Cognitive abilities are called mental processes in the human body, which are aimed at receiving and processing information, as well as solving problems and generating new ideas. Modern science attaches great importance to strengthening these processes.
Today, such a direction as NBIC convergence is developing rapidly. Despite the fact that this term appeared relatively recently, it is quite actively used by scientists all over the world. Each letter of the abbreviation is a reflection of one of the four most progressive areas of knowledge: C - cognitively, I - info, B - bio, N - nano. According to scientists, the development of these areas will significantly change for the better the life of human civilization in general and each person in particular.
All these areas are interconnected. The most progressive area is considered to be "info". It is this sphere that gives methods, models, schemes for studying other areas.
In cognitive psychology today, the brain is often compared to a computer. Based on this comparison, the mechanisms for receiving and processing information are built.
However, the brain and computer have quite strong differences. As you know, a machine can work perfectly with given algorithms and frameworks. The brain may be wrong. In addition, he is prone to restrictions. As scientists have found, short-term and long-term brain memory is very limited. So, for most people, the amount of short-term memory is from five to nine units. That is how many units of information a person can hold in the brain at the same time. According to some reports, the amount of long-term memory is less than 16 GB.
A person also has various kinds of restrictions related to his life (religion, beliefs, incorrect fixation of a causal relationship, etc.).
With the advent of the first computers in the 60s of the last century, the development of many scientific branches, it became clear that the amount of information is growing rapidly. However, over the past two millennia, man has not made much change in the processes of reception and processing. This can lead to the fact that people simply can not cope with such a stream of information.
Thus, the development of cognitive abilities for scientists today is one of the main tasks. In this regard, new psychological schemes and methods are being developed. In doing so, researchers seek to find ways to enhance human intelligence and cognitive abilities. There are several methods used to do this.
The first to be considered are the ways in which cognitive abilities tend to their maximum naturally. Among these paths, in the first place, of course, is a healthy lifestyle. This concept includes a balanced diet, and taking multivitamin complexes, and giving up bad habits, and physical activity. All this in combination allows you to increase the efficiency of the brain.
You can enhance cognitive abilities by applying training. These methods include:
- training of working memory;
- programs for its (memory) development ;
- exercises and tasks aimed at improving intelligence (IQ).
It is possible to improve memory and increase concentration using nootropic drugs.
The methods by which you can influence cognitive abilities include rest. It should be noted that most modern people do not have the concept of "rest" or "relaxation". For many, these words are related to a trip out of town or watching TV. But in the conditions of modern life, this is not enough, because a person still thinks about problems, trying to find ways to solve problems. And while resting, the brain should disconnect from problems, stop thinking. In this case, the techniques of the East are used as "relaxation": yoga, meditation and others.