Open Question: Can mindfulness-meditation harm a habitually "mindless" brain?

When I was 15, I took an IQ test at my high school and blew all my teachers/counselors away with my score. They knew I was gifted, but they never knew just how. Sadly, I went down the wrong path. I did mind altering drugs, inhalants and habitually punched myself in the chin, no doubt causing brain damage. By the time I was in college, I was suffering from severe benzodiazepine addiction. Somehow I managed to get a math degree but since then (about 5 years now) I’ve done nothing but ride my bike, hike the woods and create art. I haven’t been using my brain at all. Recently I decided to test my IQ by taking online tests and I’ve scored very low each and every single time. Nothing even close to what I scored in high school. I know I have a lot of brain damage from my self-mutilation and drug use, as well as some from my mild lead poisoning that I acquired last year when I moved into an old apartment, but my hope is that I still have something to work with.

Over the years, I developed a tendency to habitually ignore details. As a result, I frequently make myself look like a total idiot in my every day interactions and end up scoring low on IQ tests. I decided to take up mindfulness meditation and to train my brain to be more attentive to detail, BUT, I fear this might be too much for my already abused brain to handle. As we all know, too much of anything (good things included) is bad. Too much exercise can damage the joints and heart, too much downloads and over use can crash a computer, etc… So can too much thinking, or too much attentiveness cause damage to the brain? It would make sense. Any ideas??
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Open Question: Horrible insomnia from overactive mind, natural remedy suggestions?

I have what can only be described as an overactive mind. It is as much a curse as it is a gift, I overanalyze everything, am moderately socially awkward, but have an average IQ of 135. Every waking second of every day I am constantly thinking about anything and everything and sometimes it drives me up the fricken wall. When I was younger I suffered from horrible insomnia because of it, I would lay in bed for hours and hours rolling from thought to thought without fully realizing the transition, even though I would occasionally stop and try to force myself to relax. I became addicted to sleeping pills in that if I went even a single night without them I got ZERO hours of sleep until I took them again. I was tested for anemia but came back negative.

Then one day I was introduced to marijuana, and all my mental woes vastly diminished. My mind became manageable, I could fall asleep whenever I wanted without sleeping pills, I finally developed lasting relationships, got over my depression (which became life threatening at one point), and I overall mellowed out. It was my miracle drug and replaced 3 mental-problem-related medications. I smoked heavy (almost everyday) for 2 and a half years straight.

Now however I am older; I am an unemployed college student living with my parents and it is time to sober up, pass a piss test, get a job, and get the ball rolling. It had been so long though I forgot my original reasons for doing it in the first place, and now these problems have returned full force. I stopped smoking 7 whole days ago. Tonight I spent 6 hours laying in bed with nothing but my thoughts and now it is too late to sleep or I will snooze through my classes. My insomnia has returned 101% and this whole week has left me deprived of total sleep to the point of major annoyance.

I do not want to take pills again, they were the hallmark of what was by far the darkest period of my life and screwed with my physiology in ways I did not like one bit, they made me feel like someone else.

All that said (and it was quite a mouthful, I know) what are some natural remedies for insomnia? For an overactive mind? I already know the first answer: meditation. I was good at it while stoned but now I find myself slipping up without even realizing it and I do not have time to do the prolonged practice required. Melatonin, my fallback, does not work anymore.

Please help me before it harms my school and social life =*(
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Resolved Question: Atheists, would you rather have a high IQ, and a low EQ, or a high EQ, and a low IQ?

If you had to choose between the two.
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Open Question: Is it possible to raise your IQ by just studying?

I want to raise my IQ. I’ve googled best techniques, and they all say the same things. Like, keep a journal, breathing exercises, meditation. Well, I already meditate, and do a lot of yoga. I’ve tried keeping a journal, but I always forget to write in it.

I study hard, but if I studied just a little harder, is it possible to raise my IQ?
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Open Question: What might my spirit animal be and how can I reach them?

Okay so basically, I’ve been trying to reach my spirit animal but meditation and deep focus aren’t really working out for me. I am an outgoing person though when it comes down to defense, I’m not your guy. I have a few friends but commitment isn’t really my expertise. I’ve had my share of problems and issues but I always try to mend them no matter how large. I am very creative and I can’t swim. I’m not the best at learning new skills though my IQ is in the 130′s. My favorite things to do: Write Sing Draw
My favorite color is somewhere between white, grey and black. I am hungry for attention whenever I can get it though it isn’t always the good kind. Someone with a lot of experience please help me…
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Open Question: How do you personally measure intelligence?

