Silent Brain Learning
NOTE: Read this article and watch the video first …
[The Enormous Power of the Unconscious Brain]
It’s a great article, but the journalist has it all wrong IMO. In fact he completely contradicts himself …
Silence is Golden
In the video you see the comparison between the journalist’s brain and the world-champ’s brain (that’s right the 10 year old is a world champion cup stacker … what have you done lately???).
In that video the journalist’s brain is lit up like a Christmas tree .. whle the champ’s brain is virtually silent. Yet the journalist claims he’s wired in the programming to his cortical processing to run the patterns he’s running without processing them.
That’s fundamentally absurd!!! (Go ahead, read the paragraph above again.)
The argument I’m making is that what the champ did was to get his brain out of the way (okay, not his whole brain, but the part we “think” with normally … or at least consciously … the cortical brain (the neocortex).
His brain is silent because it’s not working … and even the little blips we see have little to nothing to do with what his hands are doing.
That’s not about training the cortical processing, or learning to submerge the conscious processing function.
The champ used his neocortex to train his cerebellum to take over … i.e.: his Silent Brain!
Why Performance Mastery Is “Silent”
Performance is a function of the ability to act in response and relation to the stream of data flowing in the system that you’re operating in to create your intended outcome.
The more accurately you perceive and interpret the data present in the system, the more accurately you can adumbrate what’s coming next … and, make adjustment to your responses.
Ultimately, your performance is a function of behavior, i.e.: the actions you take and don’t take in response to the way you percieve and interpret the data in the system. The more closely your actions align with the simplest, most direct path with the least resistence between where you are in the present moment and what you intend as your outcome, the more elgant, efficient and effective your performance will be … let’s call this the “Path of Perfection.”
When you can act consistently and reliably along the Path of Perfection, you will gained mastery in that behavioral performance … whether that’s mastery in sports, communication, business … or some other domain of action.
This kind of performance, i.e.: mastery, is a function of processing done beyond the reach of cortical processing … or at least solely by cortical processing.
The primary driver of mastery at the behavioral level of performance is processed in the cerebellum.
This is the seat of the silent processing we see in the video of the champ’s brain …
He’s not showing activity in the neocortex, because he’s off-loaded the processing to the cerebellum and gotten his cortical processing out of the way of his faster, more elegant cerebellar processing.
Blind But Not Dumb
The cerebellum may be blind, but it’s not dumb.
Cerebellar processing operates differently from cortical processing because it’s non-representational.
We see this when the champ puts on the blindfold and still runs the behavioral performance as well as when he’s not blindfolded. Although he’s not getting any visual input his motor facilities still function as accurately in the task he’s trained them to do.
He’s using a combination of kinesthetic input and spatial mapping to function at that level of performance. This is the magic of training the vestibular and proprioceptive systems to take over for the more common sensory system processing task, e.g.: looking at the cups, his hands and what he’s doing with them.
The silence of the cerebellum is it’s trick. The cerebellar processing pathways are more efficient because they are closer to the direct sensory data. The cortex almost immediately transforms direct sensory data into representations, abstractions and intellectualizations … at least one step removed from the actual data itself.
One of the most obvious examples, especially if you have yet to master something at the level of the world cup stacking champion (5 seconds for that whole routine, again and again, even blindfolded) … is the transformation of direct emotional experience into an intellectualization. Anger, joy, grief, ecstacy … all have an actual body experience, a felt sense … but the way the average person experiences their emotions has as much or more to do with the associations they make with the way they label their experience.
Cerebellar Training & Learning
The basis of virtually all the work I do is framed in relation to moving unnecessary cortical processing out of the way of performance.
This is not saying there is no place for corical processing, of course our neocortex is one of our most amazing evolutionary gifts … but, all things at the right time and in the right place … preferencing cortical processing over all other kinds of “thinking” or kinds of neurological processing.
The real “trick” is knowing how to get the cortex out of the way, freeing it to do what it does best … i.e.: make connections in time and space that don’t yet exist … creating future memories.
