Abstract | Play

Abstract:  The main purpose of this paper is to present the idea, need, and validity for play conditioning programs - strategically developed exercises tailored to create neurological change to promote the rich benefits of a playful state of mind.  Eliason discusses the importance of the play from an evolutionary and developmental standpoint, within relationships, within the work environment, and within yourself.  She illuminates the current cultural climate of play deprivation and lack of value towards play, while proposing the solution of play conditioning.  Using recent findings in neuroplasticity, she makes a case that both adults and children are neurologically capable of developing an increased state of play “set-point”.  She determines that play conditioning programs will be a valuable contribution to our culture, developing the necessary skills and state of mind to thrive in the fast changing world of technology enmeshment we now live in.

Rational | Play

I start my paper announcing that play is a state of mind.  This will lead to being able to dispel any preconceived notions about what play is.  This will lay the ground work for an agreed upon definition from my reader that might differ from what they previously perceived play to be.  I will quote from Stuart Brown’s Ted Talk “Play is more than just Fun” as well as perhaps some other scholars who tried to define play.  Then, I will delve into what play from my perspective.  It is a psychological state born out of a physical experience.  It is a state of mind that allows or a mental, emotional and physical presence that is fluid (non-linear) thinking, judgment and ego free, with the ability to look at circumstances and problems from all angles, and allows for transformation of all thoughts.

I will then discuss that if the practice mediation can lead to increased mindfulness, than the practice of play can lead to increased playfulness.  This will set up the idea that play can be taught, and that the brain can adapt to a more playful state.  Although I don’t go into detail about what a play conditioning program is here, this lays the groundwork and support for when I do and the presenting of my thesis.

Next, I will discuss how play is being threatened and becoming a lost art in our current culture.  I will support this idea through discussing how the technology boom has diminished time spent in three dimensional object play and group or individual imaginative play.  Stuart Brown will be a potential source to quote at this time, as it was in his book that I first read the terms “three dimensional object play” and “social imaginative play” in relation to various other types of play that people engage in.  Also to support how play is becoming a lost art, I will talk about our increased lack of social and interpersonal skills.  The use of facebook, texting, online game playing, snapchat – you name it – has carved away at the ability for an individual to recognize subtle social queues and the “play face.”  By presenting how play itself is disappearing from our culture, this will show the very present need for implementing play programs. 

I unveil the need and then present the solution.  The solution being implementing play conditioning programs in various forms.  I will briefly discuss what play conditioning is – repetitive exposure to positive play. This repetitive positive play exposure will promote brain change.  This leads way to the topic of neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt and change).  I will discuss how our society is no longer capable of teaching play to our young, and how adults have lost the ability to play.  We cannot change the current trajectory of society, therefore our only option is to accept this “new norm” and provide a solution of implementing play through artificial means. Now, I am prepared to present my thesis:  Engaging in play conditioning exercise to develop and maintain a playful state of mind is not only possible due to recent findings on neuroplasticity, but also critical to an individual’s happiness and ability to thrive in the modern and emerging world.  Learning how the brain creates new neural pathways, in conjunction with a clear appreciation and understanding of play, will expertly guide the development of a success play conditioning program vital to the future

I will begin the discussion of play in depth by first examining it evolutionarily.  This is a nice chronological way to start.  Some key aspects of how and why play survived evolution are its ability to build resilience to stress and trauma, prepare the young for adult life and necessary adult skills, as well as a key role in mate preference.  This will support the discussion that play cannot be taken lightly, and that it is in our best interest as a species that play continues to survive evolution.

After discussing the more rudimentary and physical reasons for play in relation to our thriving as a species and individual, I will then delve into the more subtle but equally necessary psychological benefits.  Through presenting that play is our deepest and earliest form of connection, and this early connection is critical to proper brain development, I hope to cause alarm and given my earlier claim that play is vanishing - thus again support my thesis for play conditioning programs.  I intend to play on heart strings by discussing how babies in orphanages suffer improper brain development from lack of human touch and connection.  I plan to draw upon my own experience in India as a small child adopting my sister from a poverty stricken adoption center in Calcutta.

Next, I plan to discuss not only how connecting through play is necessary for raising our young properly, but also a key aspect of maintaining successful relationships as adults.  It is my belief that “the couple that plays together stays together.”  Through play we release our ego, open our hearts, become better listeners and most of all have fun.  These traits allow for deep connection and communication, resulting in more successful marriages and relationships or all kinds.  Not only, does the individual unit need play to become resilient to life stress, as previously discussed, so does the couple or family unit.  To support this claim, I plan to use personal experience as well as quotes from Patch Adams here who believes the expression of play is on-par with love.  Harking back to earlier claims how our ability to connect through play in now in jeopardy due to human integration with technology and away from each other,  I will now prove with even more alarm the value of and current need for more connection through play.

After presenting the benefits of play within relationships, it stands to reason the next topic is the benefit of play in relation to work.  The various benefits I plan to discuss are how playfulness predicts creativity, is the other side of the coin to math and science aptitudes, and perhaps most importantly - fosters high level solution oriented out of the box thinking.  This is an excellent set up to discuss the use of the playful mind when working in corporate settings.  I will discuss how play allows for co-workers to solve problems and create with more innovation, quicker and with more joy and ease - resulting in increased employee satisfaction, and an increased bottom line for the company.

Lastly, I will discuss the benefits of a playful mind in relationship to ourselves.  A playful mind promotes a kinder, more accepting attitude towards ourselves, and resilience to challenging life circumstances.  To illuminate this, I will discuss how a playful mind allows for the transformation of grief and trauma, releases the need for perfection, promotes acceptance of the things one cannot change, and provides confidence to change the things one can.  All of this leads to increased personal happiness.  Which sets up a discussion for what is known as the “happiness set point” and how given neuroplasticity our own predisposition to happiness is more in our control than previously thought.  I will then introduce the “playfulness set point.”

