Table of Contents
b) A Garden Brain
Problem with the structured brain
We have already seen how a structured brain is much more efficient, energetic, quick to take decisions, and quick to start. However, on the downside, such a brain is much more prone to manipulation, depression, anxiety, getting struck, making repetitive mistakes, attracting the wrong people, and negative experiences.
We have also seen that the structured brain is more efficient in repetitive tasks. However, with the advancement of Artificial Intelligence(AI) and machines, rigid models and repetitive tasks are being better handled by machines. Machines are also more efficient in taking quantitative decisions.
Therefore it will become difficult with each passing day for one with a structured brain to find livelihood as the repetitive tasks will be continuously given to the machines.
A classic example is proofreading. A proofreader reads a document and checks for spelling and grammatical errors. As spelling and grammar are fixed, the structured brains could do proofreading better than other forms of the brain. However, with the arrival of software like Grammarly, proof-reading is online, live, and has eliminated the need for proof readers.
Therefore, today if one has to survive the age of machines and AI, one has to become much more fluid and adaptive, capable of learning and unlearning fast, capable of solving abstract problems, comprehending unforeseen and unknown circumstances, building models in the brain that can be changed easily, capable of correlating knowledge from different fields. This need is the key idea behind creating a garden brain.
How to create a garden brain
One of the most difficult brain patterns to achieve is what is called a fluid brain or a Garden brain.
Consider your brain to be a barren land first.
i) You plant some seeds here.
ii) Now you nurture the seeds by watering and putting compost and other soil fertilizers.
iii) You protect the part of the seeds from excess sunlight and excess watering.
iv)Slowly you see plants germinating there. Some plants will grow fast, some slow, some will give fruits in the future, some will give flowers, some will just hold the ground together(like grass), and some will become bigger and give you a shadow.
v) As you nurture the plants, you will see an ecosystem getting created here; more birds, and insects, are coming to your garden.
vi) You will see birds seeding your soil and new plants that you did not seed will arrive, many of which will be of no use, and many of these will be productive.
vii) You keep nurturing the garden and grow the garden as a fully blossomed forest with small plants, large plants, creepers, shrubs, herbs, trees, butterflies, rainfall, sunshine, cloud, ants, sloths, birds, and a complete ecosystem.
The key idea is to think of your brain as an ecosystem, rather than a housing complex. You are much more open to surprises, and unseen experiences. You hold no rigid belief but the belief that what you know may not be optimal. You welcome any contrasting experience and incorporate that experience into your belief.
You let the ecosystem grow itself. The ecosystem is the emotion. Each of the seeds you planted are different ideas rather than the structured buildings of tools.
Now new ideas will be created in this brain, and some of the old ideas will get you fruit, and some will give flowers which are feelings. Flowers will have different fragrances which are different intensities of feelings. You will also get fruits, which are productive output. You may have vegetable plants there and large plants to give you wood and energy.
Whenever you face a problem, you start taking a walk in this garden(rather than finding the shortest path) and your brain will identify the needed tools.
For instance, if you are hungry and you see a mango tree, you will try to find for the stones to get the mango. If you created and nurtured a mental forest then your brain will be less afraid of a potentially threatening unknown future, as it will know that it will be able to gather the necessary resources and make needed tools. find the energy sources in the forest itself. Once your ecosystem grows and becomes self-sustainable, you may make smaller structures such as a home.
Rainfall will create ponds, where you will see fish.
The garden or forest model of the brain will not give you fast solutions to problems like the structured concrete habitat gave. However, it will eliminate the fear of not having a solution or running out of fuel. The ecosystem will further heal you and your brain stays connected to nature.
As many people over spending time in nature, many more people will come to your ecosystem to get benefits or healing from the ecosystem. They will offer you a better exchange and will be ready to lend as you have a fulfilling ecosystem.
Because nature will offer more varieties, you will face less rigidity from the environment. That is how your brain can become one and the same as real nature.