Consciousness

I am enrolled in a FREE online course about the brain at Barnes and Noble University. The course started on May 1st but I got my books for it only yesterday. Today I took the bus in and so I had time to read one of the books- "The Feeling of What Happens" by Antonio Damasio. (The other book is "Mapping the Mind" by Rita Carter.)

I am reading about consciousness and have a glimmer of a connection to attention and memory. Attention is the starting point for creating a memory. Poor concentration is the root cause of a poor memory. However, even when we pay attention it seems like we cannot remember until we go through some kind of transformation of consciousness. Attention has to be followed by something that brings our consciousness to terms with the information that we want to remember.

Say that I want to remember that the birthstone for the month of May is emerald. I am told that the birthstone is emerald and I pay attention to this information when it is told. I develop a meaning or context for it by saying that the month of May is the real start of spring in Wisconsin and it means green grass. I associate the green of the emerald with the green of my lawn in May and this helps me remember that the birthstone for May is emerald. Is it now in my consciousness? Has my consciousness somehow been transformed so that the next time someone says birthstone for May, I don't have to think about it and it just pops into my mouth and I say it?

Attention to consciousness - this needs further exploration.

Journal - a record of ideas

I really like the following from "The Lively Mind" by Jules Z. Willing

Excerpts from Chapter VIII – Your Journal: Embodying The Inward Mental Journey

“….write it, write it, put it down in black and white…get it out, produce it, make something of it – outside you, that is; give it an existence independently of you ….” – Sigmund Freud

Keeping a Journal is an excellent way not only to promote mental vitality, but also to develop the habits that sustain it. When you make a daily note of what you have been thinking about, you:

foster the habit of giving some time each day to reflexiveness,

preserve – make a collection of – ideas and thoughts you will later develop and respond to,

improve your mental fluency, the ability to allow thoughts to flow without intervention,
draw a portrait of your inner self and chart the evolution of your ideas and attitudes,

provide a first draft, a starting point, for expressing the ideas you will later share with others, as in your correspondence,

intensify your hold on the present – we tend to live far too much in response to the past and in anticipation of the future, and far too little in the present moment.

What we are talking about is not a diary, which is a record of events, but a journal, which is a record of ideas, thoughts, and opinions.

Environment, environment, environment

I like presenting at some places - not only because of the room that we are in but also because of the person coordinating the event.

Yesterday, I felt so comfortable during my class in Mukwanago. As always, Cherie and I were happy to meet and catch up with each other. Cherie has a very nice aura about her.

Yesterday's group is going to be with me for the next three Tuesdays and I am looking forward to the next class. They were all very positive in their energy by the time we were done.

Positive energy, relaxed concentration, stress-free, learning in a nice environment with nice influences. Life is great!

Comments?

If you would like to submit comments to this blog, please email me at brainjogr@yahoo.com

Sleeping point

Is there such a thing - a sleeping point? A point of reduced stress and worry that makes you feel like sleeping a lot.