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I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Female Poets, Poems, Poetry, Poets

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading - treading - till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through -
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum -
Kept beating - beating - till I thought
My mind was going numb -
And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space - began to toll,
As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race,
Wrecked, solitary, here -
And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down -
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing - then -
The Brain — is wider than the Sky

The Brain — is wider than the Sky

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Emily Dickinson, Female Poets, Poems, Poetry, Poets

The Brain — is wider than the Sky —
For — put them side by side —
The one the other will contain
With ease — and You — beside —

The Brain is deeper than the sea —
For — hold them — Blue to Blue —
The one the other will absorb —
As Sponges — Buckets — do —

The Brain is just the weight of God —
For — Heft them — Pound for Pound —
And they will differ — if they do —
As Syllable from Sound —

Reading and the Brain

Reading and the Brain

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Articles, Reading

Have you ever wondered how we recognise words when we read? Are you not fascinated as to how your brain scans, interprets and relates information to you through your eyes? The awesome brain is like your virtual assistant or secretary. In this article I am to discuss about reading and the brain.  Various sources have been referred to and are quoted for further reading. Lets Dive In.

Reading reshapes the brain through neural plasticity, creating and strengthening connections, particularly in language and visual areas. This process involves the brain repurposing areas for visual processing and language to recognize letters, sound out words, and understand meaning. Regular reading improves brain connectivity and function, while also offering benefits like stress reduction, improved focus, and memory enhancement

What reading does for the brain
  • Improves Brain Function: Reading is a form of mental stimulation that can improve memory and language skills, especially when done regularly.
  • Changes Brain Structure: As reading skills develop, the brain physically changes. Areas that weren't previously used for reading become more activated, and neural pathways are strengthened through practice.
  • Enhances Vocabulary: Reading provides context for new words, helping you learn their usage more quickly than through simple memorization
What is the Brain

The brain is a complex organ that acts as the control center of the body, located inside the skull and protected by the cranium. It is part of the central nervous system, along with the spinal cord, and its main functions include processing sensory information, controlling thoughts, emotions, movement, and regulating vital processes like breathing and heart rate. The brain is composed of billions of nerve cells (neurons) and consists of three main parts: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem

How reading changes the brain

Repurposing brain areas: The brain is not pre-wired for reading; instead, it adapts areas for visual processing, language comprehension, and speech production.

Structural changes: Frequent reading can increase the size of areas like the temporal cortex, which is involved in language comprehension, and strengthen white matter tracts that connect language and visual processing centers.

Neural pathways: As a person learns to read, the brain creates specialized neural pathways, such as the "letterbox" (visual word form area), to process written words quickly and automatically.

Neuroplasticity: Reading actively exercises the brain, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and a more adaptable neural network

 

How the brain learns to read
  1. Visual Recognition: You see letters and words, and the occipital lobe processes this visual input.
  2. Letter and Sound Mapping: The brain's "letterbox" identifies the letters. This triggers activity in the parietal-temporal regions, which connects letters to their corresponding sounds.
  3. Meaning Connection: The brain links the sounds to the meaning of the word, a process that relies on networks for spoken language.
  4. Developing Fluency: Through practice, the brain creates a direct connection from the letterbox to the meaning area, allowing for faster processing and more fluent reading.
  5. Instruction's Role: Explicitly teaching letter-sound correspondences (like systematic phonics) strengthens these neural pathways, making it easier for the brain to build these connections and improve reading skills
Brain regions involved in reading

Occipital Lobe: Initially processes visual information. As you read, it's involved in recognizing letters and symbols, and the visual cortex here is active even in skilled readers.

Parietal-Temporal Regions: Crucial for decoding words. The parietal lobe helps segment words into their component sounds (phonological processing), while the temporal lobe connects sounds to the meaning of words, often linked with Wernicke's area.

Frontal Lobe: The inferior frontal gyrus contains Broca's area, which is important for the production of speech and can be used to "sound out" words.

