Key takeaways: 1. Seek novelty and challenge. Don't let your life shrink as you get older. Keep your mind active by doing things that are challenging and require you to learn new things. 2. Mix things up. Don't do the same challenging activities over and over again. Keep your brain engaged by trying new things. 3. Stay in the "frustrating but achievable" zone. This is the sweet spot where you're constantly learning and growing, but you're not so frustrated that you give up. Actionable items: 1. Take up a new hobby or skill. This could be anything from learning a new language to playing a musical instrument. 2. Travel to new places. This is a great way to experience new cultures and challenge your brain to learn about different ways of life. 3. Volunteer your time. This is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and make a difference in the world. 4. Stay active both physically and mentally. Exercise is good for your brain as well as your body. Eat a healthy diet. What you eat has a big impact on your brain health. 5. Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for brain function. Bonus: Laughter is good for your brain. So go ahead and have a good laugh!
I've been an illustrator for as long as I can remember (first art show of watercolors at age 10)... I've played guitar since age 16... have taught myself to juggle and do photography... have taken improv classes, singing classes, and life-drawing classes... got a master's in philosophy for no other reason than to think about big ideas... and started learning to speak French in earnest in my late '30s... have worked my whole career as a writer, deeply researching new topics every four to six weeks... and now in my 50s, have taken yet more guitar lessons and started learning to play the piano (which I've been doing now for three years). I'm also studying Spanish. I say all this because, well... for one, I guess I'm bragging a bit... but more because I can't imagine a better way to live. My idea of heaven is an endless opportunity to learn something new. If I were making the same recommendation to anybody else, I'd first recommend picking up an instrument... any instrument... and teaching yourself a few songs. To me, that's the key to a happier life. If not that, languages. Or writing in a journal regularly.
Here 77 yrs old gran. Started to learn maths and playing piano. I enjoye it, I do a lot better than when I were young. These 2 activities take me increadibly lot of time to learn because the brain doesn't absorb informations as fast as it used to do in the past. I live rather lonely as my financial situation altered: consequences after the pandemic covid. However, I think these activities are very productive escape in difficult time. Im glad to have found new passion. Before it was playing golf and travelling.😊
Glad for you... keep learning Math..a great challenge to the brain... I'm a (retired Math Prof), but stop All Math years ago,and my memory became Bad, confirmed by an MRI scan.. scan... I'm now learning my math again, And memorizing (Quoran), and challenging my body (with exercise), and what a beautiful change 🎉...i hope you are doing well.. keep your math... thanks 👍
My Grandad is a radio enthusiast. Buys old battered radios and refurbs them both electronics and exterior. He turned 100 in May. He's got his radio friends, drives a car around town and is very happy.
Reading! Non-fiction. Learn new subjects or about history and amazing people. Fiction, poetry, just read! You can literally feel your snyapses working. A great source of entertainment and relaxation as well. My grandmother is 96. Loves to read. Has huge curiousity. That's a big thing. Combined with exercise, can't go wrong.
So many things can be done to enhance brain function. Here are my recommendations: (1)Learning a New Language, but don't overwhelm yourself. Just a little at a time to the point that you feel you are learning but not causing the stress response (2) Playing Card Games, Crossword puzzles, completing actual Puzzles, Trivia Games (3) Meditation (4) Exercise (5) Plenty of Solid Sleep (6) Reading (7) Drinking Green Tea (8) Omega-3 Fish Oils (9)Green Leafy Vegetables(Spinach). (10) Avoiding Stress
@@tinonissinen6405 "In the brain, green tea offers neuroprotective effects and shields the brain from age-related decline by boosting the creation of new brain cells and neural connections. Green tea also reduces the risk for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease." 😁
I am 60. At 53 I started ice skating and playing ice hockey. I can now do crossovers, crossrolls and powerpulls, forwards and backwards, and 3 turns forwards. At 58 I started learning French again after a 30 year gap. I can now understand videos and podcasts in French. At 59 I started learning German, it’s very hard. In my opinion learning something totally new expands the mind. It can be hard and frustrating, and when you improve you learn something about yourself and the way you view life. Looking back I wish I had done this 40 years ago. Then again, I came from a modest background, with narrow ambitions and expectations. And no internet. Today we have the internet, which makes learning so much easier.
1. Challenges creates neurones 2. Collect knowledge 3. Listen podcasts without watching just audio 4. Writing 5. Reading 6. Watch best people on TH-cam that are philosophical, knowledge and understand any topic better than you 7. Communicate more 8. Play sports 9. Mediation 10. Visualization 11. Observation of thoughts 12. Travel meet new people Places, situations 13. Excercise 14. Change your attitude
I've returned to university to study a BSc in sustainable agriculture at 33. There's times (mainly during math or chemistry) when I question my decision, however seeing videos like this help me stay motivated. Thank you
That’s amazing! It is never too late to pursue your dreams and a better life! I am also a returning learner and I promise it gets easier and it will be worth it!
trying to draw the connection between the nun example the challenge we should seek. The nun example feels more social and habitual vs. doing something challenging that lies between frustration and easy.
I was hit by a car in 2017. When I was 24. I’m 30 now. Traumatic brain injury and I’m Currently learning to walk again as an adult will be the most difficult thing of my life so I’m not worried about my brain health right now. ✌🏼😌
@@lyric8529 Thanks very much 🙏 trust me, I used to hate myself and wanted to die. Learning to walk and talk again on your own is SO freaking hard! I’m blessed and highly favored 🥲 my family is helping me as much as they can. Well my pops and brother and myself. Specifically.
