The book The Mechanism of Mind details the underpinning model of mind that leads to the many thinking skills developed by Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono is a physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He originated the term lateral thinking, wrote a best selling book Six Thinking Hats and is a proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking as a subject in schools.- Biography :Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born to...

, including lateral thinking

Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic...

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The Model

The model detailed in the book, and referred to again in many of Edward de Bono's other books, is one of Neurones networked together by many stronger and weaker connections and activating as a result of input stimulus or stimulation from other neurones that are themselves active. Neurones that are active together form stronger connections and are more likely to activate together in the future. The model is a Self-organizing system.

It is not intended that the model be a detailed analysis of how human brains are structured but the broadest possible abstraction that can provide meaningful understanding of the nature of thinking. Nor is it intended to build a cohesive theory but to provide the reader with a collection of concepts that will illuminate further thinking about thinking.

More detailed models and theories specifically about the brain can be found under the topic of Cognitive Science

Cognitive science

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...

 and connectionism

Connectionism

Connectionism is a set of approaches in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience and philosophy of mind, that models mental or behavioral phenomena as the emergent processes of interconnected networks of simple units...

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Behaviour of the Model

The characteristic behaviour of the system is shown to create and reinforce patterns. The current set of patterns in the system determine how new experiences are integrated. Attention tends to flow along well worn paths and patterns have large catchment areas. Novel experiences are often lost as attention flows down old paths that are in some way similar to the new experience. Sometimes starting at a different point in an established pattern can lead to a jump out of that pattern to a new one.

These behaviours are analogs to human thinking behaviours such as circular thinking, prejudice, polarisation, insight and humour.

Consequences

The mind as modeled has some severe limitations.

From The Mechanism of Mind page 182:

Thinking modes such as Natural Thinking, Logical Thinking, Mathematical Thinking and Lateral Thinking, are examined in the light of these limitations to see how they may be addressed. The techniques of Lateral Thinking are shown to be specifically designed to bypass these limitations.

External links and references

• DeBono, Edward The Mechanism of Mind ISBN 0224617095 January, 1969