To do that the behavioral part of performance must be off-loaded whenever possible to the more efficient cerebellum.
When the cerebellum is in charge of responding there is a direct line to taking action, that cortical processing must run through multiple channels to get to first, creating a slower, more cumbersome response.
For some people (especially those who remain untrained) in getting through the levels and complexity of cortial processing they run out of steam before they get to action, i.e.: they find themselves unable to take action or constantly hesitating and procrastinating when immediate action would have served them (and, possibly others) best.
Knowing how to organize yourself to take action is the key to mastery.
In otherwords, if you want to attain mastery you must develop the ability to train and learn at the cerebellar level of response.
When you’re ready give me a call …
(You’ll find my contact details here: Joseph Riggio DotCom)
Joseph Riggio, Ph.D.
New Hope, PA
PS – The most effective way “cerebellar training” I’ve ever put together is my “Foolish Wisdom” group coaching program. I’m running a program in New Hope, PA in a couple of weeks on Saturday & Sunday, 16/17 April 2016.
Check out the Foolish Wisdom Workshop details here:
https://www.amiando.com/HSNIUBF.html
Leo says
Very interesting. What about learning new behaviors or improving existing ones, on one’s own. You suggest that be done “from the cerebellum” too? How can I learn and adapt without using my conscious mind to self correct?
Joseph Riggio says
Leo, thanks for the question …
Let me start by saying that I’m NOT suggesting that you move from the traditional path of learning that’s been embedded via years of traditional schooling aimed at a distinctly cortical learning process, to jump into a cerebellar learning path. I’m not sure that’s even possible.
I’d always suggest finding a good teacher and begin there.
You may have difficulty finding someone with a shingle that reads: “CEREBELLAR TRAINING” – but you will find a lot of folks advertising experiential or embodied learning pathways, and that’s the place to begin.
You want to learn with someone who continues to point you back to yourself, and especially one who emphasizes the felt experience you are having in the learning experience. This is a particular way of reflecting.
If there is no movement within you are NOT experiencing cerebellar learning. In other words you should be able to “feel” the learning happening and even articulate what that feels like to some extent. With more learning articulation will become easier and more elegant.
You can look towards the somatic disciplines as a starting point, as well as really high quality martial arts training that emphasizes internal balance (as well as external balance) and sensitivity training. It’s one of the reasons I love and I’m so committed to training in Guided Chaos with Master Al Ridenhour (http://www.attackproof.com)
Shyaamlal says
This makes perfect sense! (to my neocortext I believe…)
I’m reminded of a recommendation in your book – The Cerebellum (The Brain for an implicit Self) – will go check it out!
I’ve a couple of queries.. one – what happens to/in Cerebellum in a ‘transformation’ experience?
Two.. with respect to non-rep reality and non-dual reality..
When non-dual masters (or any Spiritual masters) say that there’s no ‘You’ and there’s only Life expressing itself, are they pointing to ‘Operate from your Silent Brain and let your impersonal life flow from there’?
Thanks!
Joseph Riggio says
Shyaamal,
I can’t and won’t speak to what non-dual masters say … you should ask them instead.
In a cerebellar learning experince (see my notes to Leo above as well), you are experiencing the learning at multiple levels of course, but especially so as the experience of the felt sense of being.
A great place to learn a bit more about this is from my books, The State of Perfection and Experiencing The Hero’s Journey, and another great book by Eugene Gendlin, “Experiencing and the Creation of Meaning”.
Shyaamlal says
Got it.. Thanks!
Ruth says
So Fast , two and a half minutes to 5 seconds by Austin using his neocortex to train his cerebellum . I really like when Austin claps and jumps when he’s finished stacking the cups.
Does the EEG show what is happening in the Cerebellum am wondering .
Joseph Riggio says
Ruth,
The EEG can show brain activity in the cerebellum, but in this case it’s not showing that because of the way the EEG was set up to record brain activity in the neocortex using the equipment the way they have.
