Structure. Anticipation. Resolution.

In my reading around on the brain I checked through Rich Melheim's blog and came across one called "On Intelligence" from a book by that name from Jeff Hawkins. Some of what Rich said in his blog reinforced the "short hand" I have been working with to get a handle on how the brain works.
Rich talked of the importance of patterns and of surprise. I think I got my three part short hand from Jourdains book: Music, the Brain and Ecstacy. I can't find it stated exactly that way in the book but I was reading that book when I started using the three part short hand.

Structure - the brain looks for patterns, order; when it finds it, it looks for more patterns, order. Patterns that don't change don't hold the brain's attention, or allow for lots of wandering (have your driven a familiar route and not remembered any of the drive?) so...
Anticipation - it helps when there is a 'pattern' of surprises that happen - in teaching, a sermon, confirmation class, etc . The brain doesn't know exactly what is coming but it looks forward to something new, 'expects it' because there is a pattern of surprises happening. When nothing new comes, it easily checks out... looking for new patterns. That surprise helps the brain stay engaged. (And when something new comes along on that routine drive you engage back to the present quite nicely/quickly)
Resolution - since the brain likes patterns and order, too crazy or wild a surprise and there is no resolution. The brain can't/won't process the new thing since it is outside a comfort zone. Surprise is good, but there are limits to what we can/will "endure".

And remember, all the searching for patterns is really a search for meaning: "what's going on here and why is it important to me?"