Orthographic Processor ("Letterbox"): A region in the occipital-temporal area that becomes specialized for recognizing printed words. It stores information about a word's spelling, pronunciation, and meaning

 

Health and cognitive benefits of reading
  • Mental stimulation: Reading keeps the brain active, which can help slow cognitive decline associated with aging.
  • Stress reduction: Engaging in a book can lower heart rate and ease muscle tension.
  • Improved focus: Regular reading can improve concentration and attention span.
  • Memory improvement: Reading has been linked to slowing memory deterioration and improving memory and thinking skills.
  • Vocabulary expansion: Reading is one of the most effective ways to learn new words
References

Havard Medical School

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/reading-brain

Reading Rockets

https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/how-children-learn-read/reading-brain

National Institutes of Health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4128180/

How Reading Improves Your intellect

How Reading Improves Your intellect

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Articles, Reading

Reading improves your intellect by enhancing cognitive abilities like memory, focus, and critical thinking through the creation of new neural pathways. It also expands your vocabulary, boosts knowledge, and develops comprehension, allowing for better communication and a more nuanced understanding of the world. 

Cognitive and brain function
Strengthens brain connections: Reading creates new neural pathways and strengthens existing ones, improving your brain's efficiency and processing power.

Boosts memory: As you follow plots and recall details, you create and strengthen memories, which improves both short-term and long-term memory functions.

Increases focus and concentration: Following a story requires sustained attention, which trains your brain to focus and improves your concentration over time.

Enhances critical thinking: Reading exposes you to new ideas and different perspectives, which stimulates your ability to analyze information and think critically

Knowledge and communication

Expands vocabulary: Exposure to a wide range of words in context naturally increases your vocabulary, leading to better verbal and written communication skills.

Increases knowledge: Each book you read adds to your general knowledge base, providing information on a vast number of subjects.

Improves comprehension: The act of processing information from text helps you better understand complex ideas and the main points of a text.

Imagination and empathy
Develops creativity and imagination: Reading allows your mind to visualize settings and characters, which stimulates imagination and creative thinking.

Builds empathy: Reading stories can activate the same parts of the brain used when understanding another person's emotions, helping you to develop empathy.

The Power of Intellect

The Power of Intellect

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Articles, Reading

The power of intellect is the ability to think, reason, and understand, which allows for problem-solving, innovation, and navigating complex situations. It involves using knowledge and logic to make considered decisions, acting as a crucial regulator that guides actions based on evaluation rather than mere impulse. This capacity for higher-order thinking and generalization enables abstract thought, the creation of complex ideas, and the ability to simplify complex problems

What is Intellect?

Intellect is the human ability to think, reason, understand, and acquire knowledge, especially at a high level. It encompasses reasoning, abstraction, conceptualization, judgment, and critical thinking, allowing a person to discern truth and falsehood and solve complex problems. In a broader sense, a person with great intellectual power can be called an intellect. 

Definitions of Intellect
  • Intelllect is defined as the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract matter
  • a : the power of knowing as distinguished from the power to feel and to will : the capacity for knowledge
  • b : the capacity for rational or intelligent thought especially when highly developed.  Miriam Webster
    the ability to understand and to think in an intelligent way
  • Intellect is a faculty of the human mind that enables reasoning, abstraction, conceptualization, and judgment. Wikipedia

Understanding the Power of the Intellect

The mind generates thoughts—images, ideas, goals, and concepts. But the intellect discerns which of those thoughts are worth acting upon. If the mind is like a screen displaying possibilities, then the intellect is the “eye” that watches, assesses, and decides.

Unlike animals, human beings can reflect, evaluate, and refine ideas. This isn’t about academic intelligence. It’s about discernment, creativity, and the ability to simplify complex problems. Our greatest intellectual gift may be the ability to return complexity to its essence.

