If you would like to submit a question or make a comment, please email Dr. Taylor at thebrain@arlenetaylor.org.
You are correct. I cannot be expected to know everything. No one can. You only know what you know. That’s the value of “learning.” You increase what you know. Perhaps your brain hasn’t been exposed to information about blue wave light from the sun…. Here is a summary of what I said.
Light is composed of electromagnetic particles that travel the universe in waves, which release energy. Known as the electromagnetic spectrum, there are several categories of light waves: gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet (UV) rays, visible light, infrared light, and radio waves. The human eye is sensitive to only one part of this electromagnetic spectrum: visible light. This is the part of the spectrum that is seen in colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
One of those wave lengths is blue light and it is everywhere. They’re believed to bethe reason the sky looks blue. When the sun’s rays travel through the atmosphere, the high-energy blue waves crash into the air molecules, scattering blue light everywhere. Blue light from the sun helps you feel alert, in a pleasant mood, and regulates your circadian rhythm. When you are outside you can be exposed to blue light wherever the sun’s rays can reach you. Studies suggest that exposure to the blue end of the visible light spectrum could cause serious long-term damage to a person’s eyes. However, human eyes can be exposed indoors, as well. Humans are now exposed to a great deal of artificial blue light from electronic sources, because many devices emit blue light. Like cell phones, television, laptop computers and tablets, as well as energy-efficient LED lights and fluorescent bulbs.
Blue wave light, often called High Energy Visible (HEV) wavelengths flicker more easily than longer, weaker wavelengths. Blue-wave flickering creates a glare that can reduce visual contrast and affect sharpness and clarity. Some believe this may contribute to eyestrain, physical and mental fatigue, and even headaches, especially if a person spends hours and hours being exposed to blue waves. In addition, prolonged exposure to blue light may cause damage to the retina and increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to loss of vision. According to David Brownstein, MD, the photoreceptor cells in the retina display the highest rate of oxidation of all cells in the body. Researchers have linked exposure to blue light at night (e.g., working the night shift) to an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesity, some types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and an increased risk for depression. This may be because blue light can suppress the production of melatonin.
Researchers say that filters in human eye such as the cornea and the lens do a good job of blocking ultraviolet rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. Those filters do not block natural or artificial blue light from reaching the retina. Studies have shown that exposing your eyes to a digital device for even two consecutive hours can cause eyestrain and fatigue. Some are recommending that technology users wear special blue-light blocking glasses or screen protectors when using electronic devices. And everyone is wise to wear sunglasses when out in bright sun.
Years ago a brain researcher told me that when colored backgrounds (transparencies or PowerPoint®) are used (unless they are pictures of nature) you increase the possibility that some of the participants may become distracted. Their brains may recall events, positive or negative, that involved the color that is used in the illustration. Whether this occurs at a conscious or subconscious level, their brains will be distracted. This can decrease their tendency to learn, retain, or practically apply what is being presented—since they will likely miss portions of the information.
I have a great regard for a person’s time. It is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to another person. When individuals choose to attend one of my presentations, I want to make the best use of their time. Therefore I typically:
Several years ago, a brain researcher told me about studies related to the use of a colored background on PowerPoint® slides. It seems that when the background is a color (unless it is a picture of nature) you increase the possibility that some of the participants may become distracted. Their brains may recall events, positive or negative, that involved the color that is used in the background. Whether this occurs at a conscious or subconscious level, their brains will be distracted. This can be especially true if any of those memories have an emotional component. Naturally, this can decrease their tendency to learn, retain, or practically apply what is being presented—since they will likely miss portions of the information.
I have a great regard for a person’s time. It is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to another person. When individuals choose to attend one of my presentations, I want to make the best use of their time. Therefore I typically use a white background, although I may use a small colored symbol or clip art to illustrate the information.
