JINAN KB: RECLAIMING NATURAL LEARNING AND COGNITION
- Madhukar Dama
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
Jinan KB is a cognitive activist, researcher, designer, and educator whose life work revolves around restoring trust in the natural intelligence of human beings—especially children. He is widely recognized for challenging mainstream education and promoting learning rooted in direct experience, aesthetics, and indigenous knowledge systems.
EARLY INFLUENCE AND LIFE JOURNEY
Originally trained as a designer, Jinan's journey took a transformative turn in the 1990s when he began questioning the damaging effects of formal schooling on cognition, creativity, and perception. Through deep engagement with tribal communities and children who were not exposed to institutional education, he discovered that learning—when left untouched—happens spontaneously and joyfully.
This led him to a lifelong mission: to de-educate modern minds and reawaken natural cognition.
CORE PHILOSOPHIES
NATURAL COGNITION AND BIOLOGICAL LEARNING
Jinan believes that human beings are biologically designed to learn through sensory exploration, observation, imitation, and experience. When these natural processes are interrupted by premature literacy and abstract schooling, our innate intelligence is dulled.
DE-INSTITUTIONALISING EDUCATION
He critiques modern schooling for producing dependency, fear, and a fragmented sense of reality. Instead, he advocates for a learning ecosystem where curiosity, creativity, and holistic understanding emerge organically.
THE ROLE OF AESTHETICS
According to Jinan, beauty is not a luxury but a fundamental cognitive need. Children perceive the world through aesthetics, and reclaiming this sensitivity is key to deep learning and self-awareness.
INDIGENOUS AND ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE
Jinan deeply respects indigenous communities who live in harmony with nature and learn through embodied living. He draws insights from these cultures to demonstrate how unbroken traditions of knowing are more sustainable and spiritually nourishing.
INITIATIVES AND ORGANISATIONS
EXISTENTIAL KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATION
Founded by Jinan, this platform explores the damage caused by modern education and develops ways to restore natural learning processes. It conducts workshops, publishes essays, and facilitates public discourse on rehumanising knowledge.
Website: existentialknowledgefoundation.org
WORKSHOPS AND RETREATS
Being in Beauty: A retreat that invites participants to reconnect with the aesthetic dimension of life.
Reclaiming Cognition: A series that examines how children (and adults) can recover lost capacities through experiential living.
SELECTED TALKS AND VIDEOS
Truly Understanding Children: A profound talk where Jinan breaks down how the school system misunderstands child psychology.
Journey of My Life – From Educated Fool to Learner: His personal transformation narrated through vivid, real-life experiences.
What Is Learning?: A YouTube lecture explaining how learning is not something to be imposed, but discovered.
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@jinankb
WHERE TO FIND HIS WORKS
Medium Blog: jinankb.medium.com
Official Website: jinankb.in
Workshops and Retreat Info: existentialknowledgefoundation.org
He also shares thoughts and reflections regularly on social media platforms and through interviews with education reform movements.
HOW TO CONTACT JINAN KB
Jinan is approachable for dialogues, workshops, and collaborative learning experiences.
Email: jinankb@gmail.com
Phone: +91 94491 08691
Website Contact Form: https://www.jinankb.in/contact
Location: Primarily based in India, conducting workshops and retreats across the country and occasionally abroad.
CONCLUSION
Jinan KB is not merely an education reformer; he is a philosopher in action—urging humanity to remember what it means to learn, to be, and to live fully. In a world obsessed with information, his work is a gentle but radical call to rediscover wisdom.
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