Education For Higher Quality of Life by Activating Neurophysiological Balance in  Studies & Daily Activities

This policy paper proposes a neuroscience-aligned school curriculum that integrates emotional regulation, attention training, communication skills, and applied learning within a 4–5 hour school day. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience and educational psychology, the framework addresses limitations of stress-based, rote-driven education and offers a scalable model for emotionally intelligent, problem solving  and life-ready schooling. 

Contents: 

Education Policy

Curriculum Reform

Neuroscience of Learning

Emotional Regulation in Schools

Applied Education

Positive Education

Child Development

Educational Psychology

Also refer :

https://durgaswati.blogspot.com/2025/12/school-subjects-for-higher-intelligence.html

Subjects for Higher Intelligence and Quality Performance Through Inner Calmness

A Neuroscience-Aligned School Curriculum Framework

Policy Basis: Why Stress-Based Schooling Fails

Chronic academic pressure activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing cortisol. While brief stress can sharpen focus, repeated stress suppresses hippocampal memory formation, reduces prefrontal executive control, and increases emotional reactivity.

As a result:

• factual learning is lost in adulthood - leads to mental health stress based  diseases created by exhaustion

• creativity and innovation decline - students allow depression and anxiety to set in if discouraged often

• restlessness and aggression increase - Children are labelled under ADHD but the school subjects need to be taugh such that chidren can engage even if they cannot sit for long . Different children have different information processing systems which schools can foster. 

Education policy must therefore shift from stress tolerance to mainttenance of neurophysiological allostasis and applied intelligence.

Curriculum Subjects for Clarity  & Neurophysiological  Allostasis for Better Performance

1.  Awareness,Grounding & Reflection (All Grades)

• Thanking Earth, sunlight, God / Universe (choice-based)

• Looking upward and smiling

• Side-to-side eye movement

• Focus on the bridge between nose and mouth to find inner stillness

• One-Five minutes breathing exercises  with hands up-down, sideways movement 

Creates activation of Neurotransmitters & Hormones:

• ↑ Dopamine (motivation) increase

• ↑ Serotonin (emotional balance) increase

• ↓ Cortisol (stress hormone) decrease

Organs / Systems Affected

• Prefrontal cortex (focus)

• Limbic system (emotional regulation)

• Eyes → visual cortex (attention stability)

• Autonomic nervous system (calm state)

2.  Attention, Mindfulness & Positive Focus (Class 1–12)

• Desk-based mindfulness (audio or silent focus)

• Gratitude counting

• Solution-oriented thinking with labelling emotion creted with solutions 

• Positive self-talk about self, family, school, peers

Neurotransmitters & Hormones Activated

• ↑ Acetylcholine (attention, learning) increase

• ↑ Serotonin (emotional stability) increase

• ↑ Dopamine (positivity with happiness & goal orientation) increase

• Balanced Cortisol decrease 

Organs / Systems Affected

• Prefrontal cortex (decision-making)

• Hippocampus (memory consolidation)

• Heart–brain coherence

• Immune system (via stress reduction)

Policy Note
Allostasis (neurophysiological balance) depends on emotional focus, not on language proficiency. Positive focus increases intelligence regardless of language used.

3. Logic, Mathematics & Science Through Application (Not Memorisation)

• Concept-based learning

• One deep problem per day than several quantitative drills. Encourage understanding over blind obedience to remove warrior mindsets. 

• Real-life applications of math and science problems . Let it be slow than hurried up. Mugging reduces positivity in learning, 

• Encourage Invention and innovation tasks so that children feel valued and can contribute to the real world also 

• Reduced theory load

Neurotransmitters & Hormones Activated

• ↑ Dopamine (problem solving reward) increase

• ↑ Norepinephrine (alert focus, moderated) increase

• ↓ Cortisol (reduced exam fear) decrease

Organs / Systems Affected

• Prefrontal cortex (executive reasoning)

• Parietal lobes (numerical cognition)

• Hippocampus (conceptual memory)

Policy Rule
Any subject matter that cannot be applied should be removed from the syllabus. Dysfunction learning incresaes stress and cortisol which increses anxiety in children. 

4. Emotional Reasoning & Violence Prevention (Integrated Across Subjects)

• Action–emotion–outcome analysis

• Visualising contentment vs aggression

• Teaching violence as last resort only

Neurotransmitters & Hormones

• ↑ Serotonin (impulse control) increase

• ↓ Adrenaline ( aggression hormone) decrease 

• ↓ Cortisol ( Stress creatibg homone) decrease

Organs / Systems Affected

• Amygdala (threat modulation)

• Prefrontal cortex (inhibition)

• Cardiovascular system (reduced arousal)

5. Communication, Perspective-Taking & Public Speaking

Practices

• Role-play real-life situations

• Calm expression of disagreement

• Listening before reacting

• Motivational  public speaking for higher confidence

Neurotransmitters & Hormones

• ↑ Oxytocin (social bonding) increase

• ↑ Dopamine (confidence) increase

• ↓ Cortisol (social anxiety) decrease 

Organs / Systems Affected

• Broca’s & Wernicke’s areas (speech)

• Prefrontal cortex (social reasoning)

• Vagus nerve (calm communication)

6. Art, Music, Creativity & Emotional Expression

• Art, music, poetry, creative writing

• Children need to feel delight, excitement, thrill, passion while engaging in c reative activities 

• Emotional labelling (delight, curiosity, excitement, not contentment - be careful to study function of each emotion . Contentment is to be used for eating activities as it releases serotenin which improves sleepiness but reduces zeal to go on creating anew)Learning systems must prioritise curiosity and delight, use excitement sparingly, and reserve contentment for nourishment and rest, not for active cognitive creation. 

