Transcription
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How I learned to trick my brain into effectively doing what is strategically beneficial and useful for me, rather than what is readily available, refined, and only provides a fleeting dopamine rush.
How I learned to enjoy learning without coercion, without excessive willpower, and how I significantly enhanced my intellectual abilities and creativity using only working and proven mechanisms.
Imagine a hypothetical, completely new, and unpredictable environment about which you know nothing. What parameter would you increase to maximize your chances of survival? The answer is obvious: intelligence and general brain capabilities.
If you haven't dreamed of your brain being able to learn intensely, absorb information, and generate incredible ideas, grand insights, and solutions to any problems, then why are you watching this video? Most of us have surely thought about this more than once, fantasizing about being able to read something once and remember it all, or having our brains work like the most powerful supercomputer, allowing us to focus intensely on tasks and generate insights, as shown in the movie "Limitless."
I was blind, but now I see. I knew what to do and how to do it. Even the most simple-minded person unconsciously understands that the brain is our most significant evolutionary advantage, both as a species and as individuals.
It is only thanks to the brain and its intelligence that humans have become the dominant species on the planet. In modern society, if you lack certain physical attributes like appearance, physical strength, hormonal balance, metabolism, endurance, energy, or social advantages like wealthy parents, a favorable environment, the absence of psychological trauma, or just plain luck, you can still change or influence this to some extent through intelligence.
Interestingly, intelligence can even help you compensate for certain physiological deficiencies and limitations. However, reduced intellectual abilities cannot be corrected by any other physical parameter. In short, the brain and intelligence are everything to us; they essentially define who we are.
It is impossible to change or improve your life without changing your neural connections. But can you make your brain learn and develop? This is a complex question. Who will make it do so? After all, we are, in essence, our brains.
No one can definitively answer what consciousness is, whether it controls the brain, or if the brain projects the sensation of self-awareness. If we knew the answer to this question, not much would change. In a sense, learning is something the brain has never stopped doing; it is constantly learning, and forcing it to do something is nearly impossible. It does not understand coercion.
So, how then can you become a genius, you might ask? We will discuss this further. I will share what has been repeatedly confirmed by science and neurobiology, and what I have tested in my own experience.
Despite everything said above, there is good news for you: forcing the brain to do something is practically impossible. However, by knowing certain nuances and mechanisms, a person can create conditions in which the brain will reorient itself and do what you would like.
First, as mentioned earlier, the brain is designed to be in a constant state of learning and predicting the surrounding reality, as this is essentially its one and only task. Everything else flows from this. Scientists call this ability neuroplasticity, which is the ability to transform by acquiring experiences and retaining those changes.
Previously, this raised doubts, as there was an opinion that the brain's capabilities are predetermined. But today, scientists are certain of this property of our gray matter.
Now researchers are finding evidence that this organ is not born ready; it actively interacts with the environment and adapts to it. In modern studies, we discover that children who end up in the wild and do not have the opportunity to learn social norms and language before a certain age—what is called the critical period of development—fall into a trap of limited development in the sense we understand it, which affects their future lives, preventing them from achieving the intellectual capabilities of an adult.
The stories of the "wild children" emphasize not only the plasticity of the child's brain but also the irreversibility of missed learning opportunities in early childhood. However, research also points to the amazing ability of the brain to change throughout life. For example, experiments on mice have shown that a stimulating environment contributes to the thickening of the cerebral cortex, highlighting the importance of diverse play and learning activities for brain development.
A fascinating example of brain adaptability is provided by London taxi drivers, who, while studying the details of a vast city for their exams, showed an increase in the size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory. This example underscores that learning is not only possible but can also change the structure of the brain, even in adults.
Modern science has concluded that the brain is capable of constant changes throughout life, and learning is a natural and integral process. Therefore, it is important not just to force yourself to learn, which is fundamentally ineffective and often counterproductive, but to create specific conditions that promote active and effective learning of what you want to master. Otherwise, it will still learn something, but likely something useless or harmful.
For this to happen, several components are necessary: motivation to activate its resources, attention to focus on a specific subject, memory to retain what is learned, creative freedom to allow the brain to build new connections, and the absence of obstacles in this complex process.
