By Saskia Bosman, Ph.D.

,
Biologist, brain and consciousness researcher.

INTRODUCTION
1. FLEXIBILITY OF THE BRAIN
2. THE TRIUNE BRAIN
3. LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN
4. THE FOUR BRAIN QUADRANTS
5. STRESS MANAGEMENT
6. EFFECTIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING

INTRODUCTION
This Online Brain Training Workshop is a way to help your brain learn how to play!

All of our brains are suffering from more stress than ever before. This is mainly due to
the faster pace of our everyday lives. According to scientists, we use only 10 % of our
brains. So it is no surprise that this 10 % has a really hard time trying to keep up with
the increasing amount of information which is bombarding it. And it is trying to deal
with increasing workloads. So how can we give our poor brains a break - what can we
do to help?

The Online Brain Training will help you hear, experience and understand more about
the right and left brain hemispheres. You will be shown how to apply the most recent
scientific as well as ancient knowledge, which will start the expansion of your brain’s
capacity. You will be guided to tap into the hidden potential of the brain, while at the
same time coming from a space of enthusiasm.

No special background or training is necessary for any techniques that will be used. You
will be shown and will learn simple exercises. These involve movement, sound and
colour. They will open up your senses and help you to relax - all with laughter and fun!
You will start to build a new relationship with your brain. This will help you to cope with
present day situations. It will also facilitate your further development.

The Brain Training Day will include balancing and connecting the left and right brain
hemispheres, extending your boundaries by activating new circuitry of the brain,
managing stress, better information processing, activating greater access to your long
term memory and easier ways of learning.

This will not be a hardgoing intellectual workshop but one for playing -which is what
our brains are crying out for.

This manual follows the sequence of the Brain Training Day, which I teach.

Information in this manual is presented as prints of most of the overhead sheets

together with short texts, thus not too much reading. The exercises have been printed
in italics.

This manual makes it easier for you to remember information and to do the exercises
after the Online Brain Training. If necessary, you can read and record the exercises on
tape. Please do not attempt to do them while driving a car.

When you repeat the exercises at home or at work, they will get boring after a number
of repetitions. This is a good sign! It means your brain has activated as many new
circuits and integrated as many parts as it could through these exercises. To offer your
brain new stimuli, bring variations in the exercises. When they feel boring again after a
while, make new variations or make a brand new exercise! Please feel free to be
creative! In this way, you can continuously expand your brain capacities. New talent
may surface. It is endless. The Online Brain Training could be the beginning of your
infinite unfoldment.

WE USE ONLY 10 % OF OUR BRAIN CIRCUITRY, MOST OF IT ON THE LEFT SIDE

WE NEED TO EXPAND BEYOND THE SCOPE OF OUR KNOWN BRAIN CIRCUITRY, FOR:

OVERCOMING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

FLEXIBILITY
ADAPTABILITY
ANTICIPATION
CREATIVE IDEAS AND INSIGHTS
ACTIVATING SLUMBERING, UNEXPECTED TALENTS
FULL, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN CHANGE
BASIS: ENTHUSIASM

ACTIVATING MORE BRAIN CIRCUITRY

INTEGRATING BRAIN FUNCTIONS E.G. THOSE OF LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN
BETTER ACCESS TO LONG-TERM MEMORY
EFFECTIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING
RELAXATION, STRESS MANAGEMENT

SIMPLE
FUN
EASY TO APPLY
EASY TO PASS ON TO OTHERS
MOVEMENT
VISUALISATION
VISUAL TECHNIQUES
SOUND
RELAXATION

Every human baby is born with the adult number of neurons (the communicating brain
cells) in the brain: 100,000,000 (one hundred billion), the same as the number of stars
in our Galaxy. From birth onwards, not the number of neurons in the brain but the
number of connections between them grows. Intelligence does not depend on the
number of neurons, but on the number of connections between them. The brain
circuitry is mainly formed by these connections. Scientists have estimated, that we use
only 10 % of our brain circuitry.

