections made during the day.
6. Stress: High levels of stress can have an adverse effect on neuroplasticity. Relaxation techniques, hobbies, and time with friends can help manage stress. This keeps your brain healthy.
7. Groupthink Manipulation Tactics: These are tools of mind control and propaganda. They are found in media that promote extremist political and religious ideologies.
Exposure to groupthink tactics reduces the ability to think independently. It takes advantage of the brain’s strengths and weaknesses. It was pioneered in the ancient time of the mystery religions, circa 5000 BCE. The mystery religions did not know what neuroplasticity was, but they knew how to manipulate and control people.
Propaganda targets an emotionally charged issue to create a new brain response. It gives the emotion an outlet we know as fallacies. These fallacies are incorrect and don’t make sense, but that doesn’t matter. The emotional connection to the idea drives their actions.
The message is then repeated in different forms to strengthen the desired outcome. Propaganda discourages independent investigation and thinking.
These seven factors affect neuroplasticity for brain health and mental fitness. Take a few moments to jot down your thoughts about each of these factors in your journal. Many of these factors are things we can affect immediately. Number one on the list is reducing stress by eliminating the source of groupthink manipulation. If you do this, you will reduce stress, sleep better, have better thoughts.
Identifying and Removing Harmful Thought Scripts
We’ve already discussed the principles of neuroplasticity. Some people and institutions misuse these processes. They install programming that promotes harmful ideologies.
Removing harmful scripts is impossible if you continually expose yourself to the source. Additional exposure reprogrammes and reinforces negative scripts. So, you first need to remove the sources of the harmful programming.
How can you identify harmful programming if you don’t even know what it is? The mind is like a computer. A harmful computer code is a virus that damages or interferes with normal operations. In people, we can identify these scripts by the harmful thoughts and values they instill.
Brains are tricky and adaptable organs. For all the ‘neuroplasticity’ allowing our brains to reconfigure themselves to the biases of our computers, we are just as neuroplastic in our ability to eventually recover and adapt. — Douglas Rushkoff
Defining Harmful Ideological Positions
What is a harmful thought or value? The simple definition is anything that causes harm. What causes harm? Discrimination, bias, and prejudice are all harmful thoughts and values.
Where do we get these harmful thought scripts and values? The source of these negative scripts comes from people who propagate them. People with bias and prejudice make their way to places of power where they have the authority to spread this brand of harmfulness. The more exposure you have to negativity, the more likely you will adopt these scripts and values into your psyche.
There is a growing list of media that promotes inaccurate and harmful information. Here’s the short list:
1. Fox News isn’t really news. It is commentary which spins events to support alt right or far right ideologies.
2. Truth Social was launched by Trump in early 2022 as an alternative to mainstream social media sites.
3. Parler is popular with Trump supporters. It has a conservative user base. Its growth surged after other platforms banned Trump.
4. Gab is another platform with a strong conservative presence. Gab has been favored by Trump supporters for its free speech stance.
These outlets are known for employing groupthink manipulation tactics and propaganda. These aren’t new. They originate in the Abrahamic triad of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Today, these tactics are used to shape extremist political ideology. Groupthink tactics drive “the far-right,” right-wing extremism, “conservatives,” and nationalists.” These are the same ideologies that fueled the “Third Reich” in the 1930s and 1940s, leading to World War II.
In Conclusion
Understanding neuroplasticity is key. It shows how our brains change based on our experiences and surroundings. This ability to adapt is a powerful tool for learning and intellectual growth. But it can also be misused by those with bad intentions. Extremist politicians and religious groups can use these methods to spread negative ideas. They manipulate how people think and believe.
Knowing how neuroplasticity works helps us protect ourselves. It also encourages a positive, open-minded way to learn and interact with the world.
If someone asks what are the principles of neuroplasticity? Now you have the answer. The brain changes constantly. When it is healthy, it naturally regenerates new connections. Highly emotional events can also change the structure of the brain. Plus, we can train the brain through routine learning. If we don’t use what we learn, we lose it. The brain is like a computer: garbage in, garbage out.
References
(1) Neuroplasticity and Clinical Practice: Building Brain Power for Health.
(2) Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery.