Science Background

Working on developing a working algorithm for artificial intelligence first required understanding human intelligence. We spent years researching how and why humans do what they do and in that research discovered the base code to the human brain that could then be turned into true robotic intelligence. While researching all of this we also discovered the reasons why the brain responds to certain stimulus and the way trauma affects choices and actions.

We decided to develop a system that uses this base code to work with people suffering from mental health issues related to the brains coding and how it responds to external stimulus. While developing this program, we also found that it works to improve the physical and mental performance of otherwise healthy individuals as well. A simple goal of developing a functional AI system led to developing a human improvement system as well.

How does the brain actually work?

The brain works by cataloging every element of external stimulus (e.g. sight, sound, smell, etc.) into a database that then associates every interaction together. Think of it like a shopping website that allows you to type in broad or specific criteria for what you are looking for and brings up everything that is tagged to that search. Our brains have developed over thousands of years to respond quickly and efficiently to potential harm and keep us surviving by mapping pre-programmed responses based on the history of our interactions with the world around us and putting a survival value to each element.

These survival values are interconnected throughout the brain so that in any given situation the brain will evaluate and respond based on the best possible outcome as it has experienced, either by personal experience or by the experiences of others that are themselves rated highly on our survival value scale (i.e. you are more likely to react like your mother or father in a given situation than you are like your distant uncle). Our own individual circumstances will tailor our responses to any given situation based on everything we have been through in life. The effects of those experiences are explained further below.

The Developing Brain

From before birth, our brains are developing a database of responses to the world so that we can survive as long as possible. Throughout our lives we go through distinct phases of neurocognitive development that allow this database to grow and give a better chance for survival. The first stage is from birth to roughly 2 years old. This is an observation stage wherein we take in all data around us and begin writing a custom set of responses based on the responses of those closest to us. The next stage is from 2 to roughly 6 years old. This is an experimentation stage, and in this stage, we are testing out the data we have acquired and are trying new combinations of actions to test the reactions to determine the best survival solution, this is why these years are called the terrible two’s. After this the brain goes into a re-organize phase, between the ages of roughly 6 to 12.

This is where non-human animals stop their development, and they go on to become adults. Humans however have a unique neurological regression at this stage, where they go back through the last 2 stages of development again, only this time with a greater world to explore and learn from. We as yet do not know why humans go through this regression, but it is the key to human development and progress (yes that means that teenagers are the key to humanity). The teenage years are a replay of the terrible two’s, that is why teenagers are so terrible, it is all perfectly normal and necessary in their development to act like 2 year old’s, as much as we may not like it. Once we get through this stage, we go through another re-organization phase where we organize all of the information we have gathered from observation sand experimentation, until the brain is fully organized at around age 26.

At this age, the brain will still learn new things, but it will not actively re-arrange itself for new inputs, unless impacted by trauma events.

How does trauma impact the developing brain?

This was the hardest part of the algorithm to develop because the results from the base algorithm were not producing the results expected. Once we realized that certain events would impact the way the brain functioned, we realized that it still worked in exactly the same way. First, we must realize that trauma is not always negative. A trauma is anything that impacts our survival matrix that existed before the event, this can be any major events that changes our lives. Marriage, having children or even winning the lottery are all trauma’s from the development perspective, although these are positive events. Combat action, abuse and neglect are examples of negative traumas that impact the brains function, but in predictable and expected ways.

After a traumatic event, the existing matrix is no longer sufficient to ensure continuing survival, so the brain must revert back to a more simplistic version of the database and rebuild a new matrix from the ground up. This is similar to the teenage stage of development, but it is only effected by specific stimulus, those elements impacted by the trauma itself. This is why trauma response seems so inconsistent is that we don’t know which elements the brain has associated to the trauma, but in all of these cases, it reverts back to a basic Fight, Flight, or Freeze response. Unfortunately for most people this is where the development stops, because there are no means to help rebuild a new response matrix for the individual.

This response of the brain is a means of protecting itself from potential harm and is perfectly normal and expected, although we do not do enough to help people re-train their brains after trauma. This works the same way with military veterans. During their training, their brains are remodeled to function as soldiers, reaction times are quickened and observations are altered for threat surveillance. These actions are great and necessary for active soldiers, however, once they are not on active duty, there is no training on how to program their brains to function as a civilian. Just the same as we don’t send untrained civilians into combat zones, untrained soldiers feel out of place in civilian zones because their response matrix has been built around combat training.

How does the mental training impact mental health conditions and veterans?

The mental training we perform allows you to re-train your brain and build a new response matrix how you want it to be. We work to build a new response matrix within the brain and then associate that with the external triggers you have. This redirects the brain from the survival response to the new response matrix developed. We use the same neurocognitive development function that is already built into your brain to make new responses to any of the triggers you may have. This works for any mental health condition or abuse or trauma background you may have because it uses only what is already there to build a new matrix and redirect the trigger to that response matrix.

How can mental training improve physical performance?

If you came here for physical performance enhancement and have read the above information, you may be wondering how this would in any way would work for physical enhancement, and it works in exactly the same way. Anyone that has ever done any kind of physical activity knows that there is a point where you want to give up, and that is usually when your trainer kicks in and tells you to do just a little more. Or, you just don’t feel motivated to do any exercise today, and that is when your trainer (or phone app) tells you to get up anyway and get going. These initial responses are the pre-programmed response matrix actions that you have developed over a lifetime.

By creating a new response matrix, and applying the same neurocognitive remapping, you can develop a new response to the “I don’t want to” triggers you have in your brain. In addition to that, the brain will trigger many automatic responses to biological function, such as when you get that pain in your side after running, most people will immediately get de-motivated to continue and you have to psych yourself up to continue. By using a new response matrix to redirect the reaction to biological stimulus, you are able to push yourself beyond the limits you brain sets on you without the extra help from external sources.

Physical endurance is not the only area of performance enhancement that can be accomplished through this system. The brain automatically limits the inputs it catalogues simply because it has a limited capacity. The problem here is that the brain makes the decision on what to and what not to catalog and not you, which means your brain may miss something that you wanted to keep. By modifying and controlling this process you can take control of what your brain catalogs and processes, or you can focus what you brain automatically processes, meaning you are now in control of how your brain sees these things. You see this natural talent in athletes that seem to know where things are without every seeing them, or in military personnel who can tell something is happening while the untrained are oblivious to danger. Learning to control these aspects, and more, of your brain means you can perform to levels that you have never believed you could.