I’m going to write a top level post about two intelligence improving techniques from my favorite internet crackpot, Win Wenger. The techniques require you to confront akrasia head-on in rather intense ways. The first technique, underwater held breath swimming, is obviously very good exercise if nothing else, and if any exercise helps akrasia, it is one that so intensely exercises the metaphorical willpower muscle.
The second technique, image streaming, sounds like very good training in visual thinking.
The first technique, underwater held breath swimming, is obviously very good exercise if nothing else, and if any exercise helps akrasia, it is one that so intensely exercises the metaphorical willpower muscle.
Interestingly, an experience I’m currently going through seems to lend some support to his breath = attention hypothesis.
The last few days I’ve been on an antibiotic for a tooth infection, and I’ve been rather “out of it” a lot… tending to trail off midsentence when talking to my wife, not being able to remember what I just said, and sometimes seeming to forget how to think at all.
A little bit ago, I noticed that this was happening when I was out of breath. Specifically, when I spoke (or thought) in sentences of normal length (for me) for any period of time, I’d get somewhat winded, and then start to get a little lightheaded and lose track of things. (It also seemed to take me much longer than usual yesterday to compose emails, but at least I could go back and read what I already wrote.)
Crap. While writing that add-on sentence, I completely forgot where I was going with this. Oh, yeah, I’m on an antibiotic whose side effects include shortness of breath, but not adverse effect on IQ, attention, etc.
Double crap. I just noticed that shortness of breath is listed under side effects in the “contact your doctor and stop taking this at once” category. (Done and done.)
I’m going to write a top level post about two intelligence improving techniques from my favorite internet crackpot, Win Wenger. The techniques require you to confront akrasia head-on in rather intense ways. The first technique, underwater held breath swimming, is obviously very good exercise if nothing else, and if any exercise helps akrasia, it is one that so intensely exercises the metaphorical willpower muscle.
The second technique, image streaming, sounds like very good training in visual thinking.
http://www.winwenger.com/ebooks/guaran.htm
Interestingly, an experience I’m currently going through seems to lend some support to his breath = attention hypothesis.
The last few days I’ve been on an antibiotic for a tooth infection, and I’ve been rather “out of it” a lot… tending to trail off midsentence when talking to my wife, not being able to remember what I just said, and sometimes seeming to forget how to think at all.
A little bit ago, I noticed that this was happening when I was out of breath. Specifically, when I spoke (or thought) in sentences of normal length (for me) for any period of time, I’d get somewhat winded, and then start to get a little lightheaded and lose track of things. (It also seemed to take me much longer than usual yesterday to compose emails, but at least I could go back and read what I already wrote.)
Crap. While writing that add-on sentence, I completely forgot where I was going with this. Oh, yeah, I’m on an antibiotic whose side effects include shortness of breath, but not adverse effect on IQ, attention, etc.
Double crap. I just noticed that shortness of breath is listed under side effects in the “contact your doctor and stop taking this at once” category. (Done and done.)