Which way next?
I read last night that the guy who invented the GPS system was advising people to turn it off because of the long term effects it could have in the brain.
The reason given was that the first areas in the brain to show the damage associated with Alzheimer’s are areas associated with being able to find our way around. These brain areas, known as the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex build spatial maps and help us locate ourselves within our environment. And not only are they building spatial maps, but they are attaching memories related to reward, punishment, pleasure and pain to these maps, adding emotional colour and a sense of importance and relevance to our everyday lives.
When you rely on GPS these areas don’t get stimulated and so don’t build those spatial maps or add the tapestry of emotional colour to the seemingly unimportant details that make up the richness of our lives. Awareness of the environment is dulled. You no longer need to take responsibility for all the small decisions related to ‘where I am right now?’: ‘where do I go next?’, or ‘how do I adjust my path if I’ve made a mistake or things aren’t the way I expected them to be?’
On the plus side GPS can provide strong sense of security. No more worrying about getting lost in the dark on your own. You might be inclined to be more confident about going to new places and trying new things. And that extra stimulation of new experiences can promote brain growth in different areas. So like many other things in life, the GPS can be used in both beneficial and damaging ways.
To get the best out of using a GPS, the recommendation is to turn it on (if you want to) when first going somewhere new, but see how you go turning it off to find your way back home. Just knowing that you’ll need to find your own way home again can help you be less dependent on the technology, stay more engaged and build that grey matter!
On a day to day level, if you’re feeling a bit lost in life, without a sense of purpose, and worrying about what your next step will be, or if you’re finding your memory isn’t working as well as you like, then I’m happy to tell you that Kinesiology uses specific techniques that could help. We can help with goal setting, improving mood and motivation as well as strengthening memory. To find the best approach for you, contact me on:
0405 970 058
or click this link to use online booking.
