Basic Brain Training

The Functioning of the Human Mind

The Brain
The human brain represents one of the most sophisticated elements in
the known universe.
The functioning of the human brain enables the simultaneous
management of diverse processes: the mind, at any given moment,
through its neuron connections, can receive, process and store
information and it is also able, at the same time, to send instructions
to each individual part of the body.

Without doubt the brain is the most powerful instrument available to

mankind.
The human brain generates, on average, more electrical impulses per
day than the number generated by all the mobile phones in use in the
world during the same period. At the same time the human brain
functions with what would seem to be a minimal expenditure of
energy: over the course of one day the brain will utilize and consume
only 230 Kcal in spite of its continuous activity.
Though this information confirms the tremendous efficiency of the
brain instrument, in terms of relative consumption, this same
fundamental element of the human body requires a significant share
of energy in order to function.

Within the human body the brain represents only 2% in terms of

weight; however it consumes 20% of the average total daily energy
required by a person.

The brain consumes energy much more quickly compared with other
components and accordingly the greatest energy expenditure of the
human body derives precisely from the functioning of the brain.

Cerebral Strengths and Weaknesses

As we will see in greater detail later, not all of the parts of the brain
function in the same way, this can be noted from the fact that
electrical activity is not produced proportionally in all of the areas of
the brain.
Some areas are much more developed in terms of neurons and are
therefore much more active compared with others.
Such differences in the development of different cerebral activities, in
the various areas, can be determined by the type of education
received since early childhood.

A person can, in fact, be more competent in some specific activities

and less so in others, precisely due to the area of the brain involved in
the different actions.
Obviously activities exist that require the use of more cerebral areas
at the same time: even in this case one cerebral area will predominate
in relation to the others.
In spite of the fact that some areas of the brain will be, according to
the individual, genetically and from an educational point of view,
more or less developed, there is always the possibility to develop also
those areas that are initially less efficient.

The human brain is similar in its functioning to every other muscle in

the body and therefore it can be exercised and developed in order to
increase its potential.
Therefore, it is undoubtedly possible to increase and improve the
aptitude and capability of ones mind in relation to numerous
activities.

Cerebral structure

The human mind is divided into two

hemispheres: the left hemisphere and the right
hemisphere. These two cerebral sections are
connected by a central processing unit called
the corpus callosum.

Each hemisphere is deals with the management of different mental

activities. The left side (green) manages those operations classifiable
as logical: for example, all that concerns the management of
numbers, language, the creation and organization of lists, processes
of analysis, etc.
On the contrary the right side (blue) manages everything that
concerns visualization and imagination: for example, the recognition
of colours, the surrounding environment, and spatial-body
relationships, etc.

In most cases, people seem to have one side, or hemisphere that is

dominant in the management of cerebral activities.
Nevertheless, this predominance of one hemisphere over another is
dictated solely by the natural preference of the individual in question.

With different cerebral activities, when, for example we learn new

concepts or notions, the brain acts in relation to learning, but in doing
so it will utilize a given hemisphere: this is because the brain learns
according to the modality that we prefer.

During the learning of any concept or notion, based on their own

inclinations and preferences, each individual will utilize mainly that
part of the brain with which they feel best able to reason and operate
in any cognitive process.
Therefore, we certainly cannot state that the one part of the brain is
more developed from a neuron point of view compared with the
other part; however we can state that, according to the person, a part
of the brain will tend to be more utilized compared with another in
the different processes of reasoning.

Finally we must consider that many cognitive processes involve the

the joint use of both of the two hemispheres.

We will now see in detail how each single hemisphere is organized.

Each cerebral hemisphere is divided in a further four components, as
can be seen in the following illustration.

 At the back of the human brain is situated the occipital lobe

that manages the sense of sight.
Precisely in the area behind the ears is located the temporal
lobe, which is involved in the processing and management of
sound impulses, the functioning of the memory, of the voice
and emotions.
In the upper area are located the parietal lobes that manage
some specific sensations such as, for example, touch, the
awareness of the body and its movements, pain, pressure and

body temperature. Our sense of spatial orientation also depends

on this area.
Behind the front we can find the frontal lobes that are
considered the seat of individual personality.
The upper part of the frontal lobe manages the human capacity for
problem-solving, the activation of spontaneous responses, the
recovery of memories, the control of emotive, social and sexual
impulses.
This area is much more developed in the human brain than in that
of other animal species.

The Limbic system

Within each hemisphere, between the different cerebral folds, can be

found the structures that form the so-called Limbic system.
This system includes also specific cerebral elements such as the
Amygdala, the hypothalamus, the thalamus and the hippocampus.
These areas are reserved for and dedicated to the management of
emotions, stimuli and instincts: it is worth noting that these
instruments function for individual survival.

 The amygdala, in particular, activates emotional responses such as

the sense of euphoria and fear.
The hypothalamus makes up the control centre for the connections
between brain and body and vice versa; it is precisely this element
that causes an increase in blood pressure when we are agitated.
The thalamus, meanwhile, receives visual and auditory impulses
and sends them for processing at the cerebral cortex.
The hippocampus represents an element fundamental for the
recognition of the spatial organization of what we have observed:
therefore it plays a key role in the cerebral operations of
memorization.

