The Cellar / deliberate stimulation to mitigate over-stimulation

**Posted by Flint** 3/24/2022 2:55 pm

situation: modern world is throwing too much stimulus at us; always availability; continuous information streams

issue observed: often difficult to navigate multiple potential courses of action; leads to uncertainty and inaction

potential solution: "lean into" the over-stimulation by deliberately inputting a constant high-level stimulus; the signal-to-noise ratio is decreased due to the constant high-level signal

abstract: I've had too many things to do at work, and in my social life, for several years, and I can hardly accomplish anything, even on a good day. Right now at work I'm listening/partially watching a continuous youtube playlist of someone talking about a scientific subject I'm interested in, even though I have already seen many of these videos. Possibly as a result of this (?) I'm having more productivity, and spending less time on sub-optimal rumination. Experiencing improved mood as well, due to less time spent staring at the wall and worrying about everything. This "active listening" type stimulus has much better results than completely absorbing activities. I seem to be doing better running two threads simultaneously, which is counter-intuitive to the premise of being over-stimulated.

**Posted by griff** 3/25/2022 8:02 am

This is interesting. It sounds like you're saying you have a neural network engaged in YouTube science, which maybe had been activated by something unproductive interfering with your work networks. Brains are wild. We could all use ours better.

My brain does some funny shit when things are going right at work. My work with kids is face to face on the floor and sometimes the mirror neurons just take over and the session is done in a flash. The mask has helped some of my little people because they don't have to sort extra information from the face, but there is also that back and forth thing I saw in my daughter's old fencing coach.

**Posted by Clodfobble** 3/25/2022 4:13 pm

My kids both experience the same thing, Flint. For Minifob, it's only sleeping--he can't fall sleep unless there is loud music playing to drown out his racing thoughts. For Minifobette, it's basically everything. She has to constantly have something going on in the background in order to focus.

Me, I'm the opposite. I work best in total silence, and even if I'm not working, I need a certain number of silent hours in the day or I start to get very cranky. All sound is a massive distraction.

**Posted by TheNeverWas** 3/25/2022 10:48 pm

I needs me my quiet time. I feel ya.

Last edited by TheNeverWas (3/25/2022 10:48 pm)

**Posted by Flint** 3/29/2022 3:03 pm

Clodfobble wrote:
My kids both experience the same thing, Flint. For Minifob, it's only sleeping--he can't fall sleep unless there is loud music playing to drown out his racing thoughts. For Minifobette, it's basically everything. She has to constantly have something going on in the background in order to focus.

Me, I'm the opposite. I work best in total silence, and even if I'm not working, I need a certain number of silent hours in the day or I start to get very cranky. All sound is a massive distraction.

It's reassuring to hear that this is a "real thing" (because it's only true if someone confirms it independently), and doubly heartening to hear the little ones are experiencing a better, more understanding world than when I was a kid. As for silence, for me silence is the mind killer. I have a box fan running in my room, pointed at the wall.

griff wrote:
This is interesting. It sounds like you're saying you have a neural network engaged in YouTube science, which maybe had been activated by something unproductive interfering with your work networks. Brains are wild. We could all use ours better.

This talk of neural network engagement reminds me, when all of my siblings used to play Hell at my Dad's house (card game where everyone races to play on the same solitaire piles in the middle of the table), we used to laugh about how the craziest sh!t comes out of your mouth when your mind is completely engaged by the requirements of this game-- memorization, monitoring, and updating of multiple numerical values while simultaneously maintaining maximum physical reflexes and response time. The part of your brain that normally monitors what is coming out of your mouth doesn't have enough RAM and just shuts down.

**Posted by griff** 3/29/2022 4:40 pm

I just came from the home of a 33 month old boy who initially, about a year ago, didn't vocalize or engage with people. After a fair amount of failure I expanded singing with him, all the classic kid songs. He initially just locked in his attention, then he filled in when I left him hanging on a word, then we learned the alphabet song, then we learned an animal name for each letter... now he is reading, talking, following directions. My mind is blown.

**Posted by Limey** 3/29/2022 4:50 pm

griff wrote:
I just came from the home of a 33 month old boy who initially, about a year ago, didn't vocalize or engage with people. After a fair amount of failure I expanded singing with him, all the classic kid songs. He initially just locked in his attention, then he filled in when I left him hanging on a word, then we learned the alphabet song, then we learned an animal name for each letter... now he is reading, talking, following directions. My mind is blown.

So heartwarming! Well done, Griff x
And the education bigwigs in UK say that music is just an extra ...

Last edited by Limey (3/29/2022 4:51 pm)

**Posted by Flint** 3/29/2022 4:52 pm

Incredible! I can't believe I'm talking to a real life hero.

**Posted by TheNeverWas** 3/30/2022 1:08 am

Thank God for ppl like Griff.

And John Prine.

**Posted by griff** 3/30/2022 5:48 am

Thanks guys, the follow through from his Grandpa has been the critical piece. He's there for him every day pushing for more.

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All praise to John Prine.

**Posted by TheNeverWas** 3/30/2022 3:01 pm

Srsly, man, you have a gift, I believe.