BRAINTENANCE: Train, Strain And Improve Your Brain. Expand Your Mind.

Arranging, Ordering And Categorizing Games: NeuroPlasticity and NeuroGrowth

2012-03-06T14:37:00.001-05:00

Any mental exercises which require that you arrange things (in the same positions as they were in before, i.e., memorizing and conforming to a map, floor plan or layout), order things (based upon a rule, i.e., smallest to largest) or categorize things (i.e., based upon rules, parameters or attributes) have the wonderful ability [whether you are a file clerk, a S.W.A.T. team member, or a Braintenance philosopher (i.e., unemployed, lazy or on an academic fellowship) can and will:

1) improve your memory;

2) improve your spacial perception and navigation ability;

3) improve your associative intelligence;

4) improve your neuroplasticity (the flexibility of brain cells to 'substitute in' for each other or to make adaptations to their functionality); and may...

5) possibly contribute to new neuronal growth (i.e., brand new brain cells) and an newly-establish neural channels.

Following is a wonderful game, courtesy of Brain Metrix, which provides an opportunity to do some arranging, enjoy yourself, and foster some mind growth. That is what The Braintenance Blog is all about. When you've finished, please hit the "BACK" button on your browser, come back to this page, and read so interesting facts, observations and conclusions. We'll wait for you.
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Arrange Game

This game can be a very nice brain exercise, which focuses on prompting your ability to arrange numbers in the right order in a very short time, this game depends on the level you choose. Start with 4 squares x 4, and see how it goes, then you can make it wider as you improve in this brain exercise. Have fun and good luck!

About the Arrange Game:

The human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself, even at an old age, it can grow new neurons. Severe mental decline is usually caused by diseasess, whereas most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, use it or lose it. And this is your chance to use it, in this arrange game.

Click on the hyperlink below to get started:

http://www.brainmetrics.com/arrange-game/

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Welcome back. We have some fresh-baked chocolate cookies left -- saved 'em for you.

On the subject of neuroplasticity and stimulating new neuron growth, I stumbled upon a very interesting bit of news that might constitute a neurological and psychiatric breakthrough:

"(PhysOrg.com) -- A new paper scheduled for publication in the January issue of Nature Photonics describes the use of spinning microparticles to direct the growth of nerve fiber, a discovery that could allow for directed growth of neuronal networks on a chip and improve methods for treating spinal or brain injuries."

You can access the published article, which is a bit technical, by clicking on http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/v6/n1/full/nphoton.2011.287.html

Thank you for sharing a few mind-minutes with me.

Douglas E. Castle On Your Mind

Shadow Leaders - Alternative Governments

2012-03-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

Shadow Leaders (puppeteers) and Alternative Governments (secret controllers) are notions which have now gone beyond the realm of futuristic sci-fi books and movies, 'crackpot' websites, and other forms of either imagination-fueled or paranoia-fueled media and become increasingly prevalent in the headlines and subject matter of articles and posts in highly-respected media and blogs.

Such authors as Dan Brown, Vince Flynn, Robert Ludlum, David Icke, and such mainstream television shows as The Unit, StrikeBack, Burn Notice are pressing the notion of secret societies, black-ops government units, private armies, cabals, conspiracies, privileged families pulling strings, and very small, secretive, amoral groups exerting incredible force (without allegiance to any country or cause) over the population and resources of the entire planet.

The Warren Commission, Area 51, Roswell, Fort Knox, Ruby Ridge, BP's ecological accident, Stealth Weapons, The World Trade Center Tragedy, the financial meltdown of the World Banking System, leaked correspondence from some very large and influential companies -- all of these magnetically, hypnotically pull our minds into at least contemplating the frightening and almost incomprehensible possibility of massive cover-ups, stratospheric power plays, para-governmental contractors in pivotal positions, and an elaborately-woven quilt of lies compounded upon lies.

You cannot help but think about the possibilities. Unthinkable Possibilities....yet we think about them.

Let's examine them together in A New Twitter Group. There is a great deal of fiction and fantasy out there, but what about the part that might actually be true? The best lies are concealed in half-truths, and dangerous truths are strategically debunked by tossing them in with the ravings of 'lunatics,' 'paranoids,' and 'extremists.' Join us.

Details follow, and all inquisitive minds are welcome - once there, you can draw your own conclusions. We don't pass judgment on our members -- we pass information and intelligence on to them for them to evaluate.

Again, join us.

Douglas E Castle

Follow @ShadowLeaders

Time: Better Perspective?/ Greater Distortion?

2012-02-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

BRAINTENANCE borrows from the TAKING COMMAND! Blog...

Dear Braintenanciers [which is how they should be spelling and pronouncing it en Francais]: It appears that we have opposing views regarding the effects of the passage of time during the course of one's life. On the one hand, many believe that the passage of time gives one a clearer perspective; on the other, many believe that the passage of time creates distortions.

What do you think?

The answer, I believe, is a combination of both. Neither view is false, but neither view is complete of itself.

Regarding the first view, with the passage of time comes the acquisition of experience and knowledge, and a broader data base upon which to construct comparisons, qualitatively and quantitatively. As this base increases with time, our ability to measure, to understand, to see against a greater backdrop of different and similar experiences heightens.

This is a gift of perspective. A person who has lived only five years has a much smaller base from which to draw a more precise perspective than the same person an additional five years hence. A first experience of the intoxicating and totally absorbing rush of youthful first love (perhaps "infatuation" would be a better term), is very different after one has experienced loving interaction in several relationships over a course of time. Love may be love, but it feels different given our wealth of love's history, if we are fortunate.

Regarding the second view, time does allow us, with failings of mental capacity, defensive reconstruction of personal history, protective patches of selective amnesia, the compounding of emotional weight (much like interest accumulating on invested principal), the inadvertent interweaving of dreams with experiences and upon certain particularly positive or negative recollections [where we build epics, legends and romantic tragedies in our imaginations, reconstructions and re-thinkings] to develop great distortions in our recall of many things.

The most interesting thing is that these two effects do not offset or counterbalance each other -- they co-exist within the same mind. A person can actually experience distorted childhood memories and yet have a clear situational perspective at the exact same time.

Think about this. Go back to a book, or poem or picture that effected you profoundly some time ago. Does it elicit the same sentiment now?

Your mind is a conflictory bundle of abilities and levels or types of consciousness. Why do you think that NLP, hypnotherapy, EMDR, EFT and cognitive therapy can effect us? It is because of the amazing compartmentalization of the Human Mind.

And as if things were not sufficiently complicated, sometimes these compartments work cooperatively and synergistically, and in other cases, they are either completely unaware of each other, or they actually work at crossed purposes in direct contradiction or conflict.

The mind is the most mysterious muscle of the collection that comprises us.

Keep exploring and experimenting -- (I'm grinning), both within your mind and without your mind. The sentence seems to make sense [structurally], but you can never do anything without your mind. More comforting perhaps, is that no matter how far you wander, you can never literally be out of your mind.

I'm somewhat relieved.

Douglas E Castle for The Braintenance Blog

Tongue-Twisters? Brain-Builders!

2012-02-22T13:35:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipediaabout brain-scanning (fMRI)technology.Tongue-twisters provide an entertaining way for us to refine and strengthen our elocution. They are also used therapeutically by speech pathologists and others [remember Bertie and Lionel in "The King's Speech"?] help overcome a variety of speech impediments, including the most troubling one of all: a lack of self-confidence.

Tongue-twisters are not childish, and they are not merely speech exercises. They are certified (*by some organization which does not currently exist, but which should be formed) brain-builders. In speaking them, your mind must clearly identify each word and its proper pronunciation, and differentiate it from the rest of the words. This does several things:

1) It forces the mind to ascribe some meaning or sense to the riddle. It pushes the imagination and creativity;

2) It increases the ability to focus because of the inherent need for precision;

3) It improves visual discernment and reading skills;

4) It develops a better bridge between the speaking function and the reading or listening/repeating functions. It's a neural path-maker; and

5) The more that you engage in this entertaining exercise, the better you become at it... not just in terms of your ability to rapidly recite the ones you've already practiced, but the speed with which you are able to master newer, longer and more challenging ones.

Perhaps, my fellow (and lady) Braintenancers, we might try a few of these. Try them alone. Observe your improvement. Try them out on your unsuspecting friends as a way to break up the workday. Forward this article (with my compliments) to everyone whom you feel needs a bit of a creative distraction and a quick brain tune-up!

Here are a few from me to you [courtesy of http://thinks.com] and several other miscellaneous sources:

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A

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,
With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
He thrusts his fist against the posts
And still insists he sees the ghosts.