Mostly this has to do with the amplitude of the intracranial signals that the EEG registers. Cortical activity has a higher amplitude than cerebellar activity, and therefore the cerebellum’s lower amplitude signals are less susceptible to EEG readings. Also, neurosurgeons and neurologists have traditionally been less interested in cerebellar activity than in cortical activity (specifically pathological issues that can be diagnosed via cortical investigation via an EEG). Therefore any attempts at refining cerebellar EEG studies have been very limited.
Here’s very technical article that explores more about this in greater detail if you’re interested: Oscillatory activity of the human cerebellum: The intracranial electrocerebellogram revisited
Tony says
I practice Tai Chi and chi gung and one of the first things you learn is to “make your body conscious” and ” get out of your head and into your body”
This is one of my passions…learning to consciously map out the pathways of sensation associated with the min-body connection.
Look into B,K Frantzis work and then you’ll really learn the difference between ” head knowledge” and “embodied knowledge”.
Great blog post.
What other books can you suggest?
Joseph Riggio says
Tony,
Great stuff. I know B.K. Frantzis’ work well.
I’ve studied martial arts for decades (literally), including some Tai Chi with a master focused on true combat applications, very cool stuff!
For the last few years I’ve been studying Guided Chaos with Master Al Ridenhour, and frankly, despite years of martial arts training, including a few spent as an amateur boxer having bouts almost weekly, this stuff blows me away … Guided Chaos Website.
There is a significant difference in learning to be present to the body experience and mapping that consciously to an abstraction held descriptively, i.e.: the “story” of the experience. One is direct sensory awareness the other is sensory representation. At the level of performance there is no comparison.
However, going beyond embodiment and sensory awareness there is a level of learning to act outside of any conscious awareness whatsoever. Many folks would call this “intuition,” including one of my favorite scientists and authors, Gary Klein. If you haven’t picked it up I recommend you read, “Sources of Power”. He’s also written and co-authored a number of other books, but one I also recommend is, “Streetlights and Shadows”.
There are other things and books I’m deeply into, like some of the work of Stanley Keleman, Edward T. Hall and Gavin de Becker (“The Gift of Fear” … also a great book if you haven’t read it) as well as some of stuff by Paul Ekman (the scientist behind the “Lie To Me” TV series). However, in the non-fiction realm, a real eye-opener is: “Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life”.
Finally, I always like to recommend, and have handed out dozens of copies to my students, Frank Herbert’s “Chapterhouse: Dune”. Pure fiction by the author of Dune, one of all time favorite books. In Chapterhouse, he creates these marvelous descriptions of the Bene Gesserit and Honored Matres woman and their internal experiences, as well as their body responses and how they attend to them. If you’ll allow yourself to be taken, you will.
Rinoni says
Riggio,
…something is missing. And that’s what keeps the pulse and rhythm of creativity – the heart.
You may want to check: http://noeticsi.com/thinking-from-the-heart-heart-brain-science/
Also, as a linguist you may want to recall the phrase……..It STEMS from X.
So, Brainstem my friend. That’s where the root of creativity is, which then is complemented with the Cerebellum and then balanced with the Cortex.
…as a side note…..there’s no – Evolutionary Gift, and there’s nothing NEO to the the brain. Simply Cortex. It is developed fully from the first….to the last day. The question is, do people have purity of the hearts to access stuff beyond reflexive and silent programming?
Accessing pure Creativity requires purity of the heart/soul.
People without heart, and years of Cerebellar embodiment, remain as the rat in the lab 😉
Peace, and Praise be to God, alone.
R.
Joseph Riggio says
Rinoni,
TA … we may not agree completely here, but I appreciate your input.
Since you bring it up … the spirit is often silent, and the men of old (mostly men at least … not my choice, just the old … and IMO outdated … ways) would find a cave in the desert and sit silently for years waiting for the spirit to descend upon them … and often it would.
Now, how could they know it had without language, or at least before language came to them???
