The Brain Manual

The Brain Manual Chapter 1: Basic Operations

Thank you for installing The Brain™ v1.7.0, the portable office complex in the head that helps human beings function. This manual provides the most up-to-date, detailed descriptions of how to operate systems in each mental building and how to adapt them to various environments.

1 Basic Operations:

1.0 The Brain™ and its individual systems function in one of two ways: consciously or unconsciously. Conscious function occurs when full control is exerted over every operation; this is called “awake mode.” Unconscious functioning occurs when the systems run automatically; this is called “sleep mode.” Please read the manual carefully for which operations can run consciously and/or unconsciously. (See Appendix G, pages 373)

1.1 How to Think:
The Brain™ is the primary system for creating Ideas, the coded information that manipulates a life. Ideas are shipped to the Nerves for export (1.1a), to the Warehouse for storage (1.1b), or to the Landfill for removal (1.1c).

Thinking is The Brain™’s primary function, and, as such, it is the receptacle. Sensory information (i.e. sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches) from Nerves (not included) is recorded in electric files and imported to the Receptors in the Neurofactory. To think, take files from the Receptors and place them in the gears of one of the personalized machines (randomly designed upon installation) in the Neurofactory. Turn the crank and watch Ideas fall into the bins of Thoughts as one of the output formats described below. All viable Ideas created in the Neurofactory are tracked and registered by HQ (in the cerebrum) and announced over the PA system.

a.   Actionable Ideas are output as posterboard cue cards or letter-size paper printouts and are packaged in the provided folders and/or cardboard boxes for express shipping to the Nerves, where Ideas will be used as instructions for communication and/or implementation of Ideas.
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b.   Memorable Ideas are output as animated Polaroid photos or DVDs and are packaged in the provided glass Memory Tubes to be sent to the Warehouse. (See page 18, 4.1 “How to Make a Memory”)
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c.   Discardable Ideas are output as flimsy receipts. They are destroyed immediately after they are registered by HQ. Please note: Attempts to package a Discardable Idea in a Memory Tube and send them to the Warehouse may result in a damaged or incomplete Memory.
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d.   Converting between Idea Formats:
If you would like to convert an Idea to a different format (i.e. Discardable Idea to Memorable Idea, Memorable Idea to Actionable Ideas), place the Idea on the conveyer belt of the Conversion Machine, press the button labeled with the desired format, and watch the Idea be ground, molded, and pressed into its new format.

1.2 How to Remember:
The Warehouse is where sensory information and Ideas are converted into Memories and stored. Memories are stored in the rows of filing cabinets (see Fig. 2a), whose organization system can be customized. Please note: Label each cabinet and drawer! Feel free to also personalize with paint and decorative stickers (not included). For example, filing cabinets can be configured and arranged in the style of a grocery store, a plain office building, etc., with labels such as roadsigns, Post-Its™, etc. Use the blank pages at the end of this manual to plan, sketch, or visualize an organization system.

Remembering is the process of locating a Memory in the Warehouse. To remember, follow the self-designed organization system and walk to the location of the Memory. Take a single Memory (e.g. 1 Polaroid photo or DVD) from a file or take an entire folder of Memories. For playback, place the chosen Memory (or Memories) in the mailbox (labeled with a neon sign saying “Mental Theater”) to be sent to the Mental Theater.

a.   Idea and Memory Recovery:
    i.   Conscious:
    If the desired Memory is not in the Warehouse, it may be in the Landfill. Use one of the provided drones and its corresponding controller to fly into the Landfill and search for your Memory. Turn on the drone’s camera simultaneously view the Landfill. Use the drone’s controls to claw - grab the Memory and bring it back to the Warehouse.
    ii.   Unconscious:
    Most Discardable Ideas are destroyed upon creation, but HQ may unconsciously convert them into Memories and store them in the Warehouse. HQ can also randomly recover Memories sent to the Landfill. If this occurs, a supposedly forgotten Memory will play in the Mental Theater repeatedly.

1.3 How to Forget:
Forgetting is the process of destroying Ideas and/or Memories. This process may appear to be random, but the Warehouse naturally discards Memories after approximately five years to make room for new Memories. It is normal procedure to unconsciously forget Ideas and Memories. To consciously forget, place the selected Memory or Memory folder in the large, dark green dumpster. Memories in the dumpster will be sent through a chute to the Landfill for disposal. In the Landfill, Memories pile up in a shallow ditch and slowly fall into an incinerator at the bottom. This gives HQ a limited ability to recover Memories mistakenly sent to the Landfill. (see p. 6 “Idea and Memory Recovery)

1.4 How to Stay Sane:
Sanity is the state of smooth, nearly optimal The Brain™ function. The Brain™ Manual suggests the following to maximize the probability of staying sane:

● Organize the Warehouse and consistently label new Memories according to self-designed system.
● Eat the nutritious food outlined in Appendix B (p. 201).
● Exercise the body regularly. It is important to make sure the bones and muscles that carry The Brain™ are also in optimal condition. For exercise routines, see Appendix C (p. 275)
● Forget Memories that hurt the heart. (See 10.1 “How to Process Emotions”)
● Remember Ideas that energize activity in the Neurofactory and turning the heating system on in Emotional Processor. (See 11.2 “How to Cope with Emotions”)
● Occasionally allow systems to run automatically, without conscious control. (Please note: The Brain™ is not liable for emotional distress caused by unconscious thoughts, actions, and/or activities.)
● Turn systems off for routine maintenance.
● Communicate your Ideas and Thoughts to others. (Please note: The Brain™ is not liable for verbal errors, blubbering, or.     insults).

The Brain™ v1.7.0
Product code: 20020709
No warranty.
Made in the Philippines