For the brain it is true that if you don’t use it, you lose it. This means: connections
between neurons disappear, when they are not used. The body can use the substances
somewhere else, in that case. On the other hand, when we persist in exercising our
brain, unused circuits start to be used and we can grow new ones, even in a couple of
hours! Exercising does not mean doing strenuous exercises all the time, most of all it
includes a lot of fun and plenty of rest. Under these circumstances our brain will
perform optimally and we will be most productive in whatever way needed.

Exercise in turning on new curcuits by te power of visualisation

Stand in a place where you have enough space around you to swing your arms around.
Stretch one arm, pointing right in front of you. Look in the direction you are pointing.
Now turn outward and around, without moving your feet. Keep looking where you are
pointing. Turn as far as you can and remember the farthest point in the room you are
pointing at. Turn back, relax your arm and close your eyes. Imagine you are doing this
exercise again, but you are turning a lot further. Now open your eyes and do it again.
You will be amazed at how far you go. Do the same, from the beginning, with your
other arm. This balances your left and right brain in opening new circuits.

The theory of the Triune Brain has been developed by Dr. Paul McLean, head of the
Laboratory for Brain Evolution and Behaviour of the National Institute of Mental Health
in Washington. The theory recently turned out to be somewhat simplified, but is still
interesting as a model of the development and evolution of behavior. In evolution, one
layer of brain developed and grew over the other. Just figure out for yourself which
brain layer you use at work and in your private life. Your brain layers have the following
functions:

Reptilian Brain or Brain Stem:

Serves our existence.
Awareness of body space, survival, possessiveness, self-defence, adaptability to the
environment, automatic routine, habits. These give rise to patterns and codes in
society, which offer stability in a time of change. Multitasking exercises and consciously
doing unusual things will help our nervous system to escape the “reptilian” patterns.

Early Mammalian Brain or Hypothalamus plus Limbic System:

Makes us “warm” and “fiery” beings.
Adequate reaction to stimuli.
Regulation of body temperature, emotions, partner seeking, formation of family and
groups, finding food, protection, caring, envy, aggression, dominance, alienation.

Human Brain (Neocortex) or Cerebrum (Large Brain):

Makes us human.
Communication through language, creative work, associative functions, self-knowledge,
self-awareness, intellectual and conceptual functions, insight into the feelings and
thoughts of others. The left and right brain functions. We can transcend ourselves
continuously through and beyond the neocortex. The evolution of the triune brain’s
structure is repeated relatively quickly during gestation. The evolution of the triune
brain’s functions is repeated rapidly during the first 3 years of life.

Please print this page and circle the answer that fits you best. If both answers apply
equally, or an answer in between, please circle 1.5

1. How do you handle intuitions you have regarding your work or private life?
1 I only follow them if they are supported by logic.
2 I follow them if the feel good, even if they don’t seem logical.
1.5
 2. How do you conduct your work?
1 I make a plan for the day and do everything in sequence.
2 I may or may not make a plan for the day, I don’t necessarily do everything in
sequence and I keep space for the unexpected.
1.5
3. How do you listen to people?
1 I mainly listen to their words.
2 I mainly perceive the feeling they radiate and their body language.
1.5
4. Can you find your way easily in a city you rarely visit?
1 No.
2 Yes.
1.5
5. How do you solve problems best?
1 By analysing them step by step and through logical thinking.
2 By allowing them to sink in and the answer then emerging spontaneously.
1.5
6. How do you approach new and complex situations?
1 I analyse the new situation’s components in order to reach an overview.
2 I attempt to see the whole situation after which I may or may not analyse it.
1.5
7. How do you predict the possible outcomes of an event?
1 I think about it in terms of cause and effect (“if this........then that”).
2 Through the feeling I have about it.
1.5
8. How do you think?
1 Mainly in words.
2 Mainly in images, movements or feelings.
1.5
9. How do you remember (e.g. study material) best?
1 If it is logical, thus if I understand it.
2 If it contains pattern and rhythm.
1.5
10. What kind of problem do you prefer to solve?
1 A problem which logically has just one answer.
2 A problem which invites creative solutions.
1.5