From my perspective, that is both an unfortunate situation and an unhelpful point of view. You might ask him if he is familiar with the law of atrophy: Use it or lose it. As you may know, any brain-mind faculty or skill that is unexercised on a regular basis soon begins to fade. In the case of hearing that can be trigger a deleterious loop. As his hearing deteriorates, he likely will feel increasingly isolated. In addition, his brain will be receiving less challenging stimulation. Over time, brain-mind skills can consequently begin to also deteriorate. Dementia can progress quite rapidly when the brain does not “hear” and stay stimulated. I doubt he would consciously choose dementia. My position is: do whatever you can to retard the onset of dementia. It impacts your level of health, potential longevity, and all your relationships.
I was working on part of my tax return when my wife came into the room and asked me to help her with something.
Because of what I had learned, I was able to say, “Give me a few moments.”
She said, “My dear, I would like you to do this now so I can go to bed.”
I replied, “Honey, do you realize that I will have to put everything away, turn off the a/c, switch the lights off, go through the door, find the little path over to the other part of my brain, walk to the area of the brain that will help me grant your request, turn the lights and a/c on, and only then be able to give you my full attention? And then, when we’re done, I have to reverse all of that to go back and finish up my tax return project.”
She allowed me a few moments.
Soon I stood up from my chair, signaling I was ready. She said it would be better if I sat—whereupon I explained that I was kinesthetic and would understand better if I stood. So she began talking to me, whereupon I looked aside and said, “And don’t tell me that I have to look at you when you’re talking to me. I know what you look like!”
We both burst into mirthful laughter!
A. Thank you for taking time to share your anecdote—I loved it! When you learn some of this information and choose to practically apply it, some are amazed how communication can improve—and even be more fun than you might have thought possible.
asked a kinesthetic friend for some suggestions. Here they are:
There may be many reasons for a person not “listening” to another. One may involve male-female differences. For example, studies performed at the University of Sheffield showed that female voices were more difficult for males to listen to as compared to the voices of other males. According to researcher Dr. Michael Hunter, the female voice is actually more complex (e.g., differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, greater natural ‘melody’ in voice) than the male voice, resulting in a more complex range of sound frequencies in the female voice. Males decoded female voices in the auditory portion of the brain that processes music (as compared to Wernicke’s area where male voices as processed). As an aside, these findings, published in the journal NeuroImage, may help to explain why people suffering hallucinations typically hear male voices. (Reported by Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165217,00.html)
Masks are not the most fun thing to wear. And yes, I wear them every time I get out of my car to go into a store for groceries. Granted, I do not need to wear one when I am alone in my car and shopping is only a brief weekly event. Nevertheless, my years of working as a nurse epidemiologist in public health and hospital environments convinces me that masks can help minimize the spread of organisms. In my brain’s opinion, it would be a great pity to become careless and become infected—especially if wearing a face mask could have prevented breathing in the causative organisms. Some mask discomfort is miniscule compared with the potential discomfort of COVID-19 if you developed a serious illness.
Studies at the University of Sheffield, with results published in the journal NeuroImage, have shown that males and females tend to listen differently. First of all, the female brain tends to use both hemispheres when listening. Speech sounds are typically processed in the left hemisphere (regardless of age or gender) and voice tonality is decoded in the right hemisphere.
The male brain tends to decode male voices in the left hemisphere. Female voices are more difficult for the male brain to process because it tends to decode those speech sounds in the right hemisphere of the brain, in a portion that typically processes melody lines of music. Thus the male brain may perceive female speech sounds as either a “melody line” or as “background music.”
What can you do? Knowing this information you can increase the likelihood of being “heard” by a male brain when you:
In addition, remember that typical male speech provides the bottom line and then fills in additional information based on questions. When speaking to a male, give him the bottom line and if he wants more information he’ll ask questions. Save the “start at the beginning and tell the whole story” format for those times when you are conversing with another female—who presumably speaks and understands female speech.
