In chapter 1 we learned that the ability to perform lightning-fast calculations is not a special talent limited to the few. Anyone can achieve this as long as the potential of their right brain is developed from young. We also learned that imaging plays an important part in the development of the right brain.
Chapter 2 talks about extra sensory perception (ESP). This is probably where all the controversy erupts from. It reads almost as fantastically as something out of Ripley’s Believe it or Not. As much as I wanted to be open to it, I confess that a part of me read the chapter with a great deal of skepticism. Despite the fact that I grew up embroiled with stuff on ESP, telekinesis, and comic book heroes, and the fact that I always dreamed of being able to do such amazing things, I still found it difficult to keep the skepticism at bay.
My physics teacher once said that if our brains were simple enough for us to understand it, we wouldn’t have the mental capacity to understand it. Although we’ve come a long way in understanding the brain, there are still a lot of things we don’t fully understand about it so why should it be so difficult to believe that there is a scientific explanation for ESP and that it is an untapped ability that everyone has the potential to achieve?
ESP is something most of us associate with random odd individuals capable of mind reading, predicting the future, moving objects with their minds, etc. It’s the stuff of fantasies, magicians and charlatans. However, in Shichida’s book, he talks about ESP from a scientific perspective. Just as the left brain has 5 senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing), Shichida refers to ESP as the right brain’s senses (telepathy, clairvoyance, tactility, precognition, and telekinesis). Because very little is understood about the right brain’s senses, it is often referred to as the sixth sense – intuitions and mysterious flashes relating to paranormal phenomena. Shichida, however, has a scientific theory and evidence for it.
I’m not going to cite the evidence here because I don’t believe I could do it any justice. My recommendation is to either accept the fact that Shichida has scientific reasons for believing in ESP, or to buy a copy of his book and read it for yourself. Alternatively, you can also pay a visit to Mr Toshihide Hisamura who runs a coffee shop called “Andersen Fruits Parlor”. It is near Kawadana station on the JR Omura Line in Nagasaki, Japan. Three times a day, at 1, 5, and 8 o’clock, Mr Hisamura demonstrates how ESP works. Mr Hisamura’s ESP abilities include telekinesis and telepathy, among many other amazing feats.
Shichida believes Mr Hisamura’s abilities to be a function of the right brain. Some believe him to be an extraordinary, supernatural, paranormal phenomena. Others, I’m sure, think he’s a charlatan, not unlike the “magicians” of our world who are masters of the “sleight of hand” rather than true masters of magic. Which category you think he belongs in, I’ll leave you to decide for yourself.
I figured that if someone of Mr Hisamura’s abilities did exist, then surely there must be other stuff written about him. I googled him and found that he has also been mentioned in the book “Supernatural and Mysterious Japan: Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena” by Catrien Ross. You can read more about it for yourself in Google books. It is pretty similar to Makoto Shichida’s description of his experience as Mr Hisamura’s audience.
What is the scientific explanation of how the right brain senses work? It has to do with energy waves and the vibration of particles on the subatomic level. The human body functions through electrical energy – the nerve structure is like an electronic circuit that transmits information from the brain to the cells of the body. The brain cells transmit impulses that we call brain waves. Since all matter is made up of vibrating particles that transmit energy waves, there is a connection between us and everything around us.
In Pamela Hickein’s book, this is similar to what she says about how young children are able to learn new things without seeming to pay any attention to what is being taught. This is how 360 degree and peripheral learning works – through the transmission of energy waves. Since children are absorbing energy waves from everything around them, it makes sense to choose carefully what we expose our children to regardless of whether or not they appear to be paying any attention to it. We should think about the sort of programs that is playing on TV in the background, the sort of music we are listening to, the things we say, and even the pictures we post up around the room. All of it matters, and that’s my take home message from this chapter.
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
It seems to be known as HSP (Heightened Sensory Perception) at Shichida centres now. Anyway, this supposedly innate ability is quite amazing. In our 1-year old class, most of the kids get the answers right most of the time. I practise HSP with my boy daily and frequently, he gets most or all correct. There are days when he gets all wrong too, those are minority, probably one of us not in the right mood.
Shen-Li says
Having taken both Gavin and Gareth to class, I find that the frequency of correct answers seems to be higher in the infant class compared to the toddler class. In fact, the infant class almost always correct. The toddler class is give or take. Then again, most of the children in the toddler class started late so they haven’t been developing the potential since infancy.
Ambaree says
Hi.. I have been reading your blog for a while and am pretty much hooked to it 🙂
since u r an aactive Shichida parent, I was wondering what your opinion might be about Little Math by Brillbaby. Have you used it for your kids or heard of anyone who did it? And do they do it along with the Dot Program or just by itself? I’ll be very happy to know what you think. Thanks a lot.
Shen-Li says
Hi Ambaree,
We use Little Math. You can do the dot program using Little Math as well. My older son, unfortunately, did not like it so I did not insist he sit through the program. My philosophy was that if he was resisting that much, I doubted how much he would have taken away from it anyway. My younger son loves it. His Math is not brilliant like those kids Glenn Doman wrote about, but his affinity for numbers and mathematical knowledge is definitely greater than his older brother’s at the same age and I believe it is due to his exposure to Little Math.
Ambaree says
Hi Shenli..
Thanks so much for your honest review.. I have now made up my mind to buy Little Math..
I am a little tempted to ask you the other question on my mind. Is it okay for such small babies to look at screens? Did you use a laptop monitor or a TV?
Regards
Ambaree
Shen-Li says
Hi Ambaree,
How old is your little one, may I ask? I started Hercules when he was just over a year, I think. I cannot remember exactly. Before that, I was using physical flash cards.
When I started with Little Math, I had a desktop. I would sit with my son on my lap and go through it with him. The lessons on Little Math are short so your child’s exposure is actually quite short.
I found it easier to use Little Math because it is less cumbersome than physical flashcards. Maybe I’m just clumsy but I fumble a lot. Plus, this way, I hold my child at the same time. I found he preferred to be on my lap than facing me.
Ambaree says
Hi Shen,
Ahaana turned 1 on 25th April this year. I am surely buying Little Math. Where do you suggest that I buy it from to get the best deal? Did you also buy Little Reader and Musician? Are they worth the cost?
And you mentioned ‘Hercules’. I don’t seem to have heard about that. Am I missing something?
Shen-Li says
Hi Ambaree,
Where are you located? Brillkids has local distributors but I cannot seem to find the list for it. Perhaps you can contact them. The best I can do is 10% off with this coupon: BKAFF36716. You should try the local distributor if they can do better.
When I bought mine, I got the download version so I didn’t have to pay for shipping.
I got everything – Little Reader, Little Musician, Little Math. I also have Little Chinese and Little French. It works out cheaper if you buy the value bundle but the outlay can be a bit steep. They used to do monthly installments but I don’t see it any more…
Is it worth it? I believe so. My younger son was not really a book kid but he went through Little Reader and he’s reading very well now. He also really enjoys Little Musician. He’s very keen on music so I hope I can build on his Little Musician experience with music lessons when he’s a bit older. I think the only program we haven’t really maximised was Little Chinese. I don’t know why but both my boys don’t seem keen to learn that one… We’re still pretty new with Little French so it’s early days yet.
Hercules is our nickname for my younger son because he’s brute strength – not at all very subtle like his older brother. :-p