• Recreating positive emotional states

( check end of document for emotional labelling )

7. Field Work - Sports, Yoga & Physical Activity (Separate Subject)

Practices

• Choice-based sports - encourage fun in activities not harmful behaviour to each other

• Non-competitive participation, competion to be rewarded only as motivational not as destructive. Discourage war or terrorism mind-setting. 

• Focus on enjoyment, not winning.

• At end of school hours , encourage direct play with mud and water as by growing and watering plants, making sand castles, playing with clay, using crayons in field drawing activities , drawing in mud etc, as it imprives sensory integration in primary years 

Neurotransmitters & Hormones activated

• ↑ Endorphins (well-being) increase

• ↑ Dopamine (motivation) increase

• ↓ Cortisol (stress) decrease

Organs / Systems Affected

• Musculoskeletal system

• Cardiovascular system

• Brain–body coordination networks

Policy Objective
Reducing aggression early reduces societal violence in adulthood.

8. End-of-Day Emotional Integration (Mandatory)

Practices

• Count 3 positive experiences

• Acknowledge 1 negative experience

• 5 minutes of calm focus

• Count 8 good things & 2 bad things in self 

• Count 3 good things and 2 bad things about going home 

Neurotransmitters & Hormones

• ↑ Serotonin ( calnmness) increase

• Balanced Dopamine ( Happiness) increase

• ↓ Cortisol ( stress) before home transition decrease

Organs / Systems Affected

• Hippocampus (memory storage)

• Prefrontal cortex (reflection)

• Sleep–wake regulatory systems

Policy Rule
The 3:1 positive–negative ratio retrains neural bias toward optimism, improving intelligence, creativity, and future performance.

Policy Outcomes

• Higher intelligence with emotional stability

• Improved memory retention

• Reduced anxiety and aggression

• Stronger communication and relationships

• Compassion over competition

• Skills transferable to adult life

Policy Conclusion

Education systems must shift from stress endurance to neurophysiological intelligence training. Positivity lasts fleetingly. If held for long, it becomes negative or stress creating. Positivity ha sto be followed by mindfulness for resilience training  in higher education. In primary education, loger training can be goven using field work as nature takes in carbon dioxide ( stres) and gives out oxygen needed  for longer work.
A test of education that creates calmness and higher performance is that subjects that regulate neurotransmitters, hormones, and organ systems create calm, high-quality performance, not just academic compliance.

References

• Shiva Swati (2016). Spirituality in Education, Chapter 14

• McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904

• Lupien, S. J. et al. (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 434–445

• Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A. (2007). We feel, therefore we learn. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(1), 3–10

Happy emotions vs Stressful Emotions underlying activities

• Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A. (2007). We feel, therefore we learn. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(1), 3–10

Happy emotions vs Stressful Emotions underlying activities

Neurotransmitters Used in Emotional Labelling

(Function-specific, not generic “positive emotion” grouping)

Emotions are neurochemical states, not just feelings. Each emotion activates different neurotransmitter–hormone pathways, and therefore must be used intentionally.

1. Delight

Primary neurotransmitters

• Dopamine
  
  

• Endorphins
  
  

Neuro-function

• Signals reward recognition
  
  

• Reinforces learning pathways
  
  

• Strengthens motivation memory
  
  

Use in learning

• After achievement, discovery, or insight
  
  

• Locks memory without overstimulation
  
  

Why it works

• Dopamine here is moderate, not addictive
  
  

• Encourages repetition of healthy effort

2. Curiosity

Primary neurotransmitters

• Dopamine (anticipatory)
  
  

• Acetylcholine
  
  

Neuro-function

• Heightens attention and exploration
  
  

• Opens hippocampal learning circuits
  
  

• Enhances neuroplasticity
  
  

Use in learning

• Before introducing new concepts
  
  

• During inquiry-based or exploratory tasks
  
  

Why it works

• Curiosity primes the brain to seek
  
  

• Acetylcholine improves focus and memory encoding
  
  

3. Excitement

Primary neurotransmitters / hormones

• Dopamine (high)
  
  

• Norepinephrine
  
  

Neuro-function

• Increases alertness and energy
  
  

• Speeds neural firing
  
  

• Enhances short-term engagement
  
  

Use in learning

• Short bursts: games, discovery moments, innovation tasks
  
  

Caution

• Prolonged excitement → fatigue or dysregulation
  
  

• Must be followed by grounding or delight, not sustained continuously
  
  

4. Contentment

Primary neurotransmitters

• Serotonin
  
  

• Oxytocin
  
  

Neuro-function

• Signals safety and sufficiency
  
  

• Activates parasympathetic nervous system
  
  

• Promotes rest, digestion, and sleep
  
  

Correct use

• Eating
  
  

• Rest
  
  

• Reflection
  
  

• Emotional closure
  
  

Why it should NOT dominate learning

• High serotonin reduces drive, novelty seeking, and creative urgency
  
  

• Encourages settling, not seeking
  
  

• Lowers exploratory dopamine circuits
  
  

✔ Contentment is excellent for digestion and sleep
✖ Contentment reduces zeal to create, explore, or innovate