Alchemical Wizard 49 : Brain Signal Variability (BSV) & Our Cognitive Flexibility!
The implications of variability in brain signals, or what some would call noise, is actually a critical feature of brain function. For the brain to operate at an optimal level, a certain amount of internal noise is necessary. In a certain way it could be stated that a noisy brain is a healthy brain. A Theta State of Mind!
Brain signal variability is a reliable indicator of cognitive functions across a life span. It is associated with better cognitive performance and younger age. Exploring and supporting this part of brain function can enhance cognitive flexibility, spark creativity, and improve overall mental health.
BOLD (blood oxygen level-dependent) signal variability represents a spatially heterogeneous, central property of multi-scale multi-modal brain organization. Neuroscientists have long observed that brain activity is naturally variable from moment-to-moment, but neuroimaging research has largely ignored the potential importance of this phenomenon.
An emerging research focus on within-person brain signal variability is providing novel insights, and offering highly predictive, complementary, and even orthogonal views of brain function in relation to human lifespan development, cognitive performance, and various clinical conditions. As a result, BSV (brain signal variability) is evolving as an authentic signal of interest and should no longer be dismissed as meaningless noise when mapping the human brain!
Imagine your brain as a bustling city with countless neural pathways. BSV refers to the brain’s ability to produce a diverse range of neural active patterns, much like the ebb and flow of traffic in a city. Green lights turn the flow in one direction while red lights stop a tangent of traffic converging. All the while a thousand other patterns can emerge. This neural flexibility is key to adapting to life’s many challenges!
BSV is like finding the perfect melody between structure and spontaneity. It’s closely tied to the concept of criticality in physics (The Brain—as Critical as Possible). The ideal zone of criticality where the brain strikes an optimal balance between order and chaos. This balance taps into the magical notes for efficient information processing and cognitive agility!
Recent research has uncovered fascinating links between BSV and various aspects of our brain functions such as in ageing. As we get older, our brains might become less “flexible,” potentially contributing to cognitive decline. In Neurodevelopmental conditions, disorders like autism may involve unique patterns of brain signal variability. And in Cognitive Flexibility research, lower variability could lead to more rigid thinking patterns!
Let us say, as an example, we read only one book. The Keto-Italian Cook Book. And this is the only book we use for the rest of our lives for our health and nutritional needs. What kind of ridged brain patterns would emerge? And let us mention, that one highly edited and thousands of other left out scrolls, documents, books and tablets called the Bible! What version? Remember in grade school when a note was passed from the front of the class to the back and the note became so completely distorted it wasn’t even about the same subject? Also see ‘The Council of Nicaea and the Formation of the Biblical Canon’
Okay enough said. How do we Boost our Brains Viability! Obviously, doing some form of mental gymnastics like reading several different books! And challenging ourselves with diverse cognitive tasks to exercise our brain’s flexibility. Some form of regular physical activity and exercise is a powerful way to promote brain plasticity and variability. Meditation and other mindfulness practices can enhance our neural flexibility as well. And yes, our plant-based diet that is high in vibrational frequencies!
Now a little more in depth about cognitive exercises is that they are rooted in the principles of neuroplasticity and the dynamic role of neural oscillations, such as theta waves. Theta waves, a type of neural oscillation with frequencies between 4-8 Hz, play a pivotal role in learning and memory processes. These waves are often associated with states of deep relaxation, drowsiness, and the early stages of sleep, but they are also crucial during focused attention and the processing of new information. See also ‘ Alchemical Wizard 44 : Introduction to Brainwave Frequencies & Brainwave Entrainment!’
Examples of improving Cognitive Flexibility on a daily basis are brain teasers and logic puzzles! They can be powerful tools for sharpening our problem-solving skills and improving cognitive flexibility. These puzzles often require thinking outside the box and approaching problems from different angles. Brain teasers include mathematical conundrums, spatial reasoning challenges, and verbal puzzles. These can be found in various apps, online platforms, or even in books and magazines as well as many newspapers!
