Is There A Better Way to Open the Mind: Mind Stream or Mind Map

Is There a Better Way to Open the Mind: 

Mind Stream versus Mind Map?

How many ways can you define or describe your mind? The mental process cannot be held in your hand for contemplation. Our bony skull encloses our brain as a solid, bloody, nerve-cells infrastructure with at least 8 distinct interconnected compartments. Yet, somehow, our invisible but all powerful mental processes emanate to drive our actions and emotions.

Age old question: Is there a difference between the brain and mind? Does the brain build the mind or does the mind build the brain? For example, there would be no language if there wasn’t a walnut-sized location on the brain's left side and with language there is development of a knowledge base. The good news is that modern technology has opened this "black box" for scientific examination and extrapolation. And there are specialists who study mental processes like psychologists and psychiatrists.

But for most of us, we are not brain scientists or psychiatrists. We are all human beings who need to harness our mental functions and energies in order to fulfill our existence. We try to observe, understand, experiment, adapt and solve problems within logical facts or illogical imagination. We believe in abstractions and unseen spirits. We follow our conscience in thoughts, feelings, responses, fears and even dysfunctions.

Sometimes words fail in manifesting this refractive, limitless power whereas a visual diagram can speak volumes. Think about Aristotle's statement seriously: "Thought is impossible without an image." Can you think of anything where an image doesn't suddenly appear? I can't.

Visual language is defined as using visual elements to convey meanings, ideas and emotions at spatial levels versus linear verbal language. Note that visual expressions are not only found in art drawings, but also in construction, acting and dancing and as such they are fundamental to human thought .

MIND MAP is a common way of starting with a central KEY WORD to visually organize structure, analyze and find relationships to solve problems and make big picture decisions. Supporting details are based on other words...what you already know or expect.

MIND STREAM is defined in this context as starting with an INDIVIDUAL IDEA aware of a continuum of choices able to change at will. It is more open-ended to discovery...an organic flowchart for personal exploration of new concepts. Importantly, a good mind stream also includes positives, negatives and neutrals. It has more aptitude to use visual language to enhance meaning.

A mind stream is closely related to a literary device called stream of consciousness which is described as writing as you think without regard to sequence, syntax, or logic as it floats within various levels of reality.

Both are helpful for brainstorming, planning, simplifying, analyzing and drawing on the brain's creativity. Another way of thinking is that a highway map is handy to find where you want to go; however, following a mountain stream can uncover unbelievable things yet to be discovered. Therein lies the difference if we can train our minds.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, fixed or fluid. Do you like to follow word maps or create mind streams?

Sincerely,

Annemarie Berukoff

Note: Blog 2 (out of 3) that sets the context for a new personal website called HelpfulMIndstreamforChanges.com
Blog 1: Who Am I? Who Really Cares? Why Bother?
Blog 3: New Beginning for an Old, Tired Network Marketing Story