Human beings have used their higher cognitive aptitude in order to gain advantage

over the other animals in the food chain ever since the dawn of our species. Ou
r uniquely well developed ability made us the dominant species on our planet. Bu
t what exactly is a thought? Can someone tell what we are thinking without us te
lling him? Can our cognitive abilities be improved? Can our thoughts change the
way we look? In the following paragraphs we will try to answer these questions.
What is a thought?
From a physiological point of view, a thought is a result of the complex network
of connections that is realized between many,many neurons in our brain, due to
external or internal stimuli. These external smuli come in the form of sensation
s perceived with the use of our sense. Our five senses are: sight, hearing, tast
e, smell and touch. Internal stimuli present themselves in the form of hormonal
and other chemical substances which influence our way of perceiving the world. T
hese two forms of stimuli are, of course, interconnected and most times dependen
t on one another. Depending on what we are thinking about, certain parts of our
brain will be involved more or less. Modern science still has a long way to go i
n order to fully understand the workings of our mind.Thoughts can be divided in
two categories: conscious (of which we are consciously aware), and subconscious
(of which we are unaware) thoughts.
Conscious thoughts are the ones we are instantly aware of and, at least in appea
rance, in control of. They are the ones which we refer to when we're talking abo
ut our logical capabilities, our ability to understand language, make conversati
on, imagine, make moral judgments, and in general our ability to make sense of t
he things which we perceive through our senses. These thoughts form what is know
n as the conscious mind.
Subconscious thoughts are the processes of perceiving, analyzing, intuitively ma
ke predictions and even taking certain actions without our conscious knowledge.
We use our cognitive abilities without knowing all the time. Walking, for instan
ce, although it seems a very "straight forward" thing to do, requires quite a bi
t of thought process. Our brain has to decide in a matter of fractions of a seco
nd, depending on the information it receives about the surface we are walking on
, exactly how our body need to move in order for us not to trip and fall. This i
s why it is very hard for scientists to create robots that walk fast and without
falling on a plethora of different surfaces.
This matter has also intrigued many philosopher throughout the ages. Famously, t
he philosopher Rene Descartes attributed our very own existence to our ability t
o think in his famous statement "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). Wha
t he means by this is even though our senses could be fooled and the world as we
perceive it could be only an illusion, therefore not exist, the fact that we ar
e pondering this question is proof of our existence.
Can a person tell what you are thinking?
Although this has been a very popular topic within groups dwelving on metaphysic
s, some of which do propose some methods of mind reading, science has long refut
ed such practices . With this said, our body does ideed often betray our mental
state. From our posture, from the way we modulate our voice, the way we word our
sentences, the way we react to certain stimuli, in theory, an individual with e
nough inteligenligence and knowlodge about human psychology could tell with appr
oximate accuracy what our intentions are.

Can you improve your cognitive abilities?

Science has determined that rest, nutrition, and emotional state are important f
actors in a person's ability to think. Although you cannot improve by much you i
nnate capacities, with the right lifestyle you can make sure that your brain is
functioning with optimum performance.
Sleep deprivation makes response times longer and reasoning skills less accurate
, so an appropriate amount of sleep is necessary for a good function of the mind
, most doctors recommend 8 hours a day.
Nutrition is also an important factor. Micronutrient deficiencies in a person's
diet, such as iron or iodine deficiencies, can even cause a lowering of a person
's IQ. Certain foods can also cause our brains to work better. Foods like fish,
bananas, spinach, avocado and red berries do seem to increase some functions of
the brain.
Emotional state is a determining factor too. People suffering of chronic depress
ion can suffer from an inability to focus, difficulty in making decisions, inabi
lity to sleep, which will affect our brain in itself, and even memory loss. An e
motionally well balanced individual's brain will function better.
Can your thoughts change they way you look?
In the same way that our posture, the way we behave and other more superficial a
spects can affect the way our minds works, so can our mind influence the way we
appear on the exterior. The way we think of the world we live in and of ourselve
s has an affect on they we will look. These affects can be immediate or they can
appear over time. For example, a person with a more optimistic outlook on life
and more confidence in his own abilities, will stand up straight, have a happier
looking facial expression and eyes. On the other hand, a person with a more ble
ak outlook on life will usually have a more slouched posture and, with time, a f
ace with more wrinkles than the other. Of course, there are other, more indirect
effects. A person's interests, for example, will surely, over time, affect his
look. If, for instance, a person's interest is in sports, the outcome will be ob
viously different than that of a person who's generally not interested in physic
al activity.
Human thought is surely one of the most interesting aspects of life. It's still
a mystery even with the tools our modern science has. It radically affected the
chances of survival our species had in the early days, and will probably continu
e to do so for as long as humans will continue to exist.