Please add the numbers 1, 2 and 1.5 you have circled. The result will be any number
from 10 to 20. 10 means total dominance by your left brain, 20 means total dominance
by your right brain. 15 (or 14-16) means equal balance between both brain
hemispheres. All other values represent an intermediate situation between the two
hemispheres. Most people will find values around 15. This questionnaire shows your
general tendency. It is not influenced by the 90-minutes rhythm in which your left and
righ brain alternate.
Party or workshop suggestion: If you are with a group of people, have them fill in this
questionnaire and add them to the illustration above.
YOUR LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN ALTERNATE IN A 90-MINUTES RHYTHM. THIS IS WHY
WE HAVE “ACTIVE” AND “PASSIVE” PERIODS AND NEED BREAKS DURING THE DAY.

CLOSE ONE NOSTRIL WITH YOUR FINGER AND EXHALE THROUGH THE OPEN ONE.
LISTEN TO THE SOUND.

CLOSE YOUR OTHER NOSTRIL AND EXHALE THOUGH THE OPEN ONE. LISTEN TO THE
SOUND.

THE NOSTRIL WITH THE LOWEST PITCH IS THE MOST OPEN ONE.

THE BRAIN HEMISPHERE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF YOUR HEAD, CONNECTED WITH
THIS NOSTRIL, IS THE MOST ACTIVE.

AN EQUAL PITCH MEANS THAT ONE OF YOUR BRAIN HEMISPHERES IS JUST TAKING
OVER FROM THE OTHER.

THIS METHOD MAY NOT WORK WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD.

PLEASE TRY THIS AGAIN AT OTHER MOMENTS OF THE DAY, TO GET AN IDEA
OF YOUR RHYTHM.

The following exercises will help you to activate and integrate the functions of
the two hemispheres of your brain
Sit in a straight chair, with both feet on the ground or cross-legged on the floor and
your back straight. Exhale completely. Place the first finger of your right hand on the
middle of your forehead in between your eyebrows. This stimulates an energy center,
which is connected to your brain functions. Close your right nostril with your thumb and
inhale deeply for 5 seconds through your left nostril. Hold your breath for 5 seconds.
Feel how the air, charged with energy, spreads from the lungs through your whole
body, including your brain. Close you left nostril with your middle finger and open your
right nostril. Exhale deeply through it in 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 5 seconds,
then inhale through the same nostril in 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 5 seconds and
feel the energy spreading, change nostril. Exhale through your left nostril, etcetera. Do
this exercise for 1 or 2 minutes or as long as feels comfortable. Stop when you feel
dizziness and try again later. If you prefer, you may use your left hand to close and
open nostrils, or change hands when one arm gets tired. You may change nostrils at
the end of your exhale instead of the top of your inhale. Your concentration on this
exercise will be best if you close your eyes. Always remember to breathe deeply into
your abdomen instead of superficially with your chest only.

Very powerful is the cross crawl. You can do this everywhere, always. You practise by
walking in such a way that one leg always moves forward together with the opposite
arm. Probably you do this already. If not, your left and right brain need more
cooperation. Then practise until the cross becomes automatic. As soon as it becomes
automatic, your left and right brain are cooperating well.

In addition you can easily invent all kinds of games (and maybe you know some
already), in which your left and right arm and/or your left and right leg are making
different movements. Also try drumming different rhythms on your desk with your left
and right hand. Very powerful is making the same drawing simultaneously with your
left and right hand.

With your hands and/or your eyes you can make lemniscate movements. A lemniscate
is a figure 8 on its side. Move into one direction first, then to the other for an equal
number of turns.

Such exercises are used in the treatment of dyslexia, which is caused by a lack of
cooperation between the left and right brain. The image of characters and words,
recognized by the right brain, are not associated with the meaning of the symbols,
known by the left brain.

