The Mechanism of the Mind

The Mechanism of the Mind

The book "The Mechanism of Mind" details the underpinning model of mind that leads to the many thinking skills developed by Edward de Bono, including lateral thinking.

The Model

The model detailed in the book, and referred to again in many of Edward de Bono's other books, is one of Neurones networked together by many stronger and weaker connections and activating as a result of input stimulus or stimulation from other neurones that are themselves active. Neurones that are active together form stronger connections and are more likely to activate together in the future. The model is a Self-organizing system.

It is not intended that the model be a detailed analysis of how human brains are structured but the broadest possible abstraction that can provide meaningful understanding of the nature of thinking. Nor is it intended to build a cohesive theory but to provide the reader with a collection of concepts that will illuminate further thinking about thinking.

More detailed models and theories specifically about the brain can be found under the topic of Cognitive Science and connectionism.

Behaviour of the Model

The characteristic behaviour of the system is shown to create and reinforce patterns. The current set of patterns in the system determine how new experiences are integrated. Attention tends to flow along well worn paths and patterns have large catchment areas. Novel experiences are often lost as attention flows down old paths that are in some way similar to the new experience. Sometimes starting at a different point in an established pattern can lead to a jump out of that pattern to a new one.

These behaviours are analogs to human thinking behaviours such as circular thinking, prejudice, polarisation, insight and humour.

Consequences

The mind as modeled has some severe limitations.

From "The Mechanism of Mind" page 182:

Cquote|The limitations of the special memory surface can take one of three forms:

# Inability to carry out certain functions.
# Actual error.
# Inefficient use of information available to it.

Thinking modes such as Natural Thinking, Logical Thinking, Mathematical Thinking and Lateral Thinking, are examined in the light of these limitations to see how they may be addressed. The techniques of Lateral Thinking are shown to be specifically designed to bypass these limitations.

ee also

*Self-awareness
*Cognitive science
*Lateral Thinking

External links and references

*DeBono, Edward The Mechanism of Mind ISBN 0224617095 January, 1969


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Logic and the mind — This article discusses the relationship between the formal logic and the mind.For a long time people believed that intelligence is equivalent to conceptual understanding and reasoning. A part of this belief was that the mind works according to… …   Wikipedia

  • Splinter of the Mind's Eye — Infobox SW Books name = Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind s Eye title orig = translator = author = Alan Dean Foster cover artist = editor = country = USA language = English era = Rebellion canon = C subject = Star Wars genre = Science Fiction… …   Wikipedia

  • Mechanism (philosophy) — Mechanism is the belief that natural wholes (principally living things) are like machines or artifacts, composed of parts lacking any intrinsic relationship to each other, and with their order imposed from without. Thus, the source of an apparent …   Wikipedia

  • Mechanism — • There is no constant meaning in the history of philosophy for the word Mechanism. Originally, the term meant that cosmological theory which ascribes the motion and changes of the world to some external force Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Mind — • Explores the term in relation to consciousness, matter, and mechanism Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Mind     Mind     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Paranoid Style in American Politics — is an essay by the American historian Richard J. Hofstadter, first published in Harper s magazine in November 1964. Written at a time when Senator Barry Goldwater had won the Republican Presidential nomination over the more moderate Nelson A.… …   Wikipedia

  • The Law of Conservation of Energy —     The Law of Conservation of Energy     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Law of Conservation of Energy     Amongst the gravest objections raised by the progress of modern science against Theism, the possibility of Miracles, free will, the… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Art of Seeing — is a 1942 book by Aldous Huxley, which contains an explanation and discussion of the Bates Method for better eyesight.Huxley’s own sightIn the preface to the book, Huxley describes how, at the age of sixteen, he had a violent attack of keratitis… …   Wikipedia

  • The Diamond Age —   …   Wikipedia

  • The Grammar of Science — is a book by Karl Pearson first published at London by Walter Scott in 1892. It was recommended by Einstein to his friends of the Olympia Academy. Several themes were covered in this book that later became part of the theories of Einstein and… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”