Self Development and developing the mind.

Self development is a process that we undergo throughout our lives willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or not. As human beings we are developing daily, learning from our life experiences and from interactions with each other. There are numerous dimensions of the self (i.e. you), which has lead to various techniques and ways of developing one’s self. Self development can be spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, e.t.c. Today I will like to talk on how to improve the mind.

I will like to start with the mind because for me it is one of the most important part of the intellect, with the need to remember and do so much today. From kids doing their school work to adults who have to handle and juggle office work, the home and other personal commitments. The modern world moves at such a pace that needs us to process information at a much faster rate than our predecessors just a few decades ago. Research in the past few years have shown that the brain has the ability to change throughout our lives, via a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the power of the brain to reshape itself given the right stimulus or exercise. There are brain training programs such as lumosity, which actually train the five core cognitive functions of memory, flexibility, attention, problem solving and processing speed.

Another technique of developing the mind/brain is through brain entrainment, which entails listening to audio recordings at a determined frequency with the aim of making the brainwaves to conform to that particular frequency. For example, listening to audio frequencies with theta and delta frequencies will enable a person to relax and have an increase in meditative ability, to slow the body’s rhythms down and release thoughts of distraction. This means you can change your brainwaves by listening to specific audio frequencies, and at the same time enabling you to train your brain into simulating specific modes (be it relaxation, focus, creativity, e.t.c.) when you need to.  

Within this article, I have tried to explain what self development entails, and some of its different facets concentrating more on mental or brain development. Do not always believe that your genes are your destiny, but the milieu within which they are found has a great impact on your development. So many environmental factors have an effect on our development, nature and nurture for me, go hand in hand. To find out more on brain entrainment and other ways of developing the self, you will find more information here.