This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Source" by Tara Swart. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is neuroplasticity and how does it work? Do you struggle to tap into your brain’s immense power?
The brain is a complex and mysterious part of the body. According to The Source by Tara Swart, neuroplasticity is an essential concept to understand if you want to take full advantage of your brain’s power.
Keep reading for a deeper explanation of neuroplasticity and how to adapt to it.
Neuroplasticity: How the Brain Changes
What is neuroplasticity and how does it work? According to Swart, understanding how the brain changes itself—a process known as neuroplasticity—is essential to harnessing the full power of your brain, which in turn allows you to achieve what you want most in life and shape your future. Swart explains that the brain consists of 86 billion neurons—or brain cells—which are interconnected, and these connections are responsible for all our brain’s functions, including all our thoughts and behaviors.
(Shortform note: With its 86 billion neurons, the human brain has as many as triple the number of neurons as the brains of other primates. However, while this number is staggering, research suggests that the number of neurons in a human’s brain isn’t a predictor of intelligence; rather, according to additional research, it’s the size and speed of neurons that determines intelligence. Additionally, while the brain’s neuroplasticity can help you make significant, desirable changes, not all neuroplastic change is positive: Maladaptive plasticity is when the brain changes in a way that produces unwanted symptoms, such as phantom pain. Being aware of how neuroplasticity works can help you both produce desirable changes and avoid maladaptive plastic changes.)
Swart says that these neural connections aren’t set in stone: They can change according to our experiences and our responses to those experiences. These changes include forming new neural connections, strengthening and speeding up existing connections, pruning away old neural connections that are no longer needed, and even creating new neurons (neurogenesis).
(Shortform note: The brain’s neuroplastic potential bodes well for people who’ve experienced trauma: Trauma causes changes in the brain, such as heightening your stress response and impeding your higher-level brain functions. However, through trauma-informed therapy, you can learn to strengthen or form neural connections that help your brain respond appropriately to stress and let it prune away those that developed as a result of trauma.)
According to Swart, neuroplastic change is time-consuming and takes a lot of energy. As your brain changes, you’ll find that you often seem to backslide, suddenly struggling again with an aspect of your new skill you thought you had mastered already. When you’re learning, the brain makes short-term changes that don’t immediately translate into long-term changes; the changes only become permanent with repeated practice, so to learn anything new, you must continually commit to learning it.
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Here's what you'll find in our full The Source summary:
- How to get the most out of your brain by tapping into its immense power
- How to use the major principles of the Law of Attraction
- The four-step process to change your life
