Advanced Neuroscience and Consciousness Study Group 2023
The Power of Extending the Mind
Join us for our seventh (wow!) annual deep dive into aspects of the neuroscience of coaching and consciousness. Our focus this year is the amazing power of the extended mind. We’ll explore how we extend our minds through each other (both Above the Line and Below the Line), our bodies, and through externalizing and the physical environment. While we will be somewhat tracking the powerful book by Annie Murphy Paul, The Extended Mind, we’ll actually go deeper into the layers of the actual research, using many other sources.
There will also be small group practice/reflection sessions the week following each class, where we will work on applying what we have learned to our own lives and as coaches.
Prerequisite: we ask that all participants are currently enrolled in and/or have been through the basics of our Neuroscience, Consciousness and Transformational Coaching program (in-person or virtual) or our Neuroscience, Coaching and Relational Trauma program.
When:
- Main Session: Wednesdays, Noon-1:30 pm U.S. EST
- Discussion/Practice Groups: Wednesdays Noon- 1:00 pm U.S. EST
- detailed schedule below
Where: Zoom
Resources: Not required, but highly recommended, The Extended Mind, by Annie Murphy Paul and Your Body is Your Brain by Amanda Blake. We’ll be using articles, studies, and YouTube videos to explore the extended mind, but it may be helpful to have these books for reference as well.
your facilitator
A note from Ann:
This group started seven years ago because so many of you expressed an interest in traveling more deeply into pure neuroscience (and being connected to a group of people with similar yearning and background), always as it connects to human development and coaching. And while I love teaching all our programs, this is honestly one of my favorite things to do! It not only keeps me incredibly stimulated, it is also a fantastic structure for staying well-connected to what is out there on the cutting edge. Past years have brought real depth of understanding of new areas and even changes to our core program. We always have a blast and expand our awareness. I hope you can join us in 2023!
What and When
Program Overview
We’ll start January 25 and meet virtually via Zoom 13 times throughout the year—seven main 90-minute calls and six 60-minute follow-up discussion groups. (See below for specific dates and content).
The main calls will have group interaction, sharing of your thoughts and Q and A, but will also have a more comprehensive presentation of the materials we’ve been studying. The practice groups will focus on applying the learning to our own lives so that we can really appreciate the learning from the inside out!
Here’s what you can expect:
- Pre-reading/viewing assignments approximately 2-4 weeks ahead of each class;
- Study guides and my “Cliff Notes” on each section approximately 1-2 weeks ahead of each class;
- Practical applications and “how-tos” for a variety of ways we can extend the mind;
- Practice/reflection sessions following each study group to work on applying the learnings to areas of our own lives;
- A Facebook group for connection and sharing resources; and
- A community of passionate learners who share a neuroscience, coaching and consciousness background and perspective!
Program content
The Sessions
Main Session Wednesdays, Noon – 1:30 pm U.S. EST
Practice Groups Wednesdays Noon – 1:00 pm U.S. EST
Session One—Overview: January 25, 2023
Intro / Extending the Mind through Relationship
In this session, we’ll first look at why we need to extend our minds and what we gain from it (if you have been to other presentations on this by us, this will be a quick overview to set the context). We’ll also begin to explore how we tend to extend our mind through relationship without really thinking about—in other words, what we do subconsciously and unintentionally as part of how we are wired for community.
Practice Session—February 1
Session Two—Overview: March 1, 2023
Extending the Mind through Relationship – Part Two: ATL
In this session, we’ll look at what the research shows about the intentional “Above the Line” (ATL) ways we can use the power of relationship to extend our minds. We’ll also look at the research on how this can be best used in intimate partnership, as a work team, in families, and in friendships. We’ll look at the key aspects of:
- Thinking with each other;
- Reducing cognitive biases;
- Extended memory; and
- Co-regulation of our nervous systems.
Practice Session—March 8
Session Three—Overview: April 12, 2023
Extending the Mind through Relationship – Part Three: BTL
In this session, we’ll look at what the research points to as the hazards and limitations of thinking with each other, including issues such as confirmation bias enhanced by “groupthink,” collective gaslighting, brainwashing, and relational manipulation.
Practice Session—April 19
Session Four—Overview: May 24, 2023
Extending the Mind through the Body – Part One
In this session, we’ll explore what it really means that the body thinks and is our “social and emotional sense organ.” In what ways does the body help us become aware of patterns that are too complex to be held in conscious mind? What does the research show about this and how can we use it to understand ourselves more fully? Also, how do our our bodies helps us “ground” abstract concepts?
Practice Session—May 31
SUMMER BREAK
Session Five—Overview: September 13, 2023
Extending the Mind through the Body – Part Two
In this session, we’ll look at how to discern truth through our bodies. How and what do we trust in terms of what they are telling us? What about the impact of trauma? What happens when the body participates in predicting emotions that are not in alignment with current reality? How do we help others and ourselves develop a reliable, powerful partnership with our own internal states?
Practice Session—September 20
Session Six—Overview: October 18, 2023
Extending the Mind through Space
In this session, we’ll explore how moving mental concepts out of our heads allows us to inspect them with our senses and make complex concepts easier to grasp. We’ll also look at the research about how and why our physical surroundings shape how we think and what we focus on.
Practice Session—October 25
Session Seven—Overview: November 29, 2023
Bringing it All Together
In this session, we’ll look at everything we learned this year and the impact it has had and can have on:
- Ourselves
- Our families
- Our coaching clients
- Teams we are on or work with
No Practice Session
Join Us
Register for $495
Logistics: All calls will be on Zoom, and will be recorded if you can’t make a session. You’ll have access to all notes and recordings through our client management system on Coaches Console.
If time zone doesn’t work for you, you can sign up for recordings of program and all notes and PowerPoints for $195.