COTRUGLI BUSINESS SCHOOL

Key aspects of intellect
Mental faculty: 

It is the mind's power to know and understand, distinct from the power to feel or will 

Higher-order thinking: 
It includes the capacity for rational thought, abstraction, and complex problem-solving that goes beyond immediate perception.
Knowledge acquisition:

It is the ability to think and acquire knowledge, often associated with intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking skills. 

Application: 

An intellect is a person possessing a high degree of this mental capacity. 

Lifelong development: 
Intellect can be developed and enhanced through education, experience, and reflection.

In psychology

The Structure of Intellect (SI) model organizes intellectual functions in three dimensions: (i) Operations, (ii) Contents, and (iii) Products.

A person's intellectual understanding of reality derives from a conceptual model of reality based upon the perception and the cognition of the material world of reality. The conceptual model of mind is composed of the mental and emotional processes by which a person seeks, finds, and applies logical solutions to the problems of life.

Core functions of intellect
  • Problem-solving and innovation: Intellect provides the ability to identify challenges, analyze them critically, and devise creative solutions.
  • Discernment: It allows for the evaluation of thoughts and ideas generated by the mind, discerning which are worth pursuing.
  • Regulating impulses: Intellect serves as a regulator to control impulses and desires, leading to more thoughtful actions instead of impulsive ones.
  • Abstract reasoning: It is the faculty that allows humans to work with abstract terms, draw conclusions from assumptions, and generalize experiences.
  • Critical judgment: Intellect enables the discernment of truth and falsehood, as well as higher-order thinking beyond immediate perception. 

 

Developing intellect

Real-world experience: Real-world experience is crucial for intellectual development, as it provides understanding of reality and helps in learning to resolve life's problems without being overwhelmed by emotion.

Acquiring knowledge: A factually accurate understanding of the world is a key component of a mature intellect.

Collaboration: The historical and modern norm for intellectual work is often collaboration, as seen in scientific and artistic endeavors, where people work together to create something.

How to cultivate intellectual power
  • Continuous learning: Engaging in self-education is an effective way to stimulate and nurture the intellect.
  • Creative outlets: Activities like writing, painting, or playing music can spark inspiration and enhance mental health.
  • Social connection: Forming connections with others who share your interests can be crucial for mental wellness. 

Reading and Intellect

Reading is strongly linked to intellect, as it enhances both fluid and crystallized intelligence by building knowledge and improving brain function through neural pathway development. It strengthens vocabulary and comprehension, increases problem-solving skills, and fosters emotional intelligence. While reading can improve intelligence, the ability to read itself is a separate skill from general intelligence, as some individuals with superior intellect may struggle with specific reading challenges like dyslexia

How reading improves intellect

Increases knowledge and vocabulary: Reading exposes you to new terms, ideas, and facts, increasing your crystallized intelligence.

Enhances problem-solving: It helps you detect patterns and make connections, boosting your fluid intelligence.

Develops the brain: Reading creates new neural pathways and strengthens existing ones, leading to clearer and more creative thinking.

Boosts emotional intelligence: Engaging with stories and characters helps you understand and manage emotions, leading to better social interactions.

Improves reading skills: It strengthens skills like phonological awareness, which is the ability to reason about the sounds in language, and improves reading speed and fluency

 

The relationship between reading and intelligence
  • Reading is a learned skill that relies on repurposing specific brain regions for processing language and recognizing letters.
  • Studies show that reading ability is a significant predictor of later intelligence, especially verbal intelligence.
  • However, some individuals with high general intelligence may face difficulties with reading, a condition known as a specific reading disability or dyslexia, demonstrating that reading ability and intelligence are not identical. 

    Research on Reading

    According to an article on the BigThink website,  Research shows that reading not only helps with fluid intelligence, but with reading comprehension and emotional intelligence as well.

    Click here to Read the article

    References

     - The paradoxical relationship between intelligence and reading disability

    P G Aaron

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4094867/

     - How reading rewires your brain for higher intelligence and empathy

    Derek Beres Bigthink

     - Cotrugli Business School

    Professor Mike George

    https://cotrugli.org/the-mind-and-intellect

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