THE WORKINGS OF THE

BRAIN- POWERS OF
MIND
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Explain the functions of the brain;
• Identify the major parts of the brain;
• Value the uses of brains in human work
through sharing ones experience; and
• Find out what brain dominance by visiting
the following websites.
 LET’S TRY
 Do our thoughts have power?
 How can I fully control my mind?
 What is the difference between mind and
brain?
 Can the mind change the brain?
 OVERVIEW: THE BRAIN AND HOW IT
WORKS
WHAT IS A BRAIN?
 Our brain is like an incredible living machine.
 This fist-sized, three pound organ is responsible for overall
functioning of our body.
 The average human brain is 40mm wide.
 The average human brain is 167mm long.
 The newborn human babies brain weights approximately 350
to 400 grams or three-quarter of a pound.
Weight of Einstein's brain?
- 1,230 grams, which is less than the average adult male
brain about (1,400 grams).
 Functions of the Brain
 It functions as a command center that directs action
happening physiologically.
 It serves as the key function processing unit that interprets
the world of our experience and vital response unit that
allows us to react to the world.
 The brain is like a capsule of our consciousness of what we
know, and of our memories.
 Four separate lobes (Freberg, 2010)
 The Frontal lobe
 The Temporal Lobe
 The parietal lobe
 The occipital lobe
 FRONTAL LOBE
 Where the primary motor area is located,
controls voluntary movement in a contralateral
manner (left side controls the right side of the
body, and vice versa) and is also responsible for
higher thoughts process and decision – making.
 TEMPORAL LOBE
 Which contains the primary auditory area, is
in-charge of hearing and processing of
auditory stimuli.
 PARIETAL LOBE
 Which contains the primary somatosensory
area which processes sensory signals such as
touch, pressure, pain, thermal sense, and
sense of body movements (kinesthesia); and
 OCCIPITAL LOBE
 Which is the location of the primary visual
area which receives visual signals from the
thalamus and processes visual sensations.
 MAJOR PARTS AND FUNCTIONS
 The Hindbrain
 The Mid-brain
 Forebrain
 THE HINDBRAIN
 The rear portion of the brain.
 Controls all the things that
you want to automatically
work.
 This parts of the brain is
responsible for our
instinctive, automatic
behavior and serves survival
 Parts of Hindbrain
 The medulla controls vital functions like respiration, blood
circulation, digestion, and heart rate.
 The cerebellum regulates posture, balance, and muscular
coordination.
 The pons acts as bridge between the medulla and other
parts of the bran; regulates movement, sleep, and arousal.
 The reticular activating system regulates attention,
movement, sleep, waking and reflexes.
 THE MIDBRAIN
 This part of the conduction and
switching center of the brain that
enables responses, like muscles
movements to happen, and for auditory
and visual system processing to
transpire.
 Problems with auditory and visual
processing may result in certain
learning disabilities like dyslexia and
central auditory processing disorder.
 THE MIDBRAIN
 Midbrain is also called Mesencephalon, region of
developing vertebrate brain that is composed of
the tectum and tegmentum.
 What happens if the midbrain is damaged?
 Can result in wide variety of movements
disorders, difficulty with vision and hearing, and
trouble with memory.
 THE FOREBRAIN
 Forebrain controls body temperature,
reproductive functions, eating,
sleeping, and the display of
emotions.
 The largest part of the brain.
 It takes up 2/3 of your brain and
comes in at roughly 1 pound in
weight.
 This is in charge of our intellectual
activity and consciousness.
 PARTS OF FOREBRAIN
 The cerebrum acts as “executive center” of the brain
responsible for remembering, learning, and thinking as well
as taking charge of language and emotion.
 The thalamus relays sensory information.
 The hypothalamus secretes hormones and controls
physiological functions like temperature, hunger and thirst.
 The corpus callosum connects two hemispheres.
 The pituitary gland is the master gland that secretes
hormones and controls the endocrine system.
 The brain also communicates with the rest of the
body through specialized cells, called neurons.
 Neurons are the messengers of the body
because they receive and send messages to and
from the brain, which enables the body to act on
what is being experienced.
 PARTS OF NEURONS
 Dendrites are a branch-like structure that receives
messages from the neurons. They are attached to
the soma.
 The soma or cell body is responsible for
maintaining the life and functions of the cell. It is
attached to the axon.
 The axon is a tube-like structure that carries
messages from the soma to other neurons.
LATERALIZATION OF THE BRAIN
 Are you a left – brained or right – brained person?
If your answer either one of it, how many brain do
we have?
 The magnificence of the brain and how it works
attracted huge attention and interest to know
more and get a deeper understanding about it.
 One remarkable feat was the work of brain
surgeons and researchers Joseph Bogen
(1926-2005) and Roger Wolcott
Sperry (1913-1994) who investigated
the brains function and found out that
there are different ways of Processing
information in the two hemisphere of the
brain, each having distinct abilities to
handle different mental tasks.
How did they do that?
 They researched on patients who underwent split-
brain operations that reduce epileptic seizure
attacks.
Do you remember the cerebrum?
 It is the largest part of the brain responsible
for language and thinking. It is known as the
seat of complex thought, given its vital roles
in human functioning.
 It was discovered that the cerebrum has a key
fissure (looking like valleys) that seemingly
divides the cerebrum in half. The halves are
thought of a two hemisphere each with distinct
intellectual and emotional functions. In short,
each hemisphere manifest different abilities.
 In general, the left hemisphere controls the right
side of the body. It is responsible for the logical,
intellectual functions necessary for
understanding, writing, and speaking.
 On the other hand, the right hemisphere controls
the left side of the body. It takes care of the
creative, intuitive, and emotional aspects.
 THE WHOLE BRAIN MODEL (NED HERMANN)
 It was Ned Hermann, who after Sperry made his
own studies of the brain.
 According to Hermann people usually have a
dominant part of the brain.
 There are four parts of the brain and not just 2
but they are connected with each other.
WHO ARE QUADRANT A AND B?
 One those that are
characterized as practical,
reality based and down to
earth persons.
WHO ARE QUADRANT C AND
D?
 Are those that are
characterized as fun, friendly
and flexible persons.
 DEVELOPING CREATIVITY
 Creative Thinking is an expansive way of
driving your thoughts to venture into the
realm of possibilities. It is thinking outside
the box. Instead of simply finding ideas, it
pushes you to invent and make something
new.
 TECHNIQUES TO ALLOW FURTHER STIMULATION OF THE
BRAIN

 Associative Thinking
- is a mental technique that
lets you explore an idea by
considering all possible areas
(ideas, experiences, images,
symbols, etc.) related to the topic
at hand to get fresh insights.
 Mind-mapping
- is a creative way of
exploring ideas through a
graphic or visual presentation.
 It uses words, images,
numbers, colors, and spatial
awareness to expand your
brain.
 LET’S PRACTICE
 Describe the brain and its value in learning
and human work.
 What are the three major functions of the
brain?
 What do you need to develop or adjust in your
way of thinking to improve learning?
 LET’S REFLECT
 Self – Assessment Exercises
1. Are you left or right brained? Find out your brain
dominance by visiting the following websites:
- http://braintest.sommer-sommer.com/en/
- http://www.garysummers.ca/documents/PsychK.pdf
- http://www.ipn.at/ipn.asp?BHX
 Follow up Questions:
a. What test did you take? What did the
scores tell you?
b. What is the dominant brain hemisphere at
work within in you?
c. What have you discovered about the way
you think or the way you do things?
 LET’S ASSESS
 Title: Mind – Mapping About My Life
 Instructions: Create a mind – map about
your life and present it through PowerPoint
presentation.