Most people come to meditation thinking, or even fearing, that it is difficult. No matter how much some people rave about the benefits of meditation, many think it would be easier to relax by merely playing a sport, reading a book, grabbing a drink, watching TV, or doing any number of things that don’t require much effort.

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened - as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding - she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story of recovery and awareness - of how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

Watch the video here
(Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:44.)

Few topics generate more false confidence or genuine bewilderment than the nature of consciousness. At scientific conferences, debates about the origins of consciousness - especially the purposeful, intentional aspects of consciousness - resemble professional wrestling matches more than sober academic affairs. Skeptics hold meetings where they fervently reinforce their belief that intentions (like consciousness) are mere illusions manufactured by the brain. Popular books and movies promoting the power of intention, such as The Secret, are runaway bestsellers.

Before you read any further, stop and close your eyes for a moment. Now consider the following question: for the moment your eyes were closed, did the world still exist even though you weren’t conscious of it? How do you know? If this sounds like the kind of unanswerable brain teaser your Philosophy 101 professor used to employ to stretch your philosophical imagination, you might be surprised to discover that there are actually physicists at reputable universities who believe they have answered this question - and their answer, believe it or not, is no.

Did you know that the human brain starts slowing down as early as age 30? The good news is that you can speed it up, and improve even your most basic cognitive abilities at any age.

Keep your brain performing at its best with Lumosity, a brain training program consisting of engaging brain games and exercises developed by some of the leading neuroscientists in the country.

What are the benefits of brain training?
The ACTIVE study, funded by NIH, demonstrated that adults can improve cognitive abilities such as memory, processing speed, and reasoning with proper training. The brain is healthiest when it is active and regularly challenged. With frequent cognitive training, the brain performs optimally and maintains its abilities through the years.

Have you heard about Jose Silva’s techniques? The Silva Mind Method was a huge workshop program in the 70’s and 80’s… and it’s making a big comeback.

Jose Silva was born in Laredo, Texas. He and his older sister and younger brother were raised by their grandmother. Silva supported the family from a very young age by selling newspapers, shining shoes, and doing odd jobs. He never attended school, but learned to read and write by watching his sister and brother do their homework.

But back to the idea of the duality of polar opposites. This tension between polar opposites described by the mystics, interestingly enough, is reflected in the human brain - or, you might say that because the brain/mind creates these divisions, it isn’t a surprise that the brain is structured in a split manner.