How much information can the brain hold? The answer seems to be an almost unlimited amount, thanks to the brain’s dynamic memory-filing system. So why are there time’) when do we feel as if we forget things because our brains are filled and cannot ‘take in’ anymore? Think of some little incident that happened to […]

Most of us have a fairly good sense of how we fare on indirect tests of memory, such as quizzes and exams. But we usually have a much vaguer notion of the power of our everyday memory. Here are some questions that will help you explore your personal memory strengths and weaknesses. Names From The

Memory skills vary widely between one person and the next, as does intellectual capacity. A person with good memory is not necessarily more intelligent than someone whose memory lets them down, but there is a connection between memory and mental performance. How would you describe your memory? Good on facts and figures, but heavily reliant

The brain, like any other organ of the body, needs regular exercise in order to function well and stay healthy. Many activities in daily life will keep you mentally fit and boost your brainpower, whatever your age. Four areas of mental activity that are particularly important to all-around mental fitness are language and number skills,

The outer part of the brain – the cerebral cortex – is responsible for the brain’s higher functions: consciousness, thinking, and interpreting the senses. The delicate tissue of the cortex is extremely vulnerable, so nature has protected on three levels: physical, chemical, and biological. It is hard to overstate the importance of protecting the brain

Professional therapists and counselors use a wide range of techniques to assist their clients. Many of these can be adapted as self-help tools to help us identify mental and emotional difficulties and work through them towards more constructive ways of feeling, thinking, and acting. Try these exercises as the first steps on the road to

When ideas and judgments surface unbidden to offer sudden insights into people and problems, we describe them as intuition. Although we cannot always rationalize them, intuitions often carry a sense of conviction, suggesting they may be based on memory. Intuition could be described as a mysterious phenomenon in daily use – our many and varied

Memory is as old as the brain itself. Ever since the first animal nervous system evolved over five hundred million years ago, creatures could learn from experience. But like the brain, human memory has evolved and become more complex. Memory began in primitive organisms as a simple reflex system. When the body is affected by

Relaxation brings clarity of thought and freedom from stress and is, therefore, a route to improved mental and physical health. But we cannot force the process. The best approach is to learn about the classic techniques and apply yourself patiently to the ones that attract you most. Relaxation is more than just a mood we

Pain is simply the way we come to know about damage to the body’s tissues, and the feeling it produces differs according to how the brain interprets it. Our brains can present knowledge as anything from intensely unpleasant to just another piece of sensory information. And we all can turn the first experience into the