Consciousness and Thinking
A deep dive from Consciousness, Intelligence, and Light, on the trap of right or wrong thinking.
Thinking is more than you think it is. What you usually call thinking is just the beginning. The full power of the mind sits beyond logic and lists.
Level 1: logical thinking
Logic, numbers and words keep you grounded in consciousness. They help us focus and make sense of facts.
Think of a to-do list: clear and precise, but it only uses about 5 to 10 percent of your mind’s power. Stuck in this mode, you might miss the bigger picture and the deeper meaning. The focus is precise and narrow, but it requires little insight or perspective.
People hooked on focus and logic are easily led by logical facts alone. They often miss the bigger picture, reasoning endlessly, but at the cost of a deeper meaning that asks for more than 5 to 10 percent of mind capacity.
This level of thinking is fully effective when we need to determine a single variable. Any problem with more than one variable asks you to step up to the next level of thinking.
Level 2: imagination and creativity
This level of thinking improves memory and gets more ideas flowing. It kickstarts imagination and creativity through:
- Images
- Stories
- Analogies
- Metaphors
- Poetry
These thinkers swap the penlight for a torch by infusing logic with creativity and imagination. Logic remains the basis of conscious thinking. A picture paints a thousand words. Suddenly, more equally valid concepts and ideas start to emerge. Imagination does not replace logic. It fills in more of the picture and complements the meaning. This makes it easier to see more aspects and to remember what you see. It also adds colour and flavour to the dull, rigid thinking of the logical mind.
You can spice up any to-do list or factual note with a picture, or use it to shape a story. Adding a bit of absurdity or mischief can give it more impact. Try it. Make a to-do list and add a very simple image to each item. Check whether you can recall the items more easily without using the list.
Level 3: upgrade your torch
You are starting to develop fluid, imaginative and creative thinking. Creative ideas come more easily. The most important difference at this level is the courage to take a broader view. New insights begin to emerge as you accept alternatives rather than rigid facts. You start connecting dots that were previously regarded as completely separate.
This can even happen while the logical mind is busy with another task. Think of a time when you battled endlessly, trying to get behind a solution. The moment you get up to make a cup of tea, or go out and play a set of tennis, the solution strikes you, and you cannot believe you missed it all along.
Courage, curiosity, playfulness, flexibility and acceptance help grow intelligence and consciousness. It is not difficult. It is enjoyable, and it leaves you feeling lighter as you watch your mind unfold with far less effort than when you stick to logical thinking alone.
The next upgrade is huge, so buckle up and follow me to Consciousness – When the Light Turns On Inside.
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