How to Learn Something Easy, Better and Fast? — A Neurological Approach #1
I would like to share something that I felt is necessary for every individual right from a Primary School Kid to a Well experienced Healthy working Professional. Humans never stop studying, Indeed they spend a significant amount of their Lifetime in Learning. It is a Non-Stop process.
So what if we know the life-hack or maybe the right way to do that process in an efficient manner? It will change your life forever, right? In this article, I will share a few methodologies that I learnt from a course(mentioned below) which are preferred by researchers around the world to be one of the best ways to Learn.
Source: Learning How to Learn — Dr Barbara Oakley (from Coursera)
Fundamental Modes of Thinking
Are you trying to solve a Simple Math problem or you want to come with a creative way to design a product?….Whatever it is….You are going to be in either of the two Fundamental Modes of Thinking — Diffused or Focused. Wondering what it is? Let’s see.
Focused Thinking
You will be in a Focused Thinking mode when you are concentrating on a particular action. Be it watching a Movie, A Soccer Match, Learning a new concept Or while trying to figure out a solution for a problem in the exam. This is where you put in your entire attention or focus onto something and not thinking about anything else. You will be able to realise that you are in Focused Mode more often while concentrating. What happens during Focused Thinking?
You can see some random brain patterns in the above picture. Before getting to know about how Focused Thinking works, you should know what happens when you learn something new.
When you learn something new for the first time, a random pattern will be created within the neurons.
For example, if you are learning a new formula stating that, (a+b)² = a² + b² + 2ab. A pattern will be created by your brain for this formula. Previously in your childhood, you would have learned numbers from 1 to 10. So for that, your brain would have created some kind of patterns. And, when someone asks you to solve a problem by substituting a=5 and b=10 in this formula, you will find it very difficult initially. Why? Because your brain didn’t still don’t know how to correlate the two patterns (the pattern of formula and pattern of the numbers). Only as you practice and practice, your brain will become more familiar with correlating the two patterns. This is what actually happens in the Focused and Diffused mode.
Now let’s come back to Focused Thinking. In simple words, Focused mode is when you are learning something new with complete focus and letting the brain create the patterns for whatever you study.
Diffused Thinking
Diffused Thinking is kind of a Relaxed Thinking. Neurologically it is referred to as “Neural Resting State”. This is when you are thinking while you are Relaxed. Trying to find a creative solution while in bed or while you are sitting in your rocking chair. A point where you are not focusing something entirely, but letting the mind flow in such a way that it will sparkle new creative ideas in you. Some of you may have already done this, but never knew it had a name “Diffused Thinking”. You will understand better with examples.
Let’s say you are an architect and you are trying to come up with a new unique creative design to build a shopping mall. It should not look alike any other building in the world. Here, the pattern does not already exist. You need to come up with new building design by correlating different designs that you had seen previously in your lifetime. With those designs as a reference, you have to come with a unique design. So in that case, think..!!
Now we will see two approaches on how a person will handle this situation.
Case 1, some will sit right in front of the blueprint, focus on it solely, trying to draw different designs. (Non-relaxing state)
Case 2, some will get out, sit in their balcony (or some other relaxing place) think of something new in a calm, relaxed state.
From your childhood, you would have seen a lot of building architectures. When you see each unique architecture and how it is built, your brain will create a new pattern for that process, so that you can remember it. Now since you need to come up with something new, you need to correlate with all the previously seen architectures which are stored in your brain. Hope you understood until this point.
In Case 1, the brain keeps focusing on the blueprint and not letting the brain to relax. So this is how it will look when you keep on focusing something(in focused mode).
Neurons are very much intact, as they are in focused mode. You can see that the Brain could not correlate with already formed patterns and create new pattern beyond a stage. Your brain could not think out of the box. It keeps revolving around. Which means you will not come up with anything unique.
Whereas in Case 2, in Diffused mode, see what happens.
You can see that the Neurons are not intact. Your brain can freely move and correlate with different patterns, trying to create patterns out of the box, which means, your brain will come up with entirely new ideas. This happens only when you are in Diffused mode. I mean, when you are relaxed.
Conclusion
So what I am trying to convey is that, when are learning something new, learn it in full Focused Mode. So that your brain will create all the necessary patterns. And later on, try to relax your mind, give the brain some time and think of all the matters that you focused previously. Just think..!! Don’t get focused…!! And let your mind go free. Now your brain will have some time to gather all the newly learned patterns and correlate with the previously existing patterns so that you can remember what you learnt and come up with solutions when you need.
Real-life Examples
Many people might know, Salvador Dalí, a famous painter of the 20th century. He had a very interesting technique to come with creative ideas for his painting. Know what’s that interesting technique?
Often, whenever he needs an idea to paint, he sits and relaxes in his chair with a bunch of keys in his hands, letting his mind go free. He used to think about the previous things he had in his mind (previous patterns) that he gathered during the focused mode. And as he keeps thinking, he used to fall asleep a bit and when he drops the bunch of keys without his consciousness due to the sound of clattering, he wakes up. Now he will start painting with the ideas that he got during the relaxed mode.
Similarly, Thomas Edison has also practised the same kind of technique but with “ball bearings” in his hands instead of a bunch of keys.
When you finish painting something, you will not immediately hang it up in the wall. You will let it dry for some time. Likewise, when you learn something new, try to give the brain some time to dry up (correlate).
Hope you got an idea on how to implement this wonderful methodology. All the pictures depicted in this article are for understanding purposes. Let me know if there is any room for improvement.
