ReThinking The Couch Potato's Position

[Rinse & rePeat]

There was that one guy who I enjoyed reading. He was saying that brains actually NOT designed to be used so much as we do in a modern age. He had some funny rants how Alzheimer's is actually product of endlessly frying neurons with excessive thinking, solving non existent problems, basically never having silent landscape inside our heads.

Supposedly brains main purpose is actually for environmental navigation so I'd guess something like parkour, hiking in areas where you have to be attentive to each step, trekking and outdoors stuff in general does more good vs say learning language, playing chess or writting.

That is really intesesting Uselis! What do you think after reading his stuff, cause I don't know what to make of that one. It does seem plausible though.

 

[Ben.]

Yeah that realy is a good point. The modern person is bombarded with visual and auditory stimulus. People need to know, remember and use more and more knowledge than they used to. Look at all the adderall abuse in the US or the growing cognitive enhancing substances usage in students.

The parkour and navigating stuff sounds not only usuefull/benefital but also like alot of fun.

Andrew Smart wrote in his Book "Autopilot" how doing nothing is the only other time/option the brain has to regenerate/heal. Nowadays people dont just lie down on the floor/grass or under the tree and just do nothing for 1-3 hours. Observing the scenery, the animals, the wind swooshing soothingly the leafs of trees, enyoing the fresh air and just being in a calm, primal, simple state.

Look at the people, even if they do nothing they scroll trough their instagram/facebook feed every 5-10 minutes triggering the next dopamine release without relalizing it.

With that in mind ... i should spent less time on this forum ... and "regenerate" more.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Yeah that realy is a good point. The modern person is bombarded with visual and auditory stimulus. People need to know, remember and use more and more knowledge than they used to. Look at all the adderall abuse in the US or the growing cognitive enhancing substances usage in students.

The parkour and navigating stuff sounds not only usuefull/benefital but also like alot of fun.

Andrew Smart wrote in his Book "Autopilot" how doing nothing is the only other time/option the brain has to regenerate/heal. Nowadays people dont just lie down on the floor/grass or under the tree and just do nothing for 1-3 hours. Observing the scenery, the animals, the wind swooshing soothingly the leafs of trees, enyoing the fresh air and just being in a calm, primal, simple state.

Look at the people, even if they do nothing they scroll trough their instagram/facebook feed every 5-10 minutes triggering the next dopamine release without relalizing it.

With that in mind ... i should spent less time on this forum ... and "regenerate" more.

Right?!! I never just sat and looked at the sky till this past year and now I go outside more than once a day and look up and it feels wonderful. People are amazed at the pics and videos I get, wondering why I am the one seeing all the stuff. I say cause I am only one looking up :)

 

[Uselis]

That is really intesesting Uselis! What do you think after reading his stuff, cause I don't know what to make of that one. It does seem plausible though.

I don't think much about it as with everything for me it is another bottomless rabbit hole ha ha.

I like the idea though that if by some mirracle mind would cease to maintain itself so intensively then regeneration of physical body would accelerate.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I don't think much about it as with everything for me it is another bottomless rabbit hole ha ha.

I like the idea though that if by some mirracle mind would cease to maintain itself so intensively then regeneration of physical body would accelerate.

Like sleep?

 

[Mauritio]

While jogging became popular for preventing heart disease, we were frequently told by experts how many miles a person has to run to burn off a pound of fat. However, in Russia, physiologists always remember to include the brain in their calculations, and it turns out that a walk through interesting and pleasant surroundings consumes more energy than does harder but more boring exercise. An active brain consumes a tremendous amount of fuel.” Ray Peat

That's is a beautiful quote. very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

That's is a beautiful quote. very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

So glad you appreciate it as much as I do Mauritio!

 

[Uselis]

Like sleep?

More like those moments when we enter so called flow.

For me that would occur during prolonged physicall activity. Waking in new place especially good for engaging my brain but at the same time moving thought activities in the background.

Sleep always has potential to have either nightmare or some wtf type of dream ?

 

[Uselis]

Yeah that realy is a good point. The modern person is bombarded with visual and auditory stimulus. People need to know, remember and use more and more knowledge than they used to. Look at all the adderall abuse in the US or the growing cognitive enhancing substances usage in students.