Are our oars oak?

Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.

B

Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

Betty better butter Brad's bread.

Betty Botter bought some butter,
"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
It will make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter -
That would make my batter better."
So she bought a bit of butter,
Better than her bitter butter,
And she baked it in her batter,
And the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.

A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood.

A bitter biting bittern
Bit a better brother bittern,
And the bitter better bittern
Bit the bitter biter back.
And the bitter bittern, bitten,
By the better bitten bittern,
Said: "I'm a bitter biter bit, alack!"

Black bug's blood.

The blue bluebird blinks.

The bootblack bought the black boot back.

A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits.

Brad's big black bath brush broke.

C

Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?

Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.

A cheap ship trip.

Chop shops stock chops.

Comical economists.

Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.

Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.

The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

D

Don't pamper damp scamp tramps that camp under ramp lamps.

A dozen double damask dinner napkins.

Draw drowsy ducks and drakes.

E

Ed had edited it.

The epitome of femininity.

F

Fat frogs flying past fast.

A fat thrush flies through thick fog.

Flash message!

Flee from fog to fight flu fast!

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

Freshly fried flying fish, freshly fried flesh.

Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

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Enjoy these superb supplemental mental mettle maintainers. See you soon.

Douglas E. Castle

p.s. Please follow us on Twitter. We have a fine folio of fabulous facts, exercises and commentary... just visit the Twitterlinks Hubspot Blog and choose as many nifty Twitter feeds as you'd like to follow.

We Learn Viscerally And Mentally

2012-02-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

If you were to ask everyone whom you chanced to encounter if the following two statements were true, you would mostly get answers in the affirmative. And yet, despite conventional wisdom, they are only partial truths:

1. The MIND is the seat of intelligence and learning, and,
2. The MIND controls the BODY.

-- Just ask any ordinary person. He or she will likely confirm it (and perhaps even grin gratuitously).

One would think that our bodies were robotic; that they are merely slaves to our minds. When meeting a challenge (i.e., running a race, lifting weights, making a presentation in front of a group, somebody's well-intended uncle invariably chimes in with, "You can do it, kid! It's just mind over matter!"

If that were completely true (and I'll confess that I believe it to be partially true), then how is it possible that: Physical pain profoundly affects how we think and feel? We can walk down a familiar flight of stairs with our eyes closed? We can sense the gaze or presence of another individual upon us or in our proximity? An electrical current can produce a spasm when passed through a physically dead body? An individual will involuntarily vomit to purge a poison from his system, even if tastes delicious, and even if he has been told by his trusted spouse that it is quite healthful? When my body is cold, I begin to shiver? A victim in a deep coma may physically respond to the touch of a loved one? Someone can study a piano book for a year, and, when invited to sit down and play, absolutely be at a loss? People often sleepwalk without hurting themselves? A ballerina can execute a series of thousands of moves during the course of a ballet? An accomplished martial artist can perform a series of moves in the same manner as a ballerina? Muscle fibers can grow stronger as a result of mere physical exercise? We have many spontaneous reflexes? Our bodies can heal themselves when cut or bruised?

And how about this...

That each and every cell in our bodies "knows" the role that it is obligated to play in order to sustain us? And that certain cells or tissues, if moved from one part of the body to another, can actually adapt and assume a new function???

Combined, out minds and bodies are like interactive holographs. Each cell contains the code necessary to re-create the entire body from which is was drawn, but each cell is 'willing' to a assume a specific role as determined by engineering and circumstances. And each cell has enough plasticity to "morph" into another type of cell to carry on a function which is not being addressed by some other injured or diseased cell.

I am most fascinated by scientific reports of patients who have had hearts and other vital organs donated to them through life-saving transplants, and who subsequently developed memories, or sensations or cravings that were known to be associated with the deceased donor -- a complete stranger.

Well then...

OUR BODIES LEARN, TOO. From cell, to organ, to system, to the whole being...OUR BODIES LEARN. Our cells and systems remember. Our cells and systems adapt to change, and can, if need be, actually transform themselves to survive the environment!

The seat of intelligence and learning is not exclusively in the MIND. The seat of intelligence and learning is not exclusively in the BODY. THE SEAT OF INTELLIGENCE AND LEARNING IS IN OUR ENTIRE BEING.

The infinite recursive interplay between mental (mind) learning and visceral (body) learning creates the means of realizing our greatest potential. And I believe that that potential is unlimited.

Just relax and let yourself imagine the wildest of possibilities for a moment:If MIND and BODY are both consciously trained and are taught to work in harmony, the result could be extraordinary synergy and unparalleled achievement.

Looked at in this way, we are not merely creatures -- we are cooperate, collaborative colonies of "blood" relations. Each cell learns. Each cell instructs or teaches its neighbors or the tissues in which it is subsumed. We are mental (conscious) and visceral (conscious and subconscious) collections of miniaturized minds, each one compacted, yet each, like a computer chip, loaded with information and a mysterious sentience.

Douglas E Castle for BRAINTENANCE

p.s. We'd like for you to follow us on Twitter. Here are the feeds which you'll probably find most interesting:

http://twitter.com/Braintenance

http://twitter.com/Links4LifeAlrt

http://twitter.com/Sending _Signals

http://twitter.com/MindExercises

http://twitter.com/AlteredStates1

You can find an entire collection of available Twitter info streams at http://TwitterlinksHubspot.blogspot.com.

Expand Your Mind - Paradoxes Of Faith

2012-02-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Is there a God? And if there is, why is He making me ask this question?

There are some wonderful logical and paradoxical questions and sayings that have emerged through Humankind’s quest for a definitive answer to the troublesome problem of proof about the existence of God. Each of them gives one some pause for thought, and all of them are mind strengtheners. Here they come:

1. “My belief in God is based on faith. With absolute faith, a person can know, with complete certainty, that which cannot be proven. Faith is a God-given blessing.”

2. “If God created the universe, and if every effect is preceded by some cause, who or what created God?”

3. In one of my most doubtful moments, following a great tragedy in my life, I told my college roommate that I had lost my belief in God. My roommate replied, putting his hand gently on my shoulder, “Just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that he doesn’t believe in you, and care about you and love you.” I remember these words being a great source of comfort at that time.

4. An old quote from an episode of the breakthrough television sitcom “All In The Family,” uttered by Archie Bunker's self-righteous son-in-law, Michael: “Arch, when I think of all the things that have been done in the name of religion, it makes me thank God that I’m an atheist!” Hysterical, hmmm?

5. If you look up at the sky with clenched fists and yell (either out loud, or in your mind’s voice), “If you exist, God, how could you have let this [tragedy] happen? I don’t believe in you!” – It means that you are, in fact, a believer, but with some serious questions about His reasons and actions. The premise of a dialogue (as opposed to a monologue or a soliloquy), is that a second party is listening – but that second party may or may not respond. The difference between a dialogue and a monologue is that in a dialogue, the second party may not only listening, but that the presumed listening second party may in fact, respond.

Faithfully,

Douglas E. Castle
http://Braintenance.blogspot.com

Cubit Conundrum - Cubit's Rube*

2012-02-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

"Lord...um...excuse me. What's a 'cubit' ? "
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Notes of enormous importance:

1)“Cubit’s Rube” is a sloppy spoonerism for “Rubic’s Cube.”

2) Years ago, when I had a legitimate job in the fascinating field of accounting – fiscal voyeurism – my boss said to me (in anticipation of a confrontation with a dissatisfied client who had just learned that he owed the Internal Revenue Service a large sum of money), “Geez, Doug. The ‘fit is going to hit the shan!” If you cannot figure that one out, you must turn off your computer, go to the supermarket, and purchase a copy of The National Enquirer and a large box of bon-bons immediately. You are exempt from reading any further. Congratulations.

3) A friend once asked me (in an attempt to be witty and engaging, despite his chronic halitosis and repellent reptilian skin condition), “Hey, Dougie! What’s the difference between a rooster and a lawyer?” When I failed to answer, he said, grinning, “A rooster clucks defiance.” On reflection, I realized that while this sophisticated spoonerism was indeed cute (albeit obscene), it was, when translated, undeniably true. But I digress….

We should have an article here. Okay.

Question: What is the height, in cubits, of a man who is exactly six feet tall?

Answer:
You’ll have to be patient…

First, a few clues about the unit of measure (very popular in ark-building) known as the CUBIT excerpted from the all-knowing Wikipedia:

“A cubit is the first recorded unit of length and was one of many different standards of measurement used through history. It was originally based on measuring by comparing to one's forearm length.

