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Resources for you

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This is for you, and for the people you care about.

Below you will find information, resources, and more.
I am offering you this information so you can better understand yourself, what is happening and why.

AND to give you a chance to improve your situation.

If there is something you can not find, click below here 

Book on Table

The work I do is based on science and is generally from one or more of these sources

Stanford University
Harvard University
Neuroscience News
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Scientific American
MIT

How your brain actually works

This might surprise you
Your brain works by predicting what will happen next, using your memories to guide your actions.

It compares these predictions with new sensory input, updating its model of the world to help you respond quickly and adapt. It then creates the emotion (or feeling) you experience right now.

Below here you will find video's with brilliant Minds expanding on how the brain works.

Lisa Feldman Barrett, is among the top 0.1% most cited scientists in the world for her revolutionary research in psychology and neuroscience.

She is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University. She also holds appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior.

Explained by some of
THE LEADING SCIENTISTS

(more further down)

Anil Kumar Seth, a British neuroscientist and professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex.

He is currently amongst the most cited scholars on the topics of neuroscience and cognitive science globally

Andy Clarke, is Professor of Cognitive Philosophy at the University of Sussex. Prior to this, he was a professor of philosophy and Chair in Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland

Director of the Cognitive Science Program at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and previously taught at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ever heard someone say
"everyone is different?"

And YES, everyone IS different, in fact, everyone is uniquely different and this is fascinating to know.


Why is it fascinating?
Because now you can begin to understand the reason why many standard approaches do not really work. They are theoritical and not adjusted to you.


And
Knowing this gives you an opportunity to find what REALLY WORKS for you.

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What makes each of us so uniquely different?

Genetics

Each person has a unique genetic code, influencing our behaviour, cognitive abilities, and susceptibility to certain conditions.

Brain Structure

Individual experiences shape each person’s neural wiring differently, especially in areas related to memory, emotion, and decision-making.

Life Experiences

Personal histories affect how we interpret the world, make decisions, and respond to challenges.

Social Influences

Family, friends, and culture shape beliefs, behaviors, and communication styles uniquely.

Emotions and Responses

Emotional processing and reactions vary due to differences in neurochemistry and past experiences.

Physical Health

Nutritional intake, hydration, caffeine consumption, and hormonal changes all influence mood, energy, and cognitive performance.

Memory

Memories are stored and recalled differently, influencing personal biases, motivations, and perspectives.

External Factors

Environment, current events, and immediate surroundings influence our perceptions, stress levels, and responses in the moment.

Sleep

Quality and duration of sleep vary, affecting cognitive performance and mood.

Learning and Adaptability

Each person’s brain plasticity allows for unique abilities to learn and adapt over time.

Sense of humor

Did you grow up in an culture where you learned to use humor to get over bad things or maybe in a culture of making fun of others?

Your accountability

Did you learn that YOU are accountable for the consequences of your actions?
and how to live well with this knowledge?

I hope the science above gives you a good idea of just how complex and
UNIQUELY different each Mind and life actually is?

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and in all this complexity

I give you the power of uniquely adjusted AND
science-backed solutions

I optimize the Human Mind,
so you get the life you want

Sounds useful?

Can I change your situation?

YES. You are FAR MORE capable of change than what was previously know.

I bring you Neuroplasticity:
You can improve your mind. Humans are amazing at adapting and we can train our minds to master changes

What are the key elements for change to be successful?

Remember the Lisa Feldmann Barret video from the beginning?

You can EITHER try to fight your own brain OR you can work with it.
What I recommend is working WITH IT.

So how do we do that?
Since your brain is constantly using memories to create your current experience, we should optimize the memories so they HELP you. Rewrite them. Makes sense?

But can memories be rewritten?

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Memories can be changed. What does the science say about the effect of that?

In science terms
IT CAN BE A CLEAR POSITIVE!

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But can changing memories go wrong?

Yes, It Can


Imagine this: you have a great night out with friends and meet someone new. You go home safely, and all seems fine. Weeks later, you see that the person you met has been convicted of a violent crime.
 

You start to wonder, “What if something bad had happened to me?”
As you replay the memory, you unintentionally imagine a frightening scenario. This imagined fear can alter your memory, making it feel real. Now, every time you think of that night, fear overwhelms you, triggering stress and anxiety.
 

This happens more often than you'd think, and some even exploit this vulnerability. Manipulative individuals—like certain politicians, internet trolls, or salespeople—intentionally plant ideas to distort your memories and emotions for their gain.
 

Trying to alter your own memories without professional help can backfire, worsening your emotional state and leaving you vulnerable to manipulation.

So what can you do?