The power of visualisation has already been demonstrated by the turning exercise on p.
8. Following is a visualisation with a beneficial effect on the balance between your brain
hemispheres.

Sit on a straight chair with both feet flat on the floor, or cross-legged on a cushion on
the floor. Close your eyes and relax.Breathe in a calm and quiet way. Ground yourself
by sending an imaginary root from your coccyx deeply into the Earth. This will prevent
a feeling of floating when the exercise is over.

Bring your attention into your brain and enter your right brain. Look around, feel its
space and notice what you experience. Is your right brain light, dim or dark? Is the
space large, just enough or small? Is it hot, warm or cold? Move through your corpus
callosum, which connects both hemispheres, to your left brain. Look and feel around. Is
your left brain light, dim or dark? Is the space large, just enough or small? Is it hot,
warm or cold? Move back to the point exactly in between your two brain hemispheres,
in your corpus callosum.
Imagine a sun, straight above your head. Imagine its warm, golden light. Feel its
warmth. Open a window in your crown. Allow the sun light to stream into your brain.
Allow both your left and right brain to be filled with light.

Is the light equally divided between your left and right brain? If not, allow more sun
light to stream into the brain hemisphere with the lowest light intensity, until both are
equally bright.

Allow the light in your right brain to change into a radiant color. Allow also the light in
your left brain to change into radiant, but different color. Allow part of the light in your
right brain to flow through the corpus callosum into your left brain, and vise versa. This
gives rise to a new and radiant color in your whole brain. Allow this light to become
brighter and brighter, until the boundaries between your two hemispheres disappear.
You may have a sensation of too much light in your head Then allow the surplus to flow
through your brain stem, spinal cord and imaginary root, into the Earth. Return to daily
consciousness and open your eyes.

A very powerful means by which you make your left and right brain cooperate
immediately is viewing stereograms. It may take a a little practice before you see the
three-dimensional (3D, spatial) images. Some circumstances make it impossible to see
the 3D image. These are: one blind eye, one very dominant eye, one eye being short-
sighted, the other far-sighted.

You will find the stereograms on the front cover of this course book and on page 27.

The most relaxed way of viewing a stereogram is by placing the focus of your eyes
behind the page. The dots or small images on the page will merge on your retina and
your brain will perceive the 3D image. Some images can best be seen by crossing your
eyes, but this is straining for the eye muscles. When you use the 3D picture in the back
of this course book, hold it at reading distance with the two dots at the bottom. If your
focus is at the right distance behind the page, the two dots seem to be three of them.
Move your eyes to the picture and you will see the 3D image. If this does not work,
hold the page against your nose, as if you are looking through a window with your nose
touching it. Relax your eyes (put them on infinite). Keep your eyes in this relaxed state
and move the page slowly away from you, until you see the three dots and the 3D
image.

View stereograms 8 to 10 minutes a day. It has more advantages, like taking you into
an alpha (relaxed, receptive) or theta state (deep meditation) immediately, (eye)
relaxation, increased blood flow and more connections in the visual parts of the brain,
better visualisation, increased creativity and stress reduction.
The left and right brain can each be divided in a front and rear half. The front halves
house the motoric and most abstract functions, the rear halves the sensory and
sensory-integrative functions. Thus, the large brain (human brain, neocortex) can be
seen as consisting of four quadrants.
This multi-tracking or multi-tasking exercise uses movements and thought processes
which seem very contradictory. This is why this exercise seems to be difficult. It very
effectively integrates the four quadrants of your brain. For all exercises, but especially
this one, it is important to stay relaxed and playful and not to blame yourself when
thing go “wrong”. There is no “wrong” here. This exercise helps you to combine a
number of brain circuits. Because many parts of this exercise and combinations of them
will be new to you, you also start to use unused brain circuits and contribute in creating
new ones. During this exercise and more so when you repeat it, you will notice an
improvement in your performance of it. It will also become easier to combine different
tasks, also in your daily (professional) life. The results of this exercise will help you to
escape or better, prevent programmed habits that keep you from using your full
potential in any task. Methods like this exercise originate in Brain research as well as
Sufism.

