Articles

Neuroscience Reveals the Mind/Brain Interface and How It Controls Our Behaviors and Our Lives

We have explored the mind/body conundrum since man first became aware of his own existence. We have pondered concepts like the mind, consciousness, thought, intelligence and awareness in an effort to begin to define the relationship between the mind and body. We believe that by defining such words we will come to an understanding of what is happening in the process, and/or the experience. Down through the ages the questions of the human mind’s consciousness seem to create problems that we try to explain away. Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker commented on consciousness.

Value of Brain Training in Sports

In sports, training and physical “readiness” are essential. Being prepared to play physically at a very high competitive level can be everything. It is commonly understood in athletics that a healthy mind state can give a competitive athlete the edge needed for an outstanding performance. Sometimes that is easier said than done. Thoughts of doubt, stress and concerns about failure during competition in an athlete’s mind can have a devastating effect on performance. It is because of these thoughts that athletes perform well during training and practices but buckle under the pressure of competition. Why do athletes experience this performance anxiety? Why don’t years of training instill the confidence and control needed to achieve excellence?

Basically, there are two major reasons: (1) the brain itself is not performing at optimal levels and (2) the subconscious belief patterns that guide our behavior are misaligned. The brain is the most complex organ in the universe; neuroscience is only now coming to understand the fundamentals of how it works and how to train it to achieve sustainable success and optimal performance.