'Mr.Brain' Part 3- "Mind mapping technique"

It has been a long gap from the previous post.It has been a bit full of facts in the previous two posts and less fun. But that is how it is, cause we are dealing with the most complex organ of the body and the most complex of them all in the universe. A little bit of thinking is required. It is like that at the start, but goes on to do wonders for you on the long run.

What is mind mapping?
Mind mapping is nothing but your natural flow of thoughts on paper. It is the mental projection of what is in your mind. An efficient tool indeed. I'll tell you the real purpose of the mind map. There are infinite number of thoughts in your mind. All those are disorganised. It is important to make it organised in order for the brain to be efficient.

A Mind map showing the "Impacts of Global warming"

Instead of wasting time in reading tonnes of paragraphs, if you can chunk only the keywords and associations you'll have enough space to gather more information and this is why I say we can do a lot more than what we really do with our brain.

As I said earlier images and words are the sole factors for memory. We think on something for a lot of time and one thing leads to some other and that in turn leads to something else. So sometimes we forget how we arrived at the last thought.

How do we draw a mind map?

Mind maps are really how the thought process takes place in your mind. It is as simple as that. They project how you think on to a paper. So if we jot it down on a paper we can easily recall our thought process. Like the mini mind maps the full mind map has a central image or a word. But preferably an image. Then it has got the branches which are called as the Basic Ordering Ideas(BOIs). These are the initial words that pop up in your mind when you think of the central word or the image. Each of these BOIs will lead to other words or images and this goes on. Branching out from each of the branches like a tree. This is what we call as the mind map. This is how we think. The following is the mind map that I created using the central word 'HAPPINESS'.

The mind map that I created using 'HAPPINESS' as the central word

Now if you can't comprehend, what is there in this image. I'll just tell you what I've done over here. The central word is HAPPINESS with the image of a smiley. Then that branches out as the BOIs namely, Nature, writing, learning, Sleeping, People,Cycling, Playing, and Machines. There are a lot more than this that you can add. Each of them has got a different kind of line, font, colour, dimension, shading and also the usage of symbols, codes and each of the branch is same as the length of the word. Each one word has got an image. In fact you can replace images instead of using the words. No matter how bad the image is you've to just draw what is in your mind. The next time it would be better. Now each of these branches out. Each of these BOIs can be made as the centre of another mind map and the same can be done. It is important to make every element in the mind map unique. When I think about Learning I'm reminded of art and that in turn reminds me of Mridangam, Painting. Then it goes on and on. Then when I think about nature I'm reminded of Animals and Plants. The animals reminds me of snakes. When I think about people, I'm reminded of my family and that in turn reminds me of mom, dad, and sister. And when you say sister I'm reminded of fighting with her and the fun that I've have with her. Similarly all the BOIs stimulate me to jot down whatever I think, in quick succession. This goes on and on. It is up to you to decide where to stop. Now we can see that, this is how we process information. The one that is to be noticed here is the way we associate one thing with other. This is how mind maps are drawn. We can use whatever colour, font, type of line that we need but it important to make it neat. Using hierarchy is recommended because it has been proved that everybody remembers hierarchy easily.The more neat it is the more easy it would be to recollect. It is easier to recollect if we take notes just like the mind maps. There is no need to jot down unnecessary stuff. No need to read unnecessary things and hence can save a lot of time. We can create a mind map using anything as the central image.

The Boeing Aircraft was developed only by the use of a 25-foot-long Mind Map.

Dr.Stanley standing alongside the 25-foot-mind map of Boeing Aircraft

You can get a mental block at the start of the mind map. In order to overcome that you can add a blank line i.e a branch, ask questions, and then add images. This happens to a lot of them. Having drawn the mind map another question that may pop out is how do we remember one? Reviewing the mind map is a very important task. After 1 hour period you should ideally review your Mind Map:

• After 10-30 minutes
• After a day
• After a week
• After a month
• After three months
• After six month

This makes the mind map a part of your on-going long-term memory. The Mind map is difficult at the start. We always feel lazy when doing the first time. The first time is difficult. It is like the clearing of the forest that I told you in the first part. But the second time you do, it becomes easy. Practice makes you feel comfortable and becomes a very good technique for remembering. It is logical to use mind maps because it is evident that this is how we dump in information. This is a technique to dump in more. Now you may ask me what do I do with this? How to apply this technique to real problems in the world like that of education, family, business etc? How to do self analysis with the technique? How does it help in problem solving? I'll deal all that in the subsequent posts. Meanwhile do try to make two or three mind maps if not 100 of them. It is a good technique. You'll know it only when you start doing it and know the full potential of the technique.

Do stay for much more to come!!!

-SATZ

"Mr.Brain" Part-2 - "Radiant thinking"

In the previous post I had told you about the real potential of our brain. We are aware of the fact that there is so much potential that can make us develop anything that we need to. It is a matter of creating 'memory traces' in our brains. So that the information reaches the deep parts of the brain and becomes one with the brain.

Let's see in this post the conventional note making/taking and its disadvantages. Then I'll introduce to you, what is called as Radiant Thinking, the first step in Mind Mapping. Mind maps are something that we normally use it without knowing that it is mind mapping. If we know about mind maps, we can certainly remember and recall things faster than what we normally do.

There is a psychology of learning and remembering. We normally remember the items at the start of the learning period, then at the end, any items associated with things or patterns already stored or linked to other aspects of what is being learned, any item that stand alone as outstanding or unique, then those of which are of particular interest to an individual. This is what research has shown us.

