The general principle behind growing and shaping your brain is the exact same as the general principle behind growing and reshaping muscle. That is SAID: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. You want better math ability? Then do more math. You want better spatial awareness? Then use that part of your brain.

Most of us don’t look at the brain in that way though. We use brain training in a very general sense and with no real objective.

We also don’t realize the potential of our brains at all. For an idea of just what’s possible, consider cases of individuals like Daniel Underwood, who have managed to develop ‘sonar’ to find their way around and to compensate for a loss of vision. If you can develop your sense of hearing to the point where you can use sonar, then imagine what you could do with other parts of your brain?

Einstein’s Brain

Structural differences in the brain certainly do correspond with differences in the nature and extent of human intelligence and there is no better example of this than Einstein’s brain. Einstein had unusual large inferior parietal lobes which were also strangely shaped.

Your brain and my brain have a large cleave cutting through the middle of this structure called the Sylvian Fissure. Interestingly, Einstein’s veered upwards and didn’t completely divide the lobes. His were also symmetrical, whereas most are smaller on the left.

The role of the inferior parietal lobe is to integrate sensory information across modalities. It is particularly important when it comes to spatial sense and navigation.

So, when we listen to Einstein’s accounts of how he came up with his theory of special relativity – by imagining himself to be travelling on a beam of light and looking back at the world around him leading to an innate understanding of the relationship between time and movement… it all kind of makes sense.

What also makes sense is that Einstein had a thicker corpus callosum – a structure that joins the two hemispheres of the brain. This would allow different brain areas to communicate more effectively, thereby leading to greater whole brain connectivity (which we know to be an important predictor of general intelligence).

It also follows that Einstein was ambidextrous. But perhaps making an argument for specialization is the fact that Einstein was probably dyslexic and some rumors claim he didn’t start speaking until the age of four.

The take-home message is that you could theoretically learn to think like Einstein. First by increasing your plasticity, then by practicing visualization and navigation to grow your inferior parietal lobes and perhaps by practicing ambidexterity to grow the corpus callosum.

But great though he was, you should not seek to emulate Einstein. Instead, focus on becoming the very best version of you.

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Brighter Brain – Self Improvement Ebook and Video Package

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The Hidden Potential of the Brain

You’ve probably heard claims that we only use a small percentage of our brain and that we have lots of untapped potential. Well the latter point is true, but the former is a complete myth and misunderstands the way our brain works. Likewise, many ‘brain training games’ have been shown to only really improve the specific task that they present us with.

Counting penguins makes you better at counting penguins and that’s about it. But that is not to say that there aren’t ways we can enhance our brain function and get more from our various mental faculties. It is possible to upgrade such things as focus, memory and attention, but in order to do that we need a better understanding of neuroscience, the biology of our brain and how our brains respond to stimulus.

The key to all of this is something called brain plasticity. This is the ability of the brain to grow and change shape in response to experience and training. We are capable of growing new neuronal connections and altering our chemical makeup but only when properly stimulated.

Why Train Your Brain?

But what is truly exciting is that the capabilities of the human mind go far beyond merely upgrading your ability to retain information, or to be witty in conversation.

Brain plasticity shows that the brain can adapt to incredible demands and changes. This is how some blind individuals have managed to develop sonar. It’s what allowed some people to develop synesthesia and to visualize complex mathematical equations. It allowed Dennis Rogers to recruit more muscle fiber during exercise and to stop an aircraft from taking off with his bare hands.

It allows gymnasts to move with fluidity, memory masters to recite pi to tens of thousands of decimal points (the record is 31,811) and it is what allowed Einstein to decipher the secrets of the universe simply by picturing the movement of light.

It allows Whim Hof to raise his body temperature and survive exposure to extreme cold. Plasticity allows autistic savants to create perfect sketches of cityscapes they’ve seen for seconds.

And ultimately it means you have the ability to design the brain you want, to become optimized for the challenges you face in your life and for the goals you are working toward. You can become more highly focused, more creative, more confident or even upgrade the speed of your thought.

You can train your brain just as a bodybuilder trains their muscles. And the potential that this represents is something that has not even been fully explored. Your mind is limitless, it is the final frontier.

Related Info Products:

Brighter Brain – Self Improvement Ebook and Video Package

MindZoom – Positive Affirmations Software