How to Master the Most Important Technology You Will Ever Use - Your Mind
Notes
I used to operate as if my brain was infinitely powerful, and I thought that if I used it more, it would become more powerful. I would try to keep the big picture in my mind at all times, and switch between different tasks rapidly. Only when I understood how the actual brain works, did I realise how cognitively expensive and inefficient that is. It’s necessary to divide everything up into clear processes and functions. By recognising the limitations, and the necessity for different modes, can we get the most out of it. We can continually refactor our code and optimise it.
The most powerful supercomputer ever to exist is inside your head and uses the electricity power of a low voltage lightbulb.
Recently I’ve done a deep dive into the human mind and I’m sharing my notes to keep as a reference.
We can break it into hardware and software. Hardware is the different parts of the brain and how they fit together the physical parts - typically what a Neurosurgeon specialises in. The electrics and how they work together is what a Neurologist specialises in. The code and software is what Psychologists focus on. Understanding the hardware is essential to optimise the software around it.
Our brain is incredibly neuroplastic which means it can adapt incredibly well. Neurons that fire together wire together. We can build it consciously and strengthen it and design our own brain and also optimise the software.
There are also ways to strengthen it such as by exercise and rest and socialising that can protect against age related decline and improve it. Exercise such as anaerobic exercise which generates a sort of fertiliser (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) for growing new parts of the brain and strengthening existing ones. Aerobic exercise Acts like “Cooling” for the processor, reducing inflammation and improving blood flow (Power Supply).
Each part of the brain is typically focused on a specific function. The frontal lobe for example is the CEO of the brain. The eyesight is towards the back of the brain. By exercising we can fertilise this certain part of the brain.
Our brain operates with a certain frequency at different times. From high wave to low wave. This is essential to understand because they are like gears on a car. When you are operating in a low frequency (relaxed in a dream like state) it’s more for generalised cross brain work across different function. When you are at a high frequency it’s more specialised on a certain task.
High Frequency (Beta/Gamma): Focused “Sprint” mode. High energy, high specialized output.
Mid Frequency (Alpha): “Flow” mode. The bridge between the conscious and subconscious. Best for learning.
Low Frequency (Theta/Delta): “Defrag” mode. This is where the brain consolidates memory and makes creative connections across different “folders” (functions).
Trying to revv the brain to the max is unnecessary and counterproductive. Relax into the flow of the certain mode, and consciously decide which mode you want to be in. You can use music or exercise to get into that frequency.
Often when we are around others, our brains sync to the same frequency. Part of small talk in conversations is a sync of frequencies and alignment of using certain parts of the brain.
Also different parts of the brain work and fire together for different tasks. When you are running for example or playing the piano it is using different parts of the brain to when you are doing maths, or giving a speech. It’s possible to use different parts of the brain at different times which can be much more efficient, and you can feel less tired because some parts are resting while others are working.
When you are performing a certain task, you can also mute different parts of the brain by practice. To optimise the brain, muting the other parts of the brain is not just better for focus, but it uses less energy, and it increases the efficiency within which that certain system performs.
Meditation is a great way to practice this. As other alerts come up, you can just bring your focus back to a certain way of thinking. It also acts as a way to clean or relax the brain.
Previously, I would frequently use different parts of the brain at the same time, and constantly want to have the big picture in my mind which was incredibly inefficient. Just by writing out the plan and leaving it on a desk and forgetting about it, can hugely increase the efficiency and ability to perform at task.
Cleaning the brain is essential because using it produces waste. Especially if it is being revved up - anxious, or using multiple parts of the brain at the same time. These accumulate in the ventricles - your brain has a large body of water in the middle of it that cleans out and replenishes it. Rest and sleep should therefore forget every other function and just switch off.
The Glymphatic System is the brain's "dishwasher." It only opens up during deep sleep to flush out toxins like adenosine (the chemical that makes you feel "sleep pressure").
Social media can be disruptive for many reasons but because it trains the brain to fire in a certain way which can be deprimental to focus.
As we now have external AI we can learn to outsource parts of our functions, memory and processes to external computer, which frees us up to improve and optimise our own computer and use it most efficiently.
It’s also great to measure your brain, to get scans, and to take a range of tests such as memory and functional tests. This acts as a baseline in case you can notice trends in the future, and you can also optimise it.
My main takeaways are:
Understand the brain and how it works can give an advantage to optimise our code as we use external computers more
Consciously design and build it
We can rewrite and optimise our code and processes
Focus on certain tasks at a time and forget others
Exercise, socialise, rest, and feed it well
Don’t revv it to the max. Understand, look after and grow it.