KINGA YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL ADORABLE SEDUCTIVE RAVISHING SEXY CAPTIVATING AND PASSIONATE YOUR BEAUTY IS PHENOMENAL IF MOZART WERE ALIVE TODAY YOU WOULD BE HIS MUSE ❤
I saw the exact opposite happen to my Grandmother. She was diagnosed with Dementia, it rapidly developed over the course of a year and then she passed with the basic mentality of a 2 year old. She didn't remember anyone or really anything. 5 years or so prior to that, she basically stopped doing any and everything. My great Grandfather on the opposite lived to 104 years old, kept active and going until pretty much his last year, and from all I could tell was just as sharp mentally as he was the past 20 or 30 years. For most people, the mind starts to shut the systems down once it recognizes YOU have decided your done.
For my grandmother, she was diagnosed recently (2 years ago) with dementia, and much of the destruction occurred during quarantine where she was getting zero social interaction. She lived alone in a different country and I think it was still an inevitability because she never challenged herself - her routine was built upon praying often, watching television, and reading the same books she has always read. It is great to hear about your great-grandfather, though. It really shows how staying active, cognitively and physically, can be so helpful until the ripe age of 104! Thank you for sharing.
@@gauriguruprasad7559 It is awful to hear about your grandmother. It's a terrible disease for not only the person but also the family to go through. I wish your grandmother and all of you strength and comfort with this.
@@JTSA1234 You realize how stupid you sound with this comment? I am doing no such thing, and you clearly missed the point of both my comment, AND the video.
loved it David. about to finish the The Brain Book. I realy loving it. it didn't even take more than 6 - 7 days. I have never red a book this much faster. I am fascinated about the space, brain , In general about big thinks. thanks for the book David.
It is called active memtal engagement..... Not to allow the mind just to float allong without aim and wihout purpose, on trivial matters that do not require mental depth, but have the mind engaged with issues, any issues: social, scientific, philosophical, where the mind is questioning, observing, challenging, in order to come to the truth, and even when the mind thinks that has come to the truth, still to question, and still to challenge.... That kind of mind never gets rusty..... And by the way, people with those sorts of minds never get borred....
Our main goal is to fulfill our social needs. If we're able to, then we will keep recruiting parts of the mind to do that. It's when we have lost hope to feel seen and heard, cared about, that we no longer direct our minds to be active, and then the organization falls apart.
Anything that can timulate the brain, make it work faster, store more information and can keep someone away from doing the wrong things in life can only be a a God given miracle
The theorist Lev Vygotsky had a similar idea in terms of doing challenging things that aren't out of your reach but also achievable. He called it the zone of proximal development. He studied child development but to see that it is relative throughout life is very interesting.
Surely the situation of the nuns in the convent illustrates the opposite of the conclusion the interviewee claims. The Alzheimer’s sufferers were able to carry on as normal because of the unchanging stability of their surroundings and relationships. If they’d been thrown into New York City or London and everything was new they’d never have been able to learn or adapt to any of it and would have immediately presented as not coping, confused, lost. I cared for my mother with dementia and deliberately got her home help then later moved into her home rather than any other arrangement to help her cope for as long as possible. This worked well.
Fascinating clip. Reminds me of something I once read about the neuro-preservative benefits of reading media sources that contradict our own beliefs. Sadly, most of us including myself, rarely do that. I'm surprised about the convent though. I would imagine that lifestyle to be more closed off from the outside world than most. Consequently, it would be quite familiar, constant, and predictable. All things that would seem to be the opposite of what he's describing.
When I was a young man, I was one of a few outsiders who was regularly allowed inside a convent of cloistered Franciscan nuns. I used to deliver supplies there, and occasionally do small handyman-type tasks. It was within a walled compound, with a gate and a narrow tunnel you would drive through. The outer walls and the house itself were Medieval looking, though the living area inside was relatively modern. Only one woman was empowered to talk to me - others might smile and nod to me, but most just ignored me. The women were engaged full-time in praying for the fate of the world. They also had a side hustle making the distinctive dark brown robes the Franciscan brothers wear. I read years later that cloistered nuns are among the longest-living people on Earth. My feeling about it at the time was that they are removed from the normal stressors that regular people face every day - money, traffic, work issues, sexual relationship issues, domestic squabbles, morons everywhere, dangers of various kinds, the news, etc. I figured that's where their good health came from. There seems to be very little novelty inside a convent.
@@patricksquinlan1 This sounds similar to what I was thinking while David Eagleman was talking about the nuns. Your point about their world not having all of the usual stresses that us non nuns go through seems solid to me. Of course there may be a whole list of other stresses that nuns have that I don't know about.
If you find this fascinating, your life must not be very interesting. Wow, a shit neuroscientist says to stay active and do a variety of activities. What an insight.
yes, glad to see I'm not the only one.. while the expert is elaborating the topic of challenging your brain, he goes on to give examples about life in covent.. strange, we were about to get the mystery
He didn't give a comprehensive explanation. I did see the original documentary ( BBC ?), about these nuns - maybe a decade ago, which gave insight to how they were before becoming nuns etc - their education levels and interests. Plus, not every nun or monk joins as a religious calling. They do have activities and access to literature, art , music, hobbies etc.
