Whatif… Our Minds Live Outside of Our Heads?

Computer. Atlas. Muscle. Over time, we’ve used a variety of metaphors to describe the brain, and yet many of them are rooted in a misguided understanding of this organ of neurons and networks. We now know our brain is not just relegated to activity inside our skull, it is highly connected to our gut health and nutrition, exercise, and the relationships we have. As science evolves, so does our understanding that our brain may be the thing in our head, but our mind - our broader concept of consciousness - requires a different type of metaphor. It’s less like hardware. And more like an ecosystem.

But let’s go into the brain a bit. I’ve made the case before that much of our educational systems and processes are focused on developing the left hemisphere of the brain. Narrow thinking, analysis, filtering information for deeper understanding.  We sit in chairs and think our way to new ideas, often through data and analysis and logic. 

All good! Not mad at this. 

And yet, there is a need to engage the right hemisphere as well - with its broad, connect-the-dots thinking, its ability to see the bigger picture, its use of metaphor and imagery. I try to tap into this level of expertise in my classes through creative endeavors, drawing, use of imagery, and movement. It helps to generate innovation and creativity. And we can do more to cultivate it than we typically do in western education.

Let’s go back to the concept of the mind to take this a step further. I’m currently reading Annie Murphy Paul’s The Extended Mind, and it is raising for me how much opportunity there is for us to explore how our body, physical space, and relationships affect the way we interpret the world and the way we learn. Paul makes a case by drawing on disparate areas of research to demonstrate the impact of embodied cognition and the role of nature in how our minds work. 

The idea that our mind is more than just the brain in our heads; rather our ability to think, reason, analyze, create, and innovate is deeply connected to our bodies, environments, and relationships, has implications for how we learn, how we live, and how we lead. 

Simple examples: A walk in nature sparks an idea when we feel stuck. A shower unlocks creative ideas. Collaboration and play multiplies ideas. A deep breath resets the nervous system to help you focus.

There is research to back up why each of these work… and yet, isn’t this all just old wisdom? It feels a lot like things my mom used to say when my sister and I were cranky as kids. Go outside if you’re bored. Get ready for the day and you’ll feel better.  Work together to come up with ideas for what to play today. 

All of those suggestions were ways of tapping into the extended mind. When you get too stuck inside the shell of your skull - go do something to shake it up. Move your body. Change your space. Play with friends.

So whatif… the key to growth isn’t brainpower, but mindpower? We could create better classrooms, living rooms, and boardrooms, designed to help us thrive - not just think.