| SLEEP DISORDERS |
| Zoom Discussion - Friday 28 July 2023 @ 14:00 |
| The recording of the Zoom session is on the link: |
| »
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Meru-XdmeJUCoCLCvQQ_EHSJZ8O1BQHf/view?usp=drive_link |
 |
| With a better understanding of sleep, and an opportunity to
share our struggles, I hope you will feel more equipped to deal
with this life challenge. |
|
| Sleep disorders In the Elderly |
See the attached summary (click
here), or read the publication:
»
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5689397/ |
|
| The impact of sleep deprivation and alcohol on driving: a
comparative study |
| Compared to alcohol, sleep deprived mean reaction times were
slower (2.86 s vs. 2.34 s), and lateral control of the vehicle
was reduced (lane tracking adaptive mean deviation: 0.5 vs.
0.3). Coffee did not produce an improvement when sleep deprived,
and instead, performance deteriorated. Females were less
impaired following sleep deprivation than males. Following
prolonged wakefulness, the correlation between subjective
impairment and actual performance was significant. |
| »
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32571274/ |
|
| Sleep is your Superpower - Matthew Walker |
| »
https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower/c?language=en |
|
| ONE MORE REASON TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP – Jeff Illif |
| »
https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_iliff_one_more_reason_to_get_a_good_night_s_sleep?language=en |
|
| JENNI WILL ALSO BE DOING THIS PRESENTATION IN STILL BAY ON
FRIDAY, 11th AUGUST. |
|
| INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY |
| Zoom Discussion - Friday 30 June 2023 @ 14:00 |
|
The recording of the Zoom meeting is on the link below. |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_HHoJLf3oHjmwO6G4BaaD9liRIEhgj7e/view?usp=sharing |
|
|
| This month I want to explore the complexity of Intelligence,
and hope to get you thinking about the value of integrating our
abilities with our personal responsibility to contribute to
society, and humanity. |
|
| Interplay between Cognition and Personality. |
|
https://neurosciencenews.com/cognition-personality-23381/ |
| A short Video summarizes the article... |
| This study revolutionizes our understanding of human
individuality, shedding light on the diverse tapestry of the
human mind. Findings reveal a direct link between cognitive
prowess and activity levels, and a strong positive correlation
between cognitive abilities and open-mindedness. Mental health
also impacts on knowledge accummulation. |
|
| Biological and Environmental Influences on Intelligence |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhgQ-KwWdS8 |
|
| Network neuroscience theory best predictor of intelligence |
|
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221220112950.htm |
| The findings reveal that "global information processing" in
the brain is fundamental to how well an individual overcomes
cognitive challenges. Strong connections involve highly
connected hubs of information-processing that are established
when we learn about the world and become adept at solving
familiar problems. Weak connections have fewer neural linkages,
but enable flexibility and adaptive problem-solving. Together,
these connections provide the network architecture that is
necessary for solving the diverse problems we encounter in life. |
| Rather than originate from a specific region or network,
intelligence appears to emerge from the global architecture of
the brain and to reflect the efficiency and flexibility of
systemwide network function. (Aron Barbey and Evan Anderson). |
|
| Jordan Peterson - How Autism and Intelligence connect |
| Jordan B Peterson (born June 12, 1962) is a Canadian
clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the
University of Toronto. |
| In this clip, he talks about autism,
the ability of abstraction and intelligence. |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxNg0xcadsM |
|
| RESILIENCE, THE WAY TO ADD QUALITY TO YOUR LIFE |
| Zoom Discussion & Meeting in Die Waenhuis, Stilbaai:
Friday 26 May 2023 @ 14:00 |
|
| The recording of the Zoom meeting is on the link below. |
| (Note: This meeting is an experiment -
Zoom plus live audience. So there are a few minor media
adjustments near the beginning of the presentation. Please be
patient or move ahead to 11.13 minutes into the meeting.) |
| »
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13nxtWvy0VthN0HZrQ9-ok1rebeeLlWxr/view?usp=sharing |
|
| We all experience challenges in life - Resilience is the
process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or
challenging circumstances. This requires mental, emotional and
behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal
demands. |
| Here are some YouTube links to get you interested in joining
us. |
|
| Resilience and Emotional Intelligence |
| »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqB5OHVwRY8 |
|
| How Your Resilience is Trying to Kill You | Jenny Susser |
TEDxGainesville |
| It is not our resilience that forms the foundation for
performance, it is our personal energy, more specifically, how
we replenish the energy we spend. In this talk, she shares how
energy works, making the obvious accessible - because when you
replace and restore the energy you spend, all kinds of yummy
emotions, behaviors, and performances become available. |
| »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUsITcRCm2g |
|
| EPIGENETHICS AND NURTURE |
| Zoom Discussion - Friday 28 April 2023 at 14:00 |
| The recording of the Zoom discussion is on the following
link: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yot-sIfL9HNhKnN1yL4bW3evOElpQaYa/view?usp=share_link |
|
| I have watched a fascinating documentary that introduces so
many topics we have touched on. I hope most of you will be able
to enjoy the full version on Showmax or Youtube, but I add links
to shorter discussions, which I also enjoyed. |
| This IN UTERO documentary introduces many life challenges
and concepts that affect how our brain and personality
develops...IN UTERO is a cinematic rumination on what will
emerge as the most provocative subject of the 21st century – the
environmental impact on pregnancy and its lasting imprint on
human development, human behavior, and the state of the world.
Fetal origins experts, research scientists, psychologists,
doctors and midwives – as well as examples from popular culture
and mythology – collectively demonstrate how our experiences in
utero shape our future. |
https://tv.movie/movie/in-utero/69317?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Search&t_source=64&utm_campaign=4124&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8jSyrG4_
gIV0LnVCh19vwGyEAAYAiAAEgI1p_D_BwE |
| IN UTERO is a documentary examining the connection between
the state of the world and prenatal life. Filmmakers Stephen and
Kathleen Gyllenhaal share a trailer for the film and explain
epigenetics while discussing the impact of “unconscious”
memories. The Gyllenhaals also break down pro life vs pro
choice, fetal development and reveal their own struggles with
conception on this episode of Antidote hosted by Michael Parker.
