Another fascinating and kindred spirit! Jenna has the most amazing and smart subscribers! It’s wonderful to meet these souls and I’m grateful for the shared spotlights. It’s nice to know you are out there in this kooky world.
Actually, that's a good point. I recently left a politely worded comment on Paul Offit's Substack with two consequences: 1. I was treated by his supporters as a snake at their garden party, but more disturbing was that someone began posting vile comments using my name. I have refused to be drawn in to this mean nonsense. Eventually, they'll give up. I hope.
I am guided and comforted by this mantra: Trolls are mortal.
Some people, probably who had some very bad early experiences, need to believe that everyone is nasty at their cores, have "toxic faults" so to speak. They're right of course, although what Gladys Goodyshoes would confess as her fault would seem trivial in the presence of Victor Viciouscrocs's. Regardless, some people, in trying to comfort themselves, take on the mission of "getting everyone's faults on the table" and become 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 to that end. Pity them. Dwell on them only to remember to pray for them. When you meet them however be sure to love them; that throws their world view a curveball it can't hit, and they have to consider at least changing their stance.
"Dwell on them only to remember to pray for them." You're absolutely right about that, and it's also the most difficult to do. I should work harder on that.
You're doing fine. We should also try to pray for people we assume don't need prayer because they've got the world on a string. One prayer: such an humble thing. Such an abyss.
I truly believe most of the awful “people” online aren’t even people anymore. They’ve almost got to be bots. If they ARE people, rest assured if they support Paul Offit, they’re likely very vaccine-injured. Offit is off his rocker and never met a vaccine he didn’t like.
I just read Offit's reaction to Kennedy's replacements on AICIP. Offit is incapable of hiding his snarling opposition. And I DO mean snarling. He really is off his rocker.
I have engineering degrees from Texas Tech University.
I read: "Brain Balance" and think, "Oh..."
Then I read "Lubbock, Texas" and it's like, "Do mine! Do mine!"
I feel the embarrassment of not being able to recognize people from even small distances away. I had advanced cataracts by the time I was 50, and I should have worn a T-shirt reading, "I can't see well enough to recognize who you are if you say 'Hi' to me unless you come closer." [I wear XL.] I had developed the habit of keeping my head down when I was out of the office, as if lost in thought you know, so I could ignore people and yet not have them feel ignored. I was contemplating just keeping them and going blind, for one reason because I was the only conservative on a staff of slavering libtards and I wanted to give them an opportunity to express their, personal, "charity" towards an American with Disabilities. (You're right; because I knew they'd hate-hate it...) However I knew my wife would too, so I had the surgeries, both eyes, and the following retinal detachments, both eyes, but good came of it: I could see like I'd never seen since before the second grade.
I have a question for Sarah. As I age into the "Crotchety Old Man" of destiny (...hold a second: YOU KIDS GET OUT OF MY YARD!!!... ok, back) in virtually every aspect of life, I see a majority of people who are CONVINCED they are powerless. It seems to be a symptom of being a modern, and the 24/7 focus of victim-ness reinforces the thought. Having proven to myself, in a few important matters, that I was NOT unable to act or to change, I am convinced everyone--except for the obvious exceptions--has it within themselves to grab themselves by the shoulders, give themselves a good shake (and a Batman-to-Robin-slap) and pull them forward, inching at first, but ultimately over time effortlessly.
Hey David! My husband also has an engineering degree from Tech! And I'm so glad your eyesight was restored - sounds like it was harrowing.
To answer your question - The Merriam-Webster definition of Will Power is "the ability to control one's own actions, emotions, or urges." The answer is absolutely yes. Brain Balance improves an individual's ability to control impulsive behaviors, to stop and think before acting or speaking, to control and manage emotional responses, and organize and execute a multi-step plan. We see these improvements routinely in the kids and adults who complete a Brain Balance program. Another way of describing it - Brain Balance improves Inhibitory Control - which is the cognitive ability to suppress or restrain impulsive behaviors, thoughts, or responses in order to focus on a specific task or goal. It’s a key part of executive function, allowing one to resist distractions, override automatic reactions, and make deliberate choices.
We have a ton of success stories. I have locally some people who are willing to talk directly to others about their experience with Brain Balance and how they improved in functioning. The success stories listed on our website are 100% real people and real stories in their own words.
A quick and easy one from just last week - during a post program meeting, a parent shared that the child was no longer taking their ADHD medication, because they are now able to control their behavior, emotions, and impulses. The success stories are what keep me going!
We (the whole franchise across the country) worked exclusively with children until a few years ago, so we have a ton of experience, and data and research, on children, and somewhat less on adults. But we are experiencing incredibly good results with adults as well.
I know this is supposed to be a 'hysterically funny' blog site (and it is), but if I may, a serious question:
When you discuss those with impulse and inhibition control, and Brain Balance courses that can cure those (as well as other executive function issues such as Will Power) is there a difference, say in children that grew up in environments of home insecurity, food insecurity, family stability insecurity, etc. (that creates impulsivity, risk aversion, etc.) vs. those that may have experienced brain related injuries due to toxicity penetration through the blood brain barrier, and or similar damage(s)?
Is there different course work for those different groups?
Thx. and all the best.
PS: After your answer, we all demand one of your best jokes (LOL), something like........a horse walks into a bar..........and the bartender says............why the long face?
Thanks for the great question! For those who grew up in an environment that did not meet basic needs, Brain Balance can be a valuable part of healing but will not be the only thing needed. This would apply to those with trauma as well. Establishing safety & security, and then addressing physical health challenges are essential. Then the recovery process would need to include counseling & EMDR, and potentially other modalities depending on the situation and symptoms.
Children who grow up with insecurity & trauma almost always have gaps in healthy brain development- a brain that is focused on survival is not developing in a balanced way. That is the part that Brain Balance can address when appropriate.
Our assessment identifies weak and strong areas of neurodevelopment, and then we work to strengthen the weak areas, while also connecting, or integrating, all the areas. So each program is tailored to the individual.
Another factor is that sometimes kids who do need counseling are unable to participate in or benefit from counseling because their brain is not mature enough to process emotions, communicate effectively, or focus and maintain attention on the therapeutic process. Those kids benefit from doing a Brain Balance program first, and then subsequently they are able to benefit fully from counseling.
If interested, I’d appreciate your perspective on Brain Balance coursework options for those affected/inflicted with toxin infiltration through the blood brain barrier.
Can coursework assist in bringing these neurologically challenged individuals back to a state of healing/reintegration and a state of improved self control/impulse control? Best
In the Post Covid era, there are so many family and friends I know who could use Brain Balancing Therapy. Too many PysOps, Propaganda, Boosters, who knows what. Of course I’m perfectly balanced but, maybe that explains why I only have 3 friends left 😳.
I wonder if I have the same facial recognition issue too, I always just assumed it was because I work with the public and meets lots of people for the first time. I remember people once I’ve seen them a few times, but not at all at first.
I’m also car blind. Is that a thing? All I know is ‘My neighbor drives a grey truck’ but type, size.... couldn’t tell you. They all look the same to me with a few categories like truck, mid size suv, etc. my friends know to honk or wave if they see me walking around the hood because I won’t realize it’s them. It a burden, lol.
I totally relate with the car blindness!! I'm so bad a remembering what cars look like. I can stand and talk to someone in their car, then they drive away, and I don't even know what color the car was!
So "Face Blindness" is called prosopagnosia, and is a separate neurological condition where individuals have difficulty recognizing or distinguishing faces, even of familiar people like family or friends. They can still visualize faces mentally (which is why it is not the same as aphantasia) and they can see facial features clearly but struggle to connect faces to identities. This sometimes happens to people after a brain injury, and there is a very specific location in the brain that is responsible for this ability.
I think, like most things, there is a continuum, where everyone falls somewhere on the continuum, with the vast majority of people towards the middle. The people all the way at the one end have true prosopagnosia, while there are also people at the other end, who are "super-recognizers." The super-recognizers have the ability to recognize faces after only seeing them for a brief time, and often after a very long time has passed.
Oh my oh my oh my! I saw the picture of the brain and zeroed in on the "word" PEMDAS. I could not go any further without first determining what the letters stand (stood?) for - which is (are?): Personal Efforts Mean Daily Activity Succeeds! I must say - those are words to live by - for everyone! Just don't over think it - it can ruin it!
It might be that, too, but it's also the "order of operations" in math: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction. (For example, if you have an equation like 3(6-2)-5+(7/8) = X you could get a dozen different answers for x if you did the operations in random/different orders...). Math geek here. ;)
My brain has etched PPMDAS for “pretty please my dear aunt sally”.
(Parenthesis Powers Multiply Divide Add Subtract) That’s how my elementary teachers taught me 🤣 Brilliant because the “pretty please” is so in sync with my brain so easy to remember. Sort of like pinky promise. These are the words that speak to my soul. LOL
As a former teacher of both special ed and the every day classroom, I have found that few people are word smiths AND math geeks. One of our 3 children are both but it is pretty rare.