Yes. I read “The man who mistook his wife for a hat,” written by neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks. Great read—if you are as interested in brain function as I am! In his book, Sacks described a patient who had developed prosopagnosia and did not recognize his wife when she came to visit him in the hospital. Naturally, this was disconcerting to them both! Since object recognition was unimpaired, the doctor asked the patient’s wife to always wear a specific hat when she visited. Sacks explained to the patient that when he saw a person wearing this specific hat, he could know that it was his wife. It worked. I always wondered what might have happened when that hat wore out. Hopefully, the patient would associate the new hat with his wife just as easily. There is some indication that Dr. Sacks might have had some level of face blindness, himself.
It appears to involve—no surprise—the part of the brain involved in facial recognition. A group of cells known as the fusiform gyrus, is in each cerebral hemisphere at the junction of the parietal and occipital lobes near the back of the head. Interestingly, the right hemisphere fusiform gyrus is more often involved in familiar face recognition than the left.
Prosopagnosia has been defined as a cognitive disorder of facial perception, marked by an impaired ability to recognize familiar faces including impaired self-recognition of one’s own face. It is important to note that other aspects of visual processing such as object discrimination and intellectual functions as in decision making remain intact
There are at least two types of prosopagnosia.
I enjoy learning about unusual brain-related phenomenon. It helps me disseminate information to assist others in being more aware. If 5 children out of every 200 have congenital prosopagnosia, imagine what life must be for them, at home and at school. It is easy to overlook this in children. An adult may put it down to a child just appearing shy or slightly off—never suspecting this is due to their inability to recognize faces. These children may also have a hard time making friends, as they may not even recognize their classmates, who often assume the other child is proud or stuck up. They may even have a hard time telling family members apart or recognizing people out of context (e.g., a teacher at a concert, a coach in a grocery store, or even the “self” in a group photograph).
No surprise, a child with prosopagnosia may make friends with children who have very clear, distinguishing features or skin color. They may prefer cartoons with simple but well-defined characters that tend to wear the same clothes but may be strikingly different in color or ethnicity. That is one reason I think an accurate diagnosis is important—along with teaching a child about the condition and playing games to help them recognize specific facial features and other recognition tips, rather than just the overall composite.
Knowing this has been of great value to me several times when a person I thought would recognize me did not. It would have been easy to do a JOT behavior: jump to conclusions that were way out in left field, overreact and possibly burn a relationship bridge, and take it personally. AAA replacement behaviors, and knowing a bit about prosopagnosia, allowed me to ask questions, act calmly while I processed the information, and alter my perception or reframe the incident so I did not take it personally. Great fun, all in all, especially when finding out later that the individual in question had a form of prosopagnosia.
I think your brain can develop a type of hypersensitivity because it never knows when the parrot will let loose and so it is in a constant state of stress-readiness and stress-alertness. Taking anti-anxiety medication would be a band-aide approach and would likely not provide much relief over time. In addition, every cell in your body would be impacted by the medication.
Stress research has shown that chronic unpredictable stressors can be a huge problem for the brain. As a kinesthetic, the screeching reaches your brain via your ears but also via your skin (your largest body organ) as the sound waves beat against it. Kinesthetics are often much more sensitive to sensory stimuli than non-kinesthetics. This means the screeching may bother you more than it would a visual or an auditory.
You may want to donate the parrot to an aviary where it is in a much larger space and can fly around and be with other kindred feathered folks. Parrots are wild creatures and undoubtedly were never intended to live in a small space. If it would make you feel better, tell your friend that the parrot no longer works for your brain and give her the option to have it back. (Is there a chance she gave it to you because its screeching was getting to her?) If she doesn’t want it back, donate it to an aviary or give it to a pet store to sell.
Remember, just because someone gives you a gift (no matter whether they’re trying to be kind or just wanting to unload something that isn’t working for them) you are under no obligation to take it, use it, or retain it.
Some studies have shown that people tend to evaluate the quality of an organization or service by their social interactions and that it is possible to enhance their perception of quality. I see no reason that this wouldn’t apply to selling products, as well, the caveat being that you believe in the product. If you don’t, that perception will likely come through in your nonverbal.
