Mind mapping has been hailed as the perfect tool for learning, brainstorming, planning, studying, and organising ideas. Now Galwegians will have the opportunity to learn about mind mapping from the man who coined the term, at a seminar taking place in the city later this month.
The event, entitled Maximise Brainpower with Mindmapping, will feature mind mapping pioneer Tony Buzan offering his insight gained from decades of studying how to maximise cognitive performance. While the seminar will focus on mind mapping, Buzan will also discuss techniques such as speed reading which can allow people to hack their learning curve.
Buzan, who trademarked the term mind mapping in the 1960s, has written close to 150 books on mind mapping and other learning techniques, while touring the world teaching people how to maximise their brainpower. His work has garnered him the respect of business and thought leaders worldwide, and three Nobel Peace Prize nominations, in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The key to mind mapping is to combine the keywords of a concept with a strong visual element, using images and at least three colours to create a visual tree-map of the subject, either on paper or using specialised mind mapping software which is widely available. This engages several parts of the brain including visual and language centres, helping to consolidate the information and commit it to memory.
Creating a visual map around a topic or idea can also help to encourage new connections between concepts, giving rise to greater creativity which, according to Buzan, is one of the most important factors in success today.
“I spent years studying how the top thinkers made notes, how the geniuses made notes such as Leonardo Da Vinci,” Buzan said. “In school we were taught to take notes in one colour, blue or black, and it was really boring. One colour is monotone, and monotone is monotonous. Which is why most students get bored, the brain shuts down, and it’s happening in business, in governments, in ministries, because they are all taking notes that are tuning them out and shutting them down. Which is why the world is in trouble, because you have all these people who who don’t know how to think. The reason why most companies go bankrupt and government bankrupt, is because there is a bankruptcy of thought.”
The seminar, which takes place in the Harbour Hotel on September 27, will feature “an operation manual for the brain,” Buzan said, which will help attendees to override bad thinking habits and develop new ones which will serve them better. Buzan’s work also encompasses areas such as speed reading and memory, which he incorporates into his seminars.
“I’ll teach them how to remember better, and how to mind map and apply mind mapping to all aspects of your life,” he added. “Mind maps can help you be more creative, improve your memory, and remember what you have studied and read. I’ll be teaching them also how to learn, how to read, speed reading, and how to help their children get much better marks in school and at university.”
For more information on the Maximise Brainpower with Mind Mapping seminar, contact 01 2875524 or visit www.seminars.ie For more information on Tony Buzan see www.tonybuzan.com or follow @Tony_Buzan on Twitter.
