Focus mode and Difuse mode

Here are the key points about these two modes of thinking:*

●Alternation: Both modes are alternative and essential for learning. The concentrated mode is essential for memorisation, while the diffuse mode promotes creativity. The two modes complement and reinforce each other.
●Function: The concentrated mode is activated by conscious effort, while the diffuse mode is activated passively, without requiring any effort.
●Creativity: The diffuse mode allows new perspectives and creativity to emerge.
●Rest: The diffuse mode is linked to neuronal states of rest.
●Metaphor: The two modes can be compared to a coin, where you can only see one side at a time.


Mirror neurons and role-playing in training

Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that is activated both when one individual performs an action and when they observe the same action being performed by another. These neurons are considered to be a fundamental brain mechanism. They play a crucial role in training role-playing games...



How do you activate the diffuse mode?
●By taking a break after an intense work session in concentrated mode.
●Focusing on something else for a while.
●By doing activities that relax the mind such as reading a comic book, watching cartoons on TV or doing physical exercise.
●Letting the mind wander.
●Focusing on the process rather than the outcome.

How can we optimise learning with both ways of thinking?
●Alternate between concentrated and diffuse modes during learning sessions.
●Use the concentrated mode to understand the basics of a concept in depth.
●Use the diffuse mode to assimilate information and make links with other concepts.
●Structure study sessions with phases of concentration and breaks.
●Avoid last-minute ‘cramming’, which does not allow the brain to consolidate learning in diffuse mode.

 

The trainer and working memory

Working memory enables you to hold, select and manipulate information for a very short period of time, from 30 seconds to 1 minute on average.
When you use your working memory, the information is stored and retrieved less than thirty seconds later. Your working memory enables you to keep information that you need to manipulate in your conscious mind for as long as you need to carry out a mental operation such as speaking, reading, calculating, thinking or solving problems. It relies mainly on the activity of neural networks in the parietal and prefrontal cortex.
But I can only do this if I only have one piece of information coming at me at a time (multitasking is a neuromyth). This is why I must not give several pieces of information at the same time.
Similarly, working memory has a limited capacity: on average, we can hold and manipulate seven (plus or minus two) items in this short-term memory. In training... a maximum of 4 key items of information. In other words, if you give your learners too much information in a short space of time (a slide introducing ten key ideas, a rich presentation presenting several complex concepts in a row, etc.), you will have no chance of them memorising it permanently. On the other hand...
If you capture the attention of your learners (which is a prerequisite for any memorisation process, as we've seen); then give them just the right number of key messages so as not to saturate their working memory (3 to 5 key messages, for example); and finally repeat or have your learners repeat these key messages... You've got a winner! Your key messages will go into long-term memory, and long-term memory capacity is considerable.

 

To sum up, concentrated and diffuse modes of thinking are two powerful tools for learning. Understanding how they work and knowing how to use them can significantly improve our ability to learn and solve problems.



The 9th sense 

How many senses do we have? 5 of course! Touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. But in reality we have 9, because the body needs all its senses to function properly. To do this, we need proprioception, which is the orientation of our body in space. The 7th is nociception (the damage to the body that causes pain). Thermoception (discovered by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology) is the sense that allows us to perceive heat and cold, and lastly, interoception, which is the ability to feel our body from the inside.

The memory palace technique (février 25)

The memory palace technique is a memorisation method that uses the visualisation of a familiar place to organise and retrieve information. This technique exploits the brain's innate capacity for visual and spatial memorisation.
Here are the main aspects of this technique and how it works, according to the sources:
*Visualisation of a familiar place: The first step is to choose a place you know well, such as your home, the way to school or your favourite restaurant. This place will be used to organise the information to be memorised.
* Creating a visual notebook: The familiar place becomes a ‘visual notebook’ in which you mentally store images of the concepts you want to memorise. The idea is to associate each piece of information with a specific place in the visualised environment.
* Using spatial memory: This technique is based on the fact that the brain is particularly good at retaining general information about a place. Our ancestors needed this memory to find their way around and locate important places. The Memory Palace technique takes advantage of this ability.
* Grouping and simplifying information: The memory palace is particularly effective for grouping things you want to remember. By using a familiar place, you create an order and structure that make it easier to remember.
* Recalling information: To retrieve information, all you have to do is remember the familiar place. By going through the place mentally, you ‘retrieve’ the information you have associated with it.
By using this technique, you can considerably increase your memory capacity by exploiting your innate visual and spatial memory skills. The memory palace transforms abstract information into concrete images in a familiar place, making it easier to encode and retrieve information.
It is important to note that **working memory plays a central role in this process**. It makes it possible to temporarily hold and manipulate the information needed to create the mental palate and associate ideas with places. Working memory is essential for processing the information needed for understanding and reasoning. It is involved in procedural learning and in updating procedural memory.
Episodic memory is also involved, as it is based on memories of a particular place and time and can be activated by a place.