The Human Mind Institute is founded by research writer George Hlavax to provide a platform where people can learn how to get the best versions out of themselves every day by better understanding their subconscious mechanisms.
The Human Mind Institute is founded by research writer George Hlavax to provide a platform where people can learn how to get the best versions out of themselves every day by better understanding their subconscious mechanisms.
The Human Mind Institute is founded by research writer George Hlavax to provide a platform where people can learn how to get the best versions out of themselves every day by better understanding their subconscious mechanisms.
About George Hlavax
I am a research writer in the field of neuroscience and neuropsychology, the founder of the Human Mind Institute, and a lecturer and researcher at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Each year, I study hundreds of scientific articles and papers by leading experts on how subconscious neurological mechanisms influence our mental and physical states, and how we can gain more conscious control over them. My goal is to summarize and share this knowledge widely, helping people access the best versions of themselves every day.
I have spent many years searching for answers to questions such as why and how our mood, energy, emotions, and thinking capabilities are regulated, and whether it is possible to learn to quickly switch our brain from one mental state to another when needed. Finally, I got all the answers I’ve been looking for, but not from a single source.
The problem I have encountered during my studies is that all knowledge in the field of the human mind and body is extremely fragmented. There are hundreds of scientific papers and books on highly specific subjects, but nobody has ever written a paper or book that connects the puzzle pieces of knowledge together.
If someone truly wants to understand everything important that controls their mental states, they need to study the work of at least 25 experts and connect the fragmented pieces of knowledge for themselves.
To help others easily access the most crucial insights of the best experts in one place, and to demonstrate the potential of unifying their knowledge, I decided to write the book ‘Human Mind’. I also founded the Human Mind Institute, to create a platform for sharing even more insights and useful practices in the form of short articles.
Putting the scientific theories to the test...
During my research into neuroscience and neuropsychology, it was a fortunate coincidence that I met some freedivers. I realized that learning to freedive would be an excellent way to test the scientific body- and mind-controlling techniques that I have learned about.
Diving below 30 meters on a single breath provides the perfect environment to test whether the methods meant to turn stress and anxiety into pleasant relaxation and clear-mindedness really work.
By making a mistake and pushing myself beyond my limits during a breath-holding training, I unintentionally induced a severe anxiety attack in myself. It began recurring a couple of times a day for almost a month. In between these attacks, I constantly felt deeply depressed and unmotivated to do anything.
It turned out to be a blessing that the subject of my studies aligned perfectly with what I needed at that time. Through applying the methods described in my book, I gradually reduced the duration and intensity of these attacks until they completely disappeared after four weeks. By consciously triggering the right neurologic mechanisms within myself, I also managed to overcome my depressed state and regain my normal energy and motivation.
By becoming a freediver, I learned just as much about how to control my mood, energy, emotions, and various states of mind as I did from my entire studies in neuroscience before. Freedivers have developed unique techniques to consciously activate neurological processes in their brains and bodies, enabling them to achieve deep relaxation and clear-mindedness even in highly stressful situations. Through my book and articles, I also aim to draw attention to these relatively unknown methods, which offer exceptional benefits for people’s mental well-being.