The history of mind mapping can be traced back to the 3rd century when Porphyry of Tyros created examples of what look like mind maps to capture the concepts and ideas of Aristotle visually. Then from around 1235 - 1315, there are records of philosopher Ramon Llull having used mind mapping-style techniques to present data and information. It’s even reported that Leonardo da Vinci used mind mapping, in its most rudimentary form, to take and keep notes.

Although it’s impossible to say with any real certainty exactly who created the concept of the ‘mind map’ initially, the man most regularly recognised for bringing it into the mainstream is Tony Buzan, a psychology consultant, and author. And despite tinkering with mind mapping for 40 years, it wasn’t until his international bestseller “The Mind Map Book” was published in 1996 that mind mapping really took off. Sadly, Tony Buzan died in 2019 but his company still holds trademarks on the term ‘Mind Maps’.

The science:

The mind mapping method builds on the idea that the two halves of the human brain are responsible for different tasks. Mind mapping is designed to use both sides to increase memory retention and productivity.

Scientific studies have shown that retention is increased by 10-15% when using mind maps. A study was held to test the efficacy of mind mapping as a technique and it clearly showed that the ‘mind mappers’ fared better, especially when it looked at their long-term memory. In the study, participants were asked to complete a short test before being randomly split into two groups - one where they were made to use mind mapping and another where they could pick the study technique they used. Interestingly, the study also suggested that the group that had been ‘forced’ to use the mind mapping technique would have achieved even better memory recall results had they chosen the technique themselves, showing mind mapping leads to even greater success when users are introduced to it and engaged with it as early as possible.

Details of that study can be found here: The efficacy of the 'mind map' study technique - PubMed (nih.gov)

13 science-backed benefits of mind mapping

According to science, there are 13 proven benefits of mind mapping; these are (2): 

• It boosts information retention and recall by 10-15% - great for exam revision
• It helps you learn new concepts
• It makes complex ideas easier to understand
• It encourages creativity
• It fosters better productivity
• It’s flexible and allows for free thinking
• It enhances problem-solving skills
• It allows for goals and achievements to be met
• It promotes teamwork and collaboration
• It improves decision-making
• It enhances time-management skills
• It improves your presenting
• It’s fun!

Tony Buzan explains that traditional text forces the reader to scan from left to right and top to bottom, whereas readers tend to scan the entire page in a non-linear fashion. So, he argued, “Why not work with the way our minds naturally work rather than against it?”

And we couldn’t agree more!

References:

(1) semanticscholar.org

(2) 13 science-backed benefits of mind mapping | Nulab

(3) Image includes The Tree of Porphyry - Introducing Porphyry of Tyre

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