[Neurons] 2018 Neurons #50 SAY "HELLO" ONE MORE TIME

Mon Nov 19 06:44:22 EST 2018

From: L. Michael Hall

2018 Neurons #50

November 19, 2018

Neuro-Semantics and Modern Challenges (#8)

SAY 'HELLO' ONE MORE TIME

In the 1930s Korzybski noted that the brain is not fully developed until the
late teens; now we know that the brain, and especially the frontal lobes "do
not come fully alive until the third decade."  And there's a reason- "the
far-flung structures of the brain" have to be "fully myelinated."  And that
occurs in the mid-30s. (Goldberg, 2009, p. 178).  So prior to the mid-30s
people still have a not-fully developed brain, they have a brain that's
continuing to develop.  And after that, a brain that is actually used for
thinking and mental effort and challenged will continue to learn and develop
and even grow new neurons.

Neuro-scientist Elkhonon Goldberg in his book, New Executive Brain: Frontal
Lobes in a Complex World (2009) says that the frontal lobes are more
connected to all other parts of the brain than any other region (p. xiv).
Further,                                      

"The frontal lobes perform the most advanced and complex functions in all of
the brain, the so-called executive functions.  They are linked to
intentionality, purposefulness, and complex decision making.  The frontal
lobes are to the brain what a conductor is to an orchestra, a general is to
an army, the chief executive officer is to a corporation.  The ability to
lead to compel other human beings to rally behind a person or cause, is the
most mysterious and the most profound." (p. 5)

While we still have lots to learn about the prefrontal cortex, there are
certain things that neuro-science now suspect.  First, the prefrontal cortex
seems to contain the map of the whole cortex (p. 34) and there it seems to
be the instrument or agent of control within the central nervous system.

>From his studies and experience Goldberg posits a distinction in the frontal
cortexes in the right hemisphere and the left hemispheres.  

"Novelty and familiarity are the defining characteristics in the mental life
of any creature capable of learning.  In simple instinctive behaviors the
triggering stimulus is instantly 'familiar' and the degree of familiarity
does not change with exposure. ...  Unlike instinctive behavior, learning is
change.  At an early stage of every learning process the organism is faced
with novelty and the end stage of the learning process can be thought of as
routinization or familiarity." (p. 66)

This transition from novelty to familiarity describes a fundamental cycle of
human cognition.  Of course, novelty and routinization are relative.  What
is novel today will become routine in a month or a year.  This requires a
dynamic relationship between the two hemispheres, a gradual shift in the
locus of cognitive control over a task from the right hemisphere processing
what is novel to the left hemisphere so it now seems familiar (p. 68).  So
in the course of learning a task there is a transition from novelty to
routinization which means from right hemisphere in the early learning stages
when the task is novel to the left hemisphere once the task-appropriate
cognitive strategies are firmly in place.

This learning begins in the right hemisphere as a bottom-up process.  It is
driven by ad-hoc computations aimed at establishing similarities or as we
would say, formulating patterns.  Once that is established, then the left
hemisphere uses a top-down process from those representations encoding the
class membership (p. 84).

Now inasmuch as some people are better at innovation and others at following
routines, people sometimes conflict over these different abilities.
Visionaries develop new trends in science, culture, or business yet often
are not able to implement their ideas in a systematic and sustainable way.
Others who are not so capable of developing new things are fully capable of
taking something and making it work and/or sustaining it (p. 140).  This
describes other abilities-the ability to chart a plan, stay on course,
"remember" the future, sustain attention, etc.

Goldberg asserts that the right hemisphere is "particularly adept at
processing novel information to which none of the mental representations
available in the subject's cognitive repertoire immediately apply."
Amazingly, the brain is somehow able to acquire new information without the
loss of previously acquired information.   It can learn to deal with new
challenges without "unlearning" how to deal with previous situations.  Here
the brain exhibits-simultaneously-the properties of plasticity and stability
(p. 260).

Here also is a synergy of two propensities- facing novel situations and
utilizing established knowledge.  To wit, learning.  This synthetic activity
requires the coordination of multiple cognitive skills-something your
prefrontal lobes do for you.  The prefrontal lobes "enables you to fully
collaborate with yourself"-with all of your cognitive skills and traits (p.
141).  Talk about an ultimate collaboration.  It is a collaborating
occurring right there at top of your neck!

It is here in the prefrontal lobes that you and I develop "Executive
Thinking."  Here you learn to become competent in developing insights that
are clear and precise, in making smart decisions, in generating
inspirational visions for the future, in transcending a present state and
yet including it in a higher state of awareness, in stepping back to
cultivate a higher level mindfulness, and so much more.  Say "Hello" one
more time to your prefrontal lobes!

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director 

Neuro-Semantics 

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO. 81520 USA                             

               1 970-523-7877 

                    Dr. Hall's email:
<mailto:meta at acsol.net\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505\loch\f31506> meta at acsol.net

    cid:261CED33-4408-4124-862B-B9A4B37A367A

Dr. L. Michael Hall writes a post on "Neurons" each Monday.  For a free
subscription, sign up on www.neurosemantics.com.   On that website you can
click on Meta-Coaching for detailed information and training schedule.   To
find a Meta-Coach see  <http://www.metacoachfoundation.org>
www.metacoachfoundation.org.   For Neuro-Semantic Publications --- click
"Products," there is also a catalog of books that you can download.   

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/pipermail/neurons/attachments/20181119/6d05c5c9/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3892 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/pipermail/neurons/attachments/20181119/6d05c5c9/attachment-0001.jpg>