The parkour and navigating stuff sounds not only usuefull/benefital but also like alot of fun.

Andrew Smart wrote in his Book "Autopilot" how doing nothing is the only other time/option the brain has to regenerate/heal. Nowadays people dont just lie down on the floor/grass or under the tree and just do nothing for 1-3 hours. Observing the scenery, the animals, the wind swooshing soothingly the leafs of trees, enyoing the fresh air and just being in a calm, primal, simple state.

Look at the people, even if they do nothing they scroll trough their instagram/facebook feed every 5-10 minutes triggering the next dopamine release without relalizing it.

With that in mind ... i should spent less time on this forum ... and "regenerate" more.

You know it was your previous posts that got me almost buying this book ☺Unfortunately (or fortunately) I decided to read reviews and almost all of it were somewhat negative. In a sense that while authors idea is very legit he "unpacked" it lightly and went to ramble on some unrelated theories. Being cheap I decided to save 12$ or whatever it was ha ha.

Anyways some time ago I felt an urge to cut all artificial stimulation and just reside in boredom. Somewhere around 3-4 days I noticed random bursts of joy would appear out of nowhere and creativity also took next level. These days I can't get past two days of such digital abstinence. It seems I'd get initial joy, then slump into some gloomy mood. Withdrawal pattern perhaps.

 

[Ben.]

You know it was your previous posts that got me almost buying this book ☺Unfortunately (or fortunately) I decided to read reviews and almost all of it were somewhat negative. In a sense that while authors idea is very legit he "unpacked" it lightly and went to ramble on some unrelated theories. Being cheap I decided to save 12$ or whatever it was ha ha.

Anyways some time ago I felt an urge to cut all artificial stimulation and just reside in boredom. Somewhere around 3-4 days I noticed random bursts of joy would appear out of nowhere and creativity also took next level. These days I can't get past two days of such digital abstinence. It seems I'd get initial joy, then slump into some gloomy mood. Withdrawal pattern perhaps.

Oh, well i didn't want it to come across as "you need to read this". I presented the basic essence of it, theres no need to read it neccessarily because what one is supposed to do i described already. The effect i had from this practice in a extreme moment of fight or flight where tinnitus is assaulting me and arms going numb, i managed to calm down to a chillaxed level compareable to a guy who smoked weed incredibly fast. It only took 10-20 minutes in the garden doing it. Now obviously this doesn't work this well or intensely anymore but i am troughoutly convinced of it given my experience.

---

You got trough 3-4 days doing nothing? wow. The feeling of boredom is actually hard to endure and usually results in doing virtually "anything" (which can actually be utilizied wisely)

2 Years ago I abstained from sugar for months and when i started eating some again the receptors were so sensitive i had the biggest joy of a single bite from a sweet cookie. I can see that happening/working this way with social media, video games or masturbation or the internet in general too.

I didnt manage to do what you describe. But i actually want to get there at some point. To be honest i think the answer is not forcefully trying to "not do something" but find other habits and pursuits instead that are more meaningful and improve ones own life more, in a habitual, nonstressfull way. The doing nothing for a few minutes every day or some hours every other day should suffice for its benefits.

 

[Uselis]

Oh, well i didn't want it to come across as "you need to read this". I presented the basic essence of it, theres no need to read it neccessarily because what one is supposed to do i described already. The effect i had from this practice in a extreme moment of fight or flight where tinnitus is assaulting me and arms going numb, i managed to calm down to a chillaxed level compareable to a guy who smoked weed incredibly fast. It only took 10-20 minutes in the garden doing it. Now obviously this doesn't work this well or intensely anymore but i am troughoutly convinced of it given my experience.

---

You got trough 3-4 days doing nothing? wow. The feeling of boredom is actually hard to endure and usually results in doing virtually "anything" (which can actually be utilizied wisely)

2 Years ago I abstained from sugar for months and when i started eating some again the receptors were so sensitive i had the biggest joy of a single bite from a sweet cookie. I can see that happening/working this way with social media, video games or masturbation or the internet in general too.

I didnt manage to do what you describe. But i actually want to get there at some point. To be honest i think the answer is not forcefully trying to "not do something" but find other habits and pursuits instead that are more meaningful and improve ones own life more, in a habitual, nonstressfull way. The doing nothing for a few minutes every day or some hours every other day should suffice for its benefits.