Motivation is what drives us to take action that helps satisfy our needs. The brain has such a stimulus: the innate human need for exploratory behavior related to survival, just like sleep, reproduction, and food acquisition. If we do not have the ability to discover and learn new things, we may miss dangers or fail to devise ways to protect ourselves in advance.
Where there is an evolutionary need, there is often a desire to satisfy it. This process, in turn, gives us a sense of pleasure by activating the dopamine reward system. Thus, the brain encourages us to engage in activities that are truly important for survival. Simply put, we enjoy learning—by definition—if this process is organized rationally and not as it was in school.
Pleasure is crucial for maintaining motivation and experiencing joy. This can come not only from the act of learning itself; the dopamine system rewards us when we learn, and we can encourage it during the learning process to create a more stable connection between the activity and pleasure.
Rewards can be short-term and long-term. The former are effectively used, for example, in gamification of learning, where the process is divided into stages, with a reward given for completing each one. We are more eager to compete in groups for points, badges, and other incentives.
But even if a person learns alone, a reward for each completed stage that is valuable to them can significantly accelerate the process. For example, for a music lover, the promise of buying a rare record after learning 2300 new words in a foreign language would be excellent motivation.
However, it is important not to use as short-term rewards things that disrupt the dopamine system, such as sugary, fatty foods, cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Such practices can break your reward mechanisms and even create unhealthy habits.
Long-term motivation is possible because our brain, in a sense, is blind and deaf and does not fully understand what is actually happening. By assigning ourselves various rewards that we will receive if we accomplish our tasks, we stimulate the dopamine system, especially when we use the power of imagination and visualization.
Abstract fantasies are less appealing to our brain, while more concrete ones are perceived as reality, often without seeing the difference. When your learning is embedded in a dream that you fuel with imagination, your brain will have more motivation to learn.
It works best if the new skill is connected to a desire to evolve, advance in a career, find a good partner, gain status and fame, move to a country with a high standard of living, or save for a comfortable retirement, and so on. In other words, something survival-related.
Every time you evoke this image in your imagination, your brain produces dopamine, motivating you to achieve your goals.
Attention is the focus of perception on the object of study. It allows us to select something from the vast array of the external world, concentrate on it, and lose sight of everything else.
Time management is, in fact, not about managing time itself—over which we have no control—but about managing attention. The distribution of attention determines how many minutes and hours we spend effectively and how many we waste.
Neurobiology cannot yet answer which process is more important for directed attention: enhanced processing of signals from the object we are focused on, or the suppression of what we might call noise. Therefore, it is useful to understand that we can minimize the noise—by closing unnecessary browser tabs, turning off our smartphones, or finding a quieter table in a café.
Improving concentration can only be achieved by regularly practicing this art. The corporate culture of multitasking leads us to believe that it is entirely natural to be constantly distracted from our subject of study by a dozen messengers and social networks.
It is assumed that a person can concentrate on several processes simultaneously and be equally effective in each. In reality, this is a complete myth. There is no multitasking; there is only task-switching.
First, we focus on one subject and ignore as much as possible the surrounding information, and then we switch to another, which was previously among the noise, and now we suppress signals from the first object. For such switching, time and resources are needed, and the more frequent and chaotic this change of focus occurs, the more fatigued the brain becomes.
The longer you work in multitasking mode, the worse the results of your labor. Today, there is talk of a situationally conditioned attention deficit syndrome, where healthy people, due to constant distractions, exhibit symptoms similar to those of individuals with ADHD—namely, an inability to concentrate and complete tasks, increased fatigue, irritability, and ultimately depression and a lack of self-awareness.
Usually, acquired attention deficits can be corrected by prioritizing and training focused concentration. The latter also takes a lot of energy and can sometimes be more exhausting than physical exertion, but this skill can be developed—not only through meditation or some form of Buddhist concentration but also by regularly performing specific exercises.
The optimal approach is to find your threshold of fatigue during focused concentration and make it your unit of work time. This principle underlies the Pomodoro Technique, where the workday is divided into several blocks consisting of four 25-minute periods of uninterrupted concentration and five-minute breaks in between. After each block, a longer break of half an hour is taken.