Our brains love to create problems to illusory threats. It's programmed to do that, and it gets itself sick while doing it on overdrive. Calming the mind is so important. Mindfulness is cool for this. Workbooks like 30 Days to Reduce Anxiety by Harper Daniels are awesome as well as the Tao Te Ching and other resources.
I would recommend learning a martial art say if you are 40+. The physical demands get harder when you are over 50. Something like ninjitsu where you never end learning different weapons etc. Eschrima too , I have a theory if you learn to control weaponry such as in stick fighting etc the hand eye brain coordination really helps the brain stay flexible.Tai chi great for balance etc. Yoga another good call.
Sounds like ZPD. A concept, created by Lev Vygotskij, in educational psychology. It represents the space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported and what the learner cannot do even with support. It is the range where the learner is able to perform, but only with support from a teacher or a peer with more knowledge or expertise. :)
The best thing to do for your brain is to look for it and find it first. When you realize that the brain is only a concept that you accepted to have one, based on hearsay, because you can never see it by yourself, then you will be at peace as pure consciousness in which events appear and disappear while you remain what you have always been- that pure consciousness, brain or no brain.
Humanity its man against man. Man against nature , man against technology and man against machine then man against robots !! Its happening as we 😮 they won't feel human compassion and love and God's Holy. Spirit and common sense .😢
Yeap, I'm slowly starting the "older" part of life and *not* noticing all those issues that people keep talking about and I was terrified of. The "trick" I guess is mostly what's talked about here. I mean it's just common sense, if you let yourself go consistently over many years, your brain just follows suit. Just as the brain is plastic "upwards", it should be downwards too. I have noticed some body issues though, but those most likely stem from accumulated effect of bad habits (e.g. chronically sedentary lifestyle), so same thing.
I got parkinsons and lost my career, became depressed and stop leaving the house. A doctor suggested I try simple childrens puzzles... 2 months later I am sleeping better, less depressed and invited a friend over for a chat... what a difference
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Confusing clip, the nuns probably didnt challenge themselves. To me it sounds more like they did the same things so many times that it just wasnt obvious that they had these deficits.
@MrBombsti. No apparently their thinking minds was in great condition. Blew my mind when I heard it too. If you listen to an episode of podcast called unchartered with Hannah fry, she talks about it. The episode is called “in the habit”
- Seek novelty and challenge as you age to maintain brain health. - The Religious Orders Study involving nuns showed that engaging in various activities, social interactions, and cognitive challenges can help combat brain degeneration, even in the presence of diseases like Alzheimer's. - It's important to vary the challenges you engage in rather than sticking to one activity, as your brain benefits from adapting to new experiences. - The ideal challenge level is between frustrating and achievable, where you are continuously pushing your cognitive limits without feeling overwhelmed. - Maintaining a balance between frustration and achievement is crucial for delaying cognitive decline and dementia.
notes: nuns with alzeimers disease. brain was getting chewed up and degenerating but had no symptoms because they challenged their mind. if its easy, then drop it. crosswords will get easy. ramp it up. be mildly frustrated. be uncomfortable on purpose. read hard stuff. improve ur attention and long term focus
Surely nuns would have less novelty? No one noticed they had lost their mind because they didn't need one. They had done the exact same routine daily for many years and they just carried on like the robots they had become.
@user-ig2vf3yl1c Did you even watch the video? Nuns do get dementia and no one picks it up until after they're dead. My point was I disagree that fact is due to novelty. So really your comment makes no sense and is totally irrelevant to the video or my comment.
I don't understand the nun's brains scans? Seems like living a life in a semi isolated way, where one does the same basic routine day after day for the rest of their life wouldn't be very challenging???
Life is hell and I can no longer bear the pain. Grief rapes me. I am tortured. My soul is raped. I'm in hell with no escape. I don't want to live anymore. I cannot bear to. I desperately pray to die. SUICIDAL DEPRESSION. I beg beg beg beg beg to die. I can't take the pain anymore. I can't. I can't. I'm in hell. I'm submerged in grief and darkness. I am drowned and suffocated. I BEG TO DIE. TERROR AND PANIC FLOOD AND RAPE MY SOUL. Grief: rapes and tortures my soul. I am tormented and tortured and haunted. I cannot breathe. I do not breathe. LIFE IS HELL. I WANT OUT. I WANT TO DIE. I'M DESPERATE TO ESCAPE THE PAIN. Life hurts. I need God, desperately. Where is he? I need him. Where are my angels? I need them. I'm dying inside. I am raped. Tortured. In hell. I LOATHE BEING ALIVE. The pain of life is unbearable. I'm in hell. I desperately want to die. It's my wish and my prayer: please please please, God, let me die. Just let me die. MY SOUL IS RAPED. I'm in hell. Hell with no escape. I beg to die. I desperately want to die. 44 years of suffering with only intermittent fleeting windows of relief. HE SHATTERED MY HEART. HE FUCKING RAPED AND TORTURED AND TORMENTED MY SOUL. I loved him. He raped my soul: brutally viciously violently maliciously. Every morning I wake up in despair, desperately praying/begging/pleading to die. I AM SUBMERGED IN DARKNESS AND TERROR AND DESPAIR. I can no longer bear the pain. He betrayed and abandoned me, discarded me like garbage. I'm so fucking traumatized and terrorized and terrified.
