10. THOUGHTS CATEGORY ABSTRACTS
CORE BRAINPOWER MINDSET POSITIVE IMMERSION TRAINING
What was the first idea?
"How and when did the capacity to create an idea come about in the first place? This question has perplexed ancient and modern philosophers, scientists in the fields of human development and evolution, and most of the rest of us." (The First Idea, page 1)
The book, which is outlined in the next link, shows how the capacity to create symbols and to think stems from our passions, our emotions. It shows how emotions actually gave birth to our human ability to create symbols and to think and how they continue to do so:
Book Source:
The First Idea
The book answers the question: "How do human beings develop their highest mental abilities --- the abilities to symbolize and think?"
"In addition, how did these distinctly human abilities arise during the course of evolution? In short, how did we become human beings and how do we maintain our humanness?" (page 1)
Since your highest mental abilities include thinking and using symbols, as an aspiring thinking adult human being or self-liberated person, you can choose to use the carefully selected words (or symbols) that follow to maximize what is best for you. By doing this, you will also be able to minimize the damage that some words can do to you --- and to your friends when not used carefully:
Book Source:
The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols
Book Source:
The Ultimate Illustrated Encyclopedia of Signs, Symbols & Dream Interpretation
You can make a printout of the following Thoughts Mindmap Note-Taking Form to summarize the factual ideas that you want to remember from any of the book outlines and summaries in this Thoughts Category Abstracts or any of the other eleven Brainpower Mindset categories in the Brainpower Mindset matrix of ideas:
![[Thoughts Mindmap Note Form]](oval-thoughts.gif)
Thoughts Mindmap Note Form
You can experience a more fullfilling life by knowing exactly how your brain was designed by evolution to function. The key to enhancing your personal success at home and your productivity at work to make it an essential goal in your life to learn everything you can about how your brain works.
You can quickly learn how the physical parts of your brain, your brain anatomy, influence every thought and feeling you experience. Your success now and in the future with friends, relatives, and co-workers will mainly depend upon how well you understand your brain's two true evolutionary functions, namely, its potential of being supremely adaptable because of its "neuroplasticity" and its reluctance to change any habitual behavior due to its "cognitive dissonance."
You can take advantage of the pattern of "brain science facts" contained in the hundreds of published references linked to this website. They include such important books as the following four books listed below:
Book Source #1: The Brain Book
Book Source #2: The Accidental Mind
Book Source #3: The Longevity Bible
Book Source #4: Social Intelligence
Book Source #5: The Blank Slate
The first book combines two strategic ideas: namely, the importance of knowing the new "brain science facts" in a comprehensive way and the wisdom of using visually-oriented diagrams or "mindmaps" to enhance your understanding of how your brain works.
The second book represents a biological viewpoint of how your brain works from an evolutionary point-of-view. It provides an overview of brain function and the linkage between psychological behavior and biological brain processes.
The third book provides eight strategies for keeping your mind sharp and your body young based on extensive research about how your memory works.
The fourth book explains the new research behind the brain science "facts" and the new concept of "Social Intelligence." It describes why your relationship network is so essential for your health and happiness and overall satisfaction.
The fifth book, The Blank Slate, demonstrates how our language is a "window" or way of looking at our human nature, since it has been so inextricably associated with our evolution as a human species and specifically with our immense intelligence and consciousness of ourselves and the world around us.
In addition, the new logical evidence of what makes you "human" can be integrated into the new brain science facts and ideas in your consciousness and your long-term memory by reviewing the following book outline or reading and studying the details in such a book as the following:
Book Source:
Human -- Smithsonian Definitive Visual Guide
By using your diagramming or mindmapping skills, you can make direct connections between the words, names, and ideas that you choose to understand, in their proper perspective or context. You will be removing any doubt about confusing subtexts since you will be reinforcing the truthful ideas this way. You will be optimizing your own brainpower as you learn how your brain actually works based on what the best brain experts doing research today say.