Interesting! Is your one kid who is good at both TERRRRRRRRRIBLE at geography? Like, I'm good with direction, but give me a blank map of the US and ask me to fill in the states and I'm lucky to get half right. And I've been to most of them!!!
True story: I was once donating blood and the tech was filling out my intake form and asked if I'd been out of the country in the past six months. I told him I'd been to the Turks and Caicos. He was like, "Where's that?" I said, "I have no idea." He pressed, "but like, what continent is it near? what ocean is it in?" Again, I had NO CLUE. Finally he led me to a giant map and asked me to point to it. I couldn't do it. He was like, "But you were THERE?" I nodded. Him: "How did you get there?" I said, "On an airplane. But in my defense, I wasn't flying it."
We could so hang out— if we could find a mutual spot!
Here’s the thing: I have NO idea whether he’s good at geography which is weird bc I largely homeschooled him! Stranger still, I kinda sorta homeschooled his older two sisters as well, AND I was a teacher.
When homeschooling, I was often amazed at how much more fascinated I was with subjects/topics I didn’t give a fig about while in school. We were studying Harriet Tubman when I realized that fun fact about myself.
Obviously I’ve had several swings at teaching geography and have been to at least half the states as well as a few
other countries but I’m with you; I have no clue where Turks and Caicos are and the only reason I can pinpoint Iowa is because I taught my kids that it should have been named “Nose-owa” due to the shape.
Did any of your teachers ever point out that little
“stack” of states that looks like a man with “high hair”? The IOWA part of that little man has a prominent nose.
Now I have to ask my son whether he can tell me where I might find Turks and Caicos.
This is the second time (in 40+ years) in two days that I have encountered “PEMDAS.” Yesterday, a guy used it in a Instagram reel about how to make a In n Out double-double at home. He used the term as an analogy for the importance of putting the toppings on in the correct order, and provoked quite the conversation in the comments.
Hey Ellen! I've read that aphantasia affects 2 - 4% of the population... so there are a few of us out there! It's so hard to describe so others understand it!
Depending on your son's challenges, Brain Balance might be the answer you are looking for. We do offer a virtual program for people who are not close to a center.
Sarah, what a wonderful and fascinatingly obscure practice you are providing. After reading your spotlight, I can now see how painfully obvious it is in our culture that your profession and service is needed. Thank you for recognizing that need and rising to meet it! So glad you shared and to know you are out there providing care - and that we can enjoy Jenna’s wordcraft and humor together! 🥰
Additional note: I just read Bishop Barron’s daily gospel reflection (please don’t judge that I read Jenna first, lols) but it seemed to dovetail beautifully into your spotlight today. Enjoy.
Jesus urges his listeners to change their way of knowing, their way of perceiving and grasping reality, their mode of seeing.
What Jesus implies is this: a new state of affairs has arrived, the divine and human have met, but the way you customarily see is going to blind you to this novelty. Minds, eyes, ears, senses, perceptions—all have to be opened up, turned around, revitalized. Metanoia, mind transformation, is Jesus’ first recommendation.
So.... that picture is around 13 years old 🫣 Jenna got it off of my website... which apparently needs to be updated!! 😂 But my skin care routine is all Rowe Casa!!
Jenna! Thank you for spotlighting me!! I was feeling super introspective that morning when I answered the questions on your subscriber spotlight form, and I don't think I've ever been so real publically!
But, in the interest of full disclosure and being genuine - that picture was taken about 13 years ago when we built the website for my counseling practice. I probably should replace it now - it's false advertising! I would have sent you a more current one if I had known you would put one on the spotlight post!
Oh shoot, sorry! I always figure if someone puts a pic up on their site, it's pre-approved... I'm happy to swap it out if you'd like (I'm sure you're still adorable). :)
Hahahaha same! I had written four or five books at one point when my agent said, "Hey, do you want to use a different photo on the jacket this time?" I was like, "WHY? I LOVE THAT PHOTO! I'LL NEVER LOOK THAT GOOD AGAIN!" Her: "Yeah, that's sort of my point..." Hahahaha
I'm nearsighted and if I fail to recognize people from context, I need to be close to (perhaps) recognize their face. As I understand Robert Jay Lifton, he cites others in asserting that infants first develop an image-processing engine, e.g., to recognize the mother figure and physical comforts. That early image-processing appears to develop a sense-making reasoning that allows toddlers to develop, e.g., learning locomotion and language. Language seems to often supercede conscious image, symbolic, or metaphorical reasoning, but that earliest processing appears to persist unconsciously lifelong, as evinced by dreams.
That’s so interesting. This morning on our walk my daughter asked, “do you dream in first person or third person? “I had to think about it, but my answer was first person. She was telling me that she is reading a book where they’re saying that pretty much for the first time, People are dreaming in third person— because our brains are getting so used to seeing things on a screen! Crazy.
I recall that Susan Greenfield was (or is) very concerned about the effect of screen time on young minds. I asked https://www.perplexity.ai/ For brevity, here are the sources cited:
<<
These resources collectively offer a comprehensive view of Susan Greenfield’s work and the ongoing debate about how screen time affects young minds.
It's awesome to see another inspirational bear in the McCarthy pack! I've always wondered what the Brain Balance place was near my house and now I know! I also think I have aphantasia too and I'm not really sure how I'm feeling about that.
Sarah, are you familiar at all with neurogenerative drugs like psilocybin, ketamine, lions mane, etc? I watched a couple interviews with a couple of psychiatrists using low dose sublingual ketamine to treat severe seemingly "incurabe" psychiatric conditions, and the results were mind blowing, especially with some patients reporting their neuropathy being cured as well as some actual brain tissue regeneration of the occiptal lobe. It would be remarkable if these neurogenerative drugs are able to slow and/or reverse neurodegenerative diseases!
Thanks for being awesome and for making this world a brighter place to live in!
Jenna, thank you for introducing us to Sarah! Her work sounds fascinating - how wonderful to be able to help people with their brains! We have a friend who suffered a TBI when she was kicked in the head by a horse. Compounding her injury was the fact she was standing in front of a concrete wall at the time, so endured a secondary injury when her head slammed into the wall. It hurts my heart to witness how she struggles with everyday tasks. I am wondering if the Brain Balance clinics are equipped to help people with TBIs?
Another fascinating and kindred spirit! Jenna has the most amazing and smart subscribers! It’s wonderful to meet these souls and I’m grateful for the shared spotlights. It’s nice to know you are out there in this kooky world.
Your comment made me think that nice people tend to attract other nice people. And right now we need to know as many nice people as possible.
Mary Ann, shhhhh, in my experience "Nice people attract trolls." ;^)
(I'm sorry I shhhhhd you; trolls do that. Hey, I proved it!)
Actually, that's a good point. I recently left a politely worded comment on Paul Offit's Substack with two consequences: 1. I was treated by his supporters as a snake at their garden party, but more disturbing was that someone began posting vile comments using my name. I have refused to be drawn in to this mean nonsense. Eventually, they'll give up. I hope.
I am guided and comforted by this mantra: Trolls are mortal.
Some people, probably who had some very bad early experiences, need to believe that everyone is nasty at their cores, have "toxic faults" so to speak. They're right of course, although what Gladys Goodyshoes would confess as her fault would seem trivial in the presence of Victor Viciouscrocs's. Regardless, some people, in trying to comfort themselves, take on the mission of "getting everyone's faults on the table" and become 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 to that end. Pity them. Dwell on them only to remember to pray for them. When you meet them however be sure to love them; that throws their world view a curveball it can't hit, and they have to consider at least changing their stance.
"Dwell on them only to remember to pray for them." You're absolutely right about that, and it's also the most difficult to do. I should work harder on that.
You're doing fine. We should also try to pray for people we assume don't need prayer because they've got the world on a string. One prayer: such an humble thing. Such an abyss.
I truly believe most of the awful “people” online aren’t even people anymore. They’ve almost got to be bots. If they ARE people, rest assured if they support Paul Offit, they’re likely very vaccine-injured. Offit is off his rocker and never met a vaccine he didn’t like.
I just read Offit's reaction to Kennedy's replacements on AICIP. Offit is incapable of hiding his snarling opposition. And I DO mean snarling. He really is off his rocker.
Yet he won’t debate Kennedy nor Steve Kirsch. He’s happy to snarl from a distance but refuses to exchange ideas face to face.
Says a lot.
Sometimes I have wondered if the worst characters on his Substack might actually BE Offit, especially now that I know just how irrational he is.
💉💉💉😝😝😝
Have you considered growing your own organic food?
See this link for more.
https://www.garbage_in_garbage_out_LOL
Thank you!! I love connecting with like minded people! It makes me happy!
I have engineering degrees from Texas Tech University.