The concept of neuroplasticity is now introduced and given its recent discovery and proof, I will briefly explain what neuroplasticity is so the reader and I are on the same page.  I then intend to give both empathy for the difficulty and required discipline of changing and building new positive play prone neuro-pathways of the brain, as well as encouragement.  It is important that I present the idea of play conditioning program with lightheartedness.  The last thing I want is my reader to feel is daunted by such a suggestion.  I want the reader to feel inspired and wishing they could attend a play class tomorrow to start reaping the benefits and feeling better. 

I am now ready to conclude my paper through pulling all the presented information together and with a simple reintroduction of my thesis:  It is imperative that our culture’s value of play dramatically increases – and quickly too.  If not, we are headed for not just an unhappy overworked future, but also one void of human connection, and resilient, creative individuals.  But change is possible.  Through well designed play conditioning programs and studios as easy to attend as your weekly yoga class – the benefits of a playful state of mind is the new thing, necessary to thrive in the modern world,  and within all of our reach.

Outline | Play

       I.            Introduction – What is play?

a.       Play is a state of mind.

                                                              i.      The state of play allows for a mental, emotional and physical presence that is: fluid (nonlinear) thinking, judgment and ego free, looks at a problem or situation from a 360 degree angle, can transform anything into anything else, is open to all possibilities and has a “yes, and” attitude.

                                                            ii.      Like meditation can teach the state of mindfulness, so can a state of play be taught.

b.      A state of play is increasingly threatened by the modern world and technology boom.

                                                              i.      Increase use of screen time in both adults and how we raise our kids, is fostering a mind of two dimensional thought verses three dimensional play.

                                                            ii.      Exporting our social interaction on line is resulting in an inability for humans to recognize a “play face” and other emotional nuances resulting in an ill prepared socially inept generation.

c.       Due to our society no longer being able to naturally engage in high level play, introducing play conditioning exercises to our culture is a new necessary.

                                                              i.      Play conditioning classes consist of repetitive exposure to positive play.

                                                            ii.      As neuroplasticity can confirm, repetitive exposure has the ability to rewire our brain, thus developing a state of play as a new mental home. (What is Neuroplasity)

d.      Thesis Statement: Engaging in play conditioning exercise to develop and maintain a playful state of mind is not only possible due to recent findings on neuroplasticity, but also critical to an individual’s happiness and ability to thrive in the modern and emerging world.  Learning how the brain creates new neural pathways, in conjunction with a clear appreciation and understanding of play, will expertly guide the development of a success play conditioning program vital to the future.

    II.            Play has an evolutionary role vital to survival and proper development of the human condition.

a.       Child’s play mimics the skills necessary for successful adult life.

                                                              i.      Throughout time, girls have engaged in nurturing activities as play, such as doll and imaginative “house” play, while boys engaged in activities like play hunting and war.  (Chick)

b.      Playfulness is an intrinsically attractive attribute when selecting a long term partner.

                                                              i.      Men select playful mates that signal youth, while woman select playful mates because it feels non-threatening.  (Chick)

c.       Engaging in play builds resilience to trauma.

                                                              i.      A study of play deprived rats lead to results suggesting that play is vital to building resilience to life threats. (Stuart)

                                                            ii.      Through the study of marmosets, it is concluded that play builds tolerance to stress. (Norscia)

 III.             Human connection is both taught and fostered through play.

a.       Play is our first form of connection, and builds vital neurological connections in early life.

                                                              i.      Early connection through prevents secure attachment disorder from forming. (Lavine)

                                                            ii.      Babies in orphanages often develop challenges later in life from early neglect of touch.

b.      Play creates a mental state allowing for deeper connection and more rewarding, higher functioning relationships.

                                                              i.      The couple that plays together stays together.

                                                            ii.      Play is on-par with the connection and experience of love.  (Adams)

c.       The valuable person to person connection, which play has the ability to spark, is now in jeopardy due to current culture.

                                                              i.       Increased use social media and online gaming, takes time away from valuable person to person connection.  Human play faces are no longer recognizable.

 IV.            It is out of a playful state of mind that our deepest and most creative thought is born.

a.       Those with aptitudes in the sciences and maths have a propensity towards creativity and playfulness.  (Chang)

                                                              i.      Einstein developed the theory of relativity through a playful imagining of riding a beam of light through the universe.

b.      Traits of playfulness are similar to those of creativity. (Csikszentmihlyi)

c.       Corporate environments recognize the need for play through “team building” activities, however this once a year approach is not enough.

d.      Group play fosters the ability to engage in professional group environments without the individual’s ego getting in the way which results in quicker, more innovated problem solving and brainstorming.

    V.            A playful mind allows for a kinder, more accepting attitude towards ourselves, and resilience to challenging life circumstances.

a.       Happiness is more in our control than we have previously believed. (Gordon)

                                                              i.      If one can change their happiness set point, they can change their “playfulness set point”.

 VI.            A playful mind can be tough

a.       Neuroplasticity now proves the ability of the brain

b.      The technology boom has neurologically altered/ inhibited early play development (Rieber)

c.       Play conditioning is putting neuroplasticity to use in developing a playful mind.

VII.            Conclusion:  It is imperative that our culture’s value of play dramatically increases – and quickly too.  If not, we are headed for not just an unhappy overworked future, but also one void of human connection, and resilient, creative individuals.  Yet change is possible.  Neuroplasticity and play conditioning prove the ability to increase and develop the playful mind at any point and any age.