Does your brain distinguish real from imaginary?
This is why you can be implanted false memories. This is why eye witnesses aren't dependable. This is why people can experience something, get an explanation - how ever wild and unbelievable - and then believe they have really experienced that wild and unbelievable thing.
This is why a lot of people have a relationship with fictional characters from books, tv series and movies. This is why a lot of people think they know celebrities.
And this is why it is possible for people to train doing things they have never done. You can basically learn to play piano on a kitchen table or to play guitar by playing an air guitar. It might take some time to adjust the differences in what you imagined to what is real, but the principle works.
Most olympic winners say they spend a lot of time "imagining" performing perfectly and winning.
So - how can you use this when it comes to the bucket list?
When my niece was 10 she discovered Google Earth, and exclaimed "I don't need to travel there, because I AM there now!"
You can create yourself a false memory of having visited ANY place, from Egypt and Galapagos to hell, heaven and outer space.
If you just want the experience, your brain is fully satisfied with the fantasy. If you want the bragging rights, then you have to go there.
But "having been there before" does give you benefits. You are more prepared to the circumstances and can focus on the things you know to be important. On the other hand, there are things you cannot imagine... it's one thing to experience walking in Saigon and know the noise and heat and how many people there are, and totally different to experience the smells, how the land feels, the light, the atmosphere... but perhaps if you know to expect parts of the experience, you can better take in the parts you didn't expect.
This helps you learn anything, from languages and juggling to playing instruments and performing pullups. You can start learning tap dancing now, you don't need to wait for the shoes and classes and dance studio. You can start learning to play drums now, you don't need to wait for the drum set.
Go through your bucket list and write down a couple of suggestions how this could help you complete the goal. Then do it.
How to develop visualization skill
This is why you can be implanted false memories. This is why eye witnesses aren't dependable. This is why people can experience something, get an explanation - how ever wild and unbelievable - and then believe they have really experienced that wild and unbelievable thing.
This is why a lot of people have a relationship with fictional characters from books, tv series and movies. This is why a lot of people think they know celebrities.
And this is why it is possible for people to train doing things they have never done. You can basically learn to play piano on a kitchen table or to play guitar by playing an air guitar. It might take some time to adjust the differences in what you imagined to what is real, but the principle works.
Most olympic winners say they spend a lot of time "imagining" performing perfectly and winning.
So - how can you use this when it comes to the bucket list?
When my niece was 10 she discovered Google Earth, and exclaimed "I don't need to travel there, because I AM there now!"
You can create yourself a false memory of having visited ANY place, from Egypt and Galapagos to hell, heaven and outer space.
If you just want the experience, your brain is fully satisfied with the fantasy. If you want the bragging rights, then you have to go there.
But "having been there before" does give you benefits. You are more prepared to the circumstances and can focus on the things you know to be important. On the other hand, there are things you cannot imagine... it's one thing to experience walking in Saigon and know the noise and heat and how many people there are, and totally different to experience the smells, how the land feels, the light, the atmosphere... but perhaps if you know to expect parts of the experience, you can better take in the parts you didn't expect.
This helps you learn anything, from languages and juggling to playing instruments and performing pullups. You can start learning tap dancing now, you don't need to wait for the shoes and classes and dance studio. You can start learning to play drums now, you don't need to wait for the drum set.
Go through your bucket list and write down a couple of suggestions how this could help you complete the goal. Then do it.
How to develop visualization skill
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