Imagination and association

We think in terms of associations  

When linking these various associations in our mind we form an image out of it!. This image will call back on our experiences and will ultimately give us an opinion about this.

As we do this naturally (we do not need to do our best for it) I call this a talent. And we all are able to do it!.
Let's take a closer look at this talent.

 By now you know how to build/draw a mind map. A mind map has many similarities with the way our brains function.
Let's take out the info out of a mind map and I am sure you would agree that the remaining image almost looks the same as a brain cell.

Now can something so simple be so good?  

The answer to that is very simple: it is based on the strongest basis principles of the brain.

Do you doubt this is true?

I have a simple game, which will show you how it works.
 
 
The association game 
 

Underneath these words I will write a word in BOLD letters. I want you to read this word. After reading the word, close your eyes and try to keep your eyes closed. I want you call out loud what words you are thinking of while thinking and visualizing about this word.

Here it is:

GROCERY SHOPPINGS
Now close your eyes and do this exercise.

While sitting with your eyes closed and focusing on the word Grocery shopping’s, could you only see the word G-R-O-C-E-R-Y S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G-S?

Of course not! I think you 'saw' all kinds of groceries flying past your mind's eye. And I'll bet that all these images were very closely related to the word grocery shopping’s.

That's what I've been telling all along; we are just natural talents in associating. Effortlessly we seem to do it. You give a person one word and his/her mind starts to wander!

In some cases people can even taste certain product, like chocolate. This is possible because our brain is capable of connecting sensory images to associated subject. Our brain makes a perfect 3D object out of it, which will activate our brain to connect numerous associations to it.

I just assume that this experiment did work for you. All I wanted to achieve was that you are a natural associator and therefore Mind mapping could be something for you as well. And once you open this Pandora box, you'll soon discover that your brain capacity will start to enhance as well.

Let's go back to the grocery shopping’s for a moment. I want to give you an even bigger insight in how your brain functions. I want to prove to you that a mind map WILL activate your brain to the max. If you make it comfortable for your mind, the mind will reward you again.

When thinking about 'grocery shopping’s', how fast do you see images of grocery items in your mind's eye?

Most people start seeing them immediately.

This is how we communicate to ourselves all day long. Words call upon images. A story is a complete river of words. These words are to be arranged in order to be understood. You are so good at this, that you do not even see that this process is taking place constantly.
This process alone is a process which no computer is capable of doing. Your mind does it 24/7.

And here is where the power of a mind map can be discovered.

A mind map is nothing else than a mirror of our mental picture of our normal thinking!

This is why the mind map technique is worldwide known as thé technique which is closest to our natural way of thinking; connecting images to a network of associations and its meanings. 

Let's do the short term memory test