Source
We recommend using this distillation as a supplemental resource to the source material.
Full Notes
The Power of Play
- Play is important for both children and adults
- Enhances nervous system, improves performance in various activities
- Allows exploration of new ways of being in different scenarios
- Assuming different identities during play can lead to more creative thinking and better leadership skills
- Proper play can enhance focus and is being researched for ADHD treatment
Reading on Smartphones vs. Paper
- Study published in Scientific Reports
- 34 healthy individuals read material on a smartphone or on paper
- Comprehension on smartphones was much worse than on paper
- Physiological sighing (deep double inhale followed by long exhale) suppressed while reading on smartphones
- Prefrontal cortex becomes hyperactive in an attempt to focus
Recommendations for Reading
- Engage in physiological sighs every 5 minutes while reading on a smartphone
- For important material, read from a larger screen or printed materials
- Widen the visual window for better learning and memory retention
The Importance of Play
- Play is homeostatically regulated
- All young animals, including humans, engage in more spontaneous play in their earlier years
- Play is about testing and expanding potential roles in interactions
- Play is generated through the connectivity of many brain areas, including the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
Jacques Panksepp and the Biology of Play
- Pioneered the understanding of the biology of play and its relation to psychology in animals and humans
- Known as the “rat tickler” for discovering laughter in response to tickling in rodents and other animals
- Found that most animals laugh at ultrasonic levels of auditory output
Endogenous Opioids and Play
- Play evokes small amounts of opioid release into the system
- Endogenous opioids are released in children and adults during play
- Opioid release allows the prefrontal cortex to explore different roles and contingencies in a safe environment
The Role of Play in Brain Development
- Play helps develop executive function in the prefrontal cortex
- Executive function is the ability to make predictions and assess contingencies
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Play allows for exploration of different roles and situations in a safe environment
The Importance of Play - Play is homeostatic, meaning we all need to do it
- Play allows children and adults to explore different outcomes in a low-stakes environment
- Play is contingency testing, exploring different roles and situations
The Toddler’s Creed
- Poem by Burton White, reflecting the self-centered worldview of toddlers
- As children grow and interact with others, they learn to share and cooperate through play
Play in Development
- Play helps children transition from being self-centered to understanding the importance of sharing and cooperation
- Play allows for exploration of different roles and situations in a low-stakes environment
- Play helps develop social skills and understanding of group dynamics
Types of Play
- Role play
- Social play
- Individual play
- Imaginary play
- Competitive play
Personal Play Identity
- The identity that individuals assume in playful scenarios
- Can be adjusted throughout one’s lifespan to benefit work, relationships, and overall happiness
Benefits of Play
- Expands the number of operations the prefrontal cortex can run
- Encourages exploration of new possibilities and interactions with the environment
- Enhances creativity, emotional intelligence, and social skills
Play and the Playful Mindset - Play is a low-stakes way to explore new possibilities and engage the prefrontal cortex
- Playful mindset allows for expanding the number of outcomes one is willing to entertain
- Engaging in play can increase prefrontal cortical plasticity
Play Postures
- Play postures are seen in animals and humans
- Examples of play postures:
- Dogs and wolves: lowering head to the ground, paws out in front, making eye contact (play bow)
- Humans: subtle head tilt, open eyes, raised eyebrows
- Soft eyes: opening eyelids somewhat, pursing lips slightly
- Partial postures: play enactment of postures that would otherwise be threatening
- Approaching each other with fur down in animals, or making body smaller in humans
- High-stakes play (e.g., competitive sports) does not involve these partial postures
Engaging in Play
- Engaging in play can help one learn about themselves and others
- Play can be beneficial for those who do not consider themselves particularly playful
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Play can help open up prefrontal cortex circuits, allowing for more flexibility and adaptability in various scenarios
Play and Social Dynamics - Universal human expression for play: head tilt, raised eyebrows, slight smile
- Extreme play expression in primates: eyes wide open, tongue out
- Purpose of these expressions: limit power, show non-aggressive intentions
- Play involves low-stakes testing and rule-breaking
- Role play helps establish hierarchies and social dynamics
Examples of Play in Children and Animals
- Dirt Claw Wars: children throwing dirt clods at each other, with unspoken rules
- Puppies biting each other: learning soft bite through feedback from littermates
- Role play: children taking on different roles, such as leader and follower
- Imaginary friends: a way for children to engage in cooperative play or take on a leadership role
Biology and Neurochemistry of Play
- Play helps expand the brain’s capacity and prefrontal cortex function
- Periacductal gray: brain area that releases endogenous opioids, leading to relaxation and play behaviors
- Effective play involves exploring different contingencies in low-stakes environments and expanding the brain’s capacity for creativity and flexibility
The Power of Play and Neuroplasticity - Play is essential for engaging neuroplasticity and expanding our brain’s capabilities
