Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Beyond Human daydreaming and alzheimer's

An aspect of the various LSC products is the encouragement of the person to do more with the mind. In that vein, a recent news article seems interesting: scientists find a correlation between the area of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease and the area which is most active when people are doing nothing in particular. Fascinating!

From the article:

"A new Washington University study shows the part of the brain used to daydream is the same where Alzheimer's disease develops -- in some people -- later in life."

This study has not found that daydreaming causes alzheimer's disease. In fact, a lot of daydreaming might prevent alzheimer's disease.

Users of paraliminals and hypnosis tapes might worry if they draw unsupported conclusions, because it's often advised in hypnosis to "just let your mind wander."

It seems paradoxical and untrue that using a part of one's brain often and well would lead to it necessarily becoming diseased.

Related to alzheimer's disease: I remember reading that studies have shown that engaging in complex activities with your digits (fingers) throughout your life is related to a lack of alzheimer's disease later on. Activities such as playing the piano or playing video games often might help to keep you sharp.

We have to be careful about drawing conclusions willy-nilly from the results of studies.

Also from the article:

"The National Institute on Aging, which funded the study, said the data are interesting even if the conclusion is speculative."

The article put me in mind of Win Wenger's Image Streaming, which strikes me as not very much like "daydreaming" in the sense of thinking about nothing in particular. In Image Streaming one is bringing many areas of the mind into an ongoing, unfolding thought process. I suppose many creativity-boosting practices are really more like semi-structured mind 'wandering', which is rather different from 'daydreaming'. This is why I mentioned it: these kinds of learning or intelligence enhancement practices should increase the scope of brain use. Are there scans of brains engaged in Image Streaming or Photo Reading, showing lots of activity centers? I agree, this kind of material is very speculative.

Further comments on the reseach by other Neuroacientist. http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=77093

quote:

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“When we muse to ourselves and plan our day and think about the recent past, we tend to use memory systems,” Buckner said. “Through some as yet unknown pathway or metabolism cascade, use of these systems may be what underlies Alzheimer’s disease.” And the undirected thought patterns that most people slip into readily may result in the kind of “wear and tear” that ends in Alzheimer's disease, Buckner said.

This theory, however, clashes with the evidence that intellectual activity plays a protective role against Alzheimer's disease. Far from the “wear and tear” model, other research has suggested that the brain runs on a “use it or lose it” system.

Buckner and other neuroscientists acknowledge the contradiction, and put it down to the preliminary state of the research.

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Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited August 28, 2005).]

It is within my knowledge that the well educated are known to suffer less damage due to Alzheimer's but those who have lived stressful lives have more chance of Alzheimer's. Sounds like structured living compared to unstructured disarray.

[This message has been edited by Grant (edited September 02, 2005).]