Neurohacking (neuroengineering) Visualization
You are probably nervous already with a title like this! Let’s clear some confusion and define Neurohacking: It is a form of biohacking focusing on the brain and CNS. Strictly speaking, it is ANY method of manipulating or interfering with the structure and/or function of neurons for an improvement or repair (Wikipedia). I am going to stay on the bright side of this discussion by revealing how you can optimize brain function through visualization or, how to reach your goals and dreams by using your brain.
There are some distinct areas of the brain that are involved in the visualization process:
Frontal lobe – responsible for our ability to use higher-level thinking skills: calculations processed, decisions made, and critical thinking tasks harnessed.
Temporal lobes – these sections hold memory
Parietal lobes – provide the body feedback for pain, pressure and touch
Occipital lobes – responsible for vision and being able to visualize scenes never actually witnessed before.
Amygdala – seat of emotion; reflects on the way memories are stored
(Psychology Today, Feb. 2012)
Those are the areas of the brain that does this work. What is visualization anyway? You might be familiar with this process through sports. Athletes use visualization all the time. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Michael Phelps share the secret of visualization. They all believe that success is 90% mental. Are you beginning to understand how powerful this tool is?
Let’s start at the beginning of this process for all of us who don’t understand what visualization is all about. The overarching belief is: visualization redefines the possible for you. That seems like a lofty idea but the brain is miraculous and we are learning so much every day about what it is capable of. We are aware of our reality – what is real, what isn’t and what is possible and what isn’t possible. We see this reality through the context of our lives. Before American astronauts landed on the moon did we ever believe that it was possible to even do that? The same truth is evident with all big major breakthroughs and even small ones we are not aware of. We label some folks throughout history as visionaries. They could see the possibility as a reality long before everyone else. Once their vision was reality – we all raised our consciousness – or our ability to see the impossible as possible. Possibility is a state of consciousness (awareness). Turning the impossible into the possible requires a shift in consciousness.
How does this work? Dr. Aymeric Guillot, a professor at the Center of Research and Innovation in Sport at University Claude Bernard Lyon, in France, explains “Whether we walk on a mountain trail or only picture it, we activate many of the same neural networks – paths of interconnected nerve cells that link what your body does to the brain impulses that control it.” For example, imagining yourself doing movements can help you get better at them: Jack Nicklaus practiced each golf shot in his mind before taking it. Mental workouts also stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which governs our fight–or–flight response and causes increases in heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. Simply envisioning a movement elicits nervous-system responses comparable to those recorded during physical execution of the same action, says Guillot.
Research studies suggest that imagining could help you get results even if you didn’t move a muscle. The North American Journal of Psychology in 2007 printed a study the athletes who mentally practiced a hip-flexor exercise had strength gains that were almost as significant as those in people who actually practiced the exercise (five times a week for 15 minutes) on a weight machine (Tori Rodriguez, Real Simple).
Visualization is simply a mental rehearsal. You create the images in your mind of having whatever it is you want. You repeat those images over and over again. Repetition and consistency are critical. What does this sound like – neuroplasticity!!! You are creating new neural pathways in your brain. Your brain does not recognize what is real or what you are just imagining. You have to activate your nervous system and feel as if you have already achieved your goal so that the brain releases dopamine (reward chemical) to actually do whatever it takes to reach your goals. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between visualizing and doing the thing.
Take it from Dr. Tom Seabourne Ph.D., “imagery can be a handy tool the next time you set your sights on a goal.” Here are some practical ways to put visualization into effect:
The Basics
Use all your senses. The most effective imagery involves all five sense, according to Dr. Michael Gervais, Ph.D., a performance psychologist. “What are you smelling, hearing, feeling? You should be so immersed in the image it seems as if it is actually happening.”
Be the star, not the audience. Engage in the practice fully, imagining that you are performing the activity from you own perspective.
Practice. “Effective mental imagery is not wishful thinking, nor is it brief moments of ‘seeing’ success” says Dr. Gervais. The imagery should be so detailed that it takes almost as long to execute it in your mind as it would in real life.
Write it down. Put the story of how your accomplishment will unfold in writing.
When we realize how miraculous our brain really is and how we have the ability to create our own life and outcomes, the sky is the limit.
References:
Kehoe, J. Visualization. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.learningmindpower.com/using_mindpower/visualization/
Rodriguez,T. 3 Easy visualization techniques. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/emotional-health/visualization-techniques?print
Taylor,S.J. The neuroscience of visualization and reaching you goals…finally. Retrieved July 25, 2016 from http://shonte/taylor.com/the-neuroscience-of-making-your-goals-reachable/
Visualization Meditation. The neuroscience behind visualization meditation. Retrieved August 20, 2016 from http://www.do-meditation.com/visualization-meditation-neuroscience.html#sthash.LYGHaW3e.dpbs