Crossword puzzles are one of the most effective and engaging ways to enhance our cognitive abilities, particularly in the areas of vocabulary, memory, and problem-solving skills. These puzzles have been a staple of cognitive training since the early 1900s and continue to be highly recommended by neurologists and cognitive scientists.
Sudoku and other number placement games are excellent for enhancing logical thinking, short-term memory, and concentration. In Sudoku, you must place numbers in a specific grid, following certain rules to ensure each row, column, and box contains each number only once.
Learning a new language can help with mental agility and be neuro-protective, since a new language forges new connections among neurons, making them more resistant to dis-ease! A bit more time consuming but if done in smaller chunks can be so rewarding. Especially when traveling to the destination in which one can speak it!
And in learning a new skill such as drawing, painting, or picking up a musical instrument, your challenging your brain with new activities that builds new neural connections and strengthens the existing ones!
Having Cognitive Flexibility, also referred to as cognitive shifting, is the brain's ability to adapt to new, changing, or unplanned events. It involves the capacity to switch between different ways of thinking and to adjust mental processes in response to changing situations or demands!
Which we, who are in the awakening process, in this Ascension Cycle, are aware of all the Disclosures revealing pieces to the larger puzzle at this time! This is the time we shed or purge all of our Social Conditioning’s! A global Dark Night of the Soul Purge, if you will! An Apocalypse of the Psyche!
We know there is going to be mass Cognitive Dissonance and mental discomfort experienced when so many will hold onto old conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes, or when their actions do not align with their beliefs anymore as the old structures of control crumble! Rewiring our brain is going to take considerable effort! See also ‘ Alchemical Wizard 12 : Spiritual Psychology / Purging and Clearing Social Conditioning!’
So let us consider our Cognitive Flexibility as we steadily journey towards our adaptive destination! It’s you, that part of our family that upholds the community ethos of our collective endeavor. Each member plays a crucial role, fitting together like a piece of a Cosmic puzzle in the Fluidic Space-Time Continuum, ensuring that we reach our destination safely and successfully!
Our Ascension Journey lies not in the 5D destination but in our participation in navigating a better future for us all!
Blessings Everyone as we continue with Holistic Health modalities to inspire confidence as we unlock resources to make this Ascension shift more meliorative! We are Sovereign and We are most defiantly Freeing Ourselves! And Please Stay Hydrated as the SEP’s (Solar Energetic Particles) and Air Showers continue until this adaptation to a higher frequency is completed!
Questions or Constructive Comments? Check it out, you can drop me a line!
Travis Carper - Ascension Health Coach / Alternative & Holistic Health Service https://www.facebook.com/traviscarper888/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/traviscarper888/
Additional References :
Brain signal variability and executive functions across the life span - https://direct.mit.edu/netn/article/8/1/226/117962/Brain-signal-variability-and-executive-functions
Brain Signal Variability Differentially Affects Cognitive Flexibility and Cognitive Stability - https://www.jneurosci.org/content/36/14/3978
Moment-to-moment brain signal variability: A next frontier in human brain mapping? - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763413000511
Increased Brain Signal Variability Accompanies Lower Behavioral Variability in Development - https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000106
Boosts in brain signal variability track liberal shifts in decision bias - https://elifesciences.org/articles/54201 | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337138554_Boosting_Brain_Signal_Variability_Underlies_Liberal_Shifts_in_Decision_Bias
The relative brain signal variability increases in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease but not in schizophrenia - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0271678X241262583
Local temporal variability reflects functional integration in the human brain - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811918307171
Relation of resting brain signal variability to cognitive and socioemotional measures in an adult lifespan sample - https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/18/1/nsad044/7271139
10 Best Cognitive Exercises for Mental Agility - https://mybrainrewired.com/rewire-the-brain/10-best-cognitive-exercises-for-mental-agility/
9 Cognitive Shifting Exercises to Change Your Perspective - https://www.growthtactics.net/cognitive-shifting-exercises/
3 Tips for Improving Cognitive Flexibility - https://mybrainrewired.com/the-brain/improve-cognitive-flexibility-with-3-tips/
Increase Brain Power in 7 Minutes: Brain Exercises - https://dynamicspinesport.com/blogs/sport/brain-exercises-for-brain-enhancement/