Oopps! Didn't mean to imply you forced me to buying book that had negative reviews ha ha. I meant you encouraged me to research more on this topic since I was doing same thing without knowing term.

I went "doing nothing" for 6 months or so. No music, movies, internet (except banking stuff) or phone at all (except calls). Fast forward these days I only manage 3-4 days before my mood goes sour.

I agree, even though "starring at a wall" generated joy and calmness effortlessly I actually was drifting on and off into trance like states which would leave me with hangover afterwards.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

You know it was your previous posts that got me almost buying this book ☺Unfortunately (or fortunately) I decided to read reviews and almost all of it were somewhat negative. In a sense that while authors idea is very legit he "unpacked" it lightly and went to ramble on some unrelated theories. Being cheap I decided to save 12$ or whatever it was ha ha.

Anyways some time ago I felt an urge to cut all artificial stimulation and just reside in boredom. Somewhere around 3-4 days I noticed random bursts of joy would appear out of nowhere and creativity also took next level. These days I can't get past two days of such digital abstinence. It seems I'd get initial joy, then slump into some gloomy mood. Withdrawal pattern perhaps.

That is interesting Uselis. I am impressed with your willingness to try new things and think outside the box. It reminds me of stuff i read from Leo Buscaglia whenni was a teen, about being positive and changing routines to create new and different days. He said when he was teaching students he would sometimes bring in the Fall leaves for them to sit in and how it affected them so positively and made them open up more. I did that with my boys for dinner on night when the were 4 and 8. I filled the room a foot deep with Fall colored sycamore leaves. They had the best time diving in and burying themselves. Yes it was a mess, but one worth the cleaning. Buscaglia's words were life changing and I rarely have a dull moment in my life because of them.

 

[Ben.]

Oopps! Didn't mean to imply you forced me to buying book that had negative reviews ha ha. I meant you encouraged me to research more on this topic since I was doing same thing without knowing term.

I went "doing nothing" for 6 months or so. No music, movies, internet (except banking stuff) or phone at all (except calls). Fast forward these days I only manage 3-4 days before my mood goes sour.

I agree, even though "starring at a wall" generated joy and calmness effortlessly I actually was drifting on and off into trance like states which would leave me with hangover afterwards.

6 months. Holy cow. You are my rolemodel in that regard now!

Only 3-4 days? Maybe thats enough? Perhaps there is a saturation effect? Or it is more like coffee or drugs, where the receptors get less sensitive the more one uses it?

Intruiging. starring at a wall being capable of inducing such a response. Doing it more in a calm/quit area in nature is supposedly to have better effect. Altough everyone should feel free to try it where and whenever they want. W/e works, right?

Thanks anyhow for sharing your experience. This can be very valuable.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“In the last century, Sechenov found that exercising one hand strengthens not only that hand, but also the other. Brain activity stimulates growth and alteration of tissues, such as muscles.”-Ray Peat

 

[BearWithMe]

There was that one guy who I enjoyed reading. He was saying that brains actually NOT designed to be used so much as we do in a modern age. He had some funny rants how Alzheimer's is actually product of endlessly frying neurons with excessive thinking, solving non existent problems, basically never having silent landscape inside our heads.

...and then there are the scientifically proven health benefits of methodically calming your mind aka meditation.

Who's that guy? Would you share some links to his content, please? Sounds really interesting

 

[BearWithMe]

“In the last century, Sechenov found that exercising one hand strengthens not only that hand, but also the other. Brain activity stimulates growth and alteration of tissues, such as muscles.”-Ray Peat

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Is that crazy or what??

 

[Uselis]

...and then there are the scientifically proven health benefits of methodically calming your mind aka meditation.

Who's that guy? Would you share some links to his content, please? Sounds really interesting

UG Krishnamurti. Lots of content on youtube.

 

[BearWithMe]

UG Krishnamurti. Lots of content on youtube.

Thank you!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

"London taxi drivers were recently found to have an enlargement of part of the hippocampus, compared to the brains of other people, and the difference was greater, in proportion to the time they had been driving taxis. Their brains have been shaped by their activities." -Ray Peat