Cubits were employed through Antiquity, the Middle Ages up to the Early Modern Times, especially for measuring cords and textiles, but also for timbers, stone and volumes of grain.
The Egyptian hieroglyph for the unit shows the symbol of a forearm, but it was rather longer than any actual forearms.

The Egyptian cubit was not subdivided into centimetres or inches, but into palms and digits. The Egyptian cubit was subdivided into 7 'palms' of 4 'digits', making 28 parts in all, and was between 52.3 and 52.4cm in length.”

But this is all just speculation and estimation…we need something more definitive. So, let’s settle on this average:

1 cubit = 45.72 centimeters, according to Douglas E. Castle of Braintenance

And let’s settle on this Metric to British conversion factor so that we can convert feet to centimeters to cubits:

1 centimeter = 0.032808399 feet, according to Douglas E. Castle of Braintenance

Computation: If a man is six feet tall, this means that he is 6 feet tall divided by 0.032808399 feet/centimeter, or approximately 183 centimeters tall.

Then, if we take his height (in centimeters) of 183, and divide it by 45.72 centimeters/cubit, we find that our six foot tall man is also approximately four cubits in height.

Douglas E. Castle [http://aboutDouglasECastle/blogspot.com]

The Blackboard In Your Mind - Part 3

2012-02-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

We can all safely admit (even to ourselves, if we are not in a confessional or a crowded subway car) that doing arithmetic computations with eyes closed, from memory and using sheer brain power is a challenge, but one that is a worthwhile undertaking. Here are the answers, as well as some observations, regarding the last posting. That makes this post, which are reading, a post-post posting. Or worse, it could be considered a commentary on a past posting. Alliteration and irony combined tend to produce an excess of spittle...an effect which I enjoy witnessing in others but which I try to avoid inadvertantly engaging in myself.
---------------

The following embedded image (although the subject appears wide awake), exemplifies irony:

It's now back to the exercise with some answers in RED.

Here's a new set of operations to work on in the same manner as you did on the previous set, except that now we will use multiplication and division. Never mind about your third-grade teacher's order of operations lecture....simply do the operations in the order indicated, ONE AFTER THE NEXT. I'll give you an answer to check your work within a day or two.

5 x 6 / 2 + 7 x 3 -5 = 61

Other things to think about:

1) Might these problems be easier/ more difficult if presented in a multi-row format, with a small number of operations per row? Why? A: Multiple rows are generally easier because they are easier to memorize and visualize and because they are seen as smaller, less 'intimidating' problems.

2) Might these problems be easier/ more difficult if presented in a vertical column instead of in a horizontal row? Why? A: It is generally easier to memorize things (words, numbers, shapes, and the like) in columns than in rows, based upon an orientation to data presentation taught to us [habituation] while in school.

3) Please follow some of our Twitter postings. For a complete listing (-phew-), simply visit http://TwitterLinksHubspot.blogspot.com.

Douglas E. Castle for Braintenance
[http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com]
[http://Braintenance.blogspot.com]

The Blackboard In Your Mind - Part 2

2012-02-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia In our last thrill-packed episode of Braintenance, we discussed the benefits of doing arithmetic calculations ("chain calculations") without the assistance of computers or any extrasensorial visual aids. The problem in the re-posting of the last show, yielded an answer of 28 [or at least it should have]. Most people's biggest challenges are not the arithmetic at all -- the challenges are 1) memorizing a string of data, and 2) recalling the string in "pieces" ("fractional recall") when going back to check or reaffirm our computations.

One hint which might prove helpful is to visualize the entire string as if it were placed at the top of your mental blackboard for reference, and to do the individual calculations below. In this way, you can trick your mind into having a source of embedded reference to go back to. By doing this, you'll have less problems worrying about 'losing your place,' during the computational process. And as we brain-builders know, worrying is the seed of some nasty self-fulfilling prophesies.

Take a look at the last drill, and then, we'll continue with a new challenge...
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When we utilize computers and other visual aids to do arithmetic calculations, several of our cognitive and computational abilities atrophy. We must exercise them in order to keep them strong. The simple process of doing arithmetic in your head allows you to visualize and to memorize. Many studies have shown that this rather simple exercise is one of the best ways to delay the onset of dementia and a number of other physiological manifestations of diminished mental capacity.

Do the following example in your head...no using fingers to draw in the air, or using of any other external physical processes (especially whispering the numbers to yourself0. I'll get you your answer tomorrow. Go ahead. Try this simple one [by the way, you'll actually find it confusing to look at the numbers on this page at the same time you visualize the computations in your head. With practice, this problem can be eliminated by simply taking a mental "photograph" of the numbers, closing your eyes and dedicating your mind to doing all of the work internally.

3 + 8 - 5 + 9 - 2 + 12 - 4 + 13 - 6 = ? ? = 28
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Here's a new set of operations to work on in the same manner as you did on the previous set, except that now we will use multiplication and division. Never mind about your third-grade teacher's order of operations lecture....simply do the operation in the order indicated. I'll give you an answer to check your work within a day or two.

5 x 6 / 2 + 7 x 3 -5 = ?

Other things to think about:

1) Might these problems be easier/ more difficult if presented in a multi-row format, with a small number of operations per row? Why?

2) Might these problems be easier/ more difficult if presented in a vertical column instead of in a horizontal row? Why?

3) Please follow some of our Twitter postings. For a complete listing (-phew-), simply visit http://TwitterLinksHubspot.blogspot.com.

Douglas E. Castle for Braintenance
[http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com]
[http://Braintenance.blogspot.com]

The Blackboard In Your Mind

2012-02-02T17:56:00.000-05:00

When we utilize computers and other visual aids to do arithmetic calculations, several of our cognitive and computational abilities atrophy. We must exercise them in order to keep them strong. The simple process of doing arithmetic in your head allows you to visualize and to memorize. Many studies have shown that this rather simple exercise is one of the best ways to delay the onset of dementia and a number of other physiological manifestations of diminished mental capacity.

Do the following example in your head...no using fingers to draw in the air, or using of any other external physical processes (especially whispering the numbers to yourself0. I'll get you your answer tomorrow. Go ahead. Try this simple one [by the way, you'll actually find it confusing to look at the numbers on this page at the same time you visualize the computations in your head. With practice, this problem can be eliminated by simply taking a mental "photograph" of the numbers, closing your eyes and dedicating your mind to doing all of the work internally.

3 + 8 - 5 + 9 - 2 + 12 - 4 + 13 - 6 = ?

See you tomorrow, Braintenance Barons (and Baronesses).

Subliminal Tapes To Re-Program Yourself.

2012-01-23T19:02:00.002-05:00

Subliminal Tapes To Re-Program Yourself

As promised, and for a wonderful change of pace, I wanted to offer you these FREE subliminal personal re-programming tapes in order to strengthen your self-esteem, resolve, and emotional fortitude. In these three tapes (which you can listen to either with headphones or through your computer's (or other device's) speakers, subliminal suggestions are embedded against a backdrop of gentle sound and binaural beats to maximize entrainment and retention. These tapes were not made by me, and I do not make any guarantees as to their quality or effectiveness -- but I believe that, at very least, you'll find that they make you feel better, generally speaking. And we Braintenance Neuron Knitters are always in need of that!

Simply click on each of the programs below, enjoy it, hit the "BACK" button in your browser, and return to this page. You'll likely achieve the best result by listening to each recording once in the early morning, and once before bedtime. Yep -- this could be a four- or five-day project. Maybe more.

By the way, if you'd like to download a .pdf file (for your repeated use or sharing) of this entire post with live hyperlinks to the programs, simply click on http://bit.ly/2012SubliminalPack.

Here are your Programs:

ONE
http://www.mediafire.com/?p7bsc93myg3mrom

TWO
http://www.mediafire.com/?ue0b2pn4n5nhnec

THREE
http://www.mediafire.com/?6w1xdjcfcdaa9e8

FOUR
http://www.mediafire.com/?p7woyeblmoesm91

Enjoy them, and welcome to the Year Of The Dragon!

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com] for
BRAINTENANCE [http://Braintenance.blogspot.com]

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Keeping Those New Year's Resolutions?

2012-01-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

We've had more than enough time to start re-evaluating those New Year's Resolutions. This might be a good time to determine which to keep, which to toss, and how to stay on course with the ones which are truly self-motivated and rooted in our own desires for self-improvement and greater happiness.