Here are four things to consider:
By way of example, this is an anecdote from my childhood. Autumn had suddenly turned to winter. Out came winter clothing. “Stinky, stinky, stinky,” cried my younger brother as his clothes were released from their moth-ball infested prison of bags in trunks. He resisted pulling on leggings and a hooded jacket. The odor of moth balls didn’t particularly bother me. My brain cringed if a moth ball failed to release itself from my clothing and I accidently sat or stepped on it. Oh my! The sound of crunch seemed to hit every nerve! Not sound, sobs, nor odors seemed to bother our mother. How we looked, did. She would calmly continue stuffing us into winter clothing saying, “Well, we wouldn’t want you to go out in public with moth holes in your clothes, would we?” My brother for one certainly didn’t care. Clearly, he was more invested in how things smelled. And if he became ill? Oh my! Then, he was beyond sensitive to how everything smelled. There is now some anecdotal evidence to suggest that at least for kinesthetics, smell may be the first sense to be impacted when the individual feels unwell.
Early in life you may have learned to identify the five senses by pointing to your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. Unimpaired you can use all of those senses, too, although you may be much more aware of one sense over the others in specific situations. For example:
You are most likely to feel most comfortable, affirmed, understood, nurtured, and even loved when you receive sensory stimuli in your preferred sensory system. Consequently you tend to gravitate toward, and feel most comfortable in, environments that acknowledge and reward your sensory preference. The ideal is to know your sensory preference and build sufficient skills in all three systems so you can access any or all by choice, as required by the situation at hand.
Based on your own sensory preference, you may approach the study of music quite differently from others, and may find specific musical activities easier or more energy efficient to accomplish.
Visual Sensory Preference
The two occipital lobes interpret data related to sight. Estimates are that 60% of the population has a visual preference. This sensory system helps you recognize the signs and symbols that represent musical sounds (reading music).
The occipital lobes are active when decoding visual data and during visual imaging. In combination with the frontal cortex, it enables you to maintain the image of an instrument in consciousness. Individuals with a visual preference may be inclined to memorize music by mentally seeing the notes on the page or by noticing musical patterns on the keyboard. They may find it easier to notate music legibly.
Kinesthetic Sensory Preference
The two parietal lobes interpret data related to taste, touch, position sense, physical stimuli, and odors. In combination with the frontal cortex these portions of the brain enable you to hold onto position sense (e.g., the way in which you hold a musical instrument, maintain your position on the piano or organ bench). These neurons fire when decoding kinesthetic data and during movement imagery.
This sensory system also helps you to decode vibrations that beat against the skin and/or that are felt in the 2nd brain layer or limbic system. Perhaps that was what Keats had in mind when he wrote, heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter. Incidentally, odors can trigger memories faster than any other type of sensory data. The nose is one synapse away from the amygdalae in the emotional brain that routes incoming sensory information to higher centers of association in the thinking brain.
Estimates are that 20% of the population has a kinesthetic preference. This system helps you manage your relative position to bounded shapes such as instruments, and to sense nuances of sound, including vibrations, and perhaps musical interpretation.
Individuals with a kinesthetic preference may gravitate toward tactile memorization (sensing positions of fingers, hands, and body, and how it feels to reproduce the music). They may use musculature to represent the music, modeling important features of musical patterns by means of physical memories (e.g., tap toes, “dance it out” from head to toe).
Auditory Sensory Preference
The two temporal lobes interpret data related to sounds that are heard. Estimates are that 20% of the population has an auditory preference. This system facilitates emphasis on tone color, pitch, and dynamics. It fires when decoding sounds and during auditory imaging. In combination with your frontal cortex it allows you to decode patterns of vibrations, and enables you to sustain musical anticipations for several seconds as you await their resolution.
Individuals with an auditory preference may tend to memorize by recalling the sound of the music, the intervals between notes, volume-of-sound differences, and the distinctive tones typical of the key signature(s). They may hum along with the music, or use the body as a resonator for the music, allowing themselves to be played as an instrument, as it were.