Some may manage to maintain focused concentration for only 20 minutes, while others may prefer segments of an hour and a half, but the principle remains the same: nothing should distract you. During breaks, however, you should allow yourself to relax and switch to something that does not require effort, such as looking out the window, lying down with your eyes closed, or taking a walk in the fresh air during the longer break.
This method is suitable not only for self-study but also for work and solving creative tasks. The habit of turning off notifications from social networks and messengers during work may seem trivial and a sign of weak character, but from a biochemical perspective, this practice allows all dopamine to be directed toward motivation.
Every notification from social media stimulates the dopamine system, meaning that every time you check your smartphone, dopamine is injected into your brain, tickling you until you scratch that itch and check your messages. This takes away the joy we have cultivated by concentrating on our subject of study, imagining the treasures it will bring us, and anticipating a small reward for the knowledge we have gained.
Knowledge is not stored in the brain like jewels in a box. Moreover, when it enters our heads, it loses its integrity and is scattered across various zones, existing in a semi-fragmented state. Information about the subjects you study is simultaneously retained in the form of connections.
When you recall one of them, you immediately retrieve information about another. This feature of our brain underlies all mnemonic techniques. For example, an unrelated sequence of words is much harder to remember than a chain in which they are combined into a story.
The same principle applies to the method of organizing data in the form of flowcharts and tables, where information is graphically duplicated, and the arrangement of geometric objects allows for visual associations to remember relationships between abstract concepts.
Connecting neurons is a crucial stage of memorization, and the best way to retain a fact in your mind is to associate it with another well-known and frequently used fact. Such information is more likely to remain in your memory than unconnected, useless bits.
This is another property of neuroplasticity: what is not used by the brain disappears along with the neural pathways. Therefore, the highest skill in self-directed learning is to integrate it into your routine, link it to your profession, work, or daily life, and make it a part of your existence.
Then your brain will have no opportunity to discard everything learned as unnecessary. However, forgetting can also be an important part of memorization. On a physiological level, the strongest neural connections are those of knowledge that is used regularly, with breaks.
When you manage to forget a little, the information is better absorbed than if you study it intensively. The next best way to synthesize interesting discoveries and original ideas from the knowledge you have gained is to give yourself a break in consuming information.
When we are focused, the frontal cortex or executive system of the brain is at work. This rational and sequential part helps us do what is right. To activate our creative abilities, this structure must interact with what is called the brain's default mode network.
This is the state in which we wander with our gaze, daydream, mindlessly fiddle with something in our hands, or simply zone out, staring blankly. Everything is about balance. Creative insights are possible when, after a good load on the executive system, the brain switches to passive mode.
Mendeleev saw his periodic table in a dream, but if he hadn't thought about it day and night until he hit a wall, he would have dreamt of all sorts of ordinary nonsense. A short daytime nap is a suitable key to activating this passive mode, but only after very intense work.
There are not many obstacles to ineffective brain function, and removing them brings only joy.
Sleep deprivation significantly reduces the speed of our thought processes, which are impaired in sleep-deprived individuals, similar to those who have been drinking. When we are in the arms of Morpheus, the brain does not rest; sometimes it can even be more active than during the day.
However, it is still not entirely clear what exactly happens in our heads at that moment. It is evident that sleep is not only important for the good functioning of the brain as a whole but also ensures better memorization and assimilation of material.
Poor blood circulation is another issue. Intellectual activities often imply a sedentary lifestyle, which paradoxically negatively affects mental abilities. The brain is part of the body; it does not have a separate circulatory system. If you do not move, blood with glucose and oxygen does not flow well to it.
Therefore, during breaks, it is better to pay attention to your body and do a little warm-up. Moreover, regular physical activity promotes the growth of the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory.
Stress, especially prolonged and uncontrolled stress, negatively affects our cognitive abilities. Therefore, it is very difficult to learn productively while constantly in such a state. The stress hormone cortisol, in its chronic form, causes thinning of the neural tissue in the hippocampus, which simply worsens memory.
Poor nutrition is another factor. The brain consumes up to 20% of the calories burned in a day, and intellectual loads significantly lower blood glucose levels. When it becomes too low, we start making mistakes.