I am always a little disconcerted when some people measure their intelligence by using a IQ test, and then swank around telling all their friends. Answering questions on a piece of paper strips many intellectual perceptions of their worth.

I personally believe that emotional intelligence is just as much a precious thing. I play music and I can assure you that being connected to something, and being in the present (just like meditation) is very rewarding. Present moments bring strange comprehensions and brilliant understandings. This displays a level of intelligence that may stray from the norm, but has it’s purpose. I am drawn to people who have swam around in their own head for a while.

How do you measure intelligence in others?
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Open Question: Abnormal frustration while studying?

now,i think this must be common among the masses but i can’t find an answer on google

so, the prob is that whenever i sit down to study ,and the moment i can’t understand something , i get angry(almost furious) or disgusted and can not carry on studying for a long period

i am not dumb,i have an IQ b/w 130-140 and the thing i am unable to understand could be easily understood if i try again
but still this uncontrollable emotion repels me from studies
i have done meditation,seen hell lot of motivational movies,but their effect doesn’t last long

i really need help,cuz this is a crucial time.
Age-17
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Open Question: Abnormal frustration while studying?

now,i think this must be common among the masses but i can’t find an answer on google

so, the prob is that whenever i sit down to study ,and the moment i can’t understand something , i get angry(almost furious) or disgusted and can not carry on studying for a long period

i am not dumb,i have an IQ b/w 130-140 and the thing i am unable to understand could be easily understood if i try again
but still this uncontrollable emotion repels me from studies
i have done meditation,seen hell lot of motivational movies,but their effect doesn’t last long

i really need help,cuz this is a crucial time.
Age-17
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Benefits of Meditation

Open Question: Abnormal frustration while studying?

now,i think this must be common among the masses but i can’t find an answer on google

so, the prob is that whenever i sit down to study ,and the moment i can’t understand something , i get angry(almost furious) or disgusted and can not carry on studying for a long period

i am not dumb,i have an IQ b/w 130-140 and the thing i am unable to understand could be easily understood if i try again
but still this uncontrollable emotion repels me from studies
i have done meditation,seen hell lot of motivational movies,but their effect doesn’t last long

i really need help,cuz this is a crucial time.
Age-17
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Open Question: Do you have any friend with which you can share…?

Knowledge, interesting things, important things,etc.
I am a young person, and have a little trouble communicating and expressing my feelings. I don’t like people because they are so immature for my age. I am just 16, and my classmates only talk about girls, sex, soccer, and you know, those kind of things.
I am interested in other things. I love psychology, and physics. I am currently studying chemistry. I also like arts like playing instruments, painting, admiring anything I see. I even do meditation, because my main goal is achieving spiritual success. I am more of a spiritual person. I live more in the spiritual world than the physical one. I would love a world of peace, where hatred is zero. Even though I prefer to be alone, I love my people and would give my life for them. I don’t even value my life that much, if I had the option between living or dying, I would choose death (I am not depressed, just bored and maybe curious). I have previously decided that I would leave my home and go and live in a cave and meditate for the rest of the days I would be holding (I know it sounds uncommon but it’s true). I more intelligent than average also. I have always known I had great deduction skills and intelligence, and also because I had to go to the psychiatrist (delusions, hallucinations, over-stressing, insomnia, but it’s better now) and I had to take an IQ test, and as expected got higher than average. I won’t tell my IQ here. I am not interested in girls, sex, marriage, alcohol, or drugs. Even though I sound as if I were an arrogant prick, I wish I didn’t sound like one, I am just expressing for you to understand. I am not depressed either.
I think happiness and love is the key to life. If you would see me, it would be kind of a contradiction because I am always alone, I always wear black and almost never smile (only when I really feel like it or when something comical comes up). I would be more happier if i’d find a teen with my same ideal. I have really been thinking and even planning (choosing what to take, schedules, situations, scenes, expenses) on leaving my home on this month and head to live on a cave, and meditate until I eliminate suffering and become happy for once.

Haha I think this was more a way of expressing rather than a simple question. Just answer the question if you please, or opinions, etc.

For religious people: Mainly I am here for the spiritual part, becomes at the moment I remain agnostic (even though I am more balanced to the god part). Even though I hardly believe in God, I keep asking myself “God, if you can here me, am I doing the right thing?”. I came for spiritual answers, but everyone can answer as they please.
Lol I didn’t mention I prefer to be alone haha. I speak what I think, and If I would tell someone about this, they would run away. Thanks people.
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