This is good for you, but certeinly not the best thing to do. Physical excercice has a much bigger effect on preserving cognitive ability, than mental trianing. Strength training in particular.
@@wendym2544 I would love to meet batman because he is loving and very passionate ❤️ and he's always a gentleman and always passionate about everything and always makes me think about him always !
I didn't get how the nun's avoided symptoms of Alzheimer's - what was the new challenging things they did every day in the same place with the same daily habits talking to the same people. I need you to add the stuff that made sense or redo this part of the interview.
Actually the nuns who had the best handwriting as children, didn't get symptoms of dementia, even when their brain was ravaged with the disease. Therefore, do what you want when you're old, but really it boils down to what you were as a child.
“Frustrating but achievable”....wouldn’t that increase stress, which itself is harmful and shortens your life (shortens telomeres, causes higher blood pressure, etc.)?
Every night while I am falling asleep. I think about how I would spend 1million dollar's. Doing the math is a challenge that ether puts me to sleep or causes me to get up and break out the pen and paper 🌹
TED talks are usually given by well-educated hand-wavers, go on way too long, and have more than a whiff of narcissism about them. Read a good book on the TED topic instead. And anyone who calls himself a "possibilian" is silly, and millimeters away from founding his own religion/cult/look-at-how-clever-I-am movement. P.S. I saw Mr. Eagleman lecture once. The references to Stanford were...amusingly prevalent. Only eclipsed by lectures given by people who went to Harvard.
nuns have very busy live. working all the time. if not working, they pray. first pray is at 3am. their live and the choirs are very well scheduled. they stick to a discipline extremely strict. day in day out. whole life. no fuss is ever tolerated. regularity, consistency, faith.
Key takeaways:
1. Seek novelty and challenge.
Don't let your life shrink as you get older. Keep your mind active by doing things that are challenging and require you to learn new things.
2. Mix things up.
Don't do the same challenging activities over and over again. Keep your brain engaged by trying new things.
3. Stay in the "frustrating but achievable" zone.
This is the sweet spot where you're constantly learning and growing, but you're not so frustrated that you give up.
Actionable items:
1. Take up a new hobby or skill.
This could be anything from learning a new language to playing a musical instrument.
2. Travel to new places.
This is a great way to experience new cultures and challenge your brain to learn about different ways of life.
3. Volunteer your time.
This is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and make a difference in the world.
4. Stay active both physically and mentally.
Exercise is good for your brain as well as your body. Eat a healthy diet. What you eat has a big impact on your brain health.
5. Get enough sleep.
Sleep is essential for brain function.
Bonus:
Laughter is good for your brain. So go ahead and have a good laugh!
Laughing 😂😂😂
Thankyou
Thank you very much
👍 Also have positive meaningful social interactions
Thank you😊
I've been an illustrator for as long as I can remember (first art show of watercolors at age 10)... I've played guitar since age 16... have taught myself to juggle and do photography... have taken improv classes, singing classes, and life-drawing classes... got a master's in philosophy for no other reason than to think about big ideas... and started learning to speak French in earnest in my late '30s... have worked my whole career as a writer, deeply researching new topics every four to six weeks... and now in my 50s, have taken yet more guitar lessons and started learning to play the piano (which I've been doing now for three years). I'm also studying Spanish. I say all this because, well... for one, I guess I'm bragging a bit... but more because I can't imagine a better way to live. My idea of heaven is an endless opportunity to learn something new. If I were making the same recommendation to anybody else, I'd first recommend picking up an instrument... any instrument... and teaching yourself a few songs. To me, that's the key to a happier life. If not that, languages. Or writing in a journal regularly.
Do some pushups
I feel you brother.
A lot of that is about "you", have you ever volunteered at a soup kitchen?
have tooted your own horn amply...
@@AlexanderMoises Pick up an instrument
I start my anatomy class next week. Age 61. Started playing guitar at 58. 😊
Wow
YESS! Know that a 20-something 1 year med student in croatia is your biggest supporter!
cool
well done boy
Good for you, keep it up.
Here 77 yrs old gran. Started to learn maths and playing piano. I enjoye it, I do a lot better than when I were young. These 2 activities take me increadibly lot of time to learn because the brain doesn't absorb informations as fast as it used to do in the past. I live rather lonely as my financial situation altered: consequences after the pandemic covid. However, I think these activities are very productive escape in difficult time. Im glad to have found new passion. Before it was playing golf and travelling.😊
Glad for you... keep learning Math..a great challenge to the brain... I'm a (retired Math Prof), but stop All Math years ago,and my memory became Bad, confirmed by an MRI scan.. scan... I'm now learning my math again, And memorizing (Quoran), and challenging my body (with exercise), and what a beautiful change 🎉...i hope you are doing well.. keep your math... thanks 👍
My Grandad is a radio enthusiast. Buys old battered radios and refurbs them both electronics and exterior. He turned 100 in May. He's got his radio friends, drives a car around town and is very happy.
Youre really licky to have a granddad like him!
He drives at 100?! 😮
Reading! Non-fiction. Learn new subjects or about history and amazing people. Fiction, poetry, just read! You can literally feel your snyapses working. A great source of entertainment and relaxation as well. My grandmother is 96. Loves to read. Has huge curiousity. That's a big thing. Combined with exercise, can't go wrong.
