We all know that when the brain signals hunger or drowsiness, we will look for food or sleep. This is the brain that commands our bodies. Just like people laugh when they are happy, but if we laugh for a while first, we will feel happy. This shows that the body is affecting our feelings and emotions, and the relationship between the body and the brain is not one-way, but mutual influence.
The book "Embodied Cognition: How the Body Affects Thinking and Behavior" explains how various changes in the body affect the contents in our minds, which is also our further understanding of our bodies, learning to use our bodies to influence our brains, and then making behaviors that are beneficial to us.
The author of this book is Sean Bayloc, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, an expert in brain science and a cognitive scientist, who mainly studies human performance. He received a double doctorate in motor function and psychology from the University of Michigan, and was awarded the "Revolutionary Early Contribution Award" by the American Psychological Science Association on 201.
Let's take a concrete look at how the human body affects the brain:
The human brain is closely related to feelings, feelings and emotions, that is to say, we feel relaxed and happy, and our thinking is also happy. Moreover, physical pain can also cause psychological pain and the appearance of bad emotions, just like our broken arms or legs, which can cause emotional discomfort.
The book introduces a neurotoxin, the effective component of Botox, which can make wrinkles disappear by injecting it into people's brow lines. When the eyebrow lines disappear, people's unhappy or sad expressions disappear, because our neural circuits can't always clearly distinguish what is true and what is false. This method is also used to treat patients with depression. It can be seen that specific physical activities can help us change our emotional spiritual experience.
Physical experience will enhance our cognitive ability. Babies are constantly exposed to new environments to enhance their cognitive ability. In the experience of contact with the outside world, they gradually realize what others are doing and why. Eight-month-old child, when he climbed to the edge of the sofa to fall, adults told him it was dangerous. After this situation has been experienced several times, he will realize what can and can't be done. Children's actions, such as falling and crawling, all help the brain to know the world and improve cognitive ability in a certain sense.
Regular exercise makes our brains wide open, that is, exercise activates people's creativity. Google will leave space for employees, such as indoor tree houses and tennis courts, and encourage employees to stand up and exercise more. Because thinking needs exercise, not only the brain, but also the body.
Our habits of action tend to control our brains. Many people don't know that the keyboard we use when processing documents is called QWERTY keyboard. It was invented by American Christopher latham Shoals in order to reduce the typing speed. Because in the middle of19th century, the use of typewriters would be entangled because the striking speed of two adjacent words was too fast, so the keyboard was invented to improve the difficulty of typists to operate typewriters and reduce the typing speed. But the Dvorak keyboard designed by Professor august dvorak of Washington University in 1932 solved the above problems, which not only improved the typing speed, but also reduced the workload of fingers. But more than 70 years later, people still use QWERTY keyboard, because people are used to typing with their right hand, and this keyboard is just right. It can be seen that our bodies are influencing and controlling the brain in an unusual way.
Repetition of body movements is beneficial to enhance the memory of the brain. In many sports, athletes are constantly repeating actions and strengthening exercises, which are all deepening their memories, because repeated training will form neural circuits in their brains. Gymnasts in the balance beam competition will know where they will fall before jumping up and down. This is also a psychological representation formed in deliberate practice and gradually formed in long-term repeated encouragement. Just like a taxi driver who has worked in a city for many years, his understanding of road conditions has been deeply imprinted in his mind. When they hear the passengers tell them where they have arrived, the stored road information will immediately appear in their minds, and they will know which road is the shortest and smoothest. Because they will specially write down the relevant road knowledge about the destination for the next lecture.
Our body language not only helps us to think and understand our own thoughts, but also helps us to communicate and understand others' thoughts. Understanding others' abilities requires understanding, and understanding means learning by doing.
When we find it difficult to understand a foreign language, we can speak it out and understand it by making our mouths make foreign language sounds and gestures. Because when we say it, we can create a map of specific body areas in the motor cortex. Just like when we hear the verb "kick", the legs in the action system will be activated, and the area of arms and means will be driven by the word "lift".
When we want to communicate with others through words, we can achieve the expected effect through physical participation such as gestures, standing posture and facial expressions. Just like when Jobs gave a speech, he always held a ball in his hand to show his confidence.
When we feel lonely or our friends feel lonely, we can give each other a warm hug, or go to a warm place for a holiday, drink some hot drinks or wine and dress warmly. Because the temperature of the body can reach the warmth of the heart.
When faced with the problem of children's difficulties in mathematics learning, we can improve their understanding of mathematics by learning music and dance and participating in situational exercises.
Above, we have explained the influence and control of the body on the brain, through the changes of the body to improve cognitive ability, experience emotions and feelings, and improve interpersonal relationships. Then, as individuals, how should we enhance our spiritual strength through physical changes?
First of all, we try to keep a positive mood, smile every day and give optimistic feedback to the brain. Because a good mood is not only good for yourself, but also a good example for children, especially children. Good mood is contagious.
Secondly, when we are depressed or prone to depression, we can adjust ourselves in time through physical changes. For example, proper aerobic exercise, writing stories, learning to meditate, traveling frequently and feeling the charm of nature, etc.
Finally, we should consciously exercise our bodies and make them move, because the changes of our bodies affect the thinking of the brain, that is, many factors outside the cerebral cortex affect the thinking in the brain, which can enhance our spiritual strength. For example, creativity is closely related to sports.
End of this article
Thank you for reading.
Welcome attention!