Baselines and Baby Steps

It has been a busy few weeks. I've read everything I could find on hacking/enhancing one's intelligence, and I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the material and research out there. To start, I've been doing some DIY baseline testing, and have a pretty good idea of my IQ, but it varies a bit depending on what type of test I take. If it is a purely image-analysis based test, I do pretty well, but I seem to do better with tests that incorporate a verbal-linguistic element. However, tests with language would have a cultural bias against those who do not speak English, or whatever language the test is written in - I found loads of interesting tests in English, and I did pretty well with them since language is one of my key intellectual strengths. The difficulty is that there are at least 8 different types of intelligence (per Howard Gardener's multiple intelligence theory and research), and many intelligence test only test a few of these intelligences at the most. Since spatial perception is one of my weaknesses, this is a good area to pursue to strengthen.

Now that I have a pretty good idea of my IQ, I can start to track changes as I work through the brain enhancement processes. Some of these changes will be easily measured, but less scientifically, I will also notice what feels more effortful and more effortless.

Since I still have tons of materials to read, one step I am taking is to increase my reading speed. This in itself may enhance my aptitudes and my test scores.

Since math and spatial perception are my greatest weaknesses, I will be doing games to enhance those skills as well as starting to juggle (yes, juggle), which involves motor coordination and moving the ball in space in a pattern. In juggling you are supposed to look up, it should improve my sense of where things are in space and where they are going. Simultaneously, I will be working with memory games/activities since my memory is not as sharp or as quick as it was when I was younger (this is unfortunately what happens to most all of us).

These are just the very tip of the iceberg of the methods I will use to rebuild and rewire my brain through the "magic" of neuroplasticity.

Stay tuned!