I read: "Brain Balance" and think, "Oh..."
Then I read "Lubbock, Texas" and it's like, "Do mine! Do mine!"
I feel the embarrassment of not being able to recognize people from even small distances away. I had advanced cataracts by the time I was 50, and I should have worn a T-shirt reading, "I can't see well enough to recognize who you are if you say 'Hi' to me unless you come closer." [I wear XL.] I had developed the habit of keeping my head down when I was out of the office, as if lost in thought you know, so I could ignore people and yet not have them feel ignored. I was contemplating just keeping them and going blind, for one reason because I was the only conservative on a staff of slavering libtards and I wanted to give them an opportunity to express their, personal, "charity" towards an American with Disabilities. (You're right; because I knew they'd hate-hate it...) However I knew my wife would too, so I had the surgeries, both eyes, and the following retinal detachments, both eyes, but good came of it: I could see like I'd never seen since before the second grade.
I have a question for Sarah. As I age into the "Crotchety Old Man" of destiny (...hold a second: YOU KIDS GET OUT OF MY YARD!!!... ok, back) in virtually every aspect of life, I see a majority of people who are CONVINCED they are powerless. It seems to be a symptom of being a modern, and the 24/7 focus of victim-ness reinforces the thought. Having proven to myself, in a few important matters, that I was NOT unable to act or to change, I am convinced everyone--except for the obvious exceptions--has it within themselves to grab themselves by the shoulders, give themselves a good shake (and a Batman-to-Robin-slap) and pull them forward, inching at first, but ultimately over time effortlessly.
My question: 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝?
(Hey, it can be a compound question.)
Thank you for being you and what you do.
I need that Batman-Robin slap but am somehow incapable of doing it myself. I need to line people up like that “Airplane” scene to have a go at me.
ROF😂😆🤣
You'll understand when I say, "I wish I could be there for you..."
Hey David! My husband also has an engineering degree from Tech! And I'm so glad your eyesight was restored - sounds like it was harrowing.
To answer your question - The Merriam-Webster definition of Will Power is "the ability to control one's own actions, emotions, or urges." The answer is absolutely yes. Brain Balance improves an individual's ability to control impulsive behaviors, to stop and think before acting or speaking, to control and manage emotional responses, and organize and execute a multi-step plan. We see these improvements routinely in the kids and adults who complete a Brain Balance program. Another way of describing it - Brain Balance improves Inhibitory Control - which is the cognitive ability to suppress or restrain impulsive behaviors, thoughts, or responses in order to focus on a specific task or goal. It’s a key part of executive function, allowing one to resist distractions, override automatic reactions, and make deliberate choices.
We have a ton of success stories. I have locally some people who are willing to talk directly to others about their experience with Brain Balance and how they improved in functioning. The success stories listed on our website are 100% real people and real stories in their own words.
A quick and easy one from just last week - during a post program meeting, a parent shared that the child was no longer taking their ADHD medication, because they are now able to control their behavior, emotions, and impulses. The success stories are what keep me going!
We (the whole franchise across the country) worked exclusively with children until a few years ago, so we have a ton of experience, and data and research, on children, and somewhat less on adults. But we are experiencing incredibly good results with adults as well.
Thank you for your comment and question!
Sarah, cc: Jenna,
I know this is supposed to be a 'hysterically funny' blog site (and it is), but if I may, a serious question:
When you discuss those with impulse and inhibition control, and Brain Balance courses that can cure those (as well as other executive function issues such as Will Power) is there a difference, say in children that grew up in environments of home insecurity, food insecurity, family stability insecurity, etc. (that creates impulsivity, risk aversion, etc.) vs. those that may have experienced brain related injuries due to toxicity penetration through the blood brain barrier, and or similar damage(s)?
Is there different course work for those different groups?
Thx. and all the best.
PS: After your answer, we all demand one of your best jokes (LOL), something like........a horse walks into a bar..........and the bartender says............why the long face?
I appreciate your sensitivity and your question! You’re allowed to be serious here every once in a while, we have enough fun to balance it out…😊
Thanks for the great question! For those who grew up in an environment that did not meet basic needs, Brain Balance can be a valuable part of healing but will not be the only thing needed. This would apply to those with trauma as well. Establishing safety & security, and then addressing physical health challenges are essential. Then the recovery process would need to include counseling & EMDR, and potentially other modalities depending on the situation and symptoms.
Children who grow up with insecurity & trauma almost always have gaps in healthy brain development- a brain that is focused on survival is not developing in a balanced way. That is the part that Brain Balance can address when appropriate.
