Clear Mind Meditation Techniques

Brain training with flash games and Dual N-back

Training the mind is an important aspect to understanding the power you have over your own life. Schools have had the purpose of cramming facts into your brain so that you may better serve society. What schools have not done, is taught you the incredible ability you have to shape your own thought processes. For the most part they have also neglected to help you expand your critical thinking facilities.

Despite this, you have realized that it's now time to take control. On this page I've provided some of the best brain training games I've been able to find which are proven to increase your intelligence. These free online flash games are built to exercise specific parts of your brain. Later, I will write about visualization exercises you can do in your head, if you prefer not to stare at the computer screen.

With regular practice these games will produce measurable results. My personal experience has confirmed the benefits of these brain training exercises. I can tell you that I've had objective standardized tests taken to measure my IQ, both before and after practice. Prior to engaging in a mental fitness regimen, I took the MENSA entrance exam. Unfortunately I didn't make it the first time. However, after three months of N-back training and a few other mental exercises, I was able to score well above the MENSA entrance level on a timed, psychologist administered IQ test.

This is a true story, and I only tell it, so that you can believe that it's possible. The commitment that you have to expanding your reasoning and creativity will determine your results. By training your mind, you open yourself up to a greater understanding of yourself and the external world.

For this reason, I highly recommend cultivating the habit of strengthening your mind through daily mind training exercises. It's best not to get too caught up in this practice. Otherwise it might cause unnecessary stress if training doesn't go as planned. Instead, set a daily goal and do your best to follow through as time allows. If you miss a day or two, who cares. Your brain is similar to a muscle and needs rest from exercise just the same.

The Dual N-back task was tested and proven to be effective by a group of certified psychologists. Studies have shown that the Dual N-back task has a profound effect on working memory. It's the main exercise which I used for my mental training regimen in between IQ tests. The task helped me improve concentration and available working memory for any given task. These benefits are known to transfer well to other tasks which may be administered on an IQ test.

There are several versions of the Dual N-back task available, and the embed here is thanks to Cognitive Fun.

Provided here are links related to research and other versions of the Dual N-back task. It may be important for you to verify the results so that you can first believe that the exercises will work for you. My personal experience has taken me beyond belief to knowing that they work. It's my hope that you will use these exercises to benefit your mental abilities. Enjoy!

Wired article on Dual N-back

Here is the link to the original article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article discusses the specifications and results of the study in depth. They describe the exact format of Dual N-back task used (which most of the other versions are based on). Also, they describe the number and characteristics of all of the study participants.

Original PNAS study

There are two versions of Dual N-back which are browser based and very well-designed. I personally had a part in creating and designing the one you can find at themindflow.com. The MindFlow version is flash based, so it's cross platform friendly. There is a walk-through tutorial which helps explain the task in simple terms, because it can be somewhat confusing when you first start. I hope you find it useful.

Mind Flow Dual N-back

and here is the Microsoft Silverlight version:

Soak your Head Dual N-back

There is a version of Dual N-back called Brain workshop which can be downloaded, and used on your desktop. The download site has a great amount of information related to the Dual N-back task. It is also a good place to read a tutorial about the game to cut down on learning time.

Brain Workshop

If you are looking to engage in practice which is a little less intense, then there are several other brain training games on this site: Brain Games. They tend to be of the addictive/time-killer variety. I don't recommend them unless you have some time to kill and really just want to zone out.

Have fun!