Mind maps are a visual way to organize thoughts using images, colors, and words to aid creativity, memory, learning, planning, problem solving, and presentations. They utilize key visuals and words to represent a person's thinking process when brainstorming, taking notes, and recalling information more effectively than traditional notes. Mind maps employ lines, symbols, and color to enhance memory, creativity, learning capacity, and skills like organization through a radial, diagrammatic format centered on an image or topic.