This article is a summary of insights from the last 20 years of brain research. The most important insight is the lifelong plasticity of the brain shaped by daily experience. Unfortunately this insight has not made it yet into many areas of society but it is of such importance that it is discussed in detail here. The better you understand the way your brain works, the better you will get at using it and the way you use your brain is shaping its physical structure.

Structure of the brain

The three main parts of the human brain with their core funtions :

• Brain stem : Reflexes, insticts, control of body functions

• Limbic System : Moods, feelings

• Cerebrum : Thinking, speech, conscious experience, planning actions

The cerebrum is a meta-system, which takes influence on the subsidiary limbic system based on experience stored in the cerebrum. This way automatisms by which the limbic system is accessing functions of the brain stem can be modified or repressed.

Structure of the nervous system

In the brain of a baby there is a large surplus of nerve connections. Those connections which are used regularly get strengthened, those that are not used deteriorate over time. So it is important that a child is presented with a large variety of opportunities to have diverse experiences which will ensure that many of these structures are strengthened and the baby ends up with a complex brain structure.

For each experience an entire set of sensory stimuli is stored in the brain (e.g. smell + sound + feeling). When a person smells a unique smell that is linked to a childhood memory at a later point in life, then the memory of the entire set of sensory stimuli can be remembered instantly.

Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal corext is the most complex structure in the human brain. In this picture this region ishighlighted.

In the prefrontal cortex important information related to the human personality is stored :

• Ego-personality (self-perception)
• General principles, goals, orientation
• Attitudes, responsibility, empathy
• Action planning, impact assessment

Learning and feeling emotionally safe

In order to create these complex structures in the brain it is required that the child feels emotionally safe. It is only when a childs perceptual capacity and curiosity are met with a social environment that it considers safe that the child can gather experiences and store them accurately.

When new experiences are made, an excitement pattern is generated in the brain. This creates a certain amount of inner agitation of the usual thought processes. In order to resolve this agitation a comparison of the new pattern to existing patterns is made. This comparison can lead to three different results :

1. A known pattern is discovered which matches the experienced pattern. In this case the answer is a routine reaction - the person simply does what he always did in similar situations.

2. No known pattern is found. In this case the experience is regarded as unimportant and it is ignored or suppressed.

3. During the comparison a partly match of patterns is discovered, perhaps even multiple matches in several unrelated known patterns can be found. If the new experience can be tied in with old experiences then this new pattern is stored in the brain and something new has been learned. The moment when a solution is found and the agitation is resolved is usually experienced as liberating and the reward system of the brain is activated.

The 3 inner pillars of learning

It is important to build up the following 3 inner pillars already at pre-school age which are important for any learning experience during the entire life. They are so important because they provide the stabilization required, when confronted with the agitation of a new experience :

1. Self-confidence : Confidence in the own skills (to find a solution)

2. Attachment security : Confidence in the social environment (somebody else will help you in finding a solution

3. Inner orientation : Unquestionable trust, that everything will turn out ok

One of the most frequent aberrations in child development of western societies is spoiling. Most parents try to remove any potential problems from their childs path. Even though this action is well-meant, it causes three problems :

• The child does not develop self-confidence in its skill to solve problems on its own because it is never confronted with problems
• The child does not develop confidence in solving problems jointly with its social environment
• A child without problems, does not develop an unquestionable trust, that everything will turn out ok

Skills can only be development, if the posed problems are a sufficient challenge for the child but at the same time are solvable by the child on its own. If a child is looking e.g. for a feeling of security but its parents or any other attachment figures are only providing them with security under certain conditions (clean up your room first, having good grades at school, etc) then the child can develop inner attitudes which tend to extremes (perfectionism, narcissism, commitment to performance)

Flow - positive learning experiences

Ideally a person who makes positive learning experiences is in a state of flow. In this state all challenges are resolved successfully, this increases the person's self-confidence and is causing positive expectation for the next learning experience. Curiosity combined with delight to learn more then leads to new challenges.When we were children we were all in this ideal state of flow but at some point in time we made negative experiences which threw us out of this cycle.

The brain as a social organ

One of the most significant discoveries of brain research of the recent years is that the brain is more of a social organ than an organ for thinking. It is optimized for establishing relationships to or being in relationship with other people. This insight would be particularly important for any teacher because in order to put knowledge across to any student efficiently, a social relationship has to be established first.