Yes
You can’t literally feel your synapses working
@@jimiarizola9871 Literally - 'used to emphasize what you are saying:'
@@jimiarizola9871 "virtually" might be a better word but in context "literally" gets the point across.
You are right, when sometimes I read i feel in different amazing way.
So many things can be done to enhance brain function. Here are my recommendations:
(1)Learning a New Language, but don't overwhelm yourself. Just a little at a time to the point that you feel you are learning but not causing the stress response
(2) Playing Card Games, Crossword puzzles, completing actual Puzzles, Trivia Games
(3) Meditation
(4) Exercise
(5) Plenty of Solid Sleep
(6) Reading
(7) Drinking Green Tea
(8) Omega-3 Fish Oils
(9)Green Leafy Vegetables(Spinach).
(10) Avoiding Stress
Thanks took a SS
What’s the effect of green tea on your brain?
@@tinonissinen6405 "In the brain, green tea offers neuroprotective effects and shields the brain from age-related decline by boosting the creation of new brain cells and neural connections. Green tea also reduces the risk for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease." 😁
@@justingates9218 I love Matcha green tea powder. It supercharges me, without the effects of people that have lots of coffee.
Excellent thank you.
I am 60. At 53 I started ice skating and playing ice hockey. I can now do crossovers, crossrolls and powerpulls, forwards and backwards, and 3 turns forwards. At 58 I started learning French again after a 30 year gap. I can now understand videos and podcasts in French. At 59 I started learning German, it’s very hard. In my opinion learning something totally new expands the mind. It can be hard and frustrating, and when you improve you learn something about yourself and the way you view life. Looking back I wish I had done this 40 years ago. Then again, I came from a modest background, with narrow ambitions and expectations. And no internet. Today we have the internet, which makes learning so much easier.
You're wonderful❤
@@mariaershova5663 Thank you.
Good for you! Learning and staying active mentally and physically keep us young mentally and physically....and happy!
@@mariaershova5663 You obviously don’t know me. 🤣🤣🤣
Keep going❤
1. Challenges creates neurones
2. Collect knowledge
3. Listen podcasts without watching just audio
4. Writing
5. Reading
6. Watch best people on TH-cam that are philosophical, knowledge and understand any topic better than you
7. Communicate more
8. Play sports
9. Mediation
10. Visualization
11. Observation of thoughts
12. Travel meet new people
Places, situations
13. Excercise
14. Change your attitude
One adventure every day: big or small.
sports? that’s the worst for your brian if they are contact sports,
Don’t do meditation- hurmful
play sekiro
I've returned to university to study a BSc in sustainable agriculture at 33. There's times (mainly during math or chemistry) when I question my decision, however seeing videos like this help me stay motivated. Thank you
That’s amazing! It is never too late to pursue your dreams and a better life! I am also a returning learner and I promise it gets easier and it will be worth it!
U can do it :)
trying to draw the connection between the nun example the challenge we should seek. The nun example feels more social and habitual vs. doing something challenging that lies between frustration and easy.
I was hit by a car in 2017. When I was 24. I’m 30 now.
Traumatic brain injury and I’m Currently learning to walk again as an adult will be the most difficult thing of my life so I’m not worried about my brain health right now. ✌🏼😌
You are so strong! You got this!!
@@lyric8529 Thanks very much 🙏
trust me, I used to hate myself and wanted to die. Learning to walk and talk again on your own is SO freaking hard! I’m blessed and highly favored 🥲 my family is helping me as much as they can. Well my pops and brother and myself. Specifically.
Just saw some of your videos! You're making amazing progress!
@@valeriebreiman3270 thanks 🙏 I feel it too! But I couldn’t do any of that without help and love ❤️
Love that you have clearly earned! @@Garrett0329
Do or be whatever brings joy and fulfillment. The activity is secondary
Plus, novelty is FUN. Having fun is so good for the brain, and for the soul.
KINGA YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL ADORABLE SEDUCTIVE RAVISHING SEXY CAPTIVATING AND PASSIONATE YOUR BEAUTY IS PHENOMENAL IF MOZART WERE ALIVE TODAY YOU WOULD BE HIS MUSE ❤
Never stop learning.
I saw the exact opposite happen to my Grandmother. She was diagnosed with Dementia, it rapidly developed over the course of a year and then she passed with the basic mentality of a 2 year old. She didn't remember anyone or really anything. 5 years or so prior to that, she basically stopped doing any and everything. My great Grandfather on the opposite lived to 104 years old, kept active and going until pretty much his last year, and from all I could tell was just as sharp mentally as he was the past 20 or 30 years. For most people, the mind starts to shut the systems down once it recognizes YOU have decided your done.
For my grandmother, she was diagnosed recently (2 years ago) with dementia, and much of the destruction occurred during quarantine where she was getting zero social interaction. She lived alone in a different country and I think it was still an inevitability because she never challenged herself - her routine was built upon praying often, watching television, and reading the same books she has always read. It is great to hear about your great-grandfather, though. It really shows how staying active, cognitively and physically, can be so helpful until the ripe age of 104! Thank you for sharing.
@@gauriguruprasad7559 It is awful to hear about your grandmother. It's a terrible disease for not only the person but also the family to go through. I wish your grandmother and all of you strength and comfort with this.
You realize you are blaming ill people for being ill?
