Mind
 The ultimate triumph of the human mind is to understand what the mind is.
V S Ramachandran
Given that learning and education is all about using our mind effectively, it is remarkable that we are taught so little about it during the learning process. And given the complexity and power of the brain it is also remarkable that we are never issued with a user's manual at any stage in our education! Tony Buzan, commenting on this, has described his book Use your head as just such an attempt to provide an 'Operations Manual for the Brain'.
It is quite clear that once students do learn more about how their minds work, their learning can become significantly more productive and rewarding.
Some Key Features of the Mind
Brainware and the BrainWareMap itself cover topics which are concerned with making more effective use of the mind, and the present Brain track also focuses on some important related issues. The following are some key features of the mind which it is both valuable and fascinating to explore:
- Use of the Left and Right Brain Hemispheres
Much of education is dominated by linear, logical, analytical, left brain modes of thinking. It can be very liberating and enjoyable, therefore, to engage much more in right brain modes of thinking, such as holistic, creative, colourful, 'big picture' thinking. See Left Brain-Right Brain for more details.
- Thinking in Pictures
The brain has a remarkable capacity to work with images and pictures, and mind-mapping provides a valuable way of tapping in to this capacity. Examples of 'mind maps' considered in a somewhat broader sense include the London Underground Map and the present BrainWareMap.
- Use of Colour
The use of colour in mind maps, the present BrainWareMap and more generally is aesthetically pleasing, and it can provide a valuable aid to comprehension, simplification and the use of the memory.
- Music
As well as being able to alter mood, music can play a significant role in enhancing the whole process of learning. See, for example, its use in Suggestopedia.
Further Information
For further information about the mind see:
- How the Human Brain Developed and How the Human Mind Works by Manfred
Davidmann
The Human Brain
Mind and Body - René Descartes to William Jame by Robert H Wozniak
What's on your mind? by Charles Fernyhough
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