You can make the billions of brain cells, called "neurons," in your brain operate better for you by choosing to make better connections between your five senses and the thinking and feeling parts of your brain.
By understanding how your dendrites and synapses and major brain parts operate to control your sensory and motor neurons, you will be able to realize how your future destiny depends upon the quality of your brainpower knowledge now, today, no matter what other habits you have acquired in the past.
During this process of "critical thinking", you will be learning about the negative obstacles that cultural forces or traditional institutions place in your way of becoming a "self-liberated" person aware of the truth. You can learn to transform those negative obstacles that aggressively compete to turn you into a victim and stymy your rational thought processes by focusing on the positive steps toward authentic happiness and lasting satisfaction.
The rest of your lifetime is about the "freedom of choice" you have to use the brainpower knowledge or volumunous information that has been organized for you in the Brainpower Mindset of essential categories of ideas. The categories and ideas can become a foundation for your further exploration of the uncertain but predictable possibilities just ahead of you in the future.
The supreme issue for you is whether or not it is better to base your choices on genuine scientific knowledge about the nature of reality or on unproven so-called spiritual options or religious opinions such as mythical, magical, prejudicial, superstitious, or stereotypical explanations and attitudes or mindsets. These mindsets about the nature of reality, which can be addictive, can confuse and bewilder you beyond your rational sensibility.
The Brain Scans of Daniel Amen
Daniel Amen, who is one of the most influential pioneer researchers in developing the new "brain science facts and ideas," is a professor and researcher at the University of California at Irvine. His website provides access to information about the use of "SPECT" brain scans for diagnosing brain disorders and abilities available to the general public around the world:
Internet Source: Dr. Amen's "Brainworks" Essay
Book Source: Change Your Brain. Change Your Life
Book Source: Healing the Hardware of the Soul
Book Source: Making a Good Brain Great
This true scientific information can help you learn how to apply your own unique brainpower skills to your best advantage as you seek to accomplish your most cherished goals. Other brain researchers, such as Daniel Gilbert, have written about their findings about your amazing brain and its changes during recorded history in the selected books whose summaries are presented at the following links:
"The greatest achievement of the human brain is its ability to imagine the world as it might be!"
"And, most of us make at least three important decisions in our lives:"
[1] "Where to live,"
[2] "What to do, and"
[3] "With whom to do it."
"Making these decisions is such a natural part of adulthood that it is easy to forget that we are among the first human beings to make them in recorded history." (Quotes by Daniel Gilbert in book link below)
Book Source: Stumbling on Happiness
Now that you have several perspectives for beginning your exploration of your own thoughts about life, you can browse through the following book outlines and summaries:
[1] THE FOUR THEATERS OF YOUR MIND
Book Source: A User's Guide to the Brain
[2] THE MENTAL FITNESS GUIDE TO MANAGING YOUR MIND
1) Two principles underlying your mental fitness are:
Valuing yourself and recognizing that you can change
2) Seven basic skills:
SKILL ONE --- Managing yourself and your time
SKILL TWO --- Facing the problem
SKILL THREE --- Treating yourself right
SKILL FOUR --- Problem-solving = a strategy for change
SKILL FIVE --- Keeping things in perspective = help from cognitive therapy
SKILL SIX --- Building self-confidence and self-esteem
SKILL SEVEN --- Learning to relax
Book Source: Managing Your Mind
[3] THINKING FOR A CHANGE --- 11 WAYS
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE APPROACH LIFE AND WORK
Change your thinking and change your life! Understand the value of "good thinking." It is a different way to think!
1) Changing from negative to positive thinking is not always easy, especially if you have a difficult time with change. For some, it is a life-long struggle. Most people's number one challenge regarding making positive personal changes is their FEELINGS!
They may want to change, but they do not know how to get past their emotions! But there is a way to do it. Take a look at the "truth" contained in the following syllogism:
MAJOR PREMISE = I can control my thoughts.
MINOR PREMISE = My feelings come from my thoughts.