The article excerpt which follows appears courtesy of BigThink's Daily IdeaFeed, a wonderful source of information on virtually everything of interest to intelligent, thoughtful persons. There...I've just paid you a subtle, subliminal compliment! Read on, then click the "BACK" button on your browser and come back home to your new country... Cerebrainia*
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*CEREBRAINIA is a cleverly-crafted geographical Lingovation devised by cranial commando Douglas E. Castle, your host, author, and occasional abuser.

WILLPOWER
Why You Won't Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

By the end of January, a third of everyone who has made a New Year's resolution
will have stopped.
By July, more than half will lapse. But knowing why could keep you on the right track.

---------------

Without going into a ridiculous wealth of detail and burdening you with the obvious, some of the principal reasons that we fail to "live up" to our New Year's resolutions are summarily listed here:

1) We psychologically frame them on "deprivation," "anticipated unpleasantness," "excessive efforting." Naturally, our subsconscious programs us for failure from the very negative beginnings of these thoughts;

2) We do not engage in any serious, repetitive positive visualization of the wonderful results we seek -- we just bemoan the effort and picture the sacrifices required to get there;

3) We are unrealistic in the goals we set, and the time frames involved in achieving them -- or worse, we don't set clear incremental goals and definitive time frames within which to achieve them;

4) We make "all or nothing at all" resolutions which set us up for immediate disappointment, discouragement, and abandonment of the effort altogether;

5) We make resolutions to please others, as opposed to making resolutions where we personally will derive a direct benefit. These "third-party focused" resolutions are entered into with more than a hint of resentment, dooming us to failure.

There will be more about this later. In fact, I'll help you to keep those New Year's resolutions (at least the ones which are founded in a legitimate, reasonable self-improvement objective) through sharing a series of relaxing and surprisingly effective subliminal self-programming tapes with you. These tapes which employ binaural beats and positively framed generic suggestions, can be listened to through your binaural headphones or directly through your speakers -- either way, you'll find them soothing and beneficial. Please stay tuned, my fellow (and lady) Brainistas!*

Don't touch that remote!

Douglas E. Castle for BRAINTENANCE

[http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

[http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/douglascastle]

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*BRAINISTAS. There's a fabulously wonderful Lingovation for you. You might have to Google the term "Lingovation."

Math Puzzle - The Missing Sign: PART 2

2012-01-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Our challenge of several days ago was to use intellectual "brute force" (very rapid, iterative trial-and-error) to find out which arithmetic operations were being performed on the numbers in the equations which follow. Instead of using the common symbols, I had substituted the letter "n" for any operation. Let's crack the code, Oh Braintenancers.

Find the missing signs which are all represented below as the letter "n" in the following simple equations. I'll have answers for you within the next two days. You have plenty of time. Put away the crossword and Sudoku, and give this exercise a whack. Have at it, then. Answers are posted in red.

A) 9 n 3 n 3 = 30 The first n is multiplication, and the second n is addition.

B) 7 n 5 n 3 = 9 The first n is addition, and the second n is subtraction.

C) 12 n 3 n 1 = 5 The first n is division , and the second is addition.

Have fun. By the way, are you doing mathematics, arithmetic or something else. It might be time to take a run at Google or Wikipedia...

Douglas E Castle

Math Puzzle: The Missing Sign

2012-01-05T12:50:00.001-05:00

In performing simple arithmetic operations, a sign is required between two numbers to show what action is intended...you've seen the plus symbol, the minus symbol, the multiplication symbol and the division symbol.

What follows is a quick Braintenance puzzle, designed to help you make use of several of your mental abilities simultaneously. The principal ability most of us default to is a very rapid trial and error -- when this is done with extreme speed by a computer, it is termed "brute force." Yet this brute force, when exercised in Humans (most of our readers are Humans, some are likely aliens monitoring our internet activity from their home planet, as they plan to conquer us -- but let's not get distracted), improves in terms of its speed. It is like Dran-o for the Brain-o.

Find the missing signs which are all represented below as the letter "n" in the following simple equations. I'll have answers for you within the next two days. You have plenty of time. Put away the crossword and Sudoku, and give this exercise a whack. Have at it, then:

A) 9 n 3 n 3 = 30

B) 7 n 5 n 3 = 9

C) 12 n 3 n 1 = 5

Have fun. By the way, are you doing mathematics, arithmetic or something else. It might be time to take a run at Google or Wikipedia...

Douglas E Castle for BRAINTENANCE.

Notice: This article appears courtesy of The International Lingovation Foundation, Division Of Numerical Disciplines.

PACING YOURSELF - The Answer Key!

2011-12-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

In our last titillating post, we briefly discussed the ways in which different runners pace themselves to arrive at the finish line of a 5 Kilometer race. We choose three mathematicians to compete, each one using his own approach to pacing the his way to the finish line. The award for the fastest and first to arrive at the finish (amid cheers, popping champagne corks, autograph requests and other of the accoutrements accompanying a heroic feat) was a free XXL Tee- Shirt (with the event sponsor's name, Tanks-A-Lot Cesspool Cleaning Service, "We Keep You Running". Here we go....
---------------

Since we are Braintenance, we will choose a five kilometer race, in which three mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance.

The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?" Of course, these Ts are only available in one size...XXL.

Note: When we speak of percentage increases or decreases, each such increase or decrease is based upon the initial pace. This is not one of Douglas E. Castle's infamous "compound interest meets calculus" problems.

Here's the lineup of our contestants:

Racer 1: This fellow runs (on average) one kilometer every 18 minutes.

He runs at a steady pace of one kilometer (British? Kilometre!) every 18 minutes. The calculation is simple 18 minutes x 5K = 90 minutes.

Racer 2: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 12 minutes, but his pace declines by 10% per kilometer.

This fellow starts out like a soldier with dysentery, but slows down at a constant rate:

1st Kilometer =12 minutes.

2nd Kilometer =13.2 minutes

3rd Kilometer =14.4 minutes

4th Kilometer =15.6 minutes

5th Kilometer =16.8 minutes

If we add the time it took him to conquer each kilometer, his total time was 72 minutes.

Racer 3: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 30 minutes (remember the tortoise and the hare?), but his pace increases by 15% per kilometer.

Here's this fellow's pacing pattern:

1st Kilometer = 30 minutes

2nd Kilometer = 25.5 minutes

3rd Kilometer = 21 minutes

4th Kilometer = 16.5 minutes

5th Kilometer = 12 minutes

If we add up this fellow's time (he's apparently a 'late bloomer'), we arrive at a total time of 105 minutes. It is interesting to note that he ran his last kilometer at the same pace at which the second runner ran his first.

And the winner was runner #2 (ironic, considering the name of the sponsor).

Now that we've learned (unknowingly!) about rates of decay, rates of acceleration and how slow most mathematicians tend to be as runners, we can leave the realm of racism, and graduate to more exciting cerebral challenges.

Douglas E. Castle for BRAINTENANCE
[http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

PACING YOURSELF: A Braintenance Cerebrethon* - Re-Posted

2011-12-24T09:45:00.002-05:00

Image (somewhat distracting and annoying) via Wikipedia

Progress, from the starting line to the finish line, can occur in many different ways. Some start the race slowly but speed up toward the end, using reserves of strength; some jog along at a steady, even pace; still others virtually go into orbit at the start and burn out quickly to a vomitous, spleen-gripping, huff-and-puff walk.

Since we are Braintenance, we will choose a five kilometer race, in which three mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance.

The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?" Of course, these Ts are only available in one size...XXL.

Here's the lineup of our contestants:

Racer 1: This fellow runs (on average) one kilometer every 18 minutes.

Racer 2: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 12 minutes, but his pace declines by 10% per kilometer.

Racer 3: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 30 minutes (remember the tortoise and the hare?), but his pace increases by 15% per kilometer.

Okay, friends. Let the cerebration begin.

*Cerebrethon is indeed a Lingovation, and should be respected as such. It means "a competition involving the thought processes." Just click on the picture of our dear departed Uncle Albert, below, in order to learn more.

PACING YOURSELF: A Braintenance Cerebrethon*

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Image (somewhat distracting and annoying) via Wikipedia

Progress, from the starting line to the finish line, can occur in many different ways. Some start the race slowly but speed up toward the end, using reserves of strength; some jog along at a steady, even pace; still others virtually go into orbit at the start and burn out quickly to a vomitous, spleen-gripping, huff-and-puff walk.

Since we are Braintenance, we will choose a five kilometer race, in which five mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance.

The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?"

Here's the lineup of our contestants:

Racer 1: This fellow runs (on average) one kilometer every 18 minutes.

Racer 2: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 12 minutes, but his pace declines by 10% per kilometer .