Here is an approach that safeguards you. Memory Effect Optimization M.E.O.
MAKING SURE your memories HELP YOU

I published an article on this to help people.
You can click on it for the full article

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Why your brain creates trauma | Lisa Feldman Barrett
05:35

Why your brain creates trauma | Lisa Feldman Barrett

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://bit.ly/thewell-youtube Watch Lisa Feldman Barrett’s next interview ► https://youtu.be/0QfCvIJRtE0 Aided by best-selling psychology books of the last decade, such as Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, discussions about trauma and how to deal with it have entered popular public discourse. From police departments to school classrooms, trauma-informed approaches have taken center stage. But leading neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges the popular notion that trauma resides solely in the body. She asserts that trauma is rooted in the brain’s predictions and the construction of our experiences. When an adverse experience becomes traumatic, the brain heavily weighs and anticipates that experience in its future predictions. This ongoing prediction and re-experiencing of the traumatic event strengthens the neural connections associated with it, making the predictions more likely to occur in the future. Rather than focusing on the body as the site of healing, she suggests that changing the brain’s models of prediction is what needs to be addressed to break free from the cycle of trauma. By understanding the role of predictions and the brain’s plasticity, Feldman Barrett offers hope for transforming traumatic experiences and finding new, lasting paths to healing. 0:00 Why your brain creates trauma 1:44 Does your body keep the score? 2:53 Effective treatments for trauma 4:33 Trauma IS in your head (but everything else is too) Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/neuroscience-of-trauma/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Lisa Feldman Barrett: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, having published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is the recipient of a NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and from the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She is the author of How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read more from The Well: The hero of the Anthropocene has 8 billion faces — one of them is yours ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/anthropocene-citizen-science/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description Theology professor: “Ancient Aliens” is fantasy fiction for atheists ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/ancient-aliens-fantasy-fiction-atheists/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description Why the search for meaning is not a job for science — or religion ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/search-meaning-not-science-religion/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About The Well Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let's learn from them. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join The Well on your favorite platforms: ► Facebook: https://bit.ly/thewellFB ► Instagram: https://bit.ly/thewellIG

What are some of the elements you can consider for better MENTAL HEALTH?

Here's a useful pdf's on the topic

Cardboard Box

What if you have a SURGERY coming up?

Here is a another useful pdf on the topic.
Remember it is to assist you, it does NOT replace medical help. Always consult with a doctor or medical professional

Patient Room

What If Bad Experiences Made Your Life Better?

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CMS

Here an even more comprehensive list of the leading scientist in this field

Karl Friston

Publications:
"The free-energy principle: a unified brain theory?"
 
"A theory of cortical responses"
 
Friston introduced the free-energy principle, which underpins predictive coding by proposing that the brain minimizes surprise by predicting sensory inputs.

His work is foundational to the predictive brain framework.

Andy Clark

Publications:
"Whatever next? Predictive brains, situated agents, and the future of cognitive science"
 
"Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind" (2016)
 
Clark explores the implications of predictive processing for perception, action, and cognition, emphasizing the brain's role in creating predictions that guide behavior.

Jakob Hohwy

Publications:​
"The Predictive Mind" (2013)
 
Hohwy provides a philosophical account of predictive coding, focusing on how the brain's predictions shape perception and experience.

And here a little fun side note:
Jakob Hohwy and I used to play basketball together.

Lisa Feldman Barrett

Publications:
"How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain" (2017)

"Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain" (2020)
"The theory of constructed emotion: an active inference account of interoception and categorization" (2017)

Barrett integrates predictive processing with her theory of constructed emotion, arguing that emotions are predictions based on interoception and prior experience, rather than innate reactions.

Anil Seth

Publications:
"Predictive Processing and Consciousness"

"Being You: A New Science of Consciousness" (2021)

Seth connects predictive processing with the study of consciousness, highlighting how the brain uses predictions to shape perception, self-awareness, and emotions.

Rao R.P.N. and Dana H. Ballard

Publication:
"Predictive coding in the visual cortex: a functional interpretation of some extra-classical receptive-field effects"

This work investigates predictive coding as an efficient strategy for processing visual information in the cortex.

Floris de Lange

Publication:
"How Do Expectations Shape Perception?"

De Lange focuses on how prior knowledge and expectations influence perception, shedding light on the predictive mechanisms of the brain.

Read Montague

Publication:
"The predictive brain: Temporal coincidence and temporal order in synaptic learning mechanisms"

Montague studies the role of prediction in learning and neural processing, particularly how the brain learns temporal patterns.

Peter Dayan

Publication:
"The Helmholtz Machine"Dayan co-developed the Helmholtz Machine, a computational model incorporating principles of predictive coding.

Geoffrey Hinton

Publication:
"Autoencoders, minimum description length, and Helmholtz free energy"

Hinton applies concepts from predictive coding to artificial neural networks, advancing our understanding of the brain's computational mechanisms.

Murray Shanahan

Publication:
"The brain's connective core and its role in animal cognition"

Shanahan explores the structural and functional connectivity that supports predictive processing in the brain.

Summary:
This comprehensive list highlights the interdisciplinary nature of predictive brain theory, with contributions spanning neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling.

Each of these researchers has advanced our understanding of how the brain predicts, interprets, and adapts to the world, shaping perceptions, actions, and emotions.

©2020 by Leif Rasmussen. Please note. I work WITH doctors and help people have better lives, I am not a doctor or psychologist.

Follow your doctors and health care providers medical advice. Pictures (exept those of me) are of course stock photos for privacy reasons. Mindskills.site

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