Masters in Mindfulness based approaches begins.

Hi, not been on for a while but would like to say that I will be starting a masters degree in mindfulness based approaches in a few weeks. My proposal to get on the course was based on the idea that current mindfulness treatments were unsuitable for many brain injury sufferers.

I presented my idea at an interview that was supposed to take half an hour, it took 2 hours. The interviewer said the ideas I had were very unusual and novel and all backed up with good scientific theory. I had tested it on myself over a year and got my psychologist to back up the improvements in a letter to the mindfulness research centre.

I'm hoping that I can cope with the work and that I can produce what I think would be a great help to many people.

Have been thinking about the long journey recovering. From not being able to wash or clean my teeth, not remembering anything from one moment to the next, sensory processing issues, communication problems, speech, and on and on you all know the score.

Don't want to sound like a tit but belief and the will to fight on has made the difference. Trying anything no matter how daft it sounds, it can make a big difference. Find it, try it and if it suits use it has been a bit of a mantra, never give up, keep fighting. If you are trying to find something it is always in the most unexpected and last place you look.

[lcd8]

Thanks a lot Pinkvision. This is my philosophy too so I completely understand where you are coming from. Best of luck with your studies. I'm sure you'll be amazing.

[Hidden in reply to lcd8]

Thank you so much

[Coffeegal]

Congratulations! I tried to follow on from the relaxation class but could never find a course related to brain damage.

[Hidden in reply to Coffeegal]

Thanks so much. This was the point I was putting across to the mindfulness research centre. (I initially wrote minfudleness, that's apt) All the current mindful models cater for people with average, 'normal,' brains. People with brain injuries are on a different spectrum, there are spectrums within that too, but I boiled my theory down to sensory processing issues and cognitive issues. A normal cognitive brain would struggle to deal with dysfunctional sensory information so a brain with both cognitive and sensory processing issues would struggle even more. To improve cognition via mindful techniques the sensory processing needs to be addressed first otherwise the cognitive issues would not have a chance of regaining decent function because the sensory information is compromised. I think of it in many ways but the easiest is to think that you are cognition and your TV screen is visual processing. If the picture goes on the blink (sensory processing) then you (cognition) have a problem working out what is happening on the screen.

Sorry for the little lecture, but the mindfulness techniques to improve cognition can only really work effectively if used in conjunction with techniques to improve sensory processing such as optometry for visual processing. When I talk about cognition I don't mean learning to relax I mean rebuilding the cognitive processes, brain plasticity allows other areas of the brain to take over the function of damaged areas. It's all about hard work and repetition and certain activities can set up a 'scaffolding' in the functional processes that can be added to by other more specific repetitive exercises.

I really hope I can come up with the goods in the research element of the course. All I can say is that I will do my best.

Thanks again for the congrats.

[Coffeegal in reply to Hidden]

I shall watch with interest. My son says that I live in a world that he can never enter and I can never leave. It’s something that you just can’t explain to other people.

[Hidden in reply to Coffeegal]

Ah, you should have a read of 'My Stoke of Insight', it descrides how the 2 hemispheres of the brain are an identical match in function, they are independent but opporate together. They perceive the world in a different way and if you damage the dominant hemisphere the other one fills the gap temporarily while the other can repair. While the dominant one has a sense of place and time the other one does not. I have written many posts on visual weirdness from both the visual processing side and also the internal world, the differences in hemisphere gives the answer. Have a read of the book and see if anything strikes a chord. Dissociation is a key pointer. Thanks, keep chugging along.

[Hidden]

Good Luck! I think you have a sound proposal and mindfulness practice could help people who have a brain injury.

As a carer, I am reliant on my mindfulness studies and practice to get me through difficult times.

I would be very interested to hear how you get on.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much, I will do my best and see where it all leads, the first year is all foundation basic principles from the ground up, from practice not books. I will definitely keep everyone informed over time.

[FlowerPower62]

You have helped us a lot, so I wish you luck with this. We finally got to meet Janet Glover, by the way, she was great. Put hubby on a gluten free diet, lots of greens, no dairy, lots of vitamins. Recommended a book called Feed a Brain by Cavin Balaster, do you know it? Unfortunately, John didn't think glasses would help, which was disappointing.

[Hidden in reply to FlowerPower62]

Thanks very much. I changed my diet too to mostly vegan/ veggy but I do still have the odd bit of meat or fish now and again. Has it made any difference. Did he do any vision tests?

[FlowerPower62]

He had lots of tests on our first visit before lockdown, but this time it was mostly Janet we saw, John only popped in for a bit. The impression I got was that the glasses were mostly for reading. No, we haven't really noticed an improvement tbh, and it's been 7 weeks. We've been away though, so I'll book another appointment when we get back. I was a bit upset, as I'm vegan and Ian is veggie, but Janet, and the book, insisted meat was needed. This has been very hard.

[Hidden in reply to FlowerPower62]

Hi sorry to hear there's no improvement with John with either the vision or the diet. That's the optometry knocked off the list and may be a little rethink on the diet. It may be possible to get an Irlens syndrome assessment on the NHS or via a brain injury charity or society or foundation. It's different from the optometry test, they use simple coloured sheets in combination over print to see if it makes a difference. It's basically a dyslexia assessment. I think you mentioned you were in Liverpool. The universities there may have a dyslexia testing centre, I think Manchester uni has and I know Wrexham does, they may only be set up for the students but they also provide testing for the public too. Ask your GP first and go from their.

The veggie vegan diet is obviously a question of personal choice and may involve the conscience. I know one person who is veggie but eats shellfish, mussels and oysters and cockles etc. She does not see them as an animal but as a muscle that filters water for plankton. It has no eyes or mouth but just functions. It may be something to consider.

[FlowerPower62]

Yes, we are in Liverpool. I'd not heard of that, will look into it. Did you ever read the book, Feed the Brain? If not he has a website too you for look at. He made a miraculous recovery.

Thanks again, you're really on the ball, as always! Xx