Racer 3: This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 30 minutes (remember the tortoise and the hare?)

Let the cerebration begin! - Douglas E. Castle

*Cerebrethon is indeed a Lingovation, and should be respected as such. It means "a competition involving the thought processes." Just click on the picture of our dear departed Uncle Albert, below, in order to learn more.

De-Stress, Relax, Defragment: A Braintenance Experiment

2011-12-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

While you look at the above photo with doubt, aren't you just the slightest bit envious?

We defragment our computers. We take our automobiles in for servicing after we've driven them for a while. We have blood drawn and go to doctors for all sorts of tests. Why is it that we each tend to put our own state of psychological and emotional health last on our list of life-maintenance priorities? We need to rest, re-set, re-calibrate and refresh our perspective from time to time... and we actually damage our incredibly complex and delicate inner workings by this 'customary' neglect.

We burn out. We break down. We make bad decisions and say things that we regret. When we fail to maintain our brains, we do damage to ourselves, to those around us, and possibly (to those of you who are excited by theosophy, Rosicrucianism, collectivism, and the Celestine Prophesy sort of thing) even the Collective Consciousness. It would seem that we do a great deal of unintended harm by not tending to our minds. That is something that can, and should be changed. Why not begin today? Give some thought to your thinking (ahem).

De-Stress, Relax, Defragment - A Braintenance Experiment.

A friend and colleague (they are not necessarily mutually exclusive) who shall remain nameless (as his parents thought so highly of him that they chose not to label him with a name which might limit his possibilities and prospects) sent me a collection of fascinating meditation videos, each of which is worth watching and listening to. We should, each of us, take more time to meditate -- to either clear our thoughts, or to re-focus our thinking on things other than those which tend to preoccupy us, and lead us to a state of frustrated exhaustion or a dreary dead end where fatigue sets in and replaces creativity.

Please click on each of the links below, enjoy the audio and visual experience, click the "BACK" button on your browser, and return to click on another. Then repeat the process. Do this when you have a good half-hour to a two-hour interval of truly free time. That means no TV, no texting, no whittling, no eating. Just sit back in a comfortable chair and luxuriate in the feeling of having an external medium free you from your habitual effort of conscious or volitional thought.

At very worst, it may prove a seeming waste of a bit of time -- at best, it will change your pattern of thought formation and put you into a better place, with a better perspective. Here's hoping. By the way, I guarantee that mediation does not ever work when you don't actually attempt to do it. Suspend your natural skepticism and propensity toward disbelief (wrought through the experience of past disillusionment) and let it go. I am telling you, personally [Douglas E. Castle to each and every respected reader and esteemed visitor] that IT WILL WORK.

A word of apology -- since these are YouTube videos, they are sometimes subject to either mysterious disappearance or malfunction. If you should happen upon a clunker, simply proceed to the next.

Pick and click:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iTnR-0tAMA&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjjbVrDNNC8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BntNNnMxJPE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZrBRQn6K0A&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7sHjv6QthQ&feature=related

While your in this neighborhood, I would also recommend another form of self-indulgent escape therapy. Take a few minutes several times every day to listen to a bit of music. It is the ultimate rapid mental flossing for the multitasking manic overachievers that most of us have become. Music has power. I may be slightly biased, but I highly recommend listening to some of the selections on RadioDAZZ, at http://RadioDAZZ.blogspot.com. You might become a fan or make that site a favorite.

Here's to all of you, my friends!

Douglas E. Castle [http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglascastle]

Controlling Objects With Your Mind?

2011-12-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Telekinesis has long been the subject of scientific exploration, experimentation and some fiction, as well. Not as abstract and as difficult to quantify or evidence as astral projection, ESP, clairvoyance and other fancy stuff, telekinesis is a phenomenon that could be the subject of a controlled laboratory trial. The notion of moving objects with the power of the mind (psycho bioenergetics) is physically measurable. A preferred term for this same phenomenon is psychokinesis. An interesting variation on this theme is mind-controlled or thought-manipulated robotics. There is a great deal of research into this area (like telekinesis, but perhaps with an intervening catalyst or machine) because of its unfathomably vast applicability. We might be getting closer than you'd imagined.

If we are absolutely certain that no other forces are at play (such as gravity, air currents, poltergeists, or an object that has the machinery or mechanism to move itself), we can measure the following Braintenance physical variables:

1) How far the object was moved.

2) How much energy was utilized (a function of the weight or mass of the object and the distance it was made to travel).

3) How much energy was produced by the mover's mind on average per unit of time. Think about this - If you needed a group of telekinetic wunderkinds to move a pyramid or a paperweight - would you choose your team from the ones (on average) who could muster the force to move a two-pound brick six inches in 5 minutes, or from the ones who could muster the force to move a two pound brick twelve inches in five minutes?

You might find the following article excerpt to be of great interest, especially if it is possible that telekinetic ability can be cultivated through exercise:

The article link comes to us courtesy of SmartPlanet:

Video: Control objects with your mind

The BodyWave, an iPod-sized device, can read your mind through the body instead of monitoring directly from your head. The gadget measures brain activity to control 3D simulations on the computer screen, helping to minimize stress and anxiety. Read the full story

The possibilities, assuming a solid validation of telekinetic ability, and the power to train and focus it to become stronger and more efficient are limitless for either Human advancement (repairing decaying infrastructure) or Human destruction (dropping objects on each other's feet).

Douglas E. Castle

Other articles which might be of interest, a few of which relate to the subject matter of this article, and some which are either humorous deliberately or by default.

Trailer: Dork Trio Abuses Telekinetic Powers in Chronicle (wired.com)
Telekinetics? Bed-Bound Patients Move Robots Using Just Thoughts (ponderingtechnology.wordpress.com)
Balance of Mind (teachingsofmasters.wordpress.com)
A Telekinetic Future (danapress.typepad.com)
Control The Flue (dragonintuitive.com)
Popularity of Paranormal Investigations Motivates Mark Russell Bell to Share Insights (prweb.com)
The Utterly Amazing Future Awaiting High-Tech Humanity: An Interview With Dr. Michio Kaku, The Author Of "Physics Of The Future" (3quarksdaily.com)
The Wonderland Effect (theosophywatch.com)
The Subconscious Mind Works Like a Computer (socyberty.com)
Blog posts by RaK (community.humanityhealing.net)
Energy Medicine Course Added to HealthForumOnline's Continuing Education (CE) Resource Library for Health Providers (prweb.com)
Facebook Telepathy (ask.metafilter.com)

I Will Teach You Nothing - You Will Learn Much From Me

2011-12-03T09:08:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia - Rene Descartes: philosopher, mathematician, theoretical physicist, and a fellow with an unkempt but nonetheless fascinating hairstyle.

Most individuals don't actually understand the distinction between teaching (a third-person exercise) and learning (a first-person exercise).

When a wise philosopher [most philosophers are assumed to be wise -- this is principally out of respect, I believe, for any person with the wondrous ability to a) survive without actually having to either earn a living by some sort of work, or b) with the good fortune to be leisurely whittling away at a substantial familial inheritance while pontificating about whatever happens to be on his or her mind] said to one of his disciples (every successful philosopher worth his weight in either hemlock or horse manure must have disciples):

"I will teach you nothing. And you will learn much from me," he was not even stating a clever paradox. There actually is no puzzle or riddle embedded in this preliminarily conflictory-seeming statement. If you don't quite understand why, re-read the first sentence of this post.
If that doesn't satisfy, read on:

We learn by teaching ourselves. No one truly teaches us. We learn by voluntary applying our senses and ability to reason to teaching ourselves. This is what is meant when someone (usually a meddlesome, conceited, self-proclaimed "adult") says,"You can best teach by example," or "children don't learn by what we preach to them; they learn by observing what we actually do."

A teacher is a catalyst, or a source of information, or an inspiration. But we learn by teaching ourselves.

Douglas E. Castle [http://TwitterLinksHubspot.blogspot.com]

Wisdom Is Timeless

2011-11-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

News Versus Wisdom: Transient Versus Timeless

I had actually meant to post this item of possible interest to those of you who might be interested in Asian politics, demographic trends, capital markets, inevitable eastern world domination, Rare Earth Element export restrictions, exotic recipes, FOREX, and so forth many months ago, when I actually received it. It might have been critically important then -- but then again, as I do not read and comprehend any languages other than English, some German and a bit of urban Spanish (either written or spray painted on aging infrastructure), I hadn't any idea what it meant. If it was breaking news, then this post will be seem to be a waste to many of you. Or perhaps, for those of you who may be Braintenance or Sending Signals adherents, it might actually be incredibly thought-provoking.

Before deleting the correspondence, I thought, "What if the message contained in these curious characters is not breaking news, per se? What if it is wisdom?" I realized at that moment that news is time sensitive, and may have limited utility, whereas wisdom is timeless and has limitless utility. News is important, but transient... wisdom is always relevant. This is a very under-appreciated difference. It captures the very essence of why a wonderful book retains its appeal over centuries while yesterday's racing form, stock market tip, or last month's election forecast may be of such short-lived relevance. The original post follows:

---------------

This morning I received the following correspondence, and wanted to share it with my friends and colleagues immediately. If what this person claims is actually true, things could be much better than any of us had originally thought. I offer it here for your consideration. Please be at liberty to write me back with your thoughts on this very serious matter. Whatever it may be. I am hopeful that it will not translate to something socially inappropriate for my general audience:

p.s. It is occasionally considered "bad form" to send spam to people. But, technically speaking, this letter is merely information and an inquiry. Perplexingly, I do not know whether or not the forwarded correspondence is spam -- it may well be a formula for a cancer cure...then again, it could be an ad for cheap Cialis from a pharmacy in Mexico.

http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com

學習記憶法真的要那麼貴嗎?
現在您有更平民化的選擇!!
而且便宜絕對有好貨!!
保證國立大學的師資親自錄製
只賣1600元!!
完全無保留的教學
詳細圖文說明請按此

--------------

Interestingly enough, the above message (I believe it was a response to a post on one of my blogs from some time ago), may or may not be of any significance or utility. It is actually irrelevant to this article.

The importance of this article is by no means dependent upon (or even related to the curious characters in the curious characters above. The importance of this article is that news becomes either stale or irrelevant quickly -- it has a very limited shelf-life. But wisdom, whenever it arrives, remains relevant forever. News is a report. Wisdom is a vastly applicable rule, born of an important observation.

Keep up with the news to remained informed and prepared...but pursue wisdom in order to become the owner of a greater mind. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the news were enriched with more wisdom? Wouldn't it be wonderful if those persons who reported the news [objectively and accurately], could end with an observation regarding the news item that represented some wisdom derived from the news?

Douglas E. Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

Homographs: Right - Left Brain Links... [Hemispheric Integration]

2011-11-22T12:20:00.000-05:00

Homographs, for you ever-curious Braintenancers, are words which are always spelled in the same way but have multiple meanings in varied contexts. Some simple examples are words such as "keys," "lead," and " .". The curious mental magic associated with reading or spelling with these words forces your right brain (the artistic, abstract , conceptualist) to cooperate with your left brain (the literal, pattern-seeking, logical, analytic computer) to solve puzzles, questions or jokes which cause you to simultaneously and creatively access both hemispheres of your brain. In doing this left-right "getting to know you" exercise, your thinking processes will improve in a number of aspects. you will find yourself able to look at every grouping of words in several different ways. It allows you to develop synergy between your imagination and your direct logic.

These words have the advantage of improving your punsmanship, your understanding of double entendres and your deciphering of subtle concealed messages within seemingly simple combinations of words. Your perception of words and meanings will deepen, as will you appreciation of native language:

Just compiling a list of these homographs can be a challenging referencing exercise. Here are a few to start off your list, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Many of these have first syllables that evolved from Latin prepositions, although again that does not account for all of them. Also, some of these words only exhibit the stress alternation in certain varieties of English. For a list of homographs with different pronunciations (heteronyms) see List of heteronyms

Do you know where words are stored in your brain…?

In your temporal lobe!

As you know your brain has two sides (two hemispheres) connected by the corpus callosum. So you have one temporal lobe on each side of the brain. Let's get them to wok together.

If you are right-handed, your language is stored mostly in your left temporal lobe. If you are left-handed, you are not so lateralized and your language is stored a bit on both sides of your brain in the temporal lobes.

Words in the brain are not stored randomly. They seemed to be quite organized. Research has shown that words that are often heard together (such as salt and pepper) or words that share some meaning (such as nurse and doctor) are connected or associated in the brain. Once you hear one, the other is activated.

Here is a brain exercise whose aim is to stimulate the connections or associations between words in your temporal lobe.

In the left column you have a pair of words. Your goal is to find a third word that is connected or associated with both of these two words.

The first pair is PIANO and LOCK. The answer is KEY. The word key is connected with both the word piano and the word lock: there are KEYS on a piano and you use a KEY to lock doors.

Once Again: Key is what is called a homograph: a word that has more than one meaning but is always spelled the same.

Ready to stimulate connections in your temporal lobe(s)? Enjoy! (Solutions are below. Please don’t check them until you have tried to solve all the pairs!)

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Ready to stimulate connections in your temporal lobe(s)? Enjoy! (Solutions are below. Please don’t check them until you have tried to solve all the pairs!)

1. LOCK — PIANO

2. SHIP — CARD

3. TREE — CAR

4. SCHOOL — EYE

5. PILLOW — COURT

6. RIVER — MONEY

7. BED — PAPER

8. ARMY — WATER

9. TENNIS — NOISE

10. EGYPTIAN — MOTHER

11. SMOKER — PLUMBER

— This article was inspired by a piece written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains.com. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area. Douglas E. Castle and The Braintenance Blog graciously offer their thanks to both Dr. Michelon and SharpBrains.com.

--------------------

Here are some of the answers to the questions above: PIPE. You simply have to find the rest of them by clapping those two hemispheres together!

Douglas E. Castle [http://DouglasCastleRSSFeeds.blogspot.com].

Your Creative Orientation: Negative? Positive?

2011-11-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

Creativity is one of the greatest attributes of the Human mind that leads to almost all significant adaptations and advancements. Every product, service, or system is given the first seeds of its existence, its first chance at life, by the creative energy of thought. Metaphorically, the very energy of brain is converted, through a process, into a tangible, physical result -- truly an Einsteinian conversion of energy to matter.

Being innovative is not quite enough. Your Creative Orientation is a major factor in what the outcome of your thoughts will be. By way of example, if your creative process is started based upon a negative premise ("We have a problem which must be solved.") instead of upon a positive premise ("I have a vision for a goal which I long to achieve.") your creative capacity, imaginative scope, and ultimate results are likely to be negatively impacted and limited.

You see, the idea-generation process is immediately constrained by an obsessive focus on problem-solving. This tends to lead to narrower, more introspective, less "outside of the box" parametrized type of thought organization. The very premise which directs your energy is that you "must work to solve a problem." This is inhibiting.

If you commence the creative process with a vision or a dream -- it represents (subconsciously) a creative opportunity with much broader parametric bounds, and a great deal more free-flowing and associative thought.

The secret to building and sustaining a positive creative orientation is to "fool the mind" into seeing problem-solving obligations as as constructive, forward-thinking challenges. If you are successfully able to condition you thought process to viewing any problems as invitations to innovate, you will free your mind to do its highest and best energy work -- because your mind sees this as a means of challenging, creative expression, and not as "work" or a "task' .

Again, a part of Braintenance has to do with be aware of what and how you are thinking, and to change the process as necessary.

-- Douglas E Castle

The Best Memory Improvement Techniques

2011-11-10T15:18:00.000-05:00

Image via WikipediaThose of us at Braintenance Central (make a quick left at the Parietal lobe, and follow the cues) believe that using a mnemonic or other "conscious device or technique" in order to improve some aspect of mind functioning is not against the rules -- in fact, if it helps, we like to encourage it. There are so many wonderful devices and techniques for improving various aspects of mental functioning that it makes one's head spin.

Again, we feature a listing of the most popular memory techniques, courtesy of BrainMetrix:

The Link Method: The Link Method is one of the easiest mnemonic techniques available, yet quite powerful. It is not quite as reliable as a peg technique, as images are not tied to specific, inviolable sequences. It functions quite simply by making associations between things in a list, often as a story. The flow of the story and the strength of the visualizations of the images provides clues to an easy retrieval of the stored piece of information.

The Number/Rhyme System: The Number/Rhyme technique is a very simple way of remembering lists of items in a specific order. It is an example of a peg system - i.e. a system whereby facts are 'pegged' to known sequences of cues (here the numbers 1 – 10). This ensures that no facts are forgotten (because gaps in information are immediately obvious), and that the starting images of the mnemonic visualizations are well known.

At a simple level it can be used to remember things such as a list of English Kings or of American Presidents in their precise order. At a more advanced level it can be used to code lists of experiments to be recalled in a science exam.

The Number/Shape System: The Number/Shape system is very similar to the Number/Rhyme system. As with the Number/Rhyme system it is a very simple and effective way of remembering lists of items in a specific order. It is another example of a peg system.

The Alphabet Technique: The Alphabet system is a peg memory technique similar to, but more sophisticated than, the Number/Rhyme system. At its most basic level (i.e. without the use of mnemonic multipliers) it is a good method for remembering long lists of items in a specific order in such a way that missing items can be detected. It is slightly more difficult to learn than the Number based techniques.

The Journey System: The journey method is a powerful, flexible and effective mnemonic based around the idea of remembering landmarks on a well-known journey. In many ways it combines the narrative flow of the Link Method and the structure and order of the Peg Systems into one highly effective mnemonic.

Because the journey method uses routes that you know well, you can code information to be remembered to a large number of easily visualized or remembered landmarks along the routes. Because you know what these landmarks look like, you need not work out visualizations for them!

The Roman Room Mnemonic: The Roman Room technique is an ancient and effective way of remembering unstructured information where the relationship of items of information to other items of information is not important. It functions by imagining a room (e.g. your sitting room or bedroom). Within that room are objects. The technique works by associating images with those objects. To recall information, simply take a tour around the room in your mind, visualizing the known objects and their associated images.

The Major System: The Major Memory System is one of the two most powerful memory systems currently available. It requires a significant investment of time to learn and master, however once it is learned it is extremely powerful. It is the application of mainly this system that forms the basis of some of the extraordinary, almost magical, memory feats performed by magicians and memory technicians.

Incidentally, the Major System, while requiring significant study and practice (both of which benefit many cognitive abilities simultaneously -- no waste here!) is undoubtedly the best. It is worthy of a dedicated article all its own, and we shall see about doing that. I would strongly advise that you invest some time (for an exceptional ROI) in Mastering The Major Memory Mnemonic Technique. I have personally witnessed some amazing feats performed by persons using it.

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]
BRAINTENANCE

Intuition: A Portal To BREAKTHROUGHS.

2011-11-01T13:24:00.000-04:00

Bnet's The Live1 Program features an interview with Francis Cholle, author of The Intuitive Compass. It is very significant to note that Cholle defines intuition as being the "bridge between reason and instinct." While I do not fully agree with his definition (I separate instinct and intuition as two separate abilities, emanating from two different sources), his observations are as applicable to real-world, real-time business as they are enlightening.

His observations account for the enormous success of some bold entrepreneurial enterprises, and his suggestions regarding brainstorming, 'play' and autonomy are worthy of incorporating in any business, project, or problem-solving task. Interestingly, his approach does not discard sound business judgment -- it simply integrates a much greater component of the "gut" feeling and the associative free flow of the individual mind's wandering.

Cholle, who has been exceptionally successful in his business career and is a seasoned business executive, offers some of the best insights I have heard regarding the preferred working environment, approach to business and lifestyle priorities of the Millenials. This is empowering information as generations increasingly mix in the workplace, and where Boomers and Millenials too often fail to understand each other. Greater understanding and mutual accommodation engenders greater productivity.

Two separate links follow for you to watch the interview. While the first is preferred, your equipment (I personally have a somewhat idiosyncratic system comprised of an ENIAC hooked up [with electrical tape and Crazy Glue] to a pre-CBS Fender Deluxe Reverb Amplifier and a food processor) might be more receptive to the second link. Both offer the same programming, but in slightly different formats:

http://i.bnet.com/video/itunes/11b1025a_TLO_GutInstincts_sd_DL.m4v

or

http://www.bnet.com/videos/using-gut-instincts-to-improve-your-bottom-line-the-live-one/6320309?promo=664&tag=nl.e664

Douglas E. Castle

Note: While this article originally was published by Douglas E. Castle in Braintenance, it will be either cross-posted or referenced in several of the author's other blogs. It has tremendous applicability to all aspects of Human activity, undertakings and advancement. Intuition is our birthright as Human Beings, and it should not only be treated as a gift, but it should be exercise and regarded with the utmost reverence and seriousness.

Analogies - The Smallest Thought Units

2011-10-20T10:51:00.001-04:00

Analogies are the tiniest components of thoughts and communications. Constructing good analogies is a skill. Seeing the logic in partial analogies presented to you (i.e., where a term is missing) builds your associative intelligence, pattern recognition skills, cause and effect reasoning and your verbal acuity. Analogies are mental muscle builders.

Here are several simple ones to give you a small jolt of electromagnetic and biochemical stimulation today. Enjoy them!

Fill in each blank with the best possible answer.

1. Century is to __________ as dollar is to dime.

2. __________ is to bottom as up is to down.

3.Hawk is to _____________ as war is to peace.

4. Cat is to kitten as lion is to ______________.

5. Tree is to forest as star is to _____________.

6. _____________ is to stage as chemist is to laboratory.

7. Inventor is to Edison as _________________ is to Columbus.

8. China is to __________ as Canada is to North America.

9. __________ is to moon as day is to night.

10. Hand is to palm as foot is to ___________.

11. Pyramid is to square as cone is to ___________.

12. Bazaar is to bizarre as __________ is to kernel.

13. Star is to constellation as _________ is to sentence.

14. Complete is to __________ as rest is to relax.

15. Chapter is to novel as stanza is to ____________.

16. Water is to _________ as food is to eat.

17. Body is to skin as _________ is to bark.

18. Hero is to ______________ as sculptor is to sculptress.

19. Fast is to slow as fat is to __________.

20. Hat is head as _________ is to foot.

I'm not going to provide answers for you in a subsequent post. You might want to engage some of your friends and colleagues to review or to actually do some of these with you. If may just give you an excuse to socialize and get into discussions about deeper and more important issues.

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

Analogies: Every Thought...Every Communication.

2011-10-17T17:55:00.000-04:00

We Humans (and all sentient creatures, In-Laws included) depend upon the recognition and creation of analogies for virtually every aspect of our thinking, understanding [learning], and communications. They are the smallest common denominator of 'cause and effect' logic and sending meaningful messages to others. The only smaller Messaging Unit or Thought Particle (both quasi-Lingovations) is the singular emotionally-charged word which triggers powerful multisensorial memories with seemingly instant associations.

An carefully-chosen analogy (i.e., one which clearly makes the point and which is appropriate to the probable prior experience - or context - of your audience) is one of the most efficient teaching tools.

Most "Aha!" moments and "NOW I get it!" exclamations follow analogies which hit the spot.

In building your brain power, you will undoubtedly want to include analogy quizzes in your Braintenance exercise regimen.

In fact, I might just offer you several analogy puzzlers with my next post.

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

Texticles: Mythological God Of Texting

2011-10-10T22:37:00.001-04:00

It's wonderful to be creative with language. While I have never actually heard of a resident (in good standing) named Texticles (pronounced: text'-e- kleez) living atop the famed Mt. Olympus (in the same neighborhood as Zeus and the rest of those characters of legend), it would seem to make sense. This is not actually a Lingovation -- it is a comedic mockery of the structure and sound of language. It brings to mind Hercules, Damocles, Demosthenes, but it sounds a tad racy. I don't have to say it - it is funnier when left to the imagination

Speaking of these sound-alikes, I almost fell out of my seat in school when our Philosophy professor mentioned 'Balzac'. It sounded rather similar to something else. This word mimicry ("sound-alikes" seems so juvenile) is a sort of patterning behavior, usually involving the number of syllables and a certain cadence.

If I could do it with a straight face, and if I delivered the message rapidly enough, I could introduce my daughters by ridiculously inappropriate names (remember Tony Orlando's song, "Candida"?). I would say something like, "This is my sixth-grader, a future Olympic gymnast, Chlamydia, and my beautiful twins - Alopecia and Disthymia. Alopecia has to leave to practice her viola now, and I think (eying the other young lady, mischievously) her sister has some homework to do. C'mom, Dee-Dee. Let's get to it." For some reason, the best of these contemporary-sounding phony names tend to be comprised of four syllables, and are usually the names of medical conditions.

A true Lingovation would be texticle, which would mean a very terse text message sent in great haste. But I've misdirected you; I've gotten into something interesting and verbal when this post (which has a deliberately tantalizing title) is a continuation of something dull and mathematical.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, regarding the previous Braintenance post, I'll provide you with a briefing (a de-briefing would require that you dispense with your underwear) of how I arrived at our answers. More accurately, I'll show you the patterns that I recognized in order to arrive at my answers. Welcome back to Pattern Recognition, Cranial Comrades!

A) 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ? 21 -- the difference between 3 and 1 is 2; the difference between 6 and 3 is 3; the difference between 10 and 6 is 4, and so forth. The pattern is an increase in the amount of the difference between the consecutive by the addition of 1.

