Clear Mind Learning NE was set up in 2023 by Susan Egan, a fully qualified and experienced Science teacher, tutor and clinical hypnotherapist, with a Masters degree in Biochemistry, specialising in Neuroscience, from Oxford University.
Susan developed the “Clear Mind” approach over the last 20 years based upon a combination of real classroom experience in a variety of settings, including working with a wide range of students with specific learning difficulties, along with evidence-based research, to help students of all ages and abilities access learning in a more effortless, natural and creative way.
What IS the Clear Mind Approach?
The Clear Mind approach utilises the natural learning ability of the whole brain, incorporating resources generally associated with “right-brain” activity and which access positive resource states such as imagination, creativity, visualisation and motivation.
The brain has an amazing ability to learn, retain useful and important information and to send that information to the forefront of the mind when it’s required. Why then, do so many students (of all ages!) find learning “difficult”?
The answer is simply that, in these cases, the student is trying to learn in a totally unnatural way, for example by trying to “cram” seemingly unrelated bits of information into the short-term memory, in the hope it will somehow filter through into the long-term memory and be easily retrievable later on, often during a moment of intense stress – the exam setting.
What if we could find a way to help students learn in a more natural way?
Natural Learning…
Did you ever somehow “absorb” the lyrics to a song which was playing on the radio whilst you were focusing on some other task? When I was studying as a teenager, I could join in with the words of every pop song on the radio, but try as I might, I couldn’t recall the rock cycle no matter how many times I tried to “force” it into my brain! So, what’s going on here?
When we are absorbed or intently focused on something the brain can drop into the “alpha” state. This is a natural state which we all flow in and out of throughout the day, and which we go through as we head towards sleep.
In the alpha state the brain waves slooow down a little and we can absorb information directly into the subconscious. In a way, while the conscious mind in “occupied” with something e.g., staring at a picture of the rock cycle, background information – such as pop songs – will be absorbed effortlessly into the mind. Amazing…yes, but also very frustrating when you realise you have “Dance Monkey” playing perfectly over and over in your head, but STILL can’t remember the difference between metamorphic and sedimentary rocks!
The alpha state is also accessed whilst daydreaming, whilst absorbed in a great book or tv show and is also known as the light “trance” state, a very helpful state to be in if you would like to absorb information effortlessly or make positive changes in your life, without the critical conscious mind “getting in the way”.
How can we utilise this natural “alpha state” to help us study?
Well, think about how learning occurs naturally, e.g., how animals learn or how babies and toddlers learn.
If you watch carefully, you will realise that natural learning usually involves becoming fully absorbed in the game or imaginative play, with the brain in a calm and relaxed state – that’s the alpha state!
Motivation is a key factor as well – an animal is highly motivated to learn how to hunt and catch prey – or to be on the lookout!
What is the motivation behind learning a set of facts?
If the motivation is not high enough the brain will not “see the point” of committing it to the long-term memory!
Motivation can be viewed as positive or negative. For example, a negative motivation might be fear-based e.g., fuelled by exam anxiety or unhelpful beliefs that we just “can’t do it”.
Positive motivations are goal-focused, e.g., achieving exam success, feeling confident, looking to the future; I CAN do it!
Positive motivation is the best way to approach studying for obvious reasons!
Relevance is also important. If a set of facts seem abstract and unrelated then again, the brain will see little “point” in storing it and will also have trouble locating it all for you in a time of need! However, when information is connected together creatively, or to something relevant in your life, then the information will flow much more effortlessly both into – and out of – the long-term memory, a bit like tying knots onto a rope and then pulling them up, one after the other. Consider how rhymes can quickly be learned and remembered!
Learning styles also play a big role. For visual learners, creative and imaginative “cartoons” can be used to link seemingly diverse concepts, whilst audio or kinaesthetic learners can utilise music and movement, to learn in a natural and effortless way.
Of course, repetition is always important, but if the style of learning suits the learner, then repetition can be effortless – no writing out paragraph after paragraph (unless that’s fun for you!). So, there you have the “CLEAR MIND” learning approach!
