Richard Restak Quotes & Sayings

Just as important as getting enough sleep is thinking about sleep in the right way. Stop thinking of sleep and naps as "downtime" or as a "waste of time." Think of them as opportunities for memory consolidation and enhancing the brain circuits that help skill learning. Nor should you feel guilty about sleep. It's just as crucial a part of successful brain work as the actual task itself. — Richard Restak

Until the day we die our brain remains capable of change, according to the challenges that we set for it. — Richard Restak

Since the brain is unlike any other structure in the known universe, it seems reasonable to expect that our understanding of its functioning - if it can ever be achieved - will require approaches that are drastically different from the way we understand other physical systems. — Richard Restak

The dynamic interplay of neural activity within and in between systems is the very essence of brain function. — Richard Restak

One a very basic level, you are what you remember - your very identity depends on all of the events, people and places you can recall. — Richard Restak

But if the brain is not like a computer, then what is it like? What kind of model can we form in regard to its functioning? I believe there's only one answer to that question, and perhaps it will disturb you: there is no model of the brain, nor will there ever be. That's because the brain, as the constructor of all models, transcends all models. The brain's uniqueness stems from the fact that nowhere in the known universe is there anything even remotely resembling it. — Richard Restak

Our perceptions take on richness and depth as a result of all the things that we learn. The eye is not a camera that objectively takes a photo of the "world out there." Rather, what the eye sees is determined by what the brain has learned. This suggests a short mantra: learn more, see more. — Richard Restak