How Brains Think: The Embodiment Hypothesis

(THIS COMMENT IS COPIED AND PASTED FROM ANOTHER POST I WROTE ELSEWHERE)

George Lakoff has a lot to say about Embodiment, which is rooted in diexis and force dynamics. Having this new insight, does this not engender a reformation to our education system, which is based upon a Cartesian philosophy of mind? At least to say, that we can educate our society in a manner which considers the embodiement of that education completely separate from the content of the education; when in fact, considering embodiment, it is not only the content of education, but the manner in which we are educated which will impact how we think, and percieve reality. Ultimately causing our methods of approaching and even conceiving real world problems to be, in some way, predetermined in ignorance. That is to say, we have not yet appreciated how our education systems embodiment impacts how we conceive reality, and deal with the problems at stake, such as, cleaning up after ourselves (garbage, plastic, PCBs, PAHs, CFCs, Nulear waste, etc), going to war, world hunger, mass extinction, etc.

Explicitly, I am considering the typical colonial method of education which involves a classroom and desks with chairs facing a teacher at the front and centre of a square room. What other method of non-colonial education exists, and how could that, via embodiment, initiate solutions to global problems, notably, world hunger and mass extinction? How would, say, incorporating, traditional African, Native American, or Asian methods of education impact how we exist in reality? Such as traditional african drumming, the Anishinaabe Mino-Biimadiziwin, Yoga and dharmic stages of life, Shaolin Kung-fu / Zen (which is a method based entirely on learning through physical practice, self-knowledge, and NOT of theoretical comprehension)

If we understand that our minds are neural networks, and that our conception of reality is then based through the construct of those networks, which develops over time through embodiment, then, wouldn’t we approach education in this way? Not only could reforming education with embodiment in mind potentially solve some of our most pressing issues as a civilization, but, the embodiment of our current education regimen may actually be the root cause of many societal issues, by instigating neural networks, and therefore mind-states, which are unnatural, and detrimental to the human organism; like a fish out of water. What if in fact, our educations systems embodiment is unhealthy, and energetically inefficient? (do all those kids really need Ritalin, or is school just unhealthy?) (We know that sitting in chairs is not healthy as it suppresses proper breathing, and advocates tight hip flexors and weak lower backs; what sort of cumulative effect does this have on us as a people and communal whole?) As well, this approach to education, and our civilization as a whole may contribute to the social justice that many minority and oppressed communities deserve, by enlightening us to the true value that their ancestral teaches have to offer.

While many civilization had entirely different ways of experiencing reality (and with that, their own problems), so too does ours, but which is not the ‘right way’, and in fact, may be bringing us down.

“the medium is the message”