G. P. Raman's

Ever had that feeling where you've got two conflicting thoughts in your head? Does it feel horrible, and would you do practically anything to avoid it? That's Cognitive dissonance for you - an uncomfortable state of mind that motivates us to do anything to restore normality. Having two thoughts at the same time isn't always a bad thing, but when they're not only simultaneous, but conflicting, too: you've got a problem on your hands. Here, we examine what exactly cognitive dissonance entails, and what we can do to stop it. When you're experiencing Cognitive dissonance, it's likely you'll feel a whole range of negative emotions: sad, lonely, worried, frightened, etc. Whatever it is that you're having conflicting thoughts about in your mind, you will be going through intense discomfort, that's for certain. So how do these feelings come about? Most of the time when we feel Cognitive dissonance, we will have done something regrettable,...

A brain hemisphere is one of the two parts of the human brain. The brain is known to be split into the left and the right 'cerebral hemisphere'. You probably already knew this, but didn't really know what it is exactly that a brain hemisphere does. Well, first of all the left part of your brain is basically in controlling of dealing with the things you see and think, processing information and organizing all the things you think about on a daily basis. It also helps you interpret things at a societal level. The right brain hemisphere, however, is in control of everything that you do in the present - essentially, it allows you to react to things and do things as soon as you think about it. It allows you to be you. The right half of the brain is also in control of the left half of the body, whilst the left brain hemisphere is also in control of the right half of the body. As mentioned, the right brain hemisphere deals with everything that you experience in the p...

The concept of a mind map is incredibly simple. So simple in fact that one would struggle to believe the mass of benefits that can arise from using one. However, if it is so simple, how can some people still not be fully aware of what they are, or what advantages they can provide? To put it plainly, a mind map is exactly as the title suggests; a map drawn out consisting of what is unfolding in your mind. A physical representation of an idea or series of ideas, that can help the user illustrate their stream of thought. Mind maps also highlight any interlinking connections within the planning. These are essentially any elements of the map, that branch off to create sub genres within the idea itself. The principle of a map is that it is a form of guidance and structure, used to help a person find or understand a route to follow. In this instance, the map is created by you to help best understand a thought or idea. Therefore observing a physical representation of an idea and i...

What is a dream? The most accessible definition is that it is simply a series of images, sounds, and emotions that are experienced during sleep. What causes dreaming? When the body enters REM sleep, it begins to send signals to different parts of the brain. These signals go through parts of the brain associated with memory and emotions. Though no one knows where dreams originate or what the purpose of dreaming is, many scientists hypothesize that it is the result of the highly active, yet random, neuronal firings. These scientists would speculate that dreams are your brain trying to make sense of random emotions and memories. For example, being fearful because you dream that you are lost in the woods might simply be the brain stimulating the fear center at the same time that it stimulates the memory of trees or forests. Do we dream in color? About 60% of people report that they "always" dream in color. 32% of people report that they sometimes dream in color and only 7...

Modern brain research is being done in a variety of fields. Experimental psychologists at research universities are developing theories about the social and cognitive aspects of the brain and proving these by running tests on college freshmen. Neuroscientists use imaging techniques along with visual or auditory stimuli to measure and record changes within the brain. Cognitive science is an emerging discipline that was formed to integrate brain researchers in different fields. Princeton describes it as "the field of science concerned with cognition; including parts of cognitive psychology and linguistics and computer science and cognitive neurosciences and philosophy of mind." Experimental psychologists typically conduct research, develop theories, publish articles, and sometimes teach. Typically, they research topics like attention, learning, memory, thinking, sensation, and perception. They use the scientific method to conduct experiments. Experimental psycholog...