B) 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ? 21 -- Fibonacci Sequence, anyone? Add any two consecutive numbers and you'll find the next one.

C) 1000, 0100, 0010, 0001, 1000 ? 0100 -- This is actually a repetitive "cycling" in the position of the "1" from the left to the right.

D) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 ? 36 -- Each number is the square of a number in a simple arithmetic series; for example 1x1=1; 2x2=4; 3x3=9, and so on.

E) 200, 3000, 40000, 500000, ? 6000000 -- This one is quite basic. Each integer is following by a number of zeros equal to itself; for example 200 is 2 followed by two zeros; 3000 is 3 followed by three zeros, and so forth.

F) 1, 100, 2, 99, 3, 98, 4, ? 97 -- This one is a curiosity, indeed. It is actually a converging pattern, with the lowest number being 1 and the highest 100. Starting with 1, every other number is just increased by 1. Starting with 100, every other number is just decreased by 1. It is really two intertwined alternating sequences. Sort of reminds me of the double helix structure of DNA (the famed Watson-Crick model).

G) 1.21, 2.32, 3.43, 4.54, ? 5.65 -- This one is best determined by superficial observation, and not by the relationship of each number to the one preceding it. The pattern is visual more than mathematical. Each number is [n]decimal point[n+1][n]. Just increase n by 1 to find the next number at any position in the sequence.
---------------
Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

p.s. Stay tuned for some mind-twisting analogies. Braintenance - "Unchain Your Brain!" Braintenance - "Because Grey Matters!"

Pattern Recognition - The Answers.

2011-10-03T21:10:00.002-04:00

In my last post, I made some observations about the nature of intelligence, plasticity, cognition, learning and cognitive enhancement. Toward the end of that post, I left you with a group of simple (what a subjective term that is!) sequences to complete. Here they are again, with the next number (found through pattern recognition) placed there for you in red.

A) 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ? 21

B) 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ? 21

C) 1000, 0100, 0010, 0001, 1000 ? 0100

D) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 ? 36

E) 200, 3000, 40000, 500000, ? 6000000

F) 1, 100, 2, 99, 3, 98, 4, ? 97

G) 1.21, 2.32, 3.43, 4.54, ? 5.65

---------------------
I'll let you ponder on those answers for a day or so. If you can't figure out how we arrived at them, don't fret. Some were tough. And I will show you the pattern underlying each of these sequences of numbers.

Observation: In verbal communications, we read between the lines. In numeric or alphanumeric pattern recognition, we must read between the items that comprise the series.

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

Expand Your Mind: Pattern Recognition

2011-09-30T18:38:00.001-04:00

Your mental capacity, plasticity, memory, recall and deductive reasoning are all dramatically enhanced by your ability to recognize patterns and to extrapolate (or generalize) from them. In some cerebral circles, the NICs (nerds-in-charge) refer to this phenomenon as "learning a rule." This notion has great applicability in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), but it is the shining key to a means of improving our own intelligence as well as increasing the actual speed of thought. Imagine being able to think faster because you are able to make 'connections' more rapidly? This skill is valuable to cultivate. Not surprisingly, it is a skill that can be improved by simple exercise.

Pattern recognition skills are involved in every aspect of gaming, athletics, problem-solving and life. The more different (and complex) patterns that we are able to recognize from prior exposure, the easier and faster it will be for us to recognize new patterns. By the way, simple analogies actually involve pattern recognition. To illustrate, in solving the analogy query that follows, an association between things (associations are the building blocks of patterns) is necessary for us to get the right answer:

Horrible but memorable analogy, with multiple choice possibilities:

Fahrenheit is to Temperature, as...

a) Tuna is to Fish;
b) Oral is to Rectal;
c) Length is to Height;
d) Celsius is to Cold;
e) Inches is to Length;
f) Pitney is to Bowes;
g) Antihistamine is to Allergy;
h) Wet is to Rain.

The correct answer, of course, is choice e) Inches is to Length. The reason is that Fahrenheit is a means of measuring Temperature, and Inches is (are) a means of measuring Length.

Perhaps it's time for some practice. If you'll complete the sequences below (i.e., find the next item in each of the series), I promise that I'll have the answers for you by Monday this coming. These don't involve word-based analogies -- they are simply series of numbers. Do these - they're as stimulating as they are beneficial...

Incidentally, I dedicate this post to Technorati 4F3BBD7YKWFZ.

A) 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ?

B) 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ?

C) 1000, 0100, 0010, 0001, 1000 ?

D) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 ?

E) 200, 3000, 40000, 500000, ?

F) 1, 100, 2, 99, 3, 98, 4, ?

G) 1.21, 2.32, 3.43, 4.54, ?
---------------------

That's all for now, fellow (and lady) Braintenance Buffs. We'll compare our answers on Monday.

Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]

TechnoratiMedia - http://technoratimedia.com/

Real Economics Lesson - Growth Rates

2011-09-26T18:38:00.000-04:00

Regardless of what we are always being told by the venerable Pantheon of pedigreed Economists out of Washington, DC, Wall Street, and academia (as well as by the seemingly cynical grumblings of self-professed "Main Street" economists -- I am one of those myself -- and I have growing misgivings regarding the utility of my undergraduate degree in Economics) regarding the state of the our sovereign finances, most of us develop a powerful "feel" for how well the machinery of monetary and fiscal policy are working by our own personal finances.

If my income is increasing, but at a lower annual rate than my ordinary living expenses (including my repayment of the debts which I incurred to either live beyond my means or to purchase investments that my neighbor (a smart fellow) said were "sure things") are increasing, I feel a decline in my sense of well-being. My finances are continuously getting tighter. This seems to make sense (except to people who don't have any ordinary concerns about income and expenses, and such dull pedestrian pastimes as "working for a living.").

This difference in rates of growth between income and expenditure are what wallop us in our respective wallets.

The Facts (which are actually fictional):

John Q. currently earns post-tax income (similar to actual cash inflows) of $80,000.00 per year. His post-tax income grows at a rate of 2% per year, compounded annually.

John Q. has annual expenditures (to cover his living expenses and to service payments on his mortgage and other debts) of $50,000.00 per year. His annual expenditures grow at a rate of 10% per year, compounded annually. He doesn't buy fancy new things, and replaces old, worn-out ones with their equivalents, as necessary. John Q. is a "middle class" sort of chap.

Observations:

Initially, the difference between John Q's Income and Expenditures is $30,000 per year.

The growth rate difference between John Q's Income Growth and his Expenditures Growth is 8%.

Question:

What will be the effect on John Q's quality of life (i.e., his ability to cover his expenditure obligations with his income) over the next seven years?

Answer - Two Comparable Graphs:

Note: Special thanks to Kids' Zone Graph Creator (from Learning With NCES), at http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx, for providing me with the tools to create these graphs. Haven't you noticed how much easier it is to explain things and to understand things by using graphs and charts? Graphs and charts are wonderful learning tools -- we should use them more often. They engage more of our senses in the learning experience than just sitting about and listening to unsupported rhetoric.

Answer, In Ordinary Terms:

With each passing year, the margin between John Q's income and his expenditures decreases in real terms. By the end of year seven, John Q's "safety margin" has decreased from $30,000.00 per year to approximately $2,000.00 per year. Things are getting much tighter. John Q. is so worried that he is cutting back on his expenditures wherever possible (this hurts businesses, some of whom employ persons like John Q.) and is living in a state of growing desperation and fear.

Regardless, of what the experts say about recession, recovery, leading economic indicators, monetary policy, fiscal policy and different legislative packages, John is beginning to feel like he is a member of the "working poor." He cannot accumulate any significant savings, and can't find a new job -- it seems that fewer businesses are hiring, and more employees are worried about keeping their jobs.

Conclusion:

The difference between growth rates (or price rates) is the chasm that economies fall into. The less the disparity between growth rates, the greater the grassroots perception of the economic picture. The problem is that some legislative policy makers, mainstream media sources and otherwise well-intended politicians either don't quite understand this arithmetic (let's call it "dangerously divergent rates of growth"), or, if they do they may present inaccurate or irrelevant statistics compiled by incompetent people.

I hope that you enjoyed this lesson in Real Economics, and that you'll forward this article to all of your friends, colleagues and elected officials. As always, thank you for reading me here at Braintenance.

Douglas E Castle

http://TheGlobalFuturist.blogspot.com

http://TakingCommand.blogspot.com

http://TheInternationalistPage.blogspot.com

http://Links4LifeAlerts.com

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