Through enlightening and oftentimes poignant interviews with
experts and pioneers, IN UTERO paints a complex tapestry of the
human experience from conception to birth. Tapping into cultural
myths, popular movies, and technological trends, the film
demonstrates how our experiences in utero preoccupy us
throughout our lives. |
Enjoy this interview link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRt_EkKgrik |
|
| OUR PREFERENCES: WHAT DRIVES OR MOTIVATES US? |
| Why do we like what we like? |
| Perception is not a passive recording of the properties of
objects. It is the means by which an active cognitive system
attempts to make sense of the world. And it does so by
continually evaluating the experience, goals and expectations
associated with them. |
| Our view of the world is never naïve. We perceive and
evaluate through an individual and situated lens; the lens of
our experience, knowledge, interests, needs, goals and
expectations. We like what we like because we are who we are,
here and now. |
|
| Food preferences - how does your DNA play a role? |
|
»
https://theconversation.com/picky-eater-research-shows-it-could-be-in-your-dna-189810 |
We found food can be categorised in three groups: highly
palatable foods which include meat, junk food and desserts;
low calorie foods, mostly fruit and salad vegetables, but also
oatmeal and honey; and acquired taste foods which are strong
tasting foods children generally dislike but learn to enjoy such
as coffee, alcohol and spices. |
| MRI brain scans to look in more detail at which areas of the
brain correlated with the three food groups. |
| We once again found that enjoyment of highly palatable foods
was associated with a larger volume of brain areas involved in
perceiving pleasure in food (Desire dopamine circuit and Reward
endorphins = weakness for highly pleasurable foods). |
| The other two groups were associated with brain areas
involved with sensory perception = novelty seeking introduces
acquired taste, identification (categorised by values not
pleasure) and decision making = goals (Prefrontal cortex
regulation behaviour - Control dopamine circuit). |
| This short video also supports our discussion
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0f0cw07/the-truth-behind-your-favourite-flavours
|
|
| Anna Lembke On The Neuroscience of Addiction: Our Dopamine
Nation |
| She discusses how high-dopamine stimuli like food, drugs,
news, gaming, texting can lead to addiction, and challenges us
to find balance in the Age of Indulgence. |
| » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp20GdQWo3o
|
|
| PLEASURE AND TASTE PREFERENCES: WHAT DRIVES OR MOTIVATES US? |
| The Neuroscience behind our preferences. |
| »
https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-like-what-we-like-the-neuroscience-behind-the-objects-that-please-us-196330 |
| Why do we like what we like? |
Perception is not a passive recording of the properties of
objects. It is the means by which an active cognitive system
attempts to make sense of the world. And it does so by
continually evaluating the experience, goals and expectations
associated with them.
Our view of the world is never naïve.
We perceive and evaluate through an individual and situated
lens; the lens of our experience, knowledge, interests, needs,
goals and expectations. We like what we like because we are who
we are, here and now. |
|
| Food preferences - how does your DNA play a role? |
|
»
https://theconversation.com/picky-eater-research-shows-it-could-be-in-your-dna-189810 |
| We found food can be categorised in three groups: highly
palatable foods which include meat, junk food and desserts; low
calorie foods, mostly fruit and salad vegetables, but also
oatmeal and honey; and acquired taste foods which are strong
tasting foods children generally dislike but learn to enjoy such
as coffee, alcohol and spices. |
| MRI brain scans to look in more detail at which areas of the
brain correlated with the three food groups. We once again found
that enjoyment of highly palatable foods was associated with a
larger volume of brain areas involved in perceiving pleasure in
food (Desire dopamine circuit and Reward endorphins = weakness
for highly pleasurable foods). |
| The other two groups were associated with brain areas
involved with sensory perception = novelty seeking introduces
acquired taste, identification (categorised by values not
pleasure) and decision making = goals (Prefrontal cortex
regulation behaviour - Control dopamine circuit). |
|
| Reconnect with your meals |
| »
https://theconversation.com/for-a-sustainable-future-we-need-to-reconnect-with-what-were-eating-and-each-other-123490 |
| Research is revealing the negative impacts of eating alone,
which has been found to be linked to a variety of mental and
physical health conditions, from depression and diabetes to high
blood pressure. So it’s encouraging that hundreds of food
sharing initiatives have sprung up around the world which aim to
improve food security and sustainability while combating
loneliness. |
| So why has eating together declined? There are a variety of
reasons. Authors such as the food writer Michael Pollan argue
that it is due to the general undervaluing of home-based labour,
including cooking. The widening of the workforce, which brought
many women out of the kitchen and into the workplace during the
20th century, also contributed. |
| There’s London’s Casserole Club, for example, whose
volunteers share extra portions of home-cooked food with people
in their area who aren’t always able to cook for themselves. Or
South Africa’s Food Jams, social gatherings in which
participants are paired up, preferably with strangers, and given
a portion of the meal to prepare. |
|
| Anna Lembke On The Neuroscience of Addiction: Our Dopamine
Nation |
| She discusses how high-dopamine stimuli like food, drugs,
news, gaming, texting can lead to addiction, and challenges us
to find balance in the Age of Indulgence. |
| »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp20GdQWo3o |
|
| MASCULINITY |
| Zoom Discussion - Friday 27 January 2023 at 14h00. |
| The recording of the Zoom discussion is on the following
link: |
| »
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SoTu0f4X-qKEWgkE2R5beVWXP8W5ahWe/view?usp=share_link |
|
| Of boys and men; Why modern men are struggling in education,
employment and as fathers. |
| By Richard Reeves |
| »
The Fall of Men. Male inequality explained by an expert. |
|
| Connor Beaton – the Mask of Masculinity, 2016 |
| »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmkFdAMFGXo&t=14s |
| Through powerful stories from his own life, Connor
illustrates the damaging impact of the ‘man mask’ and how our
perception of masculinity is one of the biggest challenges men
face today. His solution: a call to men to cast off the broken
ideals and discover new ways of living fully and authentically.
