Secrets of You Brain: Post #3--Mysteries

Mysteries of the Mind. This section probed some of the more outlying brain topics like dreams and sleep, out-of body experiences, psychopaths, and love. “What Dreams are Made Of” demonstrates that sleep clearly boosts the brain in problem solving and creativity. Studies on problem solving show that people who were taught a new task performed it better after a night in the sack. So, forget the old college all-nighters…get some sleep to improve your chances of passing a test. Maybe that’s why Einstein took naps (me too). Also, the authors note that sleep soothes angst and fosters “out of the box” creativity. I love the definition of creativity by Robert Stickgold, psychiatrist at Harvard: “…Creativity is nothing more and nothing less than putting memories together in a way they never have been before.” “The Brain Chemistry of Love” taught me that love at first sight IS real. It takes 1/5 of a second to fall in love. And it all starts with the face, which is only 5% of your body surface but 95% of your allure, according to anthropologist David Givens. After seeing someone who appeals, our brain sets off a host of chemical reactions—a love cocktail as it were—finally releasing (among other drugs) dopamine and suppressing serotonin, which regulates risk and control. So, the brain literally is “drunk” on love and lowers its resistance to good sense and caution.