 In the lower part of the brain, at the bottom, is located the

cerebellum. This area is utilized for the management of the
movements of the body and the general sense of balance; together
with the brainstem, the cerebellum forms the part of the human
brain that evolves before the others.
It is preciseley this latter area, together with the brainstem that
serves to control primary and involuntary functions of the body
such as respiration and digestion.

The Neurons

The neurons are the cells within the nervous system that transmit
information through electro-chemical impulses.
They make up the base components of the brain and the spinal chord.

There are groups of neurons specialized according to their functions.

For example the sensory neurons that allow us to feel determinate
sensations while the motor sensors allow us to perform actions
with our bodies.

All of the neurons, in order to function, must respond to a determined

stimulus and communicate the presence of this to the central nervous
system and, therefore, to the main part of the brain that processes and
manages all of the information: the latter will then send the
instructions to the body in order to perform determined actions.

Each neuron is connected approximately to another 10,000 neurons,

through specific cellular elements known as dendrites.

The dendrites are the elements of the neural cells designated for the
reception of impulses.
The axons, on the other hand, are the neural elements responsible for
the transmission of received impulses.
The axons are not directly connected to one another but they can
communicate.

Neuron Structure

When the neurons communicate, the distance between them

disappears as it becomes filled by the so-called neurotransmitters that
are responsible for the movement of impulses or electrical signals.

The myelin sheath acts as an isolator, increasing the velocity and the
efficiency of the transported electrical impulses.

Intelligence
Now that we have introduced the functioning of the brain we can
proceed to examine what is meant by intelligence.
This term can be used in different contexts and it is therefore difficult
to define in an unambiguous way.
The global scientific community have been researching for some time
a precise meaning to attribute to this term, without yet having
managed to obtain a valid definition and, moreover, without yet
elaborating a method to quantify this quality of the human brain.
The so-called IQ test (Intelligence Quotient) represents one of the
better ways to measure human intelligence. However it is clear that

this test is capable of measuring only specific and limited aspects of

common human intelligence.
The IQ test currently utilized is based on three fields of human
intelligence: verbal, numerical and visual-spatial reasoning.

The system for the calculation of the final score records, therefore,
the individual cerebral capacity in relation to the comprehension of
verbal and numerical forms and the recognition and interpretation of
images and symbols.

It is now clear that intelligence reflects many more aptitudes in the

reception, comprehension and learning of different concepts and
notions.

Human intelligence concerns all of the many abilities of analysis,

evaluation, imagination and invention and, in practice, it is the
fundamental element that allows us to concentrate on any given
action.

Aspects of intelligence

Different aspects or fields of intelligence exist, concerning the

capacity for reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstraction,
comprehension, learning, linguistic production, etc.
Individuals intelligence may also be characterized by a specific
ability for adaptation to environmental changes and the ability of
interpersonal communication.

Moreover more practical aspects of intelligence exist such as the

so-called kinaesthetic (or corporal kinaesthetic), which allows

people to excel in a specific sport; there is also intelligence of a

musical type that determines excellence in the management of rhythm
and the production of melodies.

Intelligence and Brain Training

A good programme of Brain-Training can serve to improve the
activities of memory and to increase our problem-solving
capabilities: both of these abilities can, in fact, improve the overall
intelligence of each individual.

Learning through observation

In 75% of cases we learn through observation.
Therefore around 75% of what we learn derives from our sense of
sight. This intellectual capacity derives precisely from the human
cerebral configuration: 40% of all cerebral activity is, in fact,
dedicated to the reception, analysis and storage of visual impulses.

Visual sense
Visual sense is the human key to interaction with the surrounding
environment. It is precisely the visual sense that allows us to create,
imediately from our birth, a cerebral story based on everything that
has been observed and, consequently newly recognised.
Diverse scientific studies have long demonstrated precisely how
visual stimulation helps to develop cerebral activity, helping the mind
to analyse increasingly specific intellectual fields.
The ability to collect and obtain information through the observation
of forms that are different from both the real and the abstract, such as

graphs, maps and illustrations, is a capacity that is unique to the

human mind.

The capacity, through the visual sense, to obtain information from

these sources allows us to find meanings and reorganize the data
received, creating groupings based on the similarities and differences
perceived visually.
Having said this, in terms of learning, the human visual sense is
undoubtedly the most used, the most useful and the most potent
medium.

This is especially true if this sense is further developed through the

training that is the subject of this course.

Learning from the Visual Sense

What is of most interest to us in relation to our visual sense is that in
observing a given element (a character of text, a shape, a face, a
scene etc.) a memory of it will always develop.
Therefore the visual part of the human mind, each time we
observe something, will then create and store the visual
information obtained.

Therefore stimulating the visual sense of our minds represents the

first step towards improving also our capacity for memorization.
Lets observe, for example, the following image:

Obviously it represents a shape that we all recognize: the Canadian

flag in white and red, with the representation in the centre of a maple
leaf, the national symbol.

Nevertheless observing with greater attention we can see other shapes

within this common image.
Can you see the profiles of two men at the centre of the flag?
Their profiles are formed by the same contours on the left and right of
the maple leaf

Now, each time you observe the Canadian flag again, you will see
and you will be aware also of this new visual element; observing
the same flag you will be conscious of the presence of different
shapes together, within the same representation.
This is precisely because the visual part of the human brain is capable
of remembering and therefore recognising in time that which it has
already seen.

END OF LESSON