Open Mind: Discovering the Six Patterns of Natural Intelligence

by Dawna Markova

An examination of the talents that people have and what makes them do what they do. The author suggests that everyone has the power to change the way they perceive themselves and others, and revolutionize the way they work, communicate and love, by investigating the learning triggers derived from six basic learning patterns. These patterns are all based on how we assimilate auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic information.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1996

About the author

Dawna Markova’s passion awakens through storytelling and finding open questions to help people discover how to love the life they have been given.

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to help understand why some people think so differently from ourselves and a select few seem to process very similarly. We all have three levels of brain waves, and on each one we are either audio, kinesthetic or visual. Since everyone has each of these choices there are six possible combinations, and the order that this combination is in shapes your perception of the world. If you are audio on the conscious level then music and sound will keep you awake, if it is your unconscious level it will put you to sleep. People with kinesthetic as their conscious level tend to be athletes and more comfortable in their bodies, while kinesthetics at the unconscious tend to be rather awkward. Depending on your order it can make you seek eye contact when talking and think other people who don't maintain it during conversations are disrespectful or it can make you uncomfortable to the point of feeling people are staring at your soul if you look them in the eye during an intense conversation. Reading this book and figuring out your own processing style can help you figure out how to teach yourself new things more effectively and how to interact with others better. This should also give you some insight into why you get along so well with some people and not with others, as well as suggestions to tweak your behavior to get along with people who do not naturally align with your learning/processing style. Regardless of whether you plan on making any of these changes it is a book well worth reading just to be aware of the differences between people and how they perceive the world.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a thought-provoking manner, Dr. Markova describes three intelligences grounded in our senses: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. She then goes on to suggest we use these intelligences in an increasing order of consciousness, starting with the unconscious, then the subconscious, and finally the conscious. Each level depends on a different type of intelligence.

For example, a KVA learner can be described as using kinesthetic knowledge on a conscious level, visual information on a subconscious level, and auditory input on an unconscious level. It follows there are five other combinations: KAV (kinesthetic-auditory-visual), VKA (visual-kinesthetic-auditory) and so on. Dr. Markova goes on to describe both how to identify one’s own combination of intelligences and how best to interact with those whose styles differ from our own.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book aids understanding of how we all learn differently. Each of us learns visually, auditorially and kinetically. Find out which of these senses you learn consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously. you may be surprised. It can help you in building relationships at work and at home.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

understanding how our brain works... very interesting...
I would use more as a reference book when I got stymied as to why certain people act the way they do. Wasn't all that interested in the exercises, but gleaned a lot of useful information from it. Really loved the quotes on each page.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Explores some fascinating avenues of how the mind may work, but too often lapses into a grating pop-psychology voice that makes it hard to take seriously.

[Samantha Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book!

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gathered a little bit of insight. It's nice to "know thyself".

[Holly Schak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book and I wish all educators would read this!