Being Present in the Moment Can Be Helped by Stopping Our Thinking →

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Being present in the moment can be challenging when our minds are constantly caught up in ruminating thoughts about the past or anxieties about the future. However, the intentional act of stopping or quieting our thinking can significantly aid this. This practice allows us to fully focus on our current experience, which is the core principle of mindfulness meditation-being fully present in the moment. 

When you intentionally stop thinking, you can direct your attention to your sensory experiences, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations. These experiences have a grounding effect, bringing you back to the present moment and making you feel more centered and balanced. 

Music Through Calm, Prevails - by Brent M. Jones →

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Music and notes float freely. The mind receives, and the notes connect. The sounds of each bring comfort.

The body feels the notes connect. A single note enters and expands. Bringing peace to the fabric of thought.

The music continues and shapes more thoughts. The notes combine building on each other. The music replaces thoughts, bringing calm and peace.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's and Dementia

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• 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's and Dementia

  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life. ...

  • Challenges in planning or solving problems. ...

• Difficulty completing familiar tasks. ...

• Confusion with time or place. ...

• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. ...

• New problems with words in speaking or writing.

Of the about 55 million people worldwide with dementia, 60% to 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease. The early signs of the disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, it progresses to serious memory problems and loss of the ability to perform everyday tasks.

-Then What Happens? -

Holding Hands with a Tree Matters to Your Mental Health →

Holding Hands With a Tree Branch

By paying greater attention to your surroundings, you'll learn to appreciate all the sensory elements of the outdoors. This will help you decrease your anxiety levels, lessen stress and feelings of anger, and enhance your mental health.

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir.

"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?" - E.M. Forster

Anendophasia, DNA, Dementia, and Mental Health Questions →

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Anendophasia is a term for having no inner voice, which impacts verbal memory and rhyme recognition. It has been commonly assumed that inner speech—the experience of thought occurring in a natural language—is both universal and ubiquitous. Recent evidence, however, suggests that similar to other phenomenal experiences like visual imagery, the experience of inner speech varies between people, ranging from constant to non-existent. This information was reported in the Cognitive Science Society article “Not Everyone Has an Inner Voice: Behavioral Consequences of Anendophasia.” The authors were Johanne Nedergaard and Gary Lupyan. The inner voice is in the frontal motor cortex and Broca's area.

Writing about this as a layman with no formal training but some experience with memory loss, I find the idea that a strong inner voice could help with potential memory loss exciting.

Researchers at the University of Utah have made a fascinating discovery about the brain’s default mode network (DMN). They have found that this network collaborates with other brain regions to facilitate creative thought. Using state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques, they could track real-time brain activity during creative tasks, shedding light on the intricate workings of the brain.

Wikipedia reports that “in neuroscience, the default mode network (DMN), also known as the default network, default state network, or anatomically the medial frontoparietal network (M-FPN), is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and angular gyrus. It is best known for being active when a person is not focused on the outside world, and the brain is at wakeful rest, such as during daydreaming and mind-wandering. It can also be active during detailed thoughts related to external task performance. Other times that the DMN is active include when the individual is thinking about others, thinking about themselves, remembering the past, and planning for the future.”

This overview offers no accurate conclusion, but understanding it seems vital.