This is cerebral awareness of a non-cerebral event … felt NOT thought. No words can or do contain the mind of G-d.
Here’s a thing to think on too … Paradise of the Desert Fathers
And, the book that collected some of these thoughts from the desert as well: The Wisdom of the Desert, by one of my favorite spiritual authors, Thomas Merton.
tivo rojas says
Hey Dr. J,
What are the principles, distinctions and practices from Guided Chaos to bring into my practice of Mythoself, Embodied Leadership, Leadership Embodiment and Generative Somatics? I read your answer to Leo and as you know I’ve been trained and practice a number of other somatic practices and bring forward the embodiment of leadership and living.
I know that when I coach others…I move and do a dance of movement as I feel, experience and read what the next move is, what is relevant and when to just stop and do nothing and when to unleash the next provocation to move them back home and forward to their destination.
Best,
T
John McKeen says
Hi Dr. J,
Very interesting article you wrote:
http://www.attackproof.com/going-beyond-my-tai-chi-and-wing-chun-limitations.html
I was intrigued by this paragraph:
“…With this criteria in mind I began searching every claim to “combat-ready martial arts training” and the closest thing I found before coming across Guided Chaos was close quarters combat training that I had come across before when training with the U.S. Army Rangers. It was effective, but it isn’t beautiful or elegant … more about that in a moment…”
Can you tell me more about that training? How would you describe it? Was it similar to WW2 hand to hand or the more modern, MMA based material?
Also, curious about Ranger training itself. (Ranger school). Did you use any NLP to pass the various phases of it?
Best,
JM
Joseph Riggio says
John,
First of all my apologies for any confusion, I am not, nor was I ever, a U.S. Army Ranger. I did have the extraordinary privilege of training with some of them, but alas I’m not one of them.
To your first question there is an aspect of Guided Chaos that is based on the same principals as WW2 hand-to-hand combatives. It’s very much about simple, direct, explosive strikes and kicks. There are some simple blocking or protective postures as well, and it’s designed to get people to the point where in a pinch they can protect themselves. But it’s separate from the complete art of Guided Chaos IMO, which resides of what we call Contact Flow.
The full art is based on developing a level of sensitivity and proprioceptive acuity that I haven’t ever seen trained in the same way or even close in any other art.
Combined with the other principals of balance, looseness or pliability, and body unity, the proprioceptive sensitivity developed through practicing Combat Flow makes the approach in Guided Chaos unique. The high level practitioners move in ways I’ve never seen or experienced anywhere else. Their ability to deal with physical attacks and to respond in kind, although in their own inimitable way, is just off the charts.
The simplest way to describe it that I can think of world be to imagine yourself as a sphere that is as large as you can reach with your arms in all directions and then a bit larger as defined by taking a half step in all directions. The circumference of that sphere and all the area it contains is yours to control and use, against one our many attackers.
As soon as the meniscus of the sphere is broken you engage avoiding, not blocking, but avoiding all attempts to strike, kick, grab, trap or throw you … while unleashing a flurry of devastating strikes and kicks yourself, from any and all angles with any body weapon spontaneously as the conditions and opportunities emerge.
Guided Chaos is a pure self defense art, there is no sport aspect to it, however because of its purity there is a powerful mental aspect to the training. To truly get the art you must fully accept what is happening as it emerges in real time, there are no forms or patterns to learn, only response … response … response. There is also the requirement to submit to the reality of what is happening as pure sensual data, because there’s no way of avoiding it based on the evidence of the outcome you achieve of fail to achieve.
Make no mistake about it, Guided Chaos presumes violence is real and trains practitioners to fight for their lives if necessary … and that makes it devastating as a martial art, but because of that it has no place in sport. There is a presumption that if you are fighting that you’ve already done everything in your power not to have to fight if possible, so you are now confronting someone who means you harm and your intention is to become unavoidable, while remaining unavailable yourself.
I hope that captures a bit of the flavor of the art.
John says
Thanks Dr. J for your very helpful insight!
Best,
JM