AMAZING FACTS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR HEAD

We are all unique, of course, but many of the psychological processes in our brains are surprisingly predictable.

Here is what psychologists say about some of them:

1. You only remember a memory.

When you remember something long ago, it seems to you that your brain is extracting a picture from the distant past, but in fact you are only remembering your last memory of this incident.

You don't remember the moment. That is why memories tend to change with each new memory: you do not notice that you added some detail last time.

2. Collective canonical perspective.

In the 1980s, psychologists discovered that we unconsciously remember almost all objects in the canonical perspective, that is, as a side view and a little from above.

This is easy to check: try drawing a cup. Most likely, you will draw a side view, but at the same time high enough that you can see the top edge.

3. Being rejected hurts.

When you get rejected, it can be very hard to bear, and no wonder: for the brain, psychological rejection is tantamount to a punch in the face!

The brain responds to emotional and physical pain in the same way, releasing the same substances and activating the same areas.

4. Foreign language logic.

Here is an additional reason for you to learn foreign languages: when we use a non-native language, we think more logically and make more rational decisions!

Our ability to reason has two aspects: systematic-rational and subconscious-emotional. The mother tongue is based on the latter, and the second on the former! In other words, when you speak in an unfamiliar language, you are much more critical of what was said.

5. Dunning-Kruger effect.

Have you noticed that smart people rarely brag about their intellect, and not very smart people, on the contrary, tend to overestimate themselves (remember the fairy tale about the naked king)?

This effect confirms the proverb “the less you know, the better you sleep”: the less a person is aware of his limitations, the more confident he is in his competence. Remember how cool your own children's drawings seemed to you!

6. Music changes perception.

It is clear that music can cheer up or spoil the mood, but that's not all: what kind of music you listen to depends on how you perceive information.

This is called perceptual expectation: when you hear a certain sound, your eyes expect to see the corresponding picture. In one 2001 study, people who listened to sad music were worse at identifying happy faces, and vice versa.

7. Singing reduces anxiety.

Singing out loud has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression, even if you get a bear in your ear.

Singing releases endorphins and oxytocin, which reduce stress, improve mood, and create feelings of comfort by lowering heart rate and cortisol levels.

8. Perhaps negativity is in your genes.

What if grouchiness is not a matter of choice, but a genetic predisposition?

A 2013 study found that some people are genetically predisposed to negative thoughts, meaning they automatically react to things in a stronger and more negative way.

9. Anxiety evolves.

Fifteen years ago, scientists found that the anxiety level of the average high school student matched that of the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s. And today, mental disorders are much more common than they were 15 years ago.

The more stress and fears, the more anxiety and affective disorders. Therefore, we should pay more attention to mental health than our parents did.

10. Sarcasm makes you smarter.

Sarcastic jokes are good for the brain! Although sarcasm can be offensive, it is one of the most common signs of intelligence.

To make sarcastic comments, you need to perfectly capture the tone, meaning, and mood, turning everything into a joke. Therefore, sarcastic people are witty, creative and strong in abstract thinking. Let them not be loved, but they know how to think outside the box!

11. The power of sunlight.

If you're feeling down after being locked up all day, don't be too quick to blame the drudgery! Lack of sun can negatively affect mood and lead to depression and seasonal disorders.

Vitamin D contributes to the production of pleasure hormones in the brain, so the sun helps with depression. Like a houseplant, you need sunlight to thrive. Set aside at least 10 minutes to be in the sun!

12. Dopamine addiction.

Although many attribute the habit of being dumb on the phone to the fact that social networks bring us pleasure by stimulating the release of dopamine, it is not at all about pleasure.

Dopamine controls not only pleasure, but also desire. This hormone tells you that you want something and forces you to achieve it - this is where addiction develops. The longer you indulge your desires, the harder it is to get rid of it!

13. Sleepy paradox.

Why do you feel like you need more sleep after 10-11 hours of sleep? It turns out that too much sleep is just as bad as too little!

If you sleep too little or too much, you disrupt your biological clock and wake up broken and sleepy.

14. Fast reading error.

A long time ago, publishers noticed that people liked short lines more, while long lines were put off; then appeared the format of a newspaper column containing 30–50 characters.

There is a widespread misconception that people prefer short lines because they read them faster. But it's exactly the opposite! Recently, psychologists have discovered that short lines make us read more slowly, and lines of 100 characters are most optimal, writes Lifter.

15. Psychosomatic diseases.

Have you noticed that when you are in a bad mood, you are more often overcome by pain, inflammation, and even illness? This is not a coincidence at all!

The body and mind are inextricably linked, so a negative attitude is quite capable of leading to physical ailments. Don't underestimate the power of thought!

What fact surprised you the most?