Exercise and the Paranormal

There is surprising new scientific evidence out there that indicates that exercise changes brain chemistry in ways that extend far beyond the storied “runner’s high.” This evidence has some serious implications on the world of the occult, as well. These brain changes allow people to become more observant, retain information better, improve mood, and sharpen awareness. As you might have guessed, increased awareness can ultimately lead to the detection, and possibly, understanding of the paranormal.

The way our brains work is quite complicated, but this can be simplified quite easily. Our brain cells, the neurons, communicate by firing electrical impulses. These impulses reach synapses and are broadcast across the gaps between neurons via a chemical secretion. Other neurons pick up on these secretions through their branch-like dendrites and the process repeats. The information is then interpreted and fired along to the next neuron. The vast majority of these secretions are a kind of binary coding of sorts.  One chemical signals for action and another signals for that action to cease.

Of course brain chemistry is much more complicated than just billions of binary signals. Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine all help to regulate the on/off signals being transmitted. These chemicals are closely tied to mood and brain regulation. For example, Prozac helps treat depression by increasing a brain’s serotonin levels. These neurotransmitters act as facilitators to the on and off signals that are transmitted from neuron to neuron. A balanced brain has the perfect combination of these chemicals that allows neurons to communicate with each other at the optimal speed.

However, differences in brain chemistry can vary drastically from person to person. A depressed individual is going to have messages transmitted more slowly than a non-depressed subject simply because of the lack of one or more of the three facilitating neurotransmitters.

What does science tell us about people with higher levels of these chemicals? These people have better concentration and attentiveness, as well as higher levels of retention when it comes to learning and remembering new material.

So it is possible that exercise will increase these levels of awareness. This in turn would undoubtedly lead to more enjoyable and complete experiences. Whether or not this would have any bearing on the ability to detect the occult remains to be seen, but this exciting new research implies that this quite possibly could be the case.