Our assessment identifies weak and strong areas of neurodevelopment, and then we work to strengthen the weak areas, while also connecting, or integrating, all the areas. So each program is tailored to the individual.
Another factor is that sometimes kids who do need counseling are unable to participate in or benefit from counseling because their brain is not mature enough to process emotions, communicate effectively, or focus and maintain attention on the therapeutic process. Those kids benefit from doing a Brain Balance program first, and then subsequently they are able to benefit fully from counseling.
I hope this is helpful!!
Sarah, Thank you.
If interested, I’d appreciate your perspective on Brain Balance coursework options for those affected/inflicted with toxin infiltration through the blood brain barrier.
Can coursework assist in bringing these neurologically challenged individuals back to a state of healing/reintegration and a state of improved self control/impulse control? Best
Thank you, Sarah. I hoped as much.
In the Post Covid era, there are so many family and friends I know who could use Brain Balancing Therapy. Too many PysOps, Propaganda, Boosters, who knows what. Of course I’m perfectly balanced but, maybe that explains why I only have 3 friends left 😳.
So many kindred spirits here!
My brain might weigh too much to be balanced. {grin}
I wonder if I have the same facial recognition issue too, I always just assumed it was because I work with the public and meets lots of people for the first time. I remember people once I’ve seen them a few times, but not at all at first.
I’m also car blind. Is that a thing? All I know is ‘My neighbor drives a grey truck’ but type, size.... couldn’t tell you. They all look the same to me with a few categories like truck, mid size suv, etc. my friends know to honk or wave if they see me walking around the hood because I won’t realize it’s them. It a burden, lol.
I totally relate with the car blindness!! I'm so bad a remembering what cars look like. I can stand and talk to someone in their car, then they drive away, and I don't even know what color the car was!
Sarah - your work is no doubt very gratifying. You are blessed!
Is aphantasia the same thing or similar to face blindness?
Jenna - I love the subscriber spotlights. 🥰
So "Face Blindness" is called prosopagnosia, and is a separate neurological condition where individuals have difficulty recognizing or distinguishing faces, even of familiar people like family or friends. They can still visualize faces mentally (which is why it is not the same as aphantasia) and they can see facial features clearly but struggle to connect faces to identities. This sometimes happens to people after a brain injury, and there is a very specific location in the brain that is responsible for this ability.
I think, like most things, there is a continuum, where everyone falls somewhere on the continuum, with the vast majority of people towards the middle. The people all the way at the one end have true prosopagnosia, while there are also people at the other end, who are "super-recognizers." The super-recognizers have the ability to recognize faces after only seeing them for a brief time, and often after a very long time has passed.
Isn't the brain fascinating!!
Truly! For me, it confirms intelligent design. 🥰
Thank you for this explanation Sarah.
I’ll be 67 this year & to this day I still count on my fingers & sing the alphabet too, Jenna 😂
Oh my oh my oh my! I saw the picture of the brain and zeroed in on the "word" PEMDAS. I could not go any further without first determining what the letters stand (stood?) for - which is (are?): Personal Efforts Mean Daily Activity Succeeds! I must say - those are words to live by - for everyone! Just don't over think it - it can ruin it!
It might be that, too, but it's also the "order of operations" in math: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction. (For example, if you have an equation like 3(6-2)-5+(7/8) = X you could get a dozen different answers for x if you did the operations in random/different orders...). Math geek here. ;)
My brain has etched PPMDAS for “pretty please my dear aunt sally”.
(Parenthesis Powers Multiply Divide Add Subtract) That’s how my elementary teachers taught me 🤣 Brilliant because the “pretty please” is so in sync with my brain so easy to remember. Sort of like pinky promise. These are the words that speak to my soul. LOL
It's PEMDAS Juju! lol The e is for exponents.
As a former teacher of both special ed and the every day classroom, I have found that few people are word smiths AND math geeks. One of our 3 children are both but it is pretty rare.
Interesting! Is your one kid who is good at both TERRRRRRRRRIBLE at geography? Like, I'm good with direction, but give me a blank map of the US and ask me to fill in the states and I'm lucky to get half right. And I've been to most of them!!!
True story: I was once donating blood and the tech was filling out my intake form and asked if I'd been out of the country in the past six months. I told him I'd been to the Turks and Caicos. He was like, "Where's that?" I said, "I have no idea." He pressed, "but like, what continent is it near? what ocean is it in?" Again, I had NO CLUE. Finally he led me to a giant map and asked me to point to it. I couldn't do it. He was like, "But you were THERE?" I nodded. Him: "How did you get there?" I said, "On an airplane. But in my defense, I wasn't flying it."
