I did a bit of research on the brain and found the following facts that I thought you might enjoy. Some of them are facts and statistics that we have heard before, but are well worth repeating. As a coach, I explore the workings of the brain in my practice. Change is difficult for many people and knowing that our brain looks for order and patterns, we have a better chance of making a positive shift or change that we desire.
- Our brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen. Even a 10 minute lack of oxygen can cause significant neurological damage. Drowning victims exposed to extremely cold water have been reported to be revived after nearly 40 minutes because cold conditions can lengthen the time the brain can go without oxygen.
- Neuroplasticity or brain plasticity is the term to describe the fact that the brain continues to produce new neurons throughout our lives. Stimulation and exercise aid in this production.
- Doctors can work on the brain while the patient is conscious because the brain has no pain functions. The surgeon can have a dialog with the patient to identify regions of the brain such as speech.
- Your brain creates a hormone which “paralyzes” you so that you do not physically act out our dreams.
- Memories triggers by scents such as perfume and cologne produce a stronger emotional connection which makes them appear more intense than other memory triggers.
- A study of one million new York students showed that those that ate ate lunches without additives such as artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes performed 14% better in IQ tests (source: environmental graffiti)
- Studies demonstrate that 50-70% of visits to a doctor for physical ailments can be traced to psychological reasons. A plus for positive thinkers!
- Your brain weighs approximately 3 pounds
- Your brain can survive 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen before it begins to die
- You will lose consciousness in 8-10 seconds due to blood loss