With a Frontal Right brain lead, I typically choose whatever gives me the most options. In your case (assuming you have normal hearing in both ears) it would be the one that was interchangeable, as there may be times when you want to listen with your left ear while at other times you would prefer listening with your right ear.
Studies have shown that in most people the speech-decoding center lies in the left temporal lobe. There also appears to be a definite advantage (e.g., perhaps as great as 85%) for the left hemisphere to process what comes into the right ear. Conversely, the right hemisphere processes what comes into the left ear and provides an advantage for decoding non-speech sounds such as voice inflection, the wind in the trees, the cry of a child, and so on.
Because of these differences, I always wear my Bluetooth in my right ear as I want the Wernicke’s area speech-decoding advantage to be activated.
On the other hand, in the office setting when I am dealing with problem calls, I typically hold the receiver to my left ear in order to get the right-brained advantage of processing voice tonality and emotions (from the caller with whom I am speaking) as accurately as possible.
Pay attention to what you perceive when you are listening with your left ear versus your right ear. Depending on the type of conversation and the specific environment, you may be surprised at the difference.
I doubt there is anything wrong with your boys, at least in terms of their being able to locate things in the refrigerator. According to authors Barbara and Allan Pease in their book Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes, males have a long range tunnel vision style as compared with females who have a short range but wider peripheral vision. In everyday living this could impact the ease with which males and females locate items in refrigerators, cupboards, and drawers (where a wider peripheral style of vision may offer an advantage).
Some have theorized that this difference may be related to the fact that males used to be the “hunters” and females the “gatherers.” I wasn’t there back then so my best guess is that the hunter-gatherer society may have its basis strength based on size and difference in percentage of body muscle tissue and to differences in vision style.
I do know that the males in my life often asked me to “find” items in the refrigerator for them. My guess is that the distance between eyes and refrigerator shelving is a better match with the female shorter-peripheral vision style than with male tunnel vision style. This also may mean that males are able to “see” signage on highways more easily than females or at least from farther away. Does understanding this make the differences go away? Certainly not! But I can chuckle about it, waste no energy in becoming irritated or upset, and use it as an opportunity (whenever possible) to set up the environment in a way that works more efficiently for both males and females.
I believe there is. A visual sensory preference indicates that stimuli taken in through the sense of sight typically registers more quickly in your brain than either auditory or kinesthetic sensory stimuli, although there may be specific situations in which you are more aware of auditory stimuli (e.g., listening to music on the radio, attending a musical program, singing in a choir, playing an instrument) or kinesthetic stimuli (e.g., having Thanksgiving dinner, trying on clothes, petting a cat, smelling the perfume of roses in the garden).
An ability to engage in internal mental picturing—to see something in the mind’s eye that you have seen before, or to create a picture of something you have never seen, can be developed by most brains. For example, most people can recall their mother’s face. Some can imagine a purple watermelon.
Some people have both (a visual sensory preference and a frontal-right brain bent) and others have neither. It’s definitely different strokes for different folks!
Most people can train themselves to engage in internal mental picturing by choice—at least at some level. This activity will likely be easier for some individuals than others based on innate giftedness, however. For example, an individual with a biochemical preference for processing information in the right frontal lobe of the cerebrum may be able to hone the ability to mentally picture something and expend less energy in the process.
Questions such as yours can be fun because my brain typically enjoys using the internet to ferret out answers or possible explanations. Some sources indicate that the description of bent as a “mental inclination” is likely from the 1570s, while the description of bent as “directed in a course” is from the 1690s. It goes back much further than that, however.
The Amplified Bible translates Proverbs 22:6 from the Hebrew like this (italics are mine):
“Train up a child in the way he should go (and in keeping with his individual gift or bent) and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
The book of Proverbs is part of the Hebrew Old Testament. According to Wikipedia, the earliest copies of parts of the Hebrew Old Testament were discovered in 1947. Part of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, they actually date back to the first century BC. This means that bent may be a very old word indeed. And in my brain’s opinion, every brain has a bent. That’s part of what makes each brain unique and interesting.