Ok, you have got to add a laughing button between “like” and “reply.”
We could so hang out— if we could find a mutual spot!
Here’s the thing: I have NO idea whether he’s good at geography which is weird bc I largely homeschooled him! Stranger still, I kinda sorta homeschooled his older two sisters as well, AND I was a teacher.
When homeschooling, I was often amazed at how much more fascinated I was with subjects/topics I didn’t give a fig about while in school. We were studying Harriet Tubman when I realized that fun fact about myself.
Obviously I’ve had several swings at teaching geography and have been to at least half the states as well as a few
other countries but I’m with you; I have no clue where Turks and Caicos are and the only reason I can pinpoint Iowa is because I taught my kids that it should have been named “Nose-owa” due to the shape.
Did any of your teachers ever point out that little
“stack” of states that looks like a man with “high hair”? The IOWA part of that little man has a prominent nose.
Now I have to ask my son whether he can tell me where I might find Turks and Caicos.
🤣🤣🤣👍
Turks and Caicos Islands are over by and above Haiti and above Dominican Republic, about 800 to 1000 miles southeast of Florida.
NOW you tell me🤣
Hahahahahaha, normally I read these in the am, but today I got busy with 6 other projects simultaneously and just read it tonight!
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!
Hm, maybe I should talk to Sarah hahahahahaha!
PS. My wife and I are in our 48th year.
So, probably X=7.875? Oh no - I'm heading down a path I don't wanna go!
Thank you for saving me the trouble of asking (that idiot), Alexa.
This is the second time (in 40+ years) in two days that I have encountered “PEMDAS.” Yesterday, a guy used it in a Instagram reel about how to make a In n Out double-double at home. He used the term as an analogy for the importance of putting the toppings on in the correct order, and provoked quite the conversation in the comments.
How does one make a double double, please? My son adores In & Out. He’d be delighted if I made one for him.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY HAHAHAHAHAHA
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/0WFbXUteLCo
As someone who also has aphantasia it was wonderful to hear Sarah's description of what she experiences which is nearly exactly my own.
And the brain mapping information was very timely for us as we're looking for answers to help our son succeed in school.
I really appreciate Jenna’s work and writing and this new subscriber spotlight series.
Your comment makes me so happy!!! :)
Hey Ellen! I've read that aphantasia affects 2 - 4% of the population... so there are a few of us out there! It's so hard to describe so others understand it!
Depending on your son's challenges, Brain Balance might be the answer you are looking for. We do offer a virtual program for people who are not close to a center.
Sarah, what a wonderful and fascinatingly obscure practice you are providing. After reading your spotlight, I can now see how painfully obvious it is in our culture that your profession and service is needed. Thank you for recognizing that need and rising to meet it! So glad you shared and to know you are out there providing care - and that we can enjoy Jenna’s wordcraft and humor together! 🥰
Additional note: I just read Bishop Barron’s daily gospel reflection (please don’t judge that I read Jenna first, lols) but it seemed to dovetail beautifully into your spotlight today. Enjoy.
Jesus urges his listeners to change their way of knowing, their way of perceiving and grasping reality, their mode of seeing.
What Jesus implies is this: a new state of affairs has arrived, the divine and human have met, but the way you customarily see is going to blind you to this novelty. Minds, eyes, ears, senses, perceptions—all have to be opened up, turned around, revitalized. Metanoia, mind transformation, is Jesus’ first recommendation.
Bishop Barron is brilliant. I recently watched a Tucker Carlson discussion with him. Check it out, probably available on YouTube as well as TCN.
I did see that discussion!! 🔥
Thank you Lisa! It truly is gratifying to work with people in this way.
And I'm going to look up Bishop Barron!
I also want to know Sara’s skin routine! Or, was that her HS graduation pic??! Totes adorbs 🥰
So.... that picture is around 13 years old 🫣 Jenna got it off of my website... which apparently needs to be updated!! 😂 But my skin care routine is all Rowe Casa!!
Jenna! Thank you for spotlighting me!! I was feeling super introspective that morning when I answered the questions on your subscriber spotlight form, and I don't think I've ever been so real publically!
But, in the interest of full disclosure and being genuine - that picture was taken about 13 years ago when we built the website for my counseling practice. I probably should replace it now - it's false advertising! I would have sent you a more current one if I had known you would put one on the spotlight post!
