Relax the mind and get more out of it!

I often tell people that I do indolence very well!  Sit me down watching ducks on the river...leave me to listen to the waves on a beach and I'll happily evacuate the thinking parts of my brain!

I will admit that I have often felt a bit guilty about it. But not anymore!! ... and huge thanks for that go to the brilliant researchers at The University of North Carolina!
In a report published in the April issue of Consciousness and Cognition  the Research Team lead by Fadel Zeidan suggest that meditation leads to significant improvements in cognitive skills...with impressive results being achieved with single 20 minute training sessions over just 4 days.  Whilst meditation and enhanced awareness aren't a new concept...achieving results in this accelerated way is seen as a big break through. It makes the prospect of enhanced cognitive ability much more available to modern man (and me) who hasn't the time for "monastic" style meditation.
Reading this did stir up some of my own fanciful thinking (research would be a bit of a posey term to use) on this whole issue of deep thought. When you come to realise what a small amount of our brain we actually use, it does make you wonder that if we were to try a bit harder could we  access and use the "untapped" areas?  Of course there has been plenty of research to indicate that we can...and many of life's "deep thought" pheomena seem to point in the same direction. For example:
It appears that our subconsious memory is "millions of times" larger than the conscious part. Information, values, fears, beliefs, natural responses are all buried deep within it.
We know that we can "mine" those depths when brain patterns slow down through Alpha state into Theta state. So is hypno-therapy actually a form of facilitated meditation...both achieving similar outcomes?
Are the instances of faith healing we hear of simply examples of the intense concentration that occurs in prayer prompting the mind to trigger its own "miracle cure."  A very candid Harley Street consultant once told me "belief in recovery was 50% of most cures."
Is prayer itself just a form of meditation? Listening to friends talking about Buddhism and enlightenment makes me think so. With a little understanding (which I admit) of  Shamanism, "local" religions of the world, and Transcendental Meditation I see prayer, meditation and trance all closely aligned. So are spiritual belief and enhanced mental strength the same thing really?
And what about the "alleged" memory decline of advancing years? Is that nothing more than the mine getting deeper and fuller... and it just takes a bit longer to bring stuff to the surface? I reckon so...we just need to stretch the probe a bit further.
So as well as enjoying the regular fix of eggs for the choline, blueberries for the polyphenols and red wine for the resveratrol...all helping to keep the brain chemicals in good shape... let's have a serious crack at this meditation lark!
Who's to say what wonderous new talents and capabilities we might unearth?
And what about all that stored experience and wisdom?  So many gems...waiting to be mined!
Right then!  ... I'm off to meditate. Think I'll find some waves to watch. Better keep hold of my shoes...I forgot where I left them last time!!