@@JTSA1234 You realize how stupid you sound with this comment? I am doing no such thing, and you clearly missed the point of both my comment, AND the video.
loved it David. about to finish the The Brain Book. I realy loving it. it didn't even take more than 6 - 7 days. I have never red a book this much faster. I am fascinated about the space, brain , In general about big thinks. thanks for the book David.
GENIUS OF NEUROSCIECE
It is called active memtal engagement.....
Not to allow the mind just to float allong without aim and wihout purpose, on trivial matters that do not require mental depth, but have the mind engaged with issues, any issues: social, scientific, philosophical, where the mind is questioning, observing, challenging, in order to come to the truth, and even when the mind thinks that has come to the truth, still to question, and still to challenge....
That kind of mind never gets rusty.....
And by the way, people with those sorts of minds never get borred....
Interesting
Our main goal is to fulfill our social needs. If we're able to, then we will keep recruiting parts of the mind to do that. It's when we have lost hope to feel seen and heard, cared about, that we no longer direct our minds to be active, and then the organization falls apart.
This. Been through much to resonate.
Looks like many of us in the States are at risk, then.
So no socialisation = no energy to learn ? In simpler terms ?
Anything that can timulate the brain, make it work faster, store more information and can
keep someone away from doing the wrong things in life can only be a a God given miracle
Simplicity, dexterity, phsycically & constantly.
The theorist Lev Vygotsky had a similar idea in terms of doing challenging things that aren't out of your reach but also achievable. He called it the zone of proximal development. He studied child development but to see that it is relative throughout life is very interesting.
Surely the situation of the nuns in the convent illustrates the opposite of the conclusion the interviewee claims. The Alzheimer’s sufferers were able to carry on as normal because of the unchanging stability of their surroundings and relationships. If they’d been thrown into New York City or London and everything was new they’d never have been able to learn or adapt to any of it and would have immediately presented as not coping, confused, lost.
I cared for my mother with dementia and deliberately got her home help then later moved into her home rather than any other arrangement to help her cope for as long as possible. This worked well.
Good advice. Take up Art and/or Scientific enquiry. Things like that will keep you frustrated yet able to reach certain aims for your entire life.
Fascinating clip. Reminds me of something I once read about the neuro-preservative benefits of reading media sources that contradict our own beliefs. Sadly, most of us including myself, rarely do that. I'm surprised about the convent though. I would imagine that lifestyle to be more closed off from the outside world than most. Consequently, it would be quite familiar, constant, and predictable. All things that would seem to be the opposite of what he's describing.
When I was a young man, I was one of a few outsiders who was regularly allowed inside a convent of cloistered Franciscan nuns. I used to deliver supplies there, and occasionally do small handyman-type tasks. It was within a walled compound, with a gate and a narrow tunnel you would drive through. The outer walls and the house itself were Medieval looking, though the living area inside was relatively modern. Only one woman was empowered to talk to me - others might smile and nod to me, but most just ignored me. The women were engaged full-time in praying for the fate of the world. They also had a side hustle making the distinctive dark brown robes the Franciscan brothers wear. I read years later that cloistered nuns are among the longest-living people on Earth. My feeling about it at the time was that they are removed from the normal stressors that regular people face every day - money, traffic, work issues, sexual relationship issues, domestic squabbles, morons everywhere, dangers of various kinds, the news, etc. I figured that's where their good health came from. There seems to be very little novelty inside a convent.
@@patricksquinlan1 This sounds similar to what I was thinking while David Eagleman was talking about the nuns. Your point about their world not having all of the usual stresses that us non nuns go through seems solid to me. Of course there may be a whole list of other stresses that nuns have that I don't know about.
If you find this fascinating, your life must not be very interesting. Wow, a shit neuroscientist says to stay active and do a variety of activities. What an insight.
Less tv and more exercise + prayer.
Wondered that as well.
Maybe it’s the continued study of biblical texts and spiritual teachings?
He seems like a good dude. Very helpful video!
I wouldn't have bet on covent life for an example of challenge and novelty.
Exactly!
yes, glad to see I'm not the only one..
while the expert is elaborating the topic of challenging your brain, he goes on to give examples about life in covent.. strange, we were about to get the mystery
@@basarozbent4740I thought the point was that those conditions - social interaction, meaningful work, etc. - are conducive to maintaining brain health
He didn't give a comprehensive explanation. I did see the original documentary ( BBC ?), about these nuns - maybe a decade ago, which gave insight to how they were before becoming nuns etc - their education levels and interests.
Plus, not every nun or monk joins as a religious calling. They do have activities and access to literature, art , music, hobbies etc.
It is also important to understand the disadvantages of the brain adapting to the environment.
Simply put: use it or lose it
I'm saving it for the afterlife.
I want to enjoy heaven with my brand new brain!
Yeah, what a big revelation from this "scientist"
Our brains love to create problems to illusory threats. It's programmed to do that, and it gets itself sick while doing it on overdrive. Calming the mind is so important. Mindfulness is cool for this. Workbooks like 30 Days to Reduce Anxiety by Harper Daniels are awesome as well as the Tao Te Ching and other resources.
I would recommend learning a martial art say if you are 40+. The physical demands get harder when you are over 50. Something like ninjitsu where you never end learning different weapons etc. Eschrima too , I have a theory if you learn to control weaponry such as in stick fighting etc the hand eye brain coordination really helps the brain stay flexible.Tai chi great for balance etc. Yoga another good call.
