Tag: mirror neurons

Mirror Neurons on the Wall….Mirror Neurons make You Smile

Mirror neurons on the wall….mirror neurons make you smile. This is a twist from one of the scariest fairy tales I’ve ever heard, Sleeping Beauty. But, what are mirror neurons, and why are they important? They’re important because we have a tendency to mirror behavior that we observe. Imagine that you are having a bad day, and you come across someone who flashes you a radiant smile. Even though you may be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, the natural tendency is to smile back. Immediately your mood is lighter. You feel like your load has been lifted a bit, and all of a sudden your day just got better. It’s not simply because someone smiled at you that lifted your spirits. When you see someone smile, there are neural pathways in your brain that are activated. These pathways...

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A tale of two neurons….

I have always had a passion for the biological sciences, but when I experienced my first course in neuroscience, I knew I found my niche. My brain almost squealed with delight. I guess you could say I’m nuts about neurons. I even considered pursuing an advanced degree in neuroscience, but I just couldn’t wrap my brain around it, so to speak. I couldn’t see myself working in a lab all day. I’m more of a people person. But I sure did love the subject. I still do; it’s like candy for my brain. But you don’t have to be a nerd about neurons to appreciate how our nervous system works. It’s a fascinating subject and it’s really not that complicated, so I decided to share some of the basics with you. After all, why should the neuroscientists have all...

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