Our Flower

The Human Mind Is A Beautiful Flower,
Water With Love, Water With Kindness. :)
@MsSsHussain

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. The truth is that I was taking the time to think about what it means to claim an education, or learning. To me it means - continuously striving to learn more, think of the ways and means, not only this but thinking about how, continuous learning can can help to shape social upheavel for the positive.

Many individuals will not see that value or worthiness of this because the results are not immediate. We don't see active results before our eyes. This is probably why many individuals stay away from higher education or thought. During my time of learning, I have realized through my own experience, it is actually quite difficult to think and not actually be able to do at the same time. Everyone wants to see an active result, including myself. Maybe the grade at the end is some sort of reconciliation. The challenge is that we have to be able to give ourselves the time to think through, what it is that we want to put on the paper. What is it that is important to us. What is worth investigating.

My thoughts are also assimilated to the age old metaphor of the brain as a computer chip. This is also known as the Modal model of memory. This model assumes that information is stored, processed and retrieved. An oversimplified view of this can be depicted through the following diagram (Figure 1)

Figure 1

What I like about this model, and found useful what the fact that in order to remember something  we have to do something with what we want to remember. For example: If studying for a test, we have to find a strategy that works for us, to help us to retain the information that we need to remember. The brains capacity to hold information in the short - term memory is 7 items (+/-) depending on the individual and situational factors. However, with rehearsal or techniques we are able to hold more information in the long - term memory to produce an output.

This Modal model is useful, but I like to think of the brain  / mind as a flower. A more wholistic vision. As there are nodes all over the brain that are not separate or held in compartments. My thoughts can be assimilated to the connectionist models, this assumes the workings of the brain very different to those the Model Models. For example, this model assumes that there are nodes, that intersect and intertwine with each other to help us remember and recall. Please see figure 2:

Figure 2

If we continue to think of the brain / mind as a type of computer chip, then I think that we have done a type of injustice to the human being. We cannot ignore the connection of philosophy with that of psychology, in other words the intersection of the human soul with science. Since the beginning of thought, the Greek philosopher Plato wrote about memory. In his time he compared memory to a wax tablet, where impressions are made. These comparisons continued through the Middles Ages and the Renaissance. Essentially what we are witnessing is the growth of how the brain / mind is being viewed.

My tensions with the computer chip model arise because human beings also possess the quality of emotion, thoughts and feelings. These are not included in this model. Even if rehearsal processes are implemented, what is retained in the long - term memory can still be affected by social, emotional and situational factors. An efficient process is not always going to be effective. If there is always an output being produced, and it is not considering the perspectives of wholeness, and the whole being, can it really be efficient?

For example: If I am studying or reading all day, will this task that I do all day be effective? Or if I decided to read for a while, then deter to another task, such as listening to music, going out for a walk / run and then come back to complete the reading task, will this make me more effective? I think so because I am taking the time to stimulate the intellect, as well as my physical and spiritual well - being.

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to all beings, may there be love, joy, peace, and blessings. We all have our unique paths, this is the beauty of being human. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand - written on January 2nd and amended on January 3rd,  2016. All the scenarios are superficial, any personal experience is related to my own experience of learning and to no other specific being.

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