The study found that brain signals could predict whether participants would press the left or right button up to 7 seconds before they consciously decided. The brain is capable of processing vast amounts of information quickly using neurons and neural fibers. Improving concentration and memory involves techniques like visualization, association, linking ideas, and establishing habits to focus attention and practice memory strategies daily.

1. HYPNO-STUDY Presenter: Bruni Brewin www.hypnosis-workshops.com.au www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au Free Advisory Line: 1800 067 557 www.bbbenefits.com.au President Emeritus (Life) AHA

3. In the study, published in Nature Neuroscience, participants could freely decide if they wanted to press a button with their left or right hand. They were free to make this decision whenever they wanted, but had to remember at which time they felt they had made up their mind. The aim of the experiment was to find out what happens in the brain in the period just before the person felt the decision was made. The researchers found that it was possible to predict from brain signals which option participants would take up to seven seconds before they consciously made their decision. ISBN (13): 9781921215827 Norman Doidge, MD

4. The Amazing Power of your Brain… Your brain is capable of processing an estimated 30 billion bits of information each second. You have about 28 billion neurons – the nerve cells responsible for conducting information throughout the brain. Some of them are as long as several feet or more – and each neuron is actually a self-contained computer with the capability of processing an estimated one million bits of information.

5. The Amazing Power of your Brain… Although each neuron can act independently, your brain contains an estimated 100,000 miles (that’s 160,934 Kilometers) of neural fibers as your neurons reach out to communicate with each other.

6. The Amazing Power of your Brain… Plus just one single neuron can simultaneously send a signal to hundreds of thousands of other neurons in less than 20 milliseconds – one tenth of the time it takes for you to blink.

7. The Amazing Power of your Brain… With all this miraculous mental processing power, why aren’t we all happy, successful peak performers? And why can’t we automatically accomplish any goal we desire – or at least overcome any tendency to procrastinate, think limiting thoughts, lack concentration and memory, or buy into negativity?

8. THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR The professor does not have a poor memory (certainly not for his own subject), he simply pays little attention to everyday things.

11. ATTENTION, RETENTION & RECALL Short-Term Memory Rehearsal Successfully Coded Unsuccessfully Coded Forgotten Long-Term Memory Incoming Information

12. So what is the key to concentrating and having a good memory? Observation Concentration Visualisation Imaging Association Substitution

13. So what is the key to concentrating and having a good memory? Classification Linking Memory Pegs Speed Reading Photo reading Healthful habits

14. Notice See Be there Participate KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS OBSERVATION CONCENTRATION

15. A brain neurotransmitter - dopamine - helps you concentrate. Raise the levels of dopamine, and you'll be able to focus and concentrate better. This is essentially what coffee, tea, and drugs like Ritalin do.

16. To do the same without drugs, get some good quality sleep and at least some moderate exercise. It also helps to eat foods that slowly release sugars into your system, including beans, whole grains, apples, and salads.

17. Another way to improve your concentration is to avoid or reduce interruptions. It can take up to fifteen minutes to regain full concentration when interrupted by a visitor or phone call.

18. A few well-placed interruptions can eat up a lot of your mental productivity. Even a pleasant distraction is an interruption, and it takes time to concentrate again.

19. If you study then go off to meet friends or do something else, your mind will imprint your meeting – what you spoke about with your friends – what you did – more clearly then what you studied. Your study information becomes weaker and you will remember less. DO YOUR STUDY LAST

20. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS VISUALISATION IMAGING Ridiculous, amusing and/or illogical. Out of proportion. Carrying out some action. Exaggerated in number. etc)

21. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS 30 Days has September … April, June & November 1588—Spanish Armada ASSOCIATION

22. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS Mike = Microphone Ruth = tooth SUBSTITUTION

23. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS CLASSIFICATION GROUPING

24. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS Meet mum at 9.00am Take mum to the Doctors Pick up the dry cleaning Get some meat from the butcher Pick up kids from school Big Ben struck 9.00 while I was hanging off the large hand on the clock… I slipped off and fell onto the roof of the car below… The car took me to mother’s and she got in the car…the car drove into the Doctors waiting room.. LINKING

25. Mother saw the doctor and blew into his stethoscope… this caused the doctors coat to blow off… It flew out of the window and into the dry cleaners shop… KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS Meet mum at 9.00am Take mum to the Doctors Pick up the dry cleaning Get some meat from the butcher Pick up kids from school LINKING

26. KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS the dry cleaner had meat hanging on the clothes horse… Bob and Betty were laughing and telling the class what happened… Meet mum at 9.00am Take mum to the Doctors Pick up the dry cleaning Get some meat from the butcher Pick up kids from school LINKING

27. MORE KEY MEMORY FUNCTIONS SPEED READING PHOTO READING MEMORY PEGS

28. Tree Goal Post Eggs Witch Ring Paycheck Candy Magazine Voting Booth Golf Club Cigarettes 2. Light Switch 3. Stool 4. Car 5. Glove 6. Gun 7. Dice 8. Skate 9. Cat 10. Ten pin bowling

29. Maypole Swan Fat pair of lips Someone having a piggy-back Pregnant woman Saxophone Boomerang Hourglass Tadpole Laurel & Hardy Sun Shoe Ski Door Hive Sticks Heaven Gate Line Hen

30. Chair Whiteboard Bookcase Jason Recliner desk Phone Sink Kettle Window Fridge Your own Rooms

31. GROUP DEMONSTRATION

32. Speed reading - the essential elements Before you start to learn any particular speed reading technique, you need to consider that all speed reading techniques rely on three essential elements: 1. A desire to improve you reading speed; 2. A willingness to give new ideas a chance; and 3. Motivation, discipline and continued practice. Without these three key elements, no speed reading technique is going to succeed.

33. SPEED READING Techniques: - Skimming (2) - first sentence reading (3) - Group wording BAD HABITS TO GET RID OF – sub vocalization - speak out the words digressing - re-reading and thinking you will comprehend it better

35. When you photo-read Look at the center of the book, at the same time seeing each outer corner. Imagine that you are de-focused somewhat - that you are looking from an orange in the back of your head …

36. H abit Y arn P rogram N ever O rganise S election T rance U nderstand D esire Y ou HYPNO-STUDY

37. H YPNO-STUDY HABIT Make a habit of concentrating and paying attention on what you want to recall. Make a habit of being interested in what you want to recall, what you are reading or listening to.

38. H Y PNO-STUDY YARN Talk and chatter to yourself about the thing you want to remember (at least three times in 72 hours ….) Tell yourself ‘you can and will remember’ .

39. HY P NO-STUDY PROGRAM Program virbrant, animated, ludicrous, funny pictures to Associate (a vivid picture of a pre-established peg and a vivid picture of the thing you want to remember) … Practice your memory systems daily ...

40. HYP N O-STUDY NEVER program your memory to fail. Never say things like “I have a terrible Memory”, “I never remember people’s names”, “ I had better write that down or I’ll forget”, “I just know I’ll forget” etc. Congratulate yourself when you do remember.

41. HYPN O -STUDY ORGANISE Organise study time ... Revision time … Affirmation time ... Classify and link similar things … Practice new systems.

42. HYPNO- S TUDY SELECT Select what is most important to remember … Connect new things with things you already know … Select new pictures with pegs - if they are hard to remember … (maybe they are not unusual enough).

43. HYPNO-S T UDY TRANCE Set time aside to put yourself in a trance (self-hypnosis) state to reinforce what you have learnt … Remember, Statistics show that if you do your homework without doing anything else … you will remember approximately 50% - so relax ...

44. HYPNO-ST U DY UNDERSTAND Understand what you are memorising … Increase your understanding by asking questions ...

45. HYPNO-STU D Y DESIRE More than anything else … desire to have the greatest memory. Say out loud for the next 21 days—”I have a great memory”, “ I remember easily”, “I recall easily”.

46. HYPNO-STUD Y YOU You are unique … There is no one quite like you … You are a product of your mind … You are the one that causes it all to happen … UNIQUE

47. What some people say: Lipid peroxidation is a harmful aging process that occurs to fatty substances including your brain cells. Protection from this is vital for optimal brain function including improving memory. Brahmi was traditionally used as an anti-anxiety, anti-fatigue and memory-strengthening herb. Bacopa functions as an antioxidant to reduce damaging lipid. Vitamin E is said to help. Smoking is said to cause degeneration.

48. More Brain tonics… Lecithin Bacopa Lemon balm tea sipped slowly during a study session (aid in concentration & memory) 1 drop of basil, 4 drops of rosemary and 2 drops of clary sage oils placed together in a burner will help with memory retention. Taken from an article by Alison Johnson, dean of the Australasian College of Natural Therapies

49. Questions Bruni Brewin www.bbbenefits.com.au www.hypnosis-workshops.com.au www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au Free Advisory Line 1800 067 557