Chapter 34 - Exercising Higher Mind - Strength for the Journey
Thoughts Beyond Calculation
We are led to believe that thoughts and language (words) are inextricably linked. One of the few topics in which I have any scholastic or professional experience in is that of language. A former linguist, I can attest to a commonly observed phenomenon within that profession, that of an increased language ability under the influence of intoxicating substances, which drops off sharply as an individual approaches total inebriation.
As the tongue becomes looser, words begin to flow, and hesitations are gradually eliminated. One could attribute this to a mere decrease in social inhibitions, making one less concerned with making mistakes. This phenomenon is actually more interesting than is suggested by the cursory glance. It implies that while intoxicated, an individual begins to lose track of his (or her) self-concepts, at precisely the same moment he starts functioning with less 'clarity' of thought. This 'thinking' is made up of what we refer to as 'rational' or 'logical' thoughts, which I prefer to refer to as 'calculations'.
Language, or more accurately, communication, is much smoother without these calculations. Some language students struggle greatly with grammar concepts, yet can instinctively speak employ them in the midst of a conversation. After an exchange, the speaker may remain ignorant of the very grammar rules they have just exercised! As one of these less-stellar language students, I can explain this process from an internal, experiential standpoint, and I will also cover the deeper spiritual meaning.
Grammar, as with Logic, a fellow key leg of the long-hallowed Trivium, are vital components of the well-oiled calculating Brain. Latin is a prime example of a language structured around this logical cognition. Being the mother tongue of the science & academia, the entire Western world has learned to think via her conventions, to the exclusion of all other mental paradigms.
While this may be of benefit to certain fields of endeavor, there exists plenty of supportive rhetoric, and we shall herein continue to focus on the balance.
A major disadvantage of calculation is the inability to hold more than one point of view at one time, to make more than one conclusion from conflicting data. There is no true parallel processing, in the sense that the instrument (Brain) cannot digest paradoxical facts without inevitable competition. This mental conflict has become the focus of much energy in our day.
"Who is right, and who is wrong?" Black vs. White, 1 vs. 0, duality. Why can't both sides be correct? Because the CPU (Brain) would metaphorically meltdown, it simply does not compute. (I cover the world of Quantum computing in the next essay.)
As humans, we are more than mere computational machines, but we are not well-practiced, nor instructed in the application of higher thought processes. Much of what I will cover here may not make much sense from what we today call a 'rational' or 'logical' viewpoint.
Let us take a moment to discuss this 'rationality' & 'logic'. Higher Mind requires a healthy & well-functioning calculator (the Brain) in order to put higher concepts into communicative strings, aka sentences & words.
Higher Mind is not Intuition, for this is an internal sensory function, although it does employ it. The Brain is designed to be a primarily throughput device, translating True thoughts from Mind down into words, images, or other temporal representations.
The Brain becomes lost without an anchor whenever Higher Mind is disregarded, or while the connection remains frayed or underdeveloped. Without sufficient inner discernment or sensory input, and having to rely almost entirely upon the world of the senses, with the occasional, grossly misunderstood bleed-over from the higher and/or lower non-physical realms, calculations can lead one to form any number of regrettably unstable, and/or insane conclusions.
What is not commonly known or understood, nor well investigated, is the fact that a calculation cannot impart any amount of ground Truth. It is merely the application of functions, with no ability to determine the applicability of a particular formula to the problem at hand.
How can we verify/validate our senses? What if our external sensors are broken, damaged, or inaccurately calibrated? Who writes the programming? In the case of computers, human input was required at some point in the programming/calibration process. Hopefully one can see what I'm getting at here.
Higher Mind is a non-physical appendage (or organ) to our physical Brain, and is wholly incapable of malfunctioning. However, the communication link between the two can be damaged or even severed. Much like muscular atrophy, lack of exