LESSON SIX

THE POWER OF THE MIND THE WHOLE BRAIN THEORY

PART 1
Power of the Mind: The Whole Brain Theory
Do you know what is the most complex and powerful organ in the human body ?
It is a wrinkled, pinkish gray organ that only weighs 3 pounds but controls everything from the way humans move and
think.
BRAIN
Our brain is powerful enough that we can’t live without it. It is located in our head, protected by our skull and contains
billions of neurons.
During elementary and Junior High School, we learned that our brain is composed of three main parts.
Major parts of the brain:
 CEREBRUM
 CEREBELLUM
 BRAIN STEM
THE CEREBRUM
The Cerebrum is the largest part of the brain that performs higher functions such as reasoning, learning and the uses of the
five senses.
• Do you know that the pre frontal cortex, a part of the cerebrum is not yet fully developed during teenage years?
• The pre-frontal cortex is responsible for the person’s capacity for complex decision-making, planning skills,
controlling emotions and managing emotional reactions, focus, information management, and ability to ignore
external distractions.
• Pre Frontal Cortex or PFC develops until the age of 25 or some until their 30s.
The Pre Frontal Cortex

THE CEREBELLUM
The Cerebellum is located under the cerebrum, coordinates muscle movements, maintains posture and balance. It controls
the body’s voluntary movements.
THE BRAIN STEM
The Brain Stem section controls the involuntary movements in our body such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and
even digestion. It also connects the spinal cord to the brain.
The Split- Brain Theory
Dr. Roger Sperry was an American Neuropsychologist and Neurobiologist who developed the theory that the brain is
divided into two hemispheres- the left and the right hemispheres. The Right Hemisphere of the brain is performing tasks
that were intuitive, creative and integrative while the Left Hemisphere part of the brain is responsible for the analytic,
logic, reasoning and critical thinking of the person. Dr. Sperry called this as the “ Split-Brain Theory”.
The Brain Theories
In 1881, Paul Broca a French surgeon conducted a study and theorized that some language resides on the left side of the
brain.
Triune Brain Theory
An American Neuroscientist by the name of Dr. Paul MacClean came up with a theory that identified three distinct parts
of the brain which were referred to as “ The Triune Brain Theory”
Neocortex or the New Brain (REASON)
The NEOCORTEX or rational brain is responsible for intellectual tasks such as language, planning, abstraction, and
perception.
Mamalian Brain or The Limbic System (EMOTIONS)
The Limbic System or the Intermediate brain is responsible for the motivation and emotions involved in feeding and
reproduction.
Reptilian Brain (INSTINCTS)
The primitive brain or the REPTILIAN COMPLEX controls the self-preservation and aggressive behavior of humans
similar to survival instincts of animals.
Brain Care
Let’s learn how to take care of our brain while in adolescence period.
Taking Care of the Brain
1. Have regular exercise and Brain Exercise.
2. Eat Healthy food.
3. Have enough sleep in the evening .
4. Cultivate meaningful relationship with family and friends.
5. Avoid alcohol and drugs.
The Brain Dominance Theory
Ned Hermann, a creative researcher and author, came up with his own theory called the “Brain Dominance Theory”
Brain Dominance Theory is also called The Whole Brain Theory
Hermann labeled the four quadrants of the Brain.

Researchers believed that brain dominance determines a person’s preferences, problem-solving style, personality
characteristics, and even career choices.
SUMMARY
The summary in this section are the following:
• The overview of the brain and its major parts.
• The different brain theories
- Split Brain Theory
-The Triune Brain Theory
-The Brain Dominance Theory or the Whole Brain Theory/ Hernann’s Whole Brain Model
• Brain care