Daily Freeman "It's all in the mind"
From The Daily Freeman
By Dianne Wiebe, Correspondent
August 13, 2007
ELLENVILLE - Hundreds of participants cheered the Friday opening of the third annual Brain Olympiad at the Fallsview Best 5 Resort and Spa in Ellenville.
The weekend Olympiad, coupled with a conference on brain education, is co-sponsored by the International Brain Education Association (IBREA) and the Korea Institute of Brain Science (KIBS), both based in Seoul, Korea.
"Many people say that the 21st century is the final frontier, the era of the brain," said Ilchi Lee, founder of both groups. "Brain education will become the key to the future of civilization, with the development and utilization of the dormant brain to full functioning."
Dr. Sung Lee, secretary of IBREA, said the testing of participants in the Olympiad goes far beyond the physical and mental exercises, "going to a level deeper than knowledge or skill at games; testing the functioning of the brain itself."
Lee said the group focuses on the brain as a way to understand human behavior and activity in a way more fundamental than gender cultural upbringing or ethnicity.
"One thing that makes this unique is that we focus on practical applications; learning how to use the brain more effectively," said Steven Kim, director of education at the Fallsview, where the conference is being held.
Through brain education, Ilchi Lee believes that disciples can develop innate human capacities and creativity to better use the brain to influence physical, emotional and social well-being, as well as academic excellence.
A video presented during the opening ceremonies explained the basic tenets of brain education as being a five-step program: brain sensitizing, brain versatilizing, brain refreshing, brain integration and brain mastering, all designed to help participants better use their brain.
To better understand how that can be achieved, the weekend included a series of presentations by professionals from health, education and scientific disciplines who explained the medical and scientific reasoning supporting the teachings of brain education.
Among them was Kenneth Wesson, an educational consultant who explained how the latest discoveries in the field of neuroscience can aid in better understanding the brain.
Using brain imaging, Dr. Dan Pavel, professor of clinical radiology/nuclear medicine at the University of Illinois, discussed changes occurring in disorders of human behavior, cognition and emotion, enabling a deeper understanding of such disorders.
Dr. Sung Lee said IBREA is recognized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a non-government organization consultant in the field of education and also has been associated with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Letters of support for the conference came from international government officials, educators and scientists, including Joon Oh, ambassador to the United Nations' Korean Embassy, and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
Jeff Kaplan, mayor of Ellenville, welcomed conference hosts and guests to the area.
"I come from a generation of people who were going to change the world," Kaplan said. He told the enthusiastic audience to "get involved and stay involved. Don't leave the work to others."
Dr. Richard Craft, a local resident who attended the introductory session, was intrigued but he had questions.
"We have never realized the potential of the human brain, no question about it," he said. "If they've created some technique for doing that, I think that's fine. But to say it will solve all humanity's problems and bring peace, prosperity and happiness is a lot to expect."
The opening ceremony closed with a color guard of participants from 20 countries carrying flags to the podium, while participants rose to their feet to recite the "Brain Declaration," ending with "Take back the brain."