The term "whole brain" was first put forward by two British scholars in the 1960s, but it was mainly aimed at the clinical manifestations of epilepsy. In the 1980s, these two scholars themselves denied their views and published them in newspapers and The Times. The word "whole brain" has been picked up by Chinese people and promoted vigorously for some commercial reasons.

At present, the more recognized whole brain courses on the market are memory cognition and flash memory card training. In Du Man's words, by memorizing 200 flash cards every minute, a pathway between the left and right hemispheres of the brain can be constructed. However, this view has been controversial since it entered China, and individuals are insisting on the opposite side.

In addition, the definitions of whole brain courses developed by early education institutions themselves are much more diverse.