Connor Beaton - info@mantalks.ca - is the Founder of ManTalks.
He supports mens’ health and wellness by giving them tools to be
better fathers, husbands and leaders in their communities. |
|
| Psychology Has a New Approach to Building Healthier Men |
| A controversial set of guidelines aims to help men grapple
with “traditional masculinity. |
| »
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/01/traditional-masculinity-american-psychological-association/580006/ |
| Roy Baumeister said "I’m certainly not denying that culture
has exploited women, but rather than seeing culture as
patriarchy, which is to say a conspiracy by men to exploit
women, I think it’s more accurate to understand culture (e.g. a
country, a religion) as an abstract system that competes against
rival systems — and that system uses both men and women, often
in different ways, to advance its cause. In fact my own theory
is built around tradeoffs, so that whenever there is something
good it is tied to something else that is bad, and they balance
out (more men in top privilege and more men down and out or die
young). Most cultures have tended to use men for these
high-risk, high payoff slots much more than women. Men represent
extremes or variation on any continuum - more than women do. Is
it due to biology or genetics? In fact, evolution will preserve
differences when there is a tradeoff: when one trait is good for
one thing, while the opposite is good for some other survival
scenario. Important differences between men and women are to be
found in motivation rather than ability, and can be compared for
intimate versus large group survival. Social systems evolve to
benefit from, and pass on information in a given environment. |
| Thus, the reason for the emergence of gender inequality may
have little to do with men pushing women down in some dubious
patriarchal conspiracy. Rather, it came from the fact that
wealth, knowledge, and power were created in the men’s Social
sphere. This is what pushed the men’s sphere ahead. Not
oppression, simply the gradual creation of wealth, knowledge,
and power in the men’s sphere became the source of gender
inequality. Within a Social System based on larger groups, where
individuals aren’t necessarily valued, one has to strive for
respect. Man's basic social insecurity is not only social, it's
existential and biological. Built into the male role is the
danger of not being good enough to be accepted and respected
(society still requires the man to earn respect by producing
wealth and value that can support himself and others) and even
the danger of not being able to do well enough to create
offspring - have all contributed to humiliation. |
| »
https://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/wp-content/uploads/Is-There-Anything-Good-About-Men.pdf |
|
| PSYCHO-HISTORY: THE CYCLE OF HUMILIATION TRAUMA AND REVENGE |
| Zoom Discussion: Friday 25 November 2022 @ 14h00. |
| The recording of the Zoom discussion is on the following
link: |
| »
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xsS4VyEe58UjfsRFMi9WAJCe2vXwTQP9/view?usp=share_link |
|
| Jenni invited Hélène Opperman Lewis BA(Hons) HED MSc(Psych),
a Swellendam Psychologist, to present this month. Psycho-history
attempts to explain the ‘psychological why’ of the cycle of
revenge that tends to follow unremitting humiliation of a nation
or a group. This cycle can be compounded if there is unprocessed
trauma. |
| A cycle of revenge that is unconsciously activated as a
‘task’ is passed on to future generations to repair the parent's
(the humiliated group’s) fragmented selves. Called trans- or
inter- generational trauma. An unconscious psychological process
where yesterday's humiliated…tends to become tomorrow’s
humiliator. |
| In the mid 1990s, Hélène felt ashamed and guilt-ridden as an
Afrikaner hearing the shocking and devastating TRC revelations
on TV. She became determined to understand why Afrikaners, her
people, created Apartheid in 1948. |
| Afterwards, triggered by certain observations amongst young
Afrikaners who were furious about their parents and grandparents
past decisions, she in 2001 enrolled for a doctoral at the then
University of Port Elizabeth. The intended thesis was titled: "The
Development of a Social Conscience amongst Afrikaners." |
| While doing research into Kohlberg and Gilligan͛s theories
in the development of moral reasoning, she discovered the field
of psycho-history. It was mind-blowing; psycho-history is the
study of large groups and nations, looking at the PSYCHOLOGICAL
WHY OF HISTORY. Analysing the unconscious motives that
universally drive our continuous human struggle for survival,
very often with devastating consequences. A year into her PhD
research she decided to discontinue her formal studies -
realising the depth and complexity of her subject had to be much
broader and deeper than her intended thesis. To do justice to
her quest she realised she would need many years, and it
eventually took 15 years of intense research to complete. |
| In short - what seems to be the never-ending repetition
throughout history, becomes understandable from a
psychohistorical perspective. This universal phenomena holds
true for every group who once suffered humiliation and trauma –
and that is about everyone! |
| The universal human story. Playing out right now on the
world stage... |
| In 2001 Hélène wrote an article, "Racism as projection:
How early childhood can help it take root" which was
published in the Rhodes Journalism Review of that year.
This became important reading at the International conference on
Racism held in Durban. In 2002 she was (again) invited to NY and
presented a piece on the Anglo-Boer War as well as the TRC
(Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa), at the
annual Psycho-history convention. In 2011 she attended the
annual International Dignity & Humiliation conference in New
York, and again in Oslo in 2012. In April 2013 she convened the
annual International Dignity & Humiliation conference in
Stellenbosch. In June 2015 she presented a paper on Humiliation
& Trauma in Rwanda. |
| Her book, "Apartheid - Britain͛’s Bastard Child" -
was self published in late 2016. |
| It should be a fascinating discussion on Friday. |
|
| HOW WE INTERPRET REALITY |
| The recording of the Zoom session on Friday 28 October 2022
is on the following link: |
| »
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pz93vUoElzsSCpTpc5KTkc-v5YLEjwAZ/view?usp=share_link |
|
| Our topic covers the interaction between our beliefs,
perceptions and assumptions and mental recreation or
interpretation of reality. |
|
| Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do
- John Bargh |
| The unconscious mind works in ways we are completely unaware
of, guiding our behavior, goals, and motivations in areas like
race relations, parenting, business, consumer behavior, and
addiction. In his talk, Yale psychology professor John Bargh
shares insights from his recently published book Before You Know
It. He discusses his revolutionary research into the unconscious
mind, exploring the forces that affect everyday behavior while
transforming our understanding of ourselves in profound ways. |
| » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpb4y3isDzs |
|
| Do we see Reality as it is - Donald Hoffman |
| Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big
question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as
we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he
ponders how our minds construct reality for us. He studies how
our visual perception, guided by millions of years of natural
selection, authors every aspect of our everyday reality. |
|
»
https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/video/do-we-see-reality-as-it-is-donald-hoffman |
|
| Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality - Anil Seth |
| Right now, billions of neurons in your brain are working
together to generate a conscious experience -- and not just any
conscious experience, your experience of the world around you
and of yourself within it. How does this happen? According to
neuroscientist Anil Seth, we're all hallucinating all the time;
when we agree about our hallucinations, we call it "reality."
Join Seth for a delightfully disorienting talk that may leave
you questioning the very nature of your existence. |
|
»
https://www.ted.com/talks/anil_seth_your_brain_hallucinates_your_conscious_reality?language=en |
|
| PATHWAYS OF ANXIETY |
| The recording of the Zoom session on 30 September 2022 is on
the following link: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vDZxpKe2dMGXnh_hMZ_cbUdDAIUSBXbY/view?usp=sharing |
|
| UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY |
| The recording of the Zoom session on 26 August 2022 is on
the following link: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p3S93gUW0sZV3lPTTvAVVkKRlP2XiFrJ/view?usp=sharing |
|
WHAT IS NORMAL ANXIETY? Dr Jen Gunther
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEJ6GeAGb0 |
|
| By more clearly identifying our feelings or by
recategorizing them, we can reduce suffering (yes!) and increase
well-being, says neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. |
Your Brain creates your Emotions.
https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_feldman_barrett_you_aren_t_at_the_mercy_of_your_emotions_your_brain_creates_them |
|
| HOW THE BRAIN LINKS GESTURES, PERCEPTION AND MEANING |
| Neuroscience has found that gestures are not merely
important as tools of expression but as guides of cognition and
perception. |
|
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-the-brain-links-gestures-perception-and-meaning-20190325/ |
|
|
|
The Science (and Pseudoscience) of Non-Verbal Communication |
|
For decades now, researchers from a variety of disciplines study
nonverbal cues and behaviours such as facial expressions, gaze
patterns, postures, and body movements. However, while
scientific knowledge is substantial (more than 30 000
peer-reviewed publications), a variety of unfounded,
discredited, and pseudoscientific claims are disseminated on
traditional and social medias. This presentation will present an
overview of the scientific research on nonverbal communication,
and its relevance for practitioners. Watch from 8:20 min to
18:30 min |
Popular unfounded, discredited, and pseudoscientific claims, and
the implication of their use, will also be addressed.
Vincent Denault is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of
Educational and Counselling Psychology of McGill University, and
a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law of University of Sherbrooke. |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_qOPUzCnTM |
|
|
|
Ed Young Interviewed: AN IMMENSE WORLD is the delightful new
book from The Atlantic staff writer Ed Yong, and he joins us on
the show to talk about meeting animals on their own terms, with
Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer. Ed realised that having
knowledge of animal sensory abilities, actually increased his
empathy for the animal's experiences! |
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQS0Ioch05E |
|
|
|
For anyone needing the recording of Friday's Neuro Psych
discussion with Jenni Sharkey, the link is here: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I-JqHb9bJbbMVXB77-LUKB48rDDVVk27/view?usp=sharing |
|
| LONELINESS |
| Jenni Sharkey |
| Zoom Meeting 24 June 2022 @ 14h00 |
| My hope is that by talking about Loneliness we will all come
to realise that a depressed state is a rather natural and
appropriate reaction to circumstances, but that we are not
required to simply endure it! |
Loneliness, depression and sociability in old age.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016701/
|
Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy has
seen the physical and emotional toll of social disconnection
rising throughout society over the past few decades.
TOGETHER: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes
Lonely World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5BIYYtnc6I |
Evolutionary Biology explores what the function of a trait
is, and describes its physical mechanism.
What is the history
of the trait over many generations? How does the trait develop
during the history of the particular organism? David Sloan
Wilson makes interesting reading! |
| Strategies to improve mental health Older adults reported
engaging in a variety of strategies to improve their mental
health from March 2020 to January 2021. During this period, one
in eight (13%) discussed a new mental health concern with their
primary care provider, 6% adjusted or started a new prescription
medication for their mental health, and 5% started seeing a
mental health professional. Three in ten older adults (29%)
reported making a lifestyle change to improve their well-being
such as exercise, diet, or meditation. Making lifestyle changes
during the pandemic was more common among adults 50–64 than
those age 65–80 (31% vs. 25%), women compared to men (33% vs.
24%), and Blacks and Hispanics compared to Whites (38% vs. 34%
vs. 27%). |
Geriatric Depression: Impact On Families and Caregivers
While making sure to be there for your aging loved one is
important for both their physical and emotional health, it is
significant to note that this may take a certain toll on a
person. No one wants to see their loved one’s health decline,
and having to be their main support system can cause one’s own
health to suffer. This can be due to caregiver burnout, or the
problem in which a caregiver does not practice self-care and
instead dedicates most or all of their time to supporting
others. While some may view this to be a selfless or necessary
act, it can be very detrimental. This is because a study found
that the rates of elderly patients with depression are
correlated with poor caregiver mental health. This means that
caregivers themselves can experience poor mental health when
caring for their family members, meaning caregivers should take
preventative measures to ensure their mental health doesn’t
decline. This can be done by practicing mindfulness, eating
healthy, leaving time for hobbies and activities, and
socializing. There are also support groups that can be available
either in person or online for people who are caregivers for
their ailing or elderly family members. Also, if possible,
families should divide up caregiver responsibilities between
family members or formal caregivers to prevent caregiver burnout
from occurring. Melissa Jean |
Best wishes
Jenni |
| The discussion that took place on Zoom can be viewed at: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WCTMK_hevdro0FPlX-xOqHizE8hydQPO/view?usp=sharing |
|
| JOURNALING AS THERAPY -WRITING FOR MINDFULNESS AND WELLBEING |
| Zoom Meeting 27 May 2022 |
| Jenni invited Esme Goldblatt to share her wisdom and
experience on "Journaling as Therapy – Writing for Mindfulness
and Wellbeing." |
This topic reminds her of the March 2021 Zoom Discussion on
Language, wnich you can access at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SCjSugkJI8gSDeM3Bdzcdqrdbk-En0Ai/view?usp=sharing
as well as research on identifying emotions with precision, see
the article "Try these two smart techniques to help you master
you emotions" by Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett. |
| The discussion that took place on Zoom can be viewed at: |
|
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S3JdcFFwjQaB4JAtqMPmA9fLmcP0Eb9b/view?usp=sharing |
|
| RECENT TOPICS |
| The meaning of happiness and integrated brain hemispheres. |
| Nancy Etcoff (Cognitive researcher) looks at Happiness --
the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's
untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect
on our bodies. |
| »
Click here for TED talk. |
|
| Learn how to harness the powerful benefits of laughter
and humour. |
| »
Click her for video. |
|
| How much choice (Agency or Free Will) do we have as
individuals, as well as within society? |
| These scientists (and evolutionary biology) are inspiring,
and illustrate how much power we have, and how complex our lives
are! |
|
| You ROC! With Asset-Based Thinking |
| » Kathy Cramer at TEDxYouth@Indianapolis |
| We can all approach life with Resilience, Optimism and
Confidence! First, let's define deficit-framing. It means
defining people by their problems. By comparison, asset-framing
is defining people by their aspirations and contributions before
exploring their deficits. |
|
| Our future is still in our hands |
| Katherine Hayhoe is one of the most esteemed atmospheric
scientists in the world. She’s made her mark by connecting dots
between climate systems and weather patterns and the lived
experience of human beings in their neighborhoods and
communities |
| »
Read the transcript or listen on Spotify and Apple podcasts. |
|
| The Power of Human Collaboration and Innovation During and
After a Crisis |
| Nicholas Christakis |
| During times of plague people search for meaning, and what's
important in their own lives and society. “The spread of germs
is the price we pay for the spread of ideas,” says renowned
physician, epidemiologist, public health expert, and Yale social
scientist Dr. Nicholas Christakis, author of the bestselling
book “Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society”
(2019). |
|
| The Brain |
| Iain McGilchrist - The Divided Brain and the search for
meaning |
| Renowned psychiatrist and writer explains how the divided
brain has profoundly altered human behaviour, culture and
society. No neuroscientist would dispute that there are
significant differences between left and right hemispheres; but
until now, no-one has understood why. |
| »
Click here for YouTube video. |
| »
Click here for video on U3A drive. |
|
| Whole Brain Living |
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, author of "Whole Brain Living" shares
the 90 second rule for right brain/left brain living in this
5min interview.
Another way of translating Taylor’s rule is
when you react to a situation, you make a choice to do so—an
unconscious choice perhaps, or a neurological choice—but a
choice nonetheless. |
| »
Click here for YouTube video. |
|
| The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and
Others Don't |
| In her TedTalk, Julia Galef looks at how two very different
mindsets, or our motivated reasoning, impact the way in which we
use information and make a decision. Do you yearn to defend your
own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you
possibly can, by regularly updating your beliefs with newly
acquired evidence? |
| »
Click here for TED talk video. |
|
| Physiology of Sleep |
| »
Dr Dale Rae:- What is sleep; How is it regulated; Why we
sleep; and Healthy sleep. |
|
| REM sleep and dreaming |
| »
Dr Mark Solms :- Providing evidence for where and when the brain
is activated, during dreams. |
|
| The Brain that changes itself |
| This is an exploration of some of the neuroscientific
research that has changed people's lives, when neuroplasticity
changes their brain pathways. |
| »
Watch the documentary via YouTube. |
| In his second book The Brain’s Way of Healing Doidge
describes natural, noninvasive avenues into the brain provided
by the forms of energy around us—light, sound, vibration,
movement—that can pass through our senses and our bodies to
awaken the plastic brain’s own transformative capacities without
surgery or medication and their unpleasant side effects or
risks. Neuroplastic healing is truly one of the life-changing
breakthroughs of modern science. |
|
| The Power of Thought |
| »
Watch this interview, Feb 2015 |
|
| The Drake Institute has been utilizing qEEG (Quantitative
Electroencephalogram) Brain Mapping for 23 years as an important
diagnostic test in evaluating patients with ADD/ADHD, Autism
Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, and
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. |
| »
An article about some of these neurofeedback techniques |
|
| Dopamine, obsession and boredom; plus happiness and
wandering minds. |
| Join Jenni for a Zoom discussion on Friday 1 October at
14h00. |
|
| Dopamine: Driving Your Brain into the Future |
| Daniel Lieberman. TEDx Wilmington Women |
| Why are we obsessed with the things we want – and bored when
we get them? Why do highly driven people so rarely enjoy the
success they’ve earned? The answer is dopamine, a chemical in
the brain that has been called “the pleasure molecule.” But is
it? Find out why it holds the key to desire, motivation, and
sometimes the most disastrous of consequences. |
| »
Click here to view TED talk. |
| You can also read The Molecule of More by Daniel Z Lieberman
-
Click here. |
|
| A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind |
| Researcher Matt Killingsworth designs studies that gather
data on happiness |
Topics such as "The relationship between happiness and the
content of everyday experiences; the percentage of everyday
experiences that are intrinsically valuable; and the degree of
congruence between the causes of momentary happiness and of
one’s overall satisfaction with life") .
|
| So when are humans
most happy? Matt built an app, Track Your Happiness, that asks
people to report their feelings in real time. Among the
surprising results: We're often happiest when we're absorbed in
the moment. And the flip side: The more our mind wanders, the
less happy we become. |
| »
Click here to view TED talk. |
|
| How we form memories, and some issues
around aging brains. |
| Flex your cortex - 7 secrets to
turbocharge your brain. |
| Sandra Bond Chapman. TEDX 2014 |
| earn from Dr Sandra Bond Chapman, a cognitive neuroscientist
at The University of Texas at Dallas, the seven
scientifically-validated secrets, which anyone can implement to
improve brain performance. |
| Dr. Chapman collaborates with scientists across the country
and around the world to solve some of the most important issues
concerning the brain and its health. On the frontier of brain
research, her scientific study melds interdisciplinary expertise
to better understand how to evaluate and achieve optimal brain
performance through preserving frontal lobe function, the area
of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning and
decision-making. |
| »
Click here to view YouTube video |
|
| Nuns Offer Clues to Alzheimer's and Aging |
| Pam Belluck. New York Times, May 7, 2001 |
| »
Click here to read article |
|
| Memory fit - How I learnt to exercise my memory |
| Anastasia Woolmer. TEDxDocklands |
| Anastasia Woolmer guides us on her journey from a physical
to a mental athlete. After a career as a professional Ballet and
Contemporary dancer, she completed a university degree with very
little high school behind her. Like many of us, she studied
without the benefit of memory techniques, just a lot of
preparation and late nights. Anastasia discusses what a dramatic
difference memory training has made to her life, since then. We
can all benefit from directed memory skills, and a little
practice pays big dividends. This talk reveals that combining
the two types of fitness training – mental and physical – helps
us to achieve the most out of life. Anastasia is a two times
Australian Memory Champion, is the first female to hold this
title and has set several Australian memory records along the
way. She is both a physical and mental athlete, with an
international career as a professional Ballet and Contemporary
dancer. Her love of learning attracted her to memory sports as a
path to absorb new information quickly and she now helps others
to learn memory techniques. Anastasia is also uniquely able to
demonstrate the mental imagery she uses during memorisation.
Anastasia believes combining both physical and mental fitness
gives us the best chance for a happy and full healthy life. She
knows that anyone can train themselves to perform remarkable
memory feats and bypass slower conventional learning methods. |
»
Click here to view YouTube video
|
|
| Top 10 Tips to Keep Your Brain Young |
| Elizabeth Amini. TEDxSoCal Aug 16, 2011 |
| Elizabeth Amini is a social entrepreneur with a background
in science. She learned data analysis while working as a
scientist at JPL/NASA. Elizabeth has a degree in Cognitive
Science (the study of the brain) from Occidental College and an
M.B.A. from University of Southern California. Her
Anti-AgingGames.com business plan won the USC Business Plan
contest as well as the YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)
award for promising new companies. Anti-AgingGames.com features
fun and easy brain stimulation games . The training system
includes memory, concentration, focus, and relaxation games.
Anti-AgingGames.com includes tips distilled from over 17,000
medical studies that teach how to potentially reduce the risk of
early memory loss through lifestyle changes. |
| » Click here to view YouTube video |
|
| Illusions, Assumptions and Free Will |
|
| A beautiful mind -- deepening our understanding of
perception, creativity... |
| Beau Lotto. April 2014 |
| Beau Lotto is a globally renowned neuro-scientist who
specialises in perception research, and has for years wowed the
world of science with work that blurs the boundaries between
neuro-science and the arts. As well as transforming the science
of perception, he wants to transform the way people think - not
just about themselves, but also about the world around them. |
| Adaptation is the life-blood of any individual, and it has
two parts. The application of an adaptation - focusing on
process and efficiency results in being able to adapt well, and
is essential to survivaI in a static or predictable world. |
| Beau will focus principally on perception because it
underpins everything we know, think, feel and believe, from our
best inventions to our most basic psychoses. Understanding how
the brain resolves uncertainty, offers direct insight to the
'destructive creation' that is the process of learning itself.
But what about an uncertain world? In such an environment, the
other side of adaptation (creativity) becomes essential. And our
world, of course, is uncertain, and increasingly so. Given that,
why is it that we so often rely on learned efficiency, at the
expense of creativity? |
| Here, using perceptual neuroscience, Beau Lotto will address
three key points about creativity: - What actually is
Creativity? - Why fear and stress are the principle barriers to
achieving creativity - How can one facilitate creativity? |
| »
Click here to view YouTube video |
|
| IQ Tests Can’t Measure It, but ‘Cognitive Flexibility’ Is
Key to Learning and Creativity |
| The Conversation. June 2021 |
| Cognitive flexibility can also help protect against a number
of biases, such as confirmation bias. That’s because people who
are cognitively flexible are better at recognising potential
faults in themselves, and using strategies to overcome these
faults. |
| »
Click here to view article. |
|
| How brains learn to see |
| Pawan Sinha. TEDIndia 2009. |
| Pawan Sinha details his groundbreaking MIT research into how
the brain's visual system develops. His team provides free
vision-restoring treatment to children born blind, and then
study how their brains learn to interpret visual data. This work
offers insights into neuroscience, engineering and even autism. |
| »
Click here to view TED Talk. |
|
| The Neuroscience behind Personality |
|
| Dopamine genes are linked to Extraversion and Neuroticism
personality traits, but only in demanding climates. |
| Ronald Fischer, Anna Lee & Machteld N. Verzijden. January
2018 |
| Firstly I introduce the relationship of environment to
personality, because it is a 60:40 nature:nurture interaction
... |
| »
Click here to view article |
| » Click here to read about Big Five Factor personality
model. |
|
| Understanding The Fisher Temperament Inventory & Its 4 Types |
| Helen Fischer, a biological anthropologist PhD and chief
science advisor of Match.com |
| June 2020 |
| »
Click here to read article. |
| To study the validity of the Fisher Temperament Inventory
test, Fisher had people take the questionnaire and then took MRI
scans of their brains. Sure enough, people who showed estrogen
dominance in the questionnaire, for example, consistently had
more activity in brain regions linked with empathy and social
skills. People who scored high on the serotonin scale showed
activity in the part of the brain linked with social norm
conformity. |
| Dr. Helen Fisher on How Brain Chemistry Determines
Personality and Politics |
| (YouTube 40min video). April 2018 |
| »
Click here to view video. |
|
| Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic |
| Finally we look at gender chromosomes ... Professor Daphna
Joel (Psychology and Neuroscience) explores the mistaken concept
that brains can be either male or female, thus providing an
explanation for why men and women are different. She disputes
the theory, displays the neurological data, and proves that our
brains are really a unique mosaic of both male and female
characteristics, forming an 'intersex brain.' |
| »
Click here to read article
- December 2015 |
| Even when considering highly stereotypical gender behaviors,
there are very few individuals who are consistently at the
“female-end” or at the “male-end”, but there are mainly
individuals who have both “female-end” and “male-end”
characteristics. Furthermore, although one’s sex is enough to
predict whether this person would have more “female-end” or more
“male-end” characteristics, it is not enough to predict this
person’s specific combination of “female-end” and “male-end”
characteristics. Our findings are in line with more recent
thinking, that masculinization and feminization are two
independent processes and that sexual differentiation progresses
independently in different brain tissues, “enabling genetically
and environmentally induced variation in sexual differentiation
of different tissues within a single brain”. |
|
| Brain fatigue and experiencing "Languish vs Flourish" states |
|
| Beat the Burnout - How to fight pandemic fatigue with
science |
| Amy Fleming, 2 February 2021. |
| »
Click to view article. |
|
| How the lonely elderly can teach you lessons for life |
| Edward Molkenboer·TEDxHaarlem |
| Edward Molkenboer calls himself ‘a professional bon vivant’.
But that’s only since he started pouring coffee for the lonely
elderly. Before that time he owned two companies, but at some
point felt a personal bankruptcy. From the urge of doing good
for others he set up the foundation Goed doen voor een Ander (=
Doing good for someone Else). |
| »
Click to view video |
|
| Brain fog: how trauma, uncertainty and isolation have
affected our minds and memory |
| Moya Sarner, 14 April 2021 |
| After a year of lockdown, many of us are finding it hard to
think clearly, or remember what happened when. Neuroscientists
and behavioural experts explain why. |
| »
Click to view article |
|
| From Anger to Meditation |
| Well-being: |
| Richard Davidson, founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains the four
constituents of well-being. These constituents are rooted in
specific brain circuits that exhibit neuroplasticity, which
gives us the opportunity to enhance our well-being, with
practice. |
| »
Click to view video. |
|
| Humiliation: Why this little-understood emotion exists |
| BBC Ideas. 2019 |
| Why does humiliation exist? And can we turn it to our
advantage? Psychotherapist Philippa Perry explores this
little-understood emotion. Made by BBC Scotland. |
| »
Click here to view video. |
|
| How to make peace? Get angry |
| Kailash Satyarth, 2019 |
| How did a young man born into a high caste in India come to
free 83,000 children from slavery? Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Kailash Satyarthi offers a surprising piece of advice to anyone
who wants to change the world for the better: Get angry at
injustice. In this powerful talk, he shows how a lifetime of
peace-making sprang from a lifetime of outrage. |
| »
Click here to view video. |
|
| Loving Kindness Meditations |
| Research continues to reveal that compassion is much more
than just a concern for the suffering of others. It is a
valuable skill that can be cultivated over time through such
practices as Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation. |
| Instead of berating yourself (anger) and getting lost in
your suffering (pain), Compassion Meditation offers a way to use
your own suffering as a tool for true insight and understanding,
into what people all over the world are going through. |
| »
Click here to view video. |
|
| Language of positive or negative Feelings |
| The language of positive feelings: Tim
Lomas says “The feelings we have learned to recognise and label
are the ones we notice – but there’s a lot more that we may not
be aware of. And so I think if we are given some new words, they
can help us articulate whole areas of experience we’ve only
dimly noticed.” |
|
»
Read... "The ‘untranslatable’ emotions you never knew you had"
by David Robson. |
|
| Expanding our experiential horizons through untranslatable
words |
| Tim Lomas | TEDxZurich 2019 |
| Untranslatable words – terms without an exact equivalent in
our own language – can expand our horizons and transform our
lives. They have the potential to help us better understand and
articulate our experiences, and can even reveal new phenomena
which had previously been veiled to us. |
Collectively these words provide an illuminating and
detailed map of wellbeing, one with the potential to open people
up to new ways of seeing and being in the world. Dr. Tim Lomas
has been a lecturer in positive psychology at the University of
East London since 2013. His current main area of research
involves creating a lexicography of untranslatable words
relating to wellbeing.