Just taking a break from my daily Gerry Springer marathon and caught this clip.
The best thing you can do to maintain a HEALTHY brain is to keep it hydrated!
LOVED THIS!
Could it be their mindful and prayer routines equally help?
I’m 60 and once a year I dress as a pterodactyl and fly just one lap around the world. That and pushups.
Wow, you did push-ups? But that's so great!!!
I am 59 and have sex with young women. and I learned German and Spanish
@@worfozIn your annual circumnavigation do you flap or just glide?
Giggles
@@davidbouvier8895likely a decent spread of Both.
Flap to the Heavens, and then Glide down take in the views
Ive been reading this guys book. Its litterally the best book ive ever read in my life
south goa is beautiful im going to visit it this week.
Thank you.🔊👊good advice.
Didn't know Jamie Oliver had this much of knowledge.
❤ mindfulness and meditation count!❤
Between frustrating and achievable.
Love that
Sounds like ZPD. A concept, created by Lev Vygotskij, in educational psychology. It represents the space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported and what the learner cannot do even with support. It is the range where the learner is able to perform, but only with support from a teacher or a peer with more knowledge or expertise. :)
Frustrating but achievable, love it! New life motto logged.
The best thing to do for your brain is to look for it and find it first. When you realize that the brain is only a concept that you accepted to have one, based on hearsay, because you can never see it by yourself, then you will be at peace as pure consciousness in which events appear and disappear while you remain what you have always been- that pure consciousness, brain or no brain.
Combine novelty-seeking with lots of exercise of all kinds, but especially cardio.
Truly wonderful 🎉
great man
Getting through this video was frustrating but achieveable.
😅😅😅
Sought novelty and challenge. Nearly killed me. Almost bankrupted me. It was fun, but would be careful to recommend it.
I turned 52 and did my first triathlon.
Man against man , man against the environment , man against himself . In God we trust blessings to humanity 🙏
To humanity man against him self man against 😮robot technology man against computer and man against
Humanity its man against man. Man against nature , man against technology and man against machine then man against robots !! Its happening as we 😮 they won't feel human compassion and love and God's Holy. Spirit and common sense .😢
Yeap, I'm slowly starting the "older" part of life and *not* noticing all those issues that people keep talking about and I was terrified of. The "trick" I guess is mostly what's talked about here. I mean it's just common sense, if you let yourself go consistently over many years, your brain just follows suit. Just as the brain is plastic "upwards", it should be downwards too.
I have noticed some body issues though, but those most likely stem from accumulated effect of bad habits (e.g. chronically sedentary lifestyle), so same thing.
Exercise improves memory & focus too, see Wendy Suzuki on Huberman's podcast.
Brian control power se brain torcher kiya ja raha hai Kolhapur Maharashtra pls help me
Build new connections in the brain by performing new activities and stay active
Where is Resistance training and Cardio!?? Which are by far the strongest requeirements for brain health than other psycological and lifestyle factors
I got parkinsons and lost my career, became depressed and stop leaving the house. A doctor suggested I try simple childrens puzzles... 2 months later I am sleeping better, less depressed and invited a friend over for a chat... what a difference
I've also got a depressing job.
Physical activity is important too.
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Pushback. You’re constantly frustrated but ALWAYS achieving and moving on to the next frustration til you achieve THAT.
Confusing clip, the nuns probably didnt challenge themselves. To me it sounds more like they did the same things so many times that it just wasnt obvious that they had these deficits.
I think he was implying that because the nuns were socialising they didn't show as much cognitive decline as expected
Are you a nun ? If not, your facts are invalid 😊
@MrBombsti. No apparently their thinking minds was in great condition. Blew my mind when I heard it too. If you listen to an episode of podcast called unchartered with Hannah fry, she talks about it. The episode is called “in the habit”
Good comment.
- Seek novelty and challenge as you age to maintain brain health.
- The Religious Orders Study involving nuns showed that engaging in various activities, social interactions, and cognitive challenges can help combat brain degeneration, even in the presence of diseases like Alzheimer's.
- It's important to vary the challenges you engage in rather than sticking to one activity, as your brain benefits from adapting to new experiences.
- The ideal challenge level is between frustrating and achievable, where you are continuously pushing your cognitive limits without feeling overwhelmed.
- Maintaining a balance between frustration and achievement is crucial for delaying cognitive decline and dementia.
Mbok pikir arogan karepmu 🙏👍
I've heard others say physical exercise for the brain, and brain activities for the body.
Definitely plays a big role!
Simply put: use it or lose it. Thank God I'm a monk.
And confident.
Learning calculus and a language seems like two prominent examples of cognitive challenges.
lol
@@Kaizen747Why LOL?
Beautiful
The best things you can do for your brain is continue to be creative.
Be direct
Can we use another tool to understand our “Brain”, other than using our “Brain”
notes: nuns with alzeimers disease. brain was getting chewed up and degenerating but had no symptoms because they challenged their mind. if its easy, then drop it. crosswords will get easy. ramp it up. be mildly frustrated. be uncomfortable on purpose. read hard stuff. improve ur attention and long term focus
It sounds like the key is to be perpetually frustrated.😳
Being spiritual when you smoke drugs and your spitual and don't use it sexuly is the key 👌 to moderation😊
Surely nuns would have less novelty? No one noticed they had lost their mind because they didn't need one. They had done the exact same routine daily for many years and they just carried on like the robots they had become.
