introduce you to my blogging and life 
I’ve always believed that what we put in our brain directly influences who we become. That’s one of the reasons why I refuse to watch violent and horror movies, and will always favour comedies and adventure stories. I’ve long been a firm believer of visualization as a training tool for physical activities and even after 20 years away from Aikido, I still catch myself mentally rehearsing tsuki kote gaeshi and shomen uchi irimi nage.
I recently found a fascinating CBC documentary via Stumble Upon; it’s called « The brain that changes itself » and it talks about the emerging concept of neuroplasticity, which is the ability for our brain to change and rewire itself upon learning or receiving new input. That’s a drastic departure from traditional brain science that had it all figured out: our brain was a fixed machine. It would start aging and decaying and the process would never stop until the end. Trauma was irreversible and no new neurons could ever be created.
With the new concept of neuroplasticity, this all changed. Scientists are beginning to realize that our brain, like most of our body, has the ability to adapt and regenerate. But what’s even more fascinating, it would seem it is able to reprogram, or rewire itself to use various areas to perform a given function - in other words no single region of the brain can be exclusively associated with specific tasks and activities.
What’s more, studies are showing that our thought process has a direct impact on brain development and hence, on our personality. At some point in the documentary, neuroscientist Alvaro Pascual-Leone is explaining a study he conducted where subjects were instructed to rehearse a five finger piano sequence for five days, after which their brain was examined via transcranial-magnetic-stimulation (TMS). A specific growth was registered in the motor cortex region associated with playing the piano.
However he decided to push the experiment one step further and repeated the process with new subjects, this time instructing them to only mentally rehearse the sequence without actually touching the piano or even moving their fingers. Stunningly, he found out that the same growth was registering in the brain of these passive subjects, without any actual physical practice!
At that point of the interview, he goes on to say: « What that ultimately means is that one needs to be careful what one thinks... »
It gives me chills.
« My mother (not a highly-educated scientist) used to tell me what she needed from the shops and send me off to buy it.She said that if she gave me a written list millions of little brain cells would die from lack of use. Smart woman, my mother! It made me very much a « use it or lose it » believer.
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Date of comment: 2009-06-17 18:15 • ReplyNow, I think I’ll play my piano. ..
« LOL, you don’t even have to play it, just pretend!
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Date of comment: 2009-06-17 19:02 • Reply« But could they actually play the piano, the subjects?
Date of comment: 2009-06-17 20:19 • ReplyWell, I am trying to train my brain to believe that the thumps and bumps and crashes coming from the neighbours at 2am are not bad. Not stopping my sleep. Not something to get angry about. Not stressful. The noises mean that are people nearby, there is help nearby, in case. That I’m not alone. That the world is a warm place.
It’s early days yet.
BTW I stopped watching 12 monkeys, first because Bruce Willis was drooling too much and second, because it got too violent. Ha!
This is why I need time to THINK about gardens. Even if I am not doing. The thinking is very important. »
« Touché!
But it’s nothing like, say, Reservoir Dogs, is it? And at least it has a meaning and a purpose for the story... But yeah, you’re right... »
Date of comment: 2009-06-17 20:33 • Reply« Wait a minute, now that I think of it, it wasn’t that violent was it? Or have I blocked it?
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Date of comment: 2009-06-17 20:39 • Reply« I had read a similar study done on amputees and people who had lost a sense (sight, hearing...) in accidents. The neurologists were able to help these people reuse the parts of their brain dedicated to the lost sense to enhance the use of other senses. It was quite fascinating to see the results. Our brain in certainly one of the most complex pieces of hardware in our system! I also remember a conversation with my uncle, telling me never to buy a GPS because I was far better off learning how to use my brain to orient myself or read a map
So no GPS for me! Now I just have to train my brain to think we are on the beach enjoying the sun instead of in the office 
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Date of comment: 2009-06-18 15:50 • Reply« Speaking of amputees, there’s a very interesting part of the documentary that talks about « phantom limbs ».
Date of comment: 2009-06-18 16:20 • ReplyRegarding GPS, yeah, the same thing is happening to pilots. I think the key is to remember that we are still using our brain when interacting with a GPS, just in a different way. But you’re right, nothing replaces a good understanding of maps and navigation... »