"Conventional note making/taking"

Our brain generally has got five functions namely: Receiving, Holding, Analysing, Outputting, Controlling. All these are integrated functions. One leads to the other. Only if the brain can receive, it can hold and analyse the data. Conversely, if the brain can hold and analyse the data efficiently, it can receive more data. This outputting function is what is the expression of Mind map.It is how we think in the inside that is shown outside. The fifth function is the monitoring of your general health, attitude, environmental conditions. This is the function that defines

"Perfect mind in a perfect body"

There has been so much of development in the world of information which has led to 'information explosion'. This has partly been caused by the assumption that writing is the only correct vehicle for the learning, analysis, and dissemination of information. If writing is indeed the best way of taking in, analysing and passing on information, why are so many people having problems in the fields of learning, thinking, creativity and memory? Why do they complain of basic inability, loss of self-confidence, diminishing interest, and reduced powers of concentration, memory and thinking?

This is because of the fact that we don't adopt the right method to take notes. We think that the linear way of writing notes is the best way to remember. But it isn't one. Great minds like that of Leonardo Da Vinci and that of Picasso have scribbled their ideas in a way that is comprehensive only to them. They have indeed become great. So what is the problem in our note making/taking abilities?

"Writings of Picasso"

For note making/taking we normally use three types or the combination of the three types. One is linear patterning or listing out, sentence type of notes, or in a hierarchical series consisting of major categories and sub-categories. There is a fourth type which is described as 'disorganised' or 'messy' kind of note taking/making. So in every school, university and business, using which a research was done, more than 95% used the major three styles.

"Writings of Leonardo Da Vinci"

There was an absence of the following: Visual rhythm, Visual pattern, Colour, Image(imagination),Visualization, Dimension, Spatial awareness, Gestalt(wholeness) and Association.
The disadvantages are that: Linear notes obscure the key words, make it difficult to remember, they waste time, fail to stimulate the brain creativity. Hence we lose powers of concentration, time consuming habit of reading unnecessary notes aruses, experience loss of confidence, lose the love for learning, boredom and frustration creeps into our minds, harder we work, the less we progress because we start working against ourselves.

A story comes to the mind when I talk about this. There was a young girl in New York, who at the age of nine was an A student, then at the age of 10 she was a B student, then at 11 years she was a C student, then at 12 years she was a D student, a total failure. She was doing one thing in a very good manner. She was good at that each year. Making her notes look attractive enough to study. In order to better at school, she started making her notes look better every year. This made her concentrate more on taking notes, making her forget, and misunderstand what she was studying. She was made to apply mind mapping and the trend was reversed.

What happens to the information that we put into our brains?
What happens when we taste a ripe fruit, smell flowers, listen to music, watch a stream, touch a loved one? Have you ever imagined what happens in our brain?
The answer is both simple and amazingly complex.
Each bit of information entering into our brain- every sensation, memory or thought can be represented as a central sphere from which radiate tens, hundreds, thousands, millions of hooks. Each hook represents an association. That leads to various other links and connections that are infinite in number. The associations which you've already used may be thought of as your database, or your library. Your brain is a Branching association machine(BAM). A super bio computer with lines of thought radiating from a virtually infinite number of data nodes. A calculation will reveal that your already existing database of items of information, and the associations radiating from them, consists of multiple quadrillions data associations.
This is what is called radiant thinking.
'Radiate' means 'to spread or move in directions'.
So how do we apply Radiant thinking to our minds. It is through Mind maps. Mind maps are the external expressions of our inside, which is called Radiant thinking. Mind map is a tool and the process is called as Radiant Thinking.
I'll tell you just a simple exercise which will enable you to know what is Radiant thinking.

Take a paper, and a lot of coloured pens, and have a word at the center say 'Machines'. Then having 'Machines' at the centre, draw ten branches. In each branch write the associations that pops up in your brain when you think of machines. For example, write cars on one branch. Similarly write 10 associations. Do not take more than 1 minute. Here is an exercise what I did.

"Machines at the center and Cars, Buses, Design, Hospitals, Household appliances, Airplanes, Fabrication,Land movers,Usefulness and Weapons came to my mind as branches"

If you can do it with three or four people then it would be better. Do not copy for god's sake. Compare each others results after finishing. Aim is to find those words which are common to all members.Predict how much of those would be common to all, individually before doing the exercise. Many people will predict that a lot of words to be common among the group but research has shown that for there to be even one word common to all members of a group of four is a rarity. If this common word was made the centre of another mind map then the results was the same. There is a difference in every individual's words. I'd tell you that it sounds easy but it needs some practice. It becomes easy as you practice. This is radiant thinking. This is just a basic of what is to come. Practice this exercise for various words as centre.

But what I've told is only about the Brainstroming words and not about images. When the Radiant thinking ability of the brain can be applied to the 'left cortical skill' of words, can the same power be applied to the 'right cortical skill' of imagination and images?
Yes, of course. Everybody is bestowed with the art of drawing. No matter how your image looks like. Art of drawing should be followed by everybody. Research was done by showing 2560 images to a group of students. And similar images were shown with the ones that were already shown. Nearly, 96% of the students found the right answers. Another research of nearly 10,000 images were shown for each second and the recognition accuracy rate was about 99.9%. Allowing some degree of boredom and exhaustion, R.S.Nickerson, a researcher, estimated that had their group been shown a million pictures, rather than 10,000 the would have recognised 986,300-an accuracy rate of 98.6%.

Now will tell you the real secret behind mind maps. The mind maps have proved to be efficient tools because it makes use of both the 'left cortical skill' and the 'right cortical skill' of words and images respectively, there by making the whole brain function at the same time. this makes it a powerful tool indeed. In the coming posts we will see about what are the mind mapping techniques available, how to apply them in our real lives and how to does it make us remember so much of information. Let's find it out in our subsequent posts. Do follow the astounding discovery of our own mind and put it to use in order to make ourselves efficient in whatever we do.

-SATZ