Revolution in brain research : The usage of the brain determines its structure

Until about 1995 neuroscientists were certain that the structures in a human brain remained the same for the entire life once they were established. Based on research results gathered through new image guided research technology (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging) it became evident that the brain structure can be changed during the entire lifetime. In order to cause essential structural changes in a brain it is requires to think differently.

In order to allow structural changes of the brain which go beyond just adding new structures to existing neuro patterns, additional mechanisms are required. If a person is having an experience that is shaking him up emotionally, then this can be a trigger for a restructuring of parts of their brain. In this case messenger substances / neurotransmitters are emitted, which causes a loosening or even a dissolving of old structures by which new solutions become available.

The main triggers for a restructuring of the brain are :

• Psychosocial conflicts with other people
• Loss of support by the social environment
• Loss of psychosocial competence (e.g. by becoming unemployed)

Sometimes the trigger does not even have to occur. It can be enough if the person is convinced that the triggering event is about to occur shortly.

Uncontrollable mental crisis

In case the dissolving of old structures does not lead to a stabilization by finding a new meaningful structure, this can result in an uncontrollable mental crisis which can last for weeks or even months.

In order to escape from these kind of severe crisis, different approaches are possible :

Wenn durch die Auflösung einiger alter Strukturen keine Stabilisierung durch das Finden einer neuen sinngebenden Struktur erzielt werden kann, tritt eine schwere seelische Krise ein, die Wochen oder sogar Monate andauern kann.

Um aus seelischen Krisen auszubrechen gibt es verschiedene Lösungsansätze :

• Resolution (finding a solution for the problem)
• Relaxation (by relaxation it is easier to find a solution)
• Rhythms (drumming can synchronize brain structures and calm them down)
• Drugs (suppression or dampening of stimuli)

Vicious circle -  negative learning experiences

Analog to flow there is a similar vicious circle for negative learning experiences. In this case burdens lead to a failure of finding a creative resolution. This increases self-doubt and causes negative expectations for the next learning experience. The attempt to avoid new problems leads to an increase of fear which then leads to new burdens.

Contrary to flow - which is the natural state of being - the described vicious circle is always the result of negative experience in social relationships. Most of the time the catalyst is fear.

The only way to escape from this cycle is by overcoming this fear. Also in this case the three pilars to achieve success are :

• Confidence in your own skills
• Confidence that other people can provide help that solves the problem
• Unquestionable trust, that everything will turn out ok

Severe psychosocial crisis

In psychosocial crisis complex structures of the brain are dissolved which leads to a fallback on older more rudimentary structures - which usually date back to childhood. In case even on this rudimentary level no solution can be found the brain can fall back on archaic emergency programs of the brain stem. These archaic programs only know three solutions :

• Fight
• Flight
• Freezing

Getting out of these kind of severe mental crisis usually requires the help of other people. In these situations it is important to regain confidence. The best support in these situations is :

• Integration : Convey knowability and predictability
• Competence : Convey manageability and checkability
• Transcendence : Convey significance and meaning

One of the important insights of brain research in this areas is : Everything that improves the ability to relate to other people is beneficial for the brain as well as the community in which the person lives.

The ability to relate has many different aspects :

• inner ability to relate (between thinking and feeling or your own body)
• outer ability to relate to other people
• ability to relate to the world
• ability to relate to your own life story
• ability to relate to your cultural backgorund in which you grew up

Summary of most recent insights in brain research

The brain is changeable

• The thesis of the brain being immutable is refuted

Emotions are important for brain development

• Emotions are not just an archaic hangover of human phylogeny

Experiences shape brain structures

• The right arrangement of realms of experience - especially for children - is extremely important for the internalization of skills. Experiences can not be taught, you have to make them yourself.

Fear and confidence are more than just feelings

• Fear is a structuring force. Through fear the ability to relate is lost.

Conceptions and ideas are more than just thoughts

• Continuously repeated conceptions create action-guiding structures in the brain

Brain and body are one unit

• The creation of brain structures is tightly knotted to processes of the body

The brain is a social organ

• Experiencing relationships and culture are the most powerful forces shaping the brain.

Reorganisation has to happen from within

• It is not possibe to force change on other people. An inner desire for change has to be ignited within them 

Them main parts of this article are a summary of various lectures by Dr. Gerald Hüther. If you are interested in more information about the brain, there is a lecture by David Rock titled "Your Brain at Work" available in the Resource section.