Again, thank you so much! 💜
Oh shoot, sorry! I always figure if someone puts a pic up on their site, it's pre-approved... I'm happy to swap it out if you'd like (I'm sure you're still adorable). :)
Oh no need to apologize!! I'm happy for everyone to think I still look like that!! ☺️
Hahahaha same! I had written four or five books at one point when my agent said, "Hey, do you want to use a different photo on the jacket this time?" I was like, "WHY? I LOVE THAT PHOTO! I'LL NEVER LOOK THAT GOOD AGAIN!" Her: "Yeah, that's sort of my point..." Hahahaha
Sarah, I loved reading about you. Thank you for the work you do to help others. It is so needed!
Thank you!! 🥰
I'm nearsighted and if I fail to recognize people from context, I need to be close to (perhaps) recognize their face. As I understand Robert Jay Lifton, he cites others in asserting that infants first develop an image-processing engine, e.g., to recognize the mother figure and physical comforts. That early image-processing appears to develop a sense-making reasoning that allows toddlers to develop, e.g., learning locomotion and language. Language seems to often supercede conscious image, symbolic, or metaphorical reasoning, but that earliest processing appears to persist unconsciously lifelong, as evinced by dreams.
That’s so interesting. This morning on our walk my daughter asked, “do you dream in first person or third person? “I had to think about it, but my answer was first person. She was telling me that she is reading a book where they’re saying that pretty much for the first time, People are dreaming in third person— because our brains are getting so used to seeing things on a screen! Crazy.
I recall that Susan Greenfield was (or is) very concerned about the effect of screen time on young minds. I asked https://www.perplexity.ai/ For brevity, here are the sources cited:
<<
These resources collectively offer a comprehensive view of Susan Greenfield’s work and the ongoing debate about how screen time affects young minds.
[1] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/221538/mind-change-by-susan-greenfield/
[2] https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/social-media-dangers-children-mentality-three-years-old-susan-greenfield-a8479271.html
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-22283452
[4] https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128236-400-susan-greenfield-living-online-is-changing-our-brains/
[5] https://www.bmj.com/company/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/susan-greenfield.pdf
[6] https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2012/05/10/top-scientist-susan-greenfield-says-mobile-technology-is-literally-changing-the-way-we-think/
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11341-2
[8] https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-change-susan-greenfield/1119566161
[9] https://www.academy.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-05/Greenfield_Children%20and%20young%20people-Digital%20techology_0.pdf
[10] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22238453-mind-change
[11] https://theconversation.com/your-brain-on-the-internet-a-response-to-susan-greenfield-8694
[12] https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/did-five-day-camp-without-digital-devices-really-boost-childrens-interpersonal
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MlP65jbAWc
[14] https://character-studies.com/how-does-technology-media-affect-the-cognitive-development-of-children/
[15] https://enthu.com/blog/health-lifestyle/the-impact-of-screen-time
[16] https://www.interaliamag.org/interviews/susan-greenfield-on-mind-change/
[17] http://repo.darmajaya.ac.id/5389/1/Mind%20Change_%20How%20Digital%20Technologies%20Are%20Leaving%20Their%20Mark%20on%20Our%20Brains%20(%20PDFDrive%20).pdf
>>
It's awesome to see another inspirational bear in the McCarthy pack! I've always wondered what the Brain Balance place was near my house and now I know! I also think I have aphantasia too and I'm not really sure how I'm feeling about that.
Sarah, are you familiar at all with neurogenerative drugs like psilocybin, ketamine, lions mane, etc? I watched a couple interviews with a couple of psychiatrists using low dose sublingual ketamine to treat severe seemingly "incurabe" psychiatric conditions, and the results were mind blowing, especially with some patients reporting their neuropathy being cured as well as some actual brain tissue regeneration of the occiptal lobe. It would be remarkable if these neurogenerative drugs are able to slow and/or reverse neurodegenerative diseases!
Thanks for being awesome and for making this world a brighter place to live in!
Jenna, thank you for introducing us to Sarah! Her work sounds fascinating - how wonderful to be able to help people with their brains! We have a friend who suffered a TBI when she was kicked in the head by a horse. Compounding her injury was the fact she was standing in front of a concrete wall at the time, so endured a secondary injury when her head slammed into the wall. It hurts my heart to witness how she struggles with everyday tasks. I am wondering if the Brain Balance clinics are equipped to help people with TBIs?
Mrs. "the Knife"
I am so sorry to hear about your friend! Sending love and prayers.💕🙏