... and take a look at the website:
https://www.drtimlomas.com/lexicography/cm4mi |
| »
Click to view TED Talk. |
|
| Your words may predict your future mental health |
| Mariano Sigman 2016 |
| In this fascinating talk, neuroscientist Mariano Sigman
reflects on ancient Greece and the origins of introspection to
investigate how our words hint at our inner lives and details a
word-mapping algorithm that could predict the development of
schizophrenia. "We may in the future be seeing a very different
form of mental health," Sigman says, "based on objective,
quantitative and automated analysis of the words we write, of
the words we say." |
| Can the way you speak and write today predict your future
mental state, even the onset of psychosis? |
| Neurocience has also confirmed that the Wernicke's area in
the Temporal Cortex is essential for using words in a meaningful
way (Semantics). We also lose neurological pathways for
accessing seldom used words (dementia). |
| Lastly, learning a foreign language by utilising brain
science, now concentrates on the most frequently used words (or
phrases). |
| »
Click here to view TED Talk. |
|
| Focused Attention. |
| The science of Focused Attention,
requires high Beta brainwave activity (Flow), and it is
important that we find things we enjoy being interested in. But
it also made me realise we need to be open to new ideas and the
freedom to explore and discover creatively. Stimulating the
brain (to avoid dementia) requires more than entertaining
distractions, we really must put effort into learning and
applying new knowledge and skills. |
|
| Flow, the secret to Happiness TED 2004 |
| Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth
living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to
those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities
that bring about a state of "flow." Especially pay attention to
the video at 14 - 17 minutes. |
|
»
Click to view TED Talk |
|
| Connecting the Dots: Your Brain and Creativity |
| Dita Cavdarbasha and Jake Kurczek explore the scientific
research of creativity. This summary is particularly
informative: Good illustrations of what is happening in the
brain and in our thoughts in order for us to pursue creative
activities. They explore intelligence and some myths surrounding
the brain and creativity, also the benefits that being creative
has in your life. |
|
» Click to view video |
|
| What can different cultures teach about boredom? |
| In Niger, young men counter the “weight of boredom” by
drinking tea together. For them, it’s better to live in the here
and now, and enjoy what is coming in the immediate future. |
|
» Click to view video |
|
| Discussion of Denialism (Covid, Climate change) and
Conspiracy Theories (Vaccinations, Trumpism). |
| Following on some points raised in the Robert Sapolsky and
Renee Lertzman videos, I decided to open with creating
understanding about why people can be denialists, or readily
believe in various conspiracy theories. |
| I have attached a Google Drive download of a 4 minute video
from a free online Future Learn course: Disinformation,
misinformation... by Michigan University; and some interesting
articles with a useful video explaining how to structure
scientific information. |
| »
Reasons people reject science.mp4 |
|
| A practical guide to countering science denial. |
| by John Cook, The Conversation |
| Climate change is real, so why the controversy and debate?
Learn to make sense of the science and to respond to climate
change denial in Denial101x, a massive open online course (MOOC)
from UQx and edX. Denial101x isn’t just a MOOC about climate
change; it’s a MOOC about how people think about climate change. |
| »
Click to view YouTube |
|
| Neuroscience explains how “fake news” works, and what
publishers can learn from it. |
| by Rachel Anne Barr (Neuroscience PhD student), The
Conversation |
|
»
Click to view video |
|
| How Identity—Not Ignorance—Leads to Science Denial. |
| Changing the minds of Covid-19 deniers may require a lot
more than sound reasoning - Markham Heid, The Nuance 2020 |
|
»
Click to view video |
|
| How to turn climate anxiety into action. |
| Renee Lertzman |
| It's normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed by climate
change, says psychologist Renée Lertzman. Can we turn those
feelings into something productive? In an affirming talk,
Lertzman discusses the emotional effects of climate change and
offers insights on how psychology can help us discover both the
creativity and resilience needed to act on environmental
issues.This talk was presented at an official TED conference. |
| »
Click here to open TED talk. |
|
| How to motivate yourself to change your behavior. |
| Tali Sharot |
| What makes us change our actions? Tali Sharot reveals three
ingredients to doing what's good for yourself. Dr. Tali Sharot
is a neuroscientist at University College London and the
director of the Affective Brain Lab. She is a faculty member of
the department of Experimental Psychology, a Wellcome Trust
Fellow, and currently a visiting Professor at Harvard Medical
School. Her research focuses on how emotion, motivation, and
social factors influence our expectations, decisions, and
memories. |
| »
Click here to open YouTube video. |
|
| The Biology of Humans at our Best and Worst. |
| Robert Zapolsky |
| Dr. Robert Sapolsky spoke at Stanford on October 24, 2017.
He is the author of several works of nonfiction, including A
Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone,
Why Zebras
Don't Get Ulcers, and his most recent book Behave: The Biology
of Humans at Our Best and Worst. |
| »
Click here to open video. |
|
| The Three Secrets of Resilient People. |
| Lucy Hone |
| Dr Lucy Hone is a resilience expert who thought she found
her calling supporting people to recover following the
Christchurch earthquake. She had no idea that her personal
journey was about to take her to a far darker place. In this
powerful and courageous talk, she shares the three strategies
that got her through an unimaginable tragedy — and offers a
profound insight on human suffering. Dr Lucy Hone is a director
of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, a
research associate at AUT University, a published academic
researcher, best-selling author and contributor to Psychology
Today, the Sunday Star Times and Next magazine. She trained at
the University of Pennsylvania and got her PhD in public health
at AUT University in Auckland. She has helped a range of
organisations — from primary schools to leading law firms — to
design and implement wellbeing initiatives creating sustained
and meaningful change. Five years ago, the sudden death of
Lucy’s 12-year-old daughter Abi forced Lucy to apply her
academic training and professional practice to foster her own
resilience in very personal circumstances. The blog she wrote in
the aftermath of Abi’s death attracted international attention
and resulted in the best-selling non-fiction title, What Abi
Taught Us, Strategies for Resilient Grieving (Allen & Unwin,
2016), now available as Resilient Grieving in the US, UK and NZ. |
| » Click here to open TED Talk |