- Low levels of adrenaline and endogenous opioids are necessary for a state of playfulness
- Playfulness allows for better performance and exploration of novel behaviors
Play as a Portal to Plasticity
- Play is a natural tool for triggering neuroplasticity at any age
- Play helps us learn the rules for different stages of life and test our functioning in real-world contexts
- High opioid, low adrenaline state opens up play, leading to the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and other growth factors that trigger rewiring of brain circuits
Expanding Forms of Play
- Engage in different forms of play with new groups of individuals
- Play in teams, one-on-one, or alone to stimulate brain growth and learning
- Play is a powerful way to keep the brain young and improve cognitive, emotional, and relational skills
Resources
- Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews: “In search of the neurobiological substrates for social playfulness in mammalian brains” by Yak Pengsept and Stephen Sivi
- Book: “Spark” by John Rady, discussing the role of play in neuroplasticity and various protocols to engage in
Neuroplasticity and Play - Neuroplasticity: the brain and nervous system’s ability to change in response to experience
- Negative experiences can lead to quick changes in the nervous system (one trial learning)
- Example: a traumatic experience at a swimming pool can lead to a fear of swimming
- Learning new things and new contingencies occurs differently from birth to age 25 and thereafter
- From birth to age 25: can learn through passive exposure to experiences
- Developing brain has more overconnected neurons, allowing for easier learning
- From age 25 onward: neuroplasticity occurs through focus and rest
- Focus intensely on a new skill or information, then rest (sleep or nap) to allow for rewiring
- From birth to age 25: can learn through passive exposure to experiences
Play and Lifelong Learning
- Animals that engage in playful behaviors for a longer period have greater neuroplasticity
- Adults who maintain a playful stance and engage in low-stakes, focused activities may experience ongoing plasticity
- Examples of playful individuals who continued to evolve and learn throughout their lives:
- Richard Feynman: Nobel Prize-winning physicist, tinkerer, and lifelong learner
- Banksy: street artist known for using cities and art in playful, innovative ways
Benefits of Play
- Establishes a broader framework for learning new things
- Encourages creativity and exploration
- Reduces rigidity and attachment to outcomes
- Can lead to greater neuroplasticity and lifelong learning
Neuroplasticity and Play - Play is the fundamental portal to neuroplasticity
- Early in development, neural connections are more extensive
- Pruning: removal of incorrect connections and strengthening of necessary connections
- 40% of neural connections disappear by the time you’re 25 years old
- Play helps establish neural connections and behaviors in adulthood
- Fire together, wire together: strengthening neural connections through play
- Trauma and stress can inhibit neuroplasticity by inhibiting play
- High levels of adrenaline from trauma and stress can shut down play circuits
- Trauma therapies often involve exploring different emotional experiences and engaging in play
- Engaging in play as adults can reactivate neural circuits and reopen plasticity
- Dance and exploration of novel movements can help access new ways of thinking
Choosing Play Activities
- Keep adrenaline low and stakes low enough to not be consumed by the outcome
- Competitive play can be enjoyable if it doesn’t cause high levels of stress
- Choose activities that bring joy and engage in them regularly to promote neuroplasticity
Leveraging Play for Neuroplasticity - Play can expand the brain’s ability to change and learn new things
- Engage in activities that allow you to adopt different roles and explore various movements
- Examples: dance, sports like soccer, chess, martial arts
- Novelty and exploration of new behaviors and ways of thinking open the portal to plasticity
Personal Play Identity
- Coined by Turkish researcher Gokan Gunes
- Four components: how you play, your personality, socio-culture and environment, economics and technology
- Personal play identity affects how we see ourselves and react to different play scenarios throughout life
- Reflect on your childhood play preferences to understand your personal play identity
- Competitive or cooperative
- Preferred playing alone, with a few close friends, or in large groups
- Comfortable with switching roles, teams, or adapting to rule changes
Personal Play Identity - Personal play identity: how we played and interacted with others during early adolescence (10–14 years old)
- Influences how we show up in various activities in work and relationships as adults
- Developmental biology and psychology: our entire lifespan is one long developmental arc
Importance of Play
- Play is a fundamental, homeostatically regulated aspect of our nervous system
- Can change our brain for the better at every stage of life
- Engaging in at least 1 hour of pure play per week is recommended
- Should be novel and not something we are already exceptionally good at
- Low stakes, free-form exploration
- Play can be uncomfortable, but the goal is to lower discomfort by focusing less on outcomes and more on engaging in the behavior
Resources for Play
- Book: “Play it Away: A Workaholic’s Cure for Anxiety” by Charlie Hone
Neurobiological Explanation for Play
- We have brain circuits from back to front and within our body that are there for play
- These circuits do not disappear or get pruned away as we go from development to adulthood
- Biology does not waste resources; if the circuits for play were not important in adulthood, they would have been pruned away
- Suggestion: use these circuits for play for 1 hour per week
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