HUMAN INTELLIGENCE As it connects to brain research Joseph Chilton Pearce Crack in Cosmic Egg, Magical Child, Evolution's End

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT In utero: child in constant movement as heart contracts keeps child massaged and safe if loud sound, startle response if bright light, fetus rolls away from it What kind of birth would allow for best transition from womb? Why?

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN UTERO: starting at 6 months learning all phonemes needed for speech from mother as she talks if mom is mute, needs to have another speak within 3 inches of tummy often or no prewiring for speech at birth What happens to speech for an infant with a mute mother if others do not build phoneme bank?

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT Humans have growth spurts at birth, age 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, and 21. much brain growth as well millions of axons and dendrites become available in appropriate environment much myelination will occur

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT BIRTH at birth the system is ready to help infant bond to mother to start up whole brain process if the baby touches mother’s skin, whole sense of touch system started Mother’s face prewired to start up vision

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT if love connection is formed>much myelination of brain cells > initial connection of mammalian brain and prefrontal lobes if no immediate love connection > trauma> vision problems, heart problems if positive huge growth spurt in prefrontal lobes prefrontal lobes house love, empathy, compassion all connected with love

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT child needs to see mother’s face often (every 20 minutes optimum) distance needs to be inches (nursing distance) milk very watery contains little fat or protein therefore infant fed every 20 minutes when awake

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT Takes 9 months to myelinate visual system HCL produced at 9 months and more fat and protein in milk AGE 1: need brain mass so child can get up on hind feet and walk and talk if much positive support much myelination of brain cells

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AGE MONTHS: RISK TAKING What do you think happens when a child reaches out to touch new objects or takes first steps? if “NO” and “Don’t Touch!” child experiences fight/flight response of reptilian brain

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT if repeated many times, especially with a swat and/or harsh tone, connection with prefrontal lobes reversed and connection made with lower reptilian brain. SAFE PLACE and SAFE PERSON are now UNSAFE with each incidence, immune system is lowered for 6 hours can lead to withdrawal and depression cortisone produced

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT At each growth spurt, brain is asking, can I go for higher intelligence or do I need to survive? If yes, connect with prefrontal lobes and enlarge them. if no, connect with sensory motor brain and increase bulk of body (fight/flight response)

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGE: concrete language many repetitions with real objects forms a picture of each thing in the imagination “What’s that?” hundreds of words > phrases>sentences

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT World View extends world to include family members and close friends AGE 2- 4 Movement: Greater confidence running, jumping, hopping on two feet, balancing on one foot, throwing large balls, kicking large balls, riding on things, pushing things

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT Language development: Continually makes images of everything sentences – all kinds questions especially “Why?” tenses and idioms added to speech loves to play with language stories, poems, finger plays, nursery rhymes HUNDREDS OF REPETITIONS WHY?

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AGE 4-5 child connects with natural world spends hours piling sand, pouring water, wading in water, digging in the dirt, looking at everything that moves, creeps or crawls in nature likes to repeat things “hundreds” of times WHY?

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT likes stories about personified animals dreams or nightmares are peopled with animals (represent family members) WHY? AGE 6-7 ready to connect with other humans if other stages have gone well, start to see some empathy or compassion for others

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT if other stages have produced fight/flight response may feel nervous and threatened by others afraid of not fitting in, constantly checking to make sure they’re acceptable > pleasers dreams contain people

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT BURTON JONES RESEARCH: (1972) storytelling as a vehicle to expand imagination during the first 7 years since strongest connection is with animalian brain, images match this need full sensory interaction much kinesthetic learning that involves many senses once words match a picture in the brain >play

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AGE can manipulate words without the thing being present the imagination creates the pictures of things not present can give a child a story problem orally and they can imagine the things you wish them to manipulate can understand part whole relationships: fractions

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AGE 14 - PUBERTY much brain growth with physiological changes ready for abstract thinking can apply formulas can understand concepts like gravity and theory of relativity can manipulate symbols freely

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AGE 21: SELF DEFINITION last time human given thousands of extra brain cells able to connect self to self on deeper levels much energy and a feeling of “something great will happen” looking for connection on a universal level > Peace Core work, positive effect on humanity

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT From what you have heard, what kind of education system do children need to maximize brain growth? Age 3-5 Age 6 &7 Does our current educational system promote this? Why or why not?

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT Education That Supports Prefrontal Lobe Growth positive, non threatening much activity based learning much storying opportunities to repeat things many times activities that promote imagination and problem solving child centred and child lead

HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT What kind of educational system will retard growth of frontal lobes? Do you think television a good or bad thing for children? Why or why not? Are computers a good or bad thing for early childhood classrooms? Why or why not?