“Neuroplasticity refers to the concept that the brain can change in response to experience, and in response to training. Probably the greatest discoveries in the last decade in modern neuroscience concern the many different mechanisms of plasticity. The brain is literally built to change in response to experience and in response to training. It’s the only organ in the body that’s really designed explicitly for that purpose. We now understand something about the mechanisms for plasticity, and they are varied. They range from new connections being formed to new cells actually growing in the brain - new brain cells, new neurons, and many other related kinds of processes. So when we talk about neuroplasticity, we talk about both the structural and the functional changes in the brain.
It’s important to understand that our brains are constantly being shaped wittingly or unwittingly. So
even if we’re not engaged in any intentional strategy to change our minds and
our brains, our brains are constantly being changed by the forces around us. If
we have an argument with a friend, or a family member, that will shape our
brain. If we have a warm, positive interaction with someone, that will shape
our brain. If we watch television, depending on it’s content, that will shape
our brain in one way or another. Everything
that we do literally is constantly shaping our brain." Ritchie Davidson PhD
The Compassionate Brain by Rick Hanson PhD – Sounds True –
free streaming webinar
Session #1 - How the Mind Changes the Brain - Ritchie Davidson PhD interviewed by Rick Hanson PhD
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| Photo: avec fleur http://www.flickr.com/photos/avecfleur/2483563486/ |
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