2 - The Brain

brainThe brain is an incredibly complex physiological organ. The brain works every moment of our lives performing many functions simultaneously—processing our thoughts, emotions, and imagination. The brain also monitors critical functions to maintain the overall health of the body. Our general social and cultural knowledge is processed by the brain so that we may interact in a productive way with other members of our society. It may seem the brain is put together in a rigid, defined way, but the brain’s connections are modified by the experiences we have. Learning actually changes the structure of the brain. Therefore, the more we learn, the more unique we become. One might say that the actual “wiring” of the brain is affected by school and life experiences.

Many aspects of the brain remain a mystery, but here are some general principles. The brain resists having meaningless or disorganized patterns imposed on it. Concentrating too heavily on the storage and recall of unconnected facts is a very inefficient use of the brain. The brain works best under conditions of relaxed alertness. This means the most productive conditions favour an atmosphere that is low in threat and high in challenge. Under perceived threat, we literally lose access to portions of our brain. The brain seems to be shocked into a state where thinking power is drained away.

Information that is directly presented to the brain is absorbed. But the ability of the brain goes much beyond that to absorb information and signals that lie in the realm of peripheral. Subtle signals that are not consciously noticed are also detected. This means that the brain responds to the entire sensory context. We remember what we experience—not just what we are told. Synergy means our experiences through sight, hearing, movement, and symbols are all synthesized or drawn together by the brain. The result is intuition, insight, and creativity. The whole spectrum of information processed directly or indirectly by the brain influences motives and decisions.