Stand in a place where you have plenty of space to move and to lie down. Bring your
attention into your the base of your pelvis (your center) and breathe down deeply into
it. Relax as much as you can. This balances you.

Allow your head and shoulders to turn together to the left and right, in one continuous
movement...
Allow your head and shoulders to move independently, in opposite directions...
Now allow them to turn left and right together...
Opposite...
Together....
Opposite...
While you continue this opposite movement, allow your eyes to follow your shoulders.
Don’t became angry at yourself when it does not work, it is just a game...
Allow your head and shoulders to turn into opposite directions and allow your eyes to
do whatever they want...and tapdance...And sing or whistle a song...
Stop and rest.

Turn your head to the left and your gaze to the right...
Turn your head to the right and your gaze to the left...
Continue these movements...
And start jumping up and down and snap your fingers...And move your hands in
circles...
And buzz a song...
While you do all these movements, think of a beehive.....a spiral staircase......a bowl of
soup...
Stop and rest.

Allow your hips and arms to sway forward and backward, together...
Allow them to sway in opposite directions...
Together...
Opposite...
While making these movements, jump up and down...
And make a boxing movement with your hands...
And whistle a song...
And think of flowers...a moon landscape...strawberries with whipped cream.
Stop and rest.

Lie down on your back on the floor, with your knees bent, the soles of your feet flat on
the groud and your hands on your chest. Start moving your elbows up and down, like a
chicken...
And bike with your legs...
Now place both feet next to each other on the floor and clap your knees together
rhythmically...
And bike with your arms (as if your hands are holding the pedals)...
Now move your elbows up and down again, hands on your chest, and bike with your
legs...
Now place both feet next to each other on the floor and clap your knees together
rhythmically and bike with your arms...
Now move your elbows up and down again, hands on your chest, and bike with your
legs...
And make chicken and rooster sounds...
Stop, relax and rest.

While you are still lying down, bend your knees and lay your arms by your sides.Start
to tap the floor with your right hand, in a very slow rhythm...
And in a faster rhythm with your left hand..
And with your right foot in a slow rhythm...
And with your left foot in a fast rhythm...
Stop.
Start to tap the floor with your left hand, in a very slow rhythm...
And in a faster rhythm with your right hand..
And with your left foot in a slow rhythm...
And with your right foot in a fast rhythm...
Stop.
Start to tap the floor with your left hand, in a very slow rhythm...
And with your right foot as well...
And with your right hand a fast rhythm...
And with your left foot as well...
Stop and rest.

Stand up and turn your head to the left and your gaze to the right...
Turn your head to the right and your gaze to the left...
Continue these movements...
And start jumping up and down and snap your fingers...And move your hands in
circles...
And buzz a song...
While you do all these movements, think of a beehive.....a spiral staircase......a bowl of
soup...
Stop and rest.

This last part was a repetition. Notice your improvements. The most powerful part
causing these improvements is the part with the combinations of rhythmic tapping on
the floor.

This exercise has been altered and adapted. Original exercise: Jean Houston, “The
Possible Human - A Course in Extending Your Physical, Mental, and Creative Abilities.”
Tarcher, Los Angeles, 1982 (exercise No. 2 in Ch. 3).

Getting stressed is something you do to yourself. Relaxation exercises will help you to
become more relaxed. They give you much energy and enable you to handle a busy life
easier. The best position for your body is lying down on your back on a mattress,
blanket or sleeping bag on the floor or in a reclining chair. Following is a relaxation
exercise which will relax your body and mind. It takes you into an alpha state which is
ideal for learning. With more experience it will take you into a theta state, a brainwave
pattern characteristic of deep meditation. If you like you can play meditative music
during this exercise.

