According to study findings just published in Nature Neuroscience, targeted brain training during sleep may soften the blow of painful memories. This research may have a far-reaching impact on the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuroscientist Katherina Hauner and her colleagues at Northwestern University used a form of exposure therapy on volunteers to establish…
I was introduced to “brainstorming” when I worked as a copywriter many years ago. Most ad agencies consider it an essential tactic for creating new campaigns. In the advertising world, brainstorming involves a copywriter and an art director sitting together in a room, where they lob headlines and images at each other in search of the perfect ad. When the…
We’re moving closer to unraveling the mysteries of brain function, thanks to The BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative established by the Obama administration. The Initiative received a major boost on September 16, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved initial areas of high-priority research to be supported by $40 million of its 2014 funding. The Initiative’s…
We’ve come a long way since John and Yoko’s “bed-ins” in 1969 were the best way to mobilize the masses to promote peace. Now the Global Care Initiative of the Institute of HeartMath (IHM)—a nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to helping people live healthier, happier lives—has created Global Care rooms where people can connect online in real time to…
I grew up in a home that was within earshot of railroad tracks. As a young boy, I had a fanciful notion about what the sound of the choo-choo going by meant. I thought the train was rising in the air and taking off like an airplane as the pitch went higher, then landing out of town as the pitch…
Certain types of sounds have therapeutic value, especially for alleviating anxiety. In a study commissioned by Spotify, the digital music service, anxiety psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman of the Private Therapy Clinic in London and her research team investigated music’s ability to relieve anxiety, especially flight anxiety. Here is Spotify’s playlist, Calming Music to Fly To, based on Dr. Spelman’s research:…
The scenario for driving my cousin to JFK Airport for a flight to Finland seemed doomed from the start. I was a newly licensed driver making my first venture away from low-traveled suburban roads in New Jersey. It was excessively hot and hazy even for August in New York City, and the car had no AC. No map in the…
The merits of acupuncture for pain relief and treatment of other conditions have been well documented, as well as challenged by naysayers. For me, those tiny needles have always hit the right spots. I’ve had close to a dozen acupuncture sessions over the years, and always walked away with my comfort restored. But during one treatment, I received much more…
Learning to become independent, in thought and action, is one of the hallmarks of growing up. But independence for some is elusive. About one million American adults may suffer from Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD), a condition that compels them to continually seek out and defer to the authority of others. The need for direction and approval is pervasive in DPD,…
