Ania G

Hypnosis has been used by psychiatrists for decades. It’s supposed to improve patients' lives, for example, by helping them cope with pain, anxiety, or even recall blocked memories. To find out what exactly is happening to the patients’ brains during a state of hypnosis, psychiatrist David Spiegiel and his colleagues scanned their brains. They found that during hypnosis, a region of the brain that helps people stay alert to the external environment became less active. Also, the connections between other regions of the brain became stronger. Some of them regulate how much pain we feel. At the same time, some regions important for self-consciousness became disconnected. By weakening those connections, hypnosis may allow people to do things they would never do in normal life. Brain scans showed that the hypnosis really left a mark. I used to think hypnosis wasn't effective, but studies like these have changed my mind. If I ever get the chance to be hypnotized, I will definit...

Dr. Daniel Amen and his colleagues built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior. The most important lesson they have learned is that you can literally change people’s brains.  One example is their study performed on NFL players, which proved that playing football caused them long-term brain damage. But the second part of the study showed that 80% of them could improve. Daniel Amen also talked about people whose lives changed for the better just because someone bothered to look at their brains. One of them was his aggressive, troublesome nephew who became completely normal after removing a cyst from his brain.  But these cases are not unique. Researchers have found that undiagnosed brain injuries are a major cause of many mental disorders, addictions and even homelessness. As Dr. Amen said, behavior is the expression of the problem, not the problem. But you are not stuck with the brain you have, you can make it better. Video: https://www.youtube.com/wat...