WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH IN SECOND LIFE: HOW TO USE VIRTUAL WORLDS FOR BRAIN TRAINING
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The document discusses Whole Brain Health and how virtual worlds like Second Life can be used to train the brain across the lifespan. It describes Inspiration Island, a location in Second Life focused on whole brain health, which contains various activities and exhibits to engage different areas of the brain, such as a Multiple Intelligences Experience with literary challenges. The goal is to keep the brain growing at every stage of life through using virtual environments.
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WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH IN SECOND LIFE: HOW TO USE VIRTUAL WORLDS FOR BRAIN TRAINING
- 1. WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH in Second Life HOW TO USE VIRTUAL WORLDS TO TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO FUNCTION OPTIMALLY OVER THE LIFESPAN
- 2. WHAT IS WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH?
- 3. GOALS OF WBH ON INSPIRATION ISLAND & ELSEWHERE
- 5. NEW FRONTIERS IN BRAIN WELLNESS HOW TO USE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN GROWING AT EVERY STAGE IN LIFE
- 8. BUDDY BOARD INSIDE ORIENTATION CENTER
- 10. EXAMPLE OF LITERARY CHALLENGE Activity # 2 – Brain Poem • In this Library, visit the Map room. Locate Brodmann’s Brain on Inspiration Island, and teleport there. • Explore the Brain: read the informational boards at the base of the bridge, and try the pose-stand inside the Brain. • Create a new Notecard, titled “MIE Literary Challenge 2 <your avatar name>” • Compose a brief Ode To Brodmann’s Brain, a poem which describes your impressions of either the exhibit, or what you now know about brain physiology and function. • Spell-check and proof your poem, and Save the Notecard. • Drag the Notecard from Inventory into the Notecard Dropbox located outside the MIE Literary and Language station (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Island/61/ 15/22).
- 11. THE GROVE OF WISDOM POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - CHARACTER STRENGTHS
- 13. OUR SYMBOL – THE LOTUS
- 16. YOU AND US
- 17. HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH US Website: www.virtualwholebrainhealth.org FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtualInspirationIsland YouTube Channel: http://tinyurl.com/youtube-virtualWBH Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/whole- brain_health_sl/ EMAIL: INSPIRATIONISLANDSL@GMAIL.COM Lissena (aka Wisdomseeker) (aka Lynne Berrett)
Editor's Notes
- This is a program for everyone at every age. We are pleased to be able to provide it especially for people in the second half of life, because that is when the brain does slow down and can deteriorate.
- Our logo reflects the 2 targets of WBH: to improve current brain functioning and to strengthen the long-term physical vitality of the brain itself through evidence-based immersive activities in SL.
- Our goals: To teach 5 major components of brain health and well-being that we highlight on Inspiration Island through our programs and self-guided hunts and challenges. These are everyday activities based on well-being research across several domains.
- The brain can be trained to improve memory, focus, concentration, attention, processing speed. It can also be nourished to increase synaptic connections and even grow new neurons at any age. That’s apparently why some people who are found, after death, to have Alzheimer’s tangles don’t exhibit signs of the disease while alive. Brain Games may help somewhat, but a more powerful and enjoyable way to take care of your brain is to engage in activities that offer a variety of benefits to the whole person. SL is a natural place to do this.
- That’s why we offer free courses in “brain training” in Second Life using Inspiration Island’s (see overview of ground level here) builds and programs created by members of our ever-growing Collective of individuals.
- Present (from left): Starlight. Ewan, Biru, Bhelanna, Ari, Liss, Music Man, Tooyaa, Fran, Dani, Keko, Sunshine, Osangar; (seated) Ghaelen, Marly, Stranger, Hannah; (missing) Dancers Yao, Brielle, Xeno, AlmostThereInventor
- Instructions on How to Sign Up and Enter SL can be found here: www.virtualwholebrainhealth.org. Just type Inspiration Island into the location box at login to come to our landing point. Click on the blue disk to be transported to our basic orientation area. It is self-guided and self-paced, a generous gift from Grizzla that we have adapted.
- Our support system for visitors is available on these boards, which you can find a various points around the island. We have volunteers who will help anyone who is stuck. If no volunteer’s picture is on the board, Lissena (the Director of WBH) will get your message in her email and contact one of them. Send her a notecard if you would like to become a volunteer Buddy.
- The 2nd phase of orientation takes place in the Multiple Intelligences Experience (MIE) area. Howard Gardner’s 8 kinds of intelligence are demonstrated in this immersive build. Newcomers continue to add skills here. All students begin to learn how their own personal combinations of intelligence are resources they can draw on to turn wellness theory into everyday practice that enhances their lives. The Library here represents one kind of intelligence – the Literary/Linguistic.
- The purpose of challenges on Inspiration Island is to engage people in activities that exercise mind, body, and spirit. This is one of the many challenges in the MIE. Each of the 8 stations holds a notecard detailing its challenges. Some of them offer Linden rewards.
- The Strengths Challenge here is based on Positive Psychology research and practice. Newcomers learn a new skill – hunting for clues. All students learn how to identify and understand their strengths, then how combining them with their mix of intelligences can help them make positive changes in their lives more easily.
- This challenge, devised by Dancers Yao, leads seekers of inner growth to uncover the things that help them build resilience in adversity – personally and societally. It adds another tool to the highly individualized “tool kit” of inner resources they are gathering, which can be used inside and outside of SL to increase well-being. Don’t forget to get your solar light in the grotto (your light of inspiration) – and put on a diving suit to find the pearl of great price in the abyss. Every experience here can expand your ability to flourish.
- This beautiful build, created by Thuja Hynes – our Associate Director – contains Inspiration Island in miniature. Its 5 levels each reflect 1 of the 5 components of well-being: self care (exercise/diet/sleep), positive social connection, creative expression, purpose and meaning, and cognitive stimulation. Many Collective members have contributed to its contents. Here students in the course learn about the framework we use for everything Inspiration Island does to promote brain health.
- This is an example of a fantastic scriptless machine, also created by Thuja Hynes, filled with tourists. We give ground and aerial tours – just ask. You can see our Towers of Invention, Brodmann’s Brain (you can walk inside it!) and the amazing 3D Maze of AlmostThereInventor (he creates a new maze every Sunday). To complete the course and create their own individualized plans for well-being, we ask the students to investigate Inspiration Island’s more than 30 locations and programs. The goal is to discover how they can best fulfill all 5 components of well-being in daily life by matching specific kinds of activities to their personal strengths and interests.
- At the conclusion of the course we send students out to the greater world of Second Life through this Hub created and maintained by Ewan and Starlight. In it they can find information about safe SL communities offering programs that also promote brain health according to the principles they have learned. This is extremely valuable for newcomers.
- We think of ourselves as an immersive special library focused on brain wellness. We like to partner with others in virtual worlds who also view places like SL as a force for good. We hope to introduce more new people to the benefits of an online life that can complement their whole life. We hope to introduce more people in SL to brain training. We would like to enlarge the concept of a Collective beyond our own island. If you are interested in co-sponsoring events, for example, contact us. If you would like to learn more about our New Frontiers courses, contact Lissena in SL or write to her at INSPIRATIONISLANDSL@GMAIL.COM.
- Contact Lissena for more information.