TED Talks Daily How to tame your wandering mind | Amishi Jha
Aug 12, 2019
Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist specializing in attention, offers insights into how our minds wander amidst life’s chaos. She explains the brain's attention system and dismisses the myth that we only use a fraction of it. Jha introduces practical mindfulness techniques to enhance focus and combat distractions. By exploring the effects of stress on attention and decision-making, she highlights how cultivating mindfulness can lead to improved mental clarity and emotional regulation. Listeners are encouraged to consciously 'pay attention to their attention' for a more focused life.
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Brain Capacity and Attention
- The human brain uses 100% of its capacity, but faces information overload.
- The brain's attention system helps manage this by selecting important information.
Captain Davis's Struggle
- Marine Captain Jeff Davis contemplated suicide after returning from Iraq.
- His mind was preoccupied with stressful memories and dread for the future.
Attention's Impact on Perception
- Brainwave recordings show attention's effect on perception, like the N170 response to faces.
- The N170 is a detectable brain signature occurring 170 milliseconds after seeing a face.