Active Aging
There’s something extraordinary about childlike wonder and the magical feeling of each new discovery.
Remember the first time you saw a firefly light up the sky right in front of you? Or when you figured out that red and blue finger paint make purple if you swirl the colors together in a big circle on your paper? Or the moment you realized that chocolate ice cream is cold against your tongue when you licked it, but it was one of the best things you’d ever tasted?
This pleasure-seeking type of curiosity — called epistemic curiosity — never wanes with age. MRI studies showed that people experiencing epistemic curiosity activated the reward center in their brains and increased activity in their memory areas.
Curiosity helps activate your memory and sharpen your mind as you age. Let’s explore the science behind it, the benefits, and ways you can stoke your curiosity.
The Neuroscience of Curiosity
There are two types of curiosity, perceptual and epistemic. Perceptual curiosity “arises from a discomforting sensation caused by unexpected or contradictory information.”
By comparison, epistemic curiosity “is pleasurable, fueled by the anticipation of rewards, activating the dopaminergic system in our brains.” The thirst for knowledge drives this kind of curiosity.
Thanks to neuroplasticity, your brain can forge new neural pathways and create new neurons, enabling lifelong learning and powering curiosity.
The Benefits of Being Curious
Being curious helps your brain by engaging your mind, which is good for your cognitive health. Trying new activities can also increase your social connections, reduce boredom, enhance your skillsets, and boost your self-esteem.
The Cleveland Clinic lists “seek out mental challenge” as one of the “Six Pillars of Brain Health.” Specifically, psychiatrist Dylan Wint, MD, encourages continually challenging your brain — not just with daily crossword puzzles and knowledge-based games — but also by trying new activities and learning new skills.
This could mean learning to play a musical instrument or signing up for a class.
Ways to Stoke Your Curiosity and Awaken Your Sense of Wonder
Routines are often reliable, familiar, and comfortable. To stoke your curiosity and awaken your sense of wonder, you need to disrupt the status quo and think, move, or act outside the box.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Attend a magic show or learn some magic tricks – Magicians can do some jaw-dropping tricks. Go and marvel at a live show or learn some tricks to dazzle others.
Reach for the stars – Witnessing the vastness and beauty of a starry sky on a clear night is magnificent. Use a telescope to look at the stars through a new lens in your own backyard, at a beach or lookout point, or in a park. You could also go to a planetarium, lie back in your seat, and soak up the starry atmosphere.
Visit your favorite TV, movie, or novel setting or film location – Story worlds and settings in TV shows, movies, and novels can stir your imagination and transport you to other places in your mind. Feel the thrill of stepping into a physical space that represents a fictional world or a famous real setting like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Highclere Castle (of Downton Abbey fame), or looking out at New York from the top of the Empire State Building — as featured in the classic romance films An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle.
Immerse yourself in art and history on a museum-hopping adventure – Seeing brilliant works of art or historical sites up close can steal your breath and be awe-inspiring. There are over 35,000 museums across the United States and over 1,200 UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide. Considering those numbers alone stokes curiosity and begs for a museum or historical site-hopping adventure. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Everglades National Park, the Eiffel Tower, and Westminster Abbey are just samples of potential destinations.
Explore nature by birdwatching, whale watching, hiking, or visiting botanical gardens – The number of unique wildlife species, plants, and flowers is mind-boggling. Birdwatching in a local or state park, whale watching on the Atlantic Ocean, and strolling through botanical gardens can expose you to all sorts of new sights, sounds, and smells that will leave you wonderstruck.
Leverage technology to learn a new language or see how things are made – You can learn to speak a foreign language via smartphone apps like Babbel, Rosetta Stone, or Duolingo, or watch YouTube videos to satisfy your curiosity.
The more you explore, the more you’ll pique your curiosity and exercise your mind. Just pick a topic of interest, or even a bucket-list activity or destination, and enjoy!