CONCLUSION = I can control my feelings by controlling my thoughts!
[1] Good thinking increases your potential
[2] Good thinking produces more good thinking --- IF you make it happen!
This book does not try to tell you WHAT to think --- but the book does attempt to teach you HOW to think!
[3] You can learn to develop each of these 11 kinds of thinking and become a MASTER THINKER --- so your life will change the way you want it to!
Advice from a good thinker --- THINKING QUESTION: "Do I believe that good thinking can change my life?"
2) Realize the impact of changed thinking
3) Master the process of "intentional thinking"
ELEVEN THINKING SKILLS EVERY SUCCESSUL PERSON NEEDS
SKILL 1 --- Seeing the wisdom of "big picture" thinking
SKILL 2 --- Unleashing the potential of "focused" thinking
SKILL 3 --- Discovering the joy of "creative" thinking
SKILL 4 --- Recognizing the importance of "realistic" thinking
SKILL 5 --- Releasing the power of "strategic" thinking
SKILL 6 --- Feeling the energy of "possibility" thinking
SKILL 7 --- Embracing the lessons of "reflective" thinking
SKILL 8 --- Questioning the acceptance of "popular" thinking
SKILL 9 --- Encouraging the participation of "shared" thinking
SKILL 10 --- Experiencing the satisfaction of "unselfish" thinking
SKILL 11 --- Enjoying the return of "bottom-line" thinking
This book does not try to tell you what to think --- but it does attempt to teach you HOW TO THINK!
You can learn to develop each of these 11 kinds of thinking and become a MASTER THINKER
Thus your life will change and become the way you want it to be!
Book Source: Thinking for a Change
[4] THINK --- A COMPELLING INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
How then should we regard knowledge?
Knowledge implies authority --- The people who know are the people to whom we should listen. It also implies RELIABILITY --- The people who know are those who are reliable at registering the TRUTH, like good instruments. To claim KNOWLEDGE implies claiming a sense of our own reliability! And to accord AUTHORITY to someone or some method involves seeing it as reliable.
Argument by Analogy requires certain conditions in order to be reliable. First, the bases for the analogy should be extremely similar. Second, we should have experience covering the likely explanations. That is, you should know as much as possible about the kind of cause that produces this kind of effect.
You need more observation, more refined understanding of the way things fall out before you can be wise to make any such inference. It is this second kind of experience that is sadly lacking in traditional bureaucracies!
Book Source: (Think)
[5] THE HEALING MIND
Quote by P. & J. Medawar in the book The Life of Science, 1977
"For a biologist the alternative to thinking in evolutionary terms is not to think at all." From the book The Healing Mind, p277
The newly developing field of "psychoneuroimmunology" is proving that the traditional Western dualism concerning the separation of your mind and body is misleading. New research in psychology and neurobiology has produced new knowledge about how your brain can either strengthen or weaken your immune system and, therefore, your health. The links between your body and mind have been intricately constructed by evolution over many thousands of years. Now the secrets of optimum health can be learned by understanding how your brain can malfunction if it is not understood properly cared for.
Your physical health affects your mind and, therefore, your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Also your thoughts, emotions and behavior, can influence your physical health. Intricate biological and psychological links that exist between your mind and body:
Examples from medical research as well as classic literatary novels illustrate the links between psychological factors and disease, which have been accurately observed for centuries. The illustrations help convey complex scientific ideas in a recognizable form. Since many people, including doctors and scientists, still find it inherently easier to believe in the reality of apparently simple-minded physical causes of disease, such as high cholesterol or excessive salt in your diet, smoking, lack of exercise, bacteria or viruses, than to accept the fact that your thinking itself can affect your health.
By understanding this critical connection more completely, you can reconcile many familiar ideas about "psychosomatic" illnesses by learning how your mind and body affect each other:
"There is little doubt that the mind can --- and does --- alter immunity. Psychological and emotional factors in various guises can influence both cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immune function. The mind-immunity connections have been demonstrated and replicated in so many ways and in so many laboratories that they can no longer be considered even mildly controversial."