All substances entering the bloodstream should be inspected. If you experience difficulties with concentration, especially if you notice signs of ADHD, the first candidate for exclusion from your diet, or at least for limiting its quantity, is sugar. Its excess disrupts the dopamine system and prevents the frontal cortex from focusing on tasks.
The same applies to stimulants like coffee and cigarettes; they can hinder your learning by increasing overall anxiety. It is also advisable to reduce the intake of saturated fats and fried foods. You might try replacing coffee with dark chocolate that has minimal sugar, or better yet, none at all.
It is claimed that quality chocolate positively affects brain function and cognitive abilities. The gut microbiome also significantly influences cognitive function. To keep it healthy, your diet should include plenty of fiber, vegetables, fruits, and greens, while minimizing anything definitively harmful.
The microbiome also loves carbohydrates like beta-glucans, which are abundant in barley and oats. It enjoys fermenting fiber found in cooked, cooled potatoes or rice, as well as in psyllium seed fiber, which positively affects the microbiome.
Various probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, properly prepared oatmeal kvass, homemade yogurt, and so on are also beneficial.
Lastly, overeating is another issue. Try to get up from the table feeling slightly hungry. Fullness will come 10-20 minutes after you eat, but you will feel much more energetic and enthusiastic than if you eat until you are stuffed. After that, the body will not be focused on cognitive activity; all resources will be directed toward digestion.
Breathing is the last factor, which, while not as obvious as everything previously mentioned, influences all of the above—nutrition, blood circulation, sleep, and stress.
The interconnection is your breathing. The fact is that breathing affects gas constants and the acid-base balance of the blood. In 99% of people, there is hyperventilation, meaning almost all of us breathe excessively often, washing out carbon dioxide, which is a component of blood pH.
This shifts the acid-base balance of the blood toward alkalosis, and according to Bohr's law, hemoglobin cannot properly release oxygen to the cells. This leads to hypoxia, or oxygen starvation of the body's cells, including the brain.
Moreover, carbon dioxide is the strongest natural muscle relaxant, responsible for relaxing the smooth muscles of the body and dilating blood vessels. In other words, with low levels of endogenous CO2, your blood circulation significantly decreases, and microcapillaries can collapse.
Furthermore, oxygen is poorly delivered to the cells. This is why after light physical activity, which seems to increase breathing, metabolism significantly rises, and our cells produce carbon dioxide, compensating for the increased breathing rate.
That is why after physical activity, you feel relaxation, calmness, reduced stress, and improved brain function, along with an increase in hormonal levels.
So why do we breathe incorrectly? Because our breathing is disrupted by constant tension, muscle stiffness, overeating, excess unhealthy food, sedentary lifestyles, and mouth breathing.
You don’t eat through your nose, right? The mouth is not designed for breathing, as it does not filter the air, disinfect it, or warm it to the necessary temperature, and most importantly, it does not regulate the intake of air.
If you start breathing frequently through your nose, it will quickly become partially blocked, making it difficult for you to take deep breaths. This is a signal and a physiological safeguard.
When breathing through the mouth, this does not happen, as the mouth is not intended for this purpose. However, almost everyone unconsciously breathes through their mouth, for example, while talking, sleeping, or just generally.
It is not easy to notice, but if you ask yourself this question, you will see that you often take a breath through your mouth. This is also why we feel congested when we have a cold; we start losing carbon dioxide excessively.
But as soon as we begin to exercise or move, our breathing starts to normalize. As I mentioned earlier, physical activity increases metabolism, and the body produces carbon dioxide, relaxing and dilating the blood vessels.
We also breathe more often than necessary due to the simple habit of excessive breathing. Remember how many times you have been told to "breathe deeper" and "more often"?
If you pay attention to people with signs of cognitive impairment, you will notice that they all breathe through their mouths and excessively often. Conversely, if you look at people with very good health or healthy children, they breathe calmly and evenly.
This is not by chance; in various spiritual or other practices, breathing is given special attention. However, 99% of what is available on the internet about this is distorted and misapplied.
In reality, your breathing should be unobtrusive and relaxed. To achieve this, you should learn to relax and slightly under-breathe without strong tension. There are special practices, recommendations, and conditions for this.
If someone wants to explore this topic further, I can create a separate video on it. But for now, it is enough for you to understand that breathing should be calm and relaxed, and only through the nose.