Self Help Audio Books

Self Help Audio Books

Can self help audio books change your brain? Do they make any difference? Yes. Please read on.

I remember the first self help book I read, Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich (1937)which described the use of repeated positive thoughts to attract happiness and wealth by tapping into an "Infinite Intelligence".

(There were no audio books then, so I read the hard cover).

I did not actually get that the word 'repeated' meant frequently, every day. I thought that frequent meant five or six times. I guess I had watched too many Disney movies, where the hero or heroine appeared magically with a wish, a potion, or a wand, but that is not how the brain is changed in self help, and believe me we now know the brain is changed in self help.

Witness what Sharon Begley describes in her recent book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain.

"Is it really possible to change the structure and function of the brain, and in so doing alter how we think and feel?

The answer is a resounding yes.

In late 2004, leading Western scientists joined theDalai Lama at his home in Dharamsala, India, to address this very question — and in the process brought about a revolution in our understanding of the human mind. In this fascinating and far-reaching book, Wall Street Journal science writer Sharon Begley reports on how cutting-edge science and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism have come together to show how we all have the power to literally change our brains by changing our minds. These findings hold exciting implications for personal transformation.

For decades, the conventional wisdom of neuroscience held that the hardware of the brain is fixed and immutable — that we are stuck with what we were born with. As Begley shows, however, recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity, a new science that investigates whether and how the brain can undergo wholesale change, reveal that the brain is capable not only of altering its structure but also of generating new neurons, even into old age. The brain can adapt, heal, renew itself after trauma, and compensate for disability.

Begley documents how this fundamental paradigm shift is transforming both our understanding of the human mind and our approach to deep-seated emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems. These breakthroughs show that it is possible to reset our happiness meter, regain the use of limbs disabled by stroke, train the mind to break cycles of depression and OCD, and reverse age-related changes in the brain. They also suggest that it is possible to teach and learn compassion, a key step in the Dalai Lama's quest for a more peaceful world. But as we learn from studies performed on Buddhist monks, an important component in changing the brain is to tap the power of mind and, if particular, focused attention. This is the classic Buddhist practice of mindfulness, a technique that has become popular in the West and that is immediately available to everyone."

So this ancient human tradition of orally transmitting knowledge can impact our brains by enhancing neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, two capacities of the human brain that no one knew about not too many years ago? Yes.

However mindfullness and Hill's visualizations must be practiced frequently, perhaps heart beat by heart beat, or every five minutes for two heart beats.

You can actually train yourself to be that aware of your inner experience (mindfullness) using a biofeedback technology called HeartMath, and if you can remember to use your own self help audio book catch phrase, like 'Gratitude is the Attitude" you can enhance your neuroplastic and neurogenetic brain processes.

HeartMath for focused awareness expands the brain changing capacity of self help audio books, because using the HeartMath tool opens the higher perceptual centers in the brain, which increases neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

Here is the catch though. We do grow new brain cells everyday, and they will migrate to the hippocampus, where memories are cemented, if challenged by a novel learning experience. Do you hear your self help audio book playing, because it will be a novel learning experience?

Want to make sure your brain does not keep today's new neurons?

Fill yourself with stress hormones too frequently, or drink ethyl alcohol, for example, and your self help audio book will not cement those new neurons in the hippocampus.

Educational & Inspirational Audiobooks @ LearnOutLoud.com

Want to learn more about brain fitness, and how you can make your brain receptive to new learning? Read Brainfit for Life by Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D. who are neuroscientists at the University of Michigan. Unfortunately, you have to read an e-book, or get the hard cover, but the information about how you can make your brain its healthiest, and most receptive to self help is really exciting.

They write about the pillars of brain fitness, physical activity/exercise, nutrition, including the need for omega 3 fatty acids daily, sleep, stress management, and novel learning experiences, which might include using computerized brain fitness programs like the Mind Sparke Brain Fitness Pro, which can actually increase your IQ by increasing your fluid intelligence.

Yes, you can prepare your brain to really hear your self help audio book.

The most important pillar of brain fitness is the physical activity/exercise pillar.

There are any number of models available for you to use, if you need some guidance in this area, I suggest this model, specially put together for couples by Scott and Angie Tousignant Their model is based on what I like to call 'a utility room' model, which simply means I can do it in my utility room in my basement and get all the neurogenesis and neuroplasticity I want, just as much as the folks paying for expensive club memberships.

Evans and Burghardt also speak to the need for omega 3 fatty acids every day, lest a lack of that long chain fatty acid make my neurons brittle and unable to talk to one another as clearly as they could if I had lots of omega 3 fatty acid in my diet.

The best source of omega 3 is fish, but if you are worried about mercury poisoning, then perhaps a supplement is in order.

The Brainfit authors also talk about the research in regards to the dual n back task, which increases IQ, so here is a link to a program I found that you can use to practice the dual n back task, for increased IQ. It takes a bit of practice to get the feel for it, but you will love it once it pops, very fun.