Relax all your muscles, close your eyes and breathe in a calm and relaxed way. Let go
of all your thoughts and sorrows. Imagine a long, thick and strong root growing from
your coccyx, deeply into the Earth. This grounds you, which means it will prevent a
sensation of floating when the exercise is over. You don’t need to keep imagining the
root. Just know that it is there. Make sure you continue breathing during the following:

Tighten the muscles of your feet, hold this tension for 3 to 5 seconds and let go.
Imagine the tension is flowing out of them and your feet become totally relaxed, soft
and warm. Do the same with your lower legs, thighs, buttocks, pelvis, abdomen, lower
half of your back, chest and upper half of your back respectively. Then do your hands,
lower arms, upper arms, shoulders, neck, face, tongue, and scalp respectively. When
tightening your scalp, imagine someone pulling your hair very hard and then letting go
of it. Then imagine you take your brain in your two hands. Imagine yourself squeezing
your brain completely like a sponge. Hold it for 3 to 5 seconds. Then let your brain go
and imagine it expanding back to its original size. Imagine it filling itself with blood and
brain fluid, full of fresh oxygen and nutrients.

Now your body feels very relaxed. Talk to it mentally and ask it to relax even further.
Ask it to relax further and further.

Now imagine walking on bare feet in nature. The weather is beautiful. Feel the grass
under your feet. Smell the flowers. See the butterflies fluttering around. Hear the birds.
You arrive at a lake and sit down on its shore, in the grass. You feel a gentle breeze
and see the water rippling. A fish slowly swims by. Allow yourself to experience the
smells, sounds, the gentle, warm breeze, etcetera, with all your senses. Enjoy
everything around you and experience a deep, inner peace. Return to daily
consciousness and open your eyes.

As a variation to this exercise, you can also start the muscle tightening from your scalp.
Then work toward your feet.

Quick relaxation exercises you can always use at work are the following:

Extend your arms in front of you, cross them and clasp your hands in this position.
Turn your clasped hands down and up in front of your face. Cross your feet. Sit in this
position for a minute. It is very relaxing and takes your brain into an alpha state. This
is a relaxed, receptive state ideal for learning. In bed you can use it for falling asleep
easier.

Give your body a good stretch and yawn. Yawning is usually not a sign of sleepiness,
but serves to let go of tension.

Hold your head vertical and look up. Your eyes need to turn upward 20 degrees with
respect to the horizontal plane. This produces alpha waves in your brain.

Further, make sure you take breaks at the right times of the day. Be aware of the
natural activity cycle of your left and right brain.

BRAIN WAVES
DELTA (0.5-4 CYCLES PER SECOND):
DEEP SLEEP STATE

THETA (4-7 CYCLES PER SECOND):

DEEP MEDITATIVE STATE
SUPERFICIAL SLEEP STATE
- SPONTANEOUS IMAGES

ALPHA (7-12 CYCLES PER SECOND):

LEARNING STATE
- RELAXATION
- NO THINKING OR VISUALIZING
- RECEPTIVENESS, INFORMATION STORAGE

BETA (12 OR MORE CYCLES PER SECOND):

NORMAL WAKING STATE
- SENSORY PERCEPTION
- LOGICAL THINKING
- DECISION MAKING

THINKING TYPES:

R (RESPONSIVE):
BETA - EYES OPEN
ALPHA - EYES CLOSED
THINKING AS MUCH IN IMAGES AS IN WORDS/KINESTHETIC

P (PERSISTENT):
ALPHA - EYES OPEN OR CLOSED
THINKING PREDOMINANTLY IN WORDS AND/OR KINESTHETIC

M (MINIMAL):
LITTLE OR NO ALPHA - EYES OPEN OR CLOSED
THINKING PREDOMINANTLY IN IMAGES

M EASILY GOES INTO THETA STATE (EYES CLOSED. RELAXED): SPONTANEOUS INNER
IMAGES

THETA STATE ENHANCED BY:

SENSORY DEPRIVATION
GANZFELD STIMULATION
ALPHA/THETA WAVES BIOFEEDBACK

Results in easier relaxation.

