According to Dr. Dawna Markova, each one of us comes into the world with “an ache to learn.” Why is it, then, that some of us pick up languages with ease, while others struggle to keep up? Why are some of us perfectly coordinated, while others can’t ever learn to catch a ball? On The Open Mind, you will discover the answers to these riddles, which lie buried deep in the learning centers of your mind. Here are the keys to unlocking your own capacity to learn more quickly, more deeply—and more naturally.

Dr. Markova teaches that each of us fit into one of six basic learning patterns, all based on the ways we assimilate auditory, visual, and kinesthetic information. These are our mental learning “triggers.” If your conscious mind is most stimulated by movement, for example, it will be hard for you to learn while sitting still. If, on the other hand, kinesthetic input stimulates your unconscious mind, you will probably find competitive sports difficult, even annoying. On The Open Mind, Dr. Markova guides you through detailed descriptions of each learning pattern, and teaches you how to recognize them in yourself and others. The Open Mind is a storehouse of invaluable information that can revolutionize the way you think, communicate, work, and love. 

• Alpha, beta and theta waves; the encephalogram and the QB computer; Jerome’s story; your personal thinking pattern; “rut stories” and “river stories”; the three symbolic languages we use to think; the spiral of mental activity; moving from judgment to connection
• The “word-smart” learning patterns; how auditory cues can stimulate the conscious mind; the AVK pattern - Jennifer and Martin; the AKV pattern - Tami and Monte
• The “body-smart” learning patterns; how kinesthetic cues can stimulate the conscious mind; the KVA pattern; the KAV pattern - Darian and Steve
• The “visually smart” learning patterns; how visual cues can stimulate the conscious mind; the VKA pattern - Dale and Eric; the VAK pattern - Leslie and Tom
• How to identify your own learning pattern; “insearching”; how to tune your mental instrument; creativity, imagery, and healing; how to recognize your intuition; a guided daydream
• The art and practice of relationships; “Advanced Intimacy 101”; entering another person’s model of the world; listening in a different way; insights into each of the six learning patterns; Tom and Dale; an Apache wedding blessing