@user-ig2vf3yl1c Did you even watch the video? Nuns do get dementia and no one picks it up until after they're dead. My point was I disagree that fact is due to novelty. So really your comment makes no sense and is totally irrelevant to the video or my comment.
@user-ig2vf3yl1c Maybe you better get checked for Alzheimer's yourself
They had enough stimulation and RELATIONSHIPS. The Alzheimer’s, however present, did not lead to any noticeable signs of cognitive decline.
You’ve misunderstood the video. Arrogance is definitively not novelty.
life is always dynamic, u just have to get aware of that and notice it.
1:52 note 1
I don't understand the nun's brains scans? Seems like living a life in a semi isolated way, where one does the same basic routine day after day for the rest of their life wouldn't be very challenging???
Life is hell and I can no longer bear the pain.
Grief rapes me. I am tortured. My soul is raped.
I'm in hell with no escape.
I don't want to live anymore.
I cannot bear to.
I desperately pray to die.
SUICIDAL DEPRESSION.
I beg beg beg beg beg to die.
I can't take the pain anymore.
I can't. I can't. I'm in hell.
I'm submerged in grief and darkness.
I am drowned and suffocated.
I BEG TO DIE.
TERROR AND PANIC
FLOOD AND RAPE MY SOUL.
Grief:
rapes and tortures my soul.
I am tormented and tortured and haunted.
I cannot breathe.
I do not breathe.
LIFE IS HELL.
I WANT OUT.
I WANT TO DIE.
I'M DESPERATE TO ESCAPE THE PAIN.
Life hurts.
I need God, desperately.
Where is he?
I need him.
Where are my angels?
I need them.
I'm dying inside.
I am raped.
Tortured.
In hell.
I LOATHE BEING ALIVE.
The pain of life is unbearable.
I'm in hell.
I desperately want to die.
It's my wish and my prayer:
please please please, God, let me die.
Just let me die.
MY SOUL IS RAPED.
I'm in hell. Hell with no escape.
I beg to die.
I desperately want to die.
44 years of suffering
with only intermittent fleeting windows of relief.
HE SHATTERED MY HEART.
HE FUCKING RAPED AND TORTURED
AND TORMENTED MY SOUL.
I loved him.
He raped my soul:
brutally viciously violently maliciously.
Every morning I wake up in despair,
desperately praying/begging/pleading to die.
I AM SUBMERGED IN DARKNESS
AND TERROR AND DESPAIR.
I can no longer bear the pain.
He betrayed and abandoned me, discarded me like garbage.
I'm so fucking traumatized and terrorized and terrified.
Start, praying and adopt a motto “ I can do”
I wouldn't necessarily associate nuns with seeking challenges and new adventures.
that's the part that confused me. Surely their lives were more routine driven than most?
From your first name, I assume you're probably not a nun.
This is good for you, but certeinly not the best thing to do. Physical excercice has a much bigger effect on preserving cognitive ability, than mental trianing. Strength training in particular.
how do you know this? Thanks.
@@wendym2544 I would love to meet batman because he is loving and very passionate ❤️ and he's always a gentleman and always passionate about everything and always makes me think about him always !
Have heard the same!
Three words: Seek "optimal challenges."
I didn't get how the nun's avoided symptoms of Alzheimer's - what was the new challenging things they did every day in the same place with the same daily habits talking to the same people. I need you to add the stuff that made sense or redo this part of the interview.
Actually the nuns who had the best handwriting as children, didn't get symptoms of dementia, even when their brain was ravaged with the disease. Therefore, do what you want when you're old, but really it boils down to what you were as a child.
“Frustrating but achievable”....wouldn’t that increase stress, which itself is harmful and shortens your life (shortens telomeres, causes higher blood pressure, etc.)?
Nice
Wrong. #1 is Physical exercise, especially strength training.
My mom did all of it and still got dementia and 67 ! Sorry everyone
I don't know if his example was the right one for what he was trying to say and even if what he said was the key take away of those studies.
Every night while I am falling asleep. I think about how I would spend 1million dollar's. Doing the math is a challenge that ether puts me to sleep or causes me to get up and break out the pen and paper 🌹
To humanity does black and white base positive energy making a strong with the universe making the circle move ,?😊
1:51
Baddest thing ever
Eagleman's podcast is a nice break from the mediocrity that fills many podcasts.
❤
0:17
Understood, I will keep gaming.
"The best thing to do for your brain"? Here's two best things: 1. avoid any TED talk about anything, and 2. avoid anything with David Eagleman.
Why do you say that?
TED talks are usually given by well-educated hand-wavers, go on way too long, and have more than a whiff of narcissism about them. Read a good book on the TED topic instead. And anyone who calls himself a "possibilian" is silly, and millimeters away from founding his own religion/cult/look-at-how-clever-I-am movement. P.S. I saw Mr. Eagleman lecture once. The references to Stanford were...amusingly prevalent. Only eclipsed by lectures given by people who went to Harvard.
why?
Turn off your phone and TV’s.
nuns have very busy live. working all the time. if not working, they pray. first pray is at 3am. their live and the choirs are very well scheduled. they stick to a discipline extremely strict. day in day out. whole life. no fuss is ever tolerated. regularity, consistency, faith.
The best thing to do for your brain is movement/exercise