Acute and chronic stress and their consequences

Self-awareness in this case is especially meant as becoming aware of your
thoughts about yourself and about your professional performance and
achievements. Just monitor your own thoughts for a day. How do you think
about yourself? Positive? Negative? If the latter is (partly) true, use positive
affirmations for yourself every morning. Visualize your goals as if you have
already achieved them. Visualize success. Visualize your organisation as it
needs to be, in order to be succesful. Meditation may be very helpful.

Change your eating and drinking habits, if necessary.

Note how your body positions and movements influence your feelings and
thoughts about you and others. Change your body positions and movements, if
necessary.

Make sure the purposes of your work and your personal goals are clear and
plan accordingly. Write down the steps of your plan and the tasks to do. Cross
out the tasks you have done. This will help you to focus on them, rather then
getting distracted. You may like to make a mindmap, as described below.

Notice how you feel in your work environment: the building, the office, the
classroom, etcetera. If necessary, make changes in your environment. Not too
much artificial light (especially no fluorescent tubes), more daylight and
plants will help. Make sure you have fresh air and the right humidity. Find out
for yourself, which environment makes you feel comfortable: relaxed yet
inspired and energetic enough to work. Certain colors can be relaxing, others
very activating. Pictures on the wall can help, as long as they are not too
distracting. If you want to create an environment that feels good on an energy
level, look into Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement.

Today, a lot of information comes our way. Between 1800 and 1900 the
amount of information in the world doubled. Between 1900 and 1950 this
happened again, between 1950 and 1960 again, as well as between 1960 and
1966. A manager in 1997 had 1,400 times more information than (s)he had in
1980. Many people now feel that information is overwhelming us. Many are
afraid they can’t cope with it anymore. But there are techniques to process the
information.

First of all, you can be aware of your motivation and purposes. Based on this,
you can be selective with information. You can further help this selectivity by
keeping to a time schedule. You can improve your concentration. You can
learn to speedread and/or photoread. You can improve your learning methods
and make sure by repetition that the learned material sticks with you and is not
forgotten one day after the course.

A great learning aid is the mindmap. By drawing a mindmap you arrange

information like your brain does. Our brain is associative. The mindmap is
useful for information processing, learning, planning, preparing or taking
notes of speeches or reports, tapping our long-term memory and for meetings.

Choose a theme about which you have knowledge and about which you want
to make a mindmap.

Have several coloured pencils or pens ready. Use a blank A4 or an A3 sheet

for your mind map. Place it in a landscape position in front of you. Write
down the main theme in the center of your sheet, preferably with a small
drawing, circle, rectangle or other shape around it. Write down the first word
associated with it next to it, at the two o’clock position. Connect it with a line
to the central theme. Moving outward, write down more and more words
associated with the second, third word, etcetera. More words can be
associated with one. Make sure to connect all word with flowing lines. Use
capitals, at least for key words. When one branch had been drawn and written
down, start the next one from the central theme, etcetera, until the sheet is
filled and your mindmap is complete. Use drawings and use many colors.

Here is an example of a mind map, in three stages. If you use this method to
tap from your long-term memory, you can come up with huge amounts of
information in a short time. You may be amazed at what you know. If you use
the mindmap to arrange study material and business information, it is still a
quick method. Provided you have selected and studied the material efficiently.
By making a mindmap you involve both sides of your brain. Association and
drawing images is a function of your right brain. Writing down words is a
function of your left brain.
T. Buzan: “Use Both Sides of Your Brain”, Plume, Penguin Books USA Inc.,
1991,
ISBN 0-452-26603-3

W. Coleman and P. Perrin, “Marilyn Ferguson’s Book of Pragmagic”, Pocket

Boooks, Simon & Schuster Inc., New York, 1990, ISBN 0-671-66824-2

Diagram Visual Information Ltd., “The Brain, A User’s Manual”, G.P.

Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1982.

C. Hampden-Turner, “Maps of the Mind - Charts and Concepts of the Mind

and Its Labyrinths”, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1982, ISBN
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