Book Source: (The Healing Mind)
[6] UNLOCK YOUR BRAINPOWER
BY FREEING YOURSELF FROM OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR
Introduction --- This book is about obsessions and compulsions and the "FOUR-STEP" self-treatment method to successfully change your brain chemistry and controlling your intrusive negative feelings and urges.
SUMMARY of the four steps:
Step 1 --- RE-LABEL = You must recognize that the intrusive obsessive
thoughts and urges are the RESULT of "OCD." You must call the
intrusive thought or urge to do a troublesome compulsive behavior exactly what
it is! It is an obsessive thought or a compulsive urge. You must
develop the ability to recognize the difference between the unpleasant feelings that "OCD" symptoms cause and reality!
Step 2 --- RE-ATTRIBUTE = You must realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is CAUSED by "OCD," which is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain . You must ask the question, "Why does this keep bothering me?" And, you must answer it by accepting that you have a medical condition called "OCD."
Step 3 --- RE-FOCUS = You must work around the "OCD" thoughts by
focusing your attention on something more constructive, at least for a few minutes. DO ANOTHER BEHAVIOR by "shifting gears" and performing an alternative, wholesome behavior. You can actually repair the "gearbox" in your own brain by learning how to "RE-FOCUS" in a consistent way!
This is where the hardest work is done and where the change in brain chemistry takes place. However, things come together very quickly, resulting in an almost automatic response. You can recognize "OCD" thoughts as "false" messages!
Step 4 --- RE-VALUE = Don't take the "OCD" thought at face value! It is not significant in itself. You must "RE-VALUE" those intrusive negative thoughts and urges when they arise. You will learn how to "devalue" unwanted obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges as soon as they intrude into your comfort zone.
You will come to see intrusive "OCD" symptoms as the useless "garbage" they really are.
RESULTS:
First, you can gain better control over your responses to your own
thoughts and feelings, which makes day-to-day living much happier
and healthier.
Second, by changing your behavior, you can change the "faulty" brain
chemistry that was causing the intense discomfort of your OCD symptoms.
Since it has been scientifically demonstrated that the brain chemistry in this serious psychiatric condition is changed through the practice of the "four-step" plan, you can "change your own brain chemistry!" by altering your responses to many other "bad habits." You can lessen the intensiveness and intrusiveness of the unwanted habits and behaviors, which will make those debilitating habits easier to break.
You can apply this OCD treatment plan to any serious thoughts you may have that impact your choices and decisions for future behaviors or action plans.
Book Source: (Brain Lock)
[7] SEVEN SINS OF MEMORY --- HOW THE MIND FORGETS AND REMEMBERS
We tend to think of memories as snapshots from family albums that, if stored properly, could be retrieved in precisely the same condition in which they were put away. But we now know that we do not record our experiences the way a camera records them.
Our memories work differently.
We extract key elements from our experiences and store them. We then recreate or reconstruct our experiences rather than retrieve copies of them.
Sometimes, in the process of reconstructing we add on feelings, beliefs, or even knowledge we obtained after the experience. In other words, we bias our memories of the past by attributing to them emotions or knowledge we acqauired after the event.
Why have our memory systems come to exhibit bothersome and sometimes dangerous properties? Do the seven sins of memory represent mistakes made by Mother Nature during the course of evolution? Probably not. To the contrary, each of the seven sins of memory is a by-product of otherwise desirable and adaptive features of the human mind.
Consider by analogy the ancient seven deadly sins of pride, anger, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, and sloth, which each have great potential to get you into trouble. Yet each of the seven ancient deadly sins can be seen as an exaggeration of traits that are useful and sometimes necessary for survival.
This book argues for a similar approach to the seven memory sins. Rather than portraying them as inherent weaknesses or flaws in system design, they provide a window on the adaptive strengths of memory. The seven sins of memory allow you to appreciate why memory works as well as it does most of the time, and why it evolved the design that it has. Although the focus of this book is on the problems that the seven sins of memory cause in everyday life, it shows why memory is mainly a reliable guide to your past and your future even though it can let you down in annoying but revealing ways.
1) The sin of transience
2) The sin of absent-mindedness
3) The sin of blocking
4) The sin of misattribution
5) The sin of suggestibility
6) The sin of bias
7) The sin of persistence
The seven sins of memory --- are they vices or virtues?
Book Source: (The Seven Sins of Memory)
[8] THE EFFECT OF ANXIETY ON YOUR BRAIN AND OUR CULTURE
Book Source: Poe's Heart and the Mountain Climber
[9] THE MEMORY BIBLE ---
AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY FOR KEEPING YOUR BRAIN YOUNG
A proven way to improve your memory involves training yourself to accomplish three basic skills: LOOK, SNAP, and CONNECT!
The following THREE effective memory skills can be easily learned:
(1) LOOK --- Actively observe what you want to learn!
Slow down, take notice, and focus on what you want to remember. Consciously absorb details
and meaning from a new face, event or conversation.
(2) SNAP --- Create mental "snapshots" of memories!
Create a "mental snapshot" of the visual information you wish to remember. Add details to give the
"snaps" personal meaning and make them easier to learn and recall later.
(4) CONNECT --- Link your "mental snapshots" together!
Associate the "images-to-be-remembered" in a chain, starting with the first image, which is associated
with the second, the second with the third, and so forth. Be sure the first image helps you recall the reason for remembering the chain.
With this dynamic process you can improve or restor your ability to remember.
Book Source: The Memory Bible
[10] INTELLIGENT MEMORY --- IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY TO MAKE YOURSELF SMARTER
You can improve your memory by using dozens of proven methods. The following "Intelligent Memory" skills are a small sample of the memory enhancing methods described in this book:
[1] Enhancing Attention
[2] Expanding Scratch-Pad Memory
[3] Coring More Memories
[4] Sparking Connections
[5] Solving Problems
[6] Working Creatively
[7] Preventing Mental Mistakes
Book Source: Intelligent Memory
[11] 20/20 THINKING --- 1,000 POWERFUL STRATEGIES
TO SHARPEN YOUR MIND, BRIGHTEN YOUR MOOD, AND BOOST YOUR MEMORY
How to boost your brainpower and manage your mood:
1st Get Healthy --- Become an optimist!
[1] Rewrite your "internal script"
[2] Change your self-talk
[3] Analyze your setbacks --- rationally!
[4] Get some perspective
[5] Find the silver lining
[6] Move from destructive to constructive relationships
[7] Practice positivity
Use Positive Psychology to Improve Your Frame of Mind --- Try seven ways to catch happiness!
[1] Shun materialism
[2] Pursue volunteerism
[3] Be grateful
[4] Forgive others
[5] Stop viewing yourself as a victim
[6] Cultivate positive emotions
[7] Pursue happiness activities
Book Source: (20/20 Thinking)
[12] ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Book Source: (Asking the Right Questions)
[13] YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE LUXURY OF A NEGATIVE THOUGHT
Book Source: (You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought)
[14] USE YOUR PERFECT MEMORY ---
NEW TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING YOUR MEMORY
BASED ON THE LATEST DISCOVERIES ABOUT THE HUMAN BRAIN
Book Source: (Use your perfect memory)
[15] LYING, LOVING AND HEROIC ACTS --- USING YOUR BRAINPOWER!
Book Source: (Liars, Lovers, and Heroes)
[16] THE MARVEL AND MYSTERY OF YOUR BRAIN!
Book Source: An Alchemy of Mind --- the Marvel and Mystery of the Brain
Return to Essay-Set #1: Focus on the Self-Liberation Philosophy
Return to Training Tool #3: Broadband Brainpower Mindset Categories