By selectively blocking light from the outer part of your visual field, you can preferentially stimulate the opposite brain hemisphere. Blocking the right eye's lateral vision stimulates the left hemisphere (focus), while blocking the left eye's lateral vision stimulates the right (relaxation).

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The elusive "flow state" that high-performers chase can be systematically induced. By using self-hypnosis to enter a theta brainwave state (4-7 Hz), one can achieve deep focus and peak performance on demand in about 7-11 minutes, bypassing the accidental nature of its typical occurrence.

The ego, or our sense of being an individual "I," is not just a psychological construct. Neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor explains it is a function performed by a specific group of cells in the left hemisphere. Her stroke temporarily shut these cells down, causing her sense of self to dissolve.

To overcome negative mental states like depression, focus on physical action rather than cognitive wrestling. Activities like intense exercise, clean eating, or even simple biological hacks like side-to-side eye movement directly alter your neurochemistry, offering a more effective path to change than thought alone.

Counterintuitively, the brain's most relaxed state is not during passive rest but during intense focus on a single activity. Engaging in challenging hobbies that require full concentration is a more effective way to decompress and manage stress than traditional relaxation.

A common neurofeedback technique involves a user watching a movie that only plays when their brain produces desired brainwaves for focus. When they get distracted, the screen shrinks and the movie stops, providing instant feedback that trains the brain to self-correct and maintain attention.

Modern life, with its focus on work and technology, overstimulates the analytical left hemisphere ('how' and 'what'). This neglects the right hemisphere, which processes the 'why' questions of love, mystery, and meaning. Finding purpose requires intentionally engaging in right-brain activities.

Based on the principles of EMDR, intentionally moving your eyes laterally from side-to-side for about 30 seconds can suppress activity in the amygdala. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman confirms this is a scientifically validated technique for creating a state of reduced alertness before a stressful event like public speaking.

Jhanas, altered states learned through meditation, establish a powerful feedback loop between attention and emotion. This acts as a forcing function, helping you develop unprecedented fluency in managing your own nervous system, much like optimizing sleep or diet.

The right hemisphere of the brain doesn't define a separate "you." It experiences the world as a unified whole, integrating all sensory input into one big picture. This is the neurological basis for "flow states" or feelings of transcendence, where the boundary between self and the world dissolves.

Neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor posits our brain's four distinct anatomical parts function like different characters. By understanding these "personalities" (e.g., logical left-brain, playful right-brain), we can consciously choose which to activate, rather than letting them run on autopilot.

Manipulate Your Vision to Directly Stimulate Left or Right Brain States | RiffOn