Two Thumbs Up for Rock n Roll

This morning I woke up to a very inspiring email from a very inspiring person.

Watching this video should bring a smile to your face. If it does not, I suggest you begin paying attention to that numbing in your left arm, the fading of your pulse, and call 911.

Recently, there was an article published in The New Yorker ("The Possibilian") that discussed David Eagleman's research into near-death experiences and the human perception of time. Eagleman is a Baylor College of Medicine Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, and Bilger's piece is well-written, but can be science-heavy at times. I will save you all a full-length synopsis in exchange for focusing on one very interesting anecdote to the research:

"One of the seats of emotion and memory in the brain is the amygdala," he explained. Basically, Eagleman's theory is that the more detailed the memory, the longer the moment seems to last. “This explains why we think that time speeds up when we grow older,” Eagleman said, "Why childhood summers seem to go on forever, while old age slips by while we’re dozing. The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass."

This small piece of science theory, if heeded, can play a very important role in our search for happiness. Once one is made aware that with age comes a dulling of perception, and this in turn effects experience and memory, one can begin to control for that variable.

Imagine if every day you tasted coffee for the first time, saw the sun rise for the first time, heard an engine click over for the first time, listened to the radio for the first time, or smelled the fragrances infused in bodywash and shampoo for the first time. According to Eagleman's science, the whole world would slow down, and your view of experience would precipitate accomplishment, pride, self-worth, and an ecstasy of what it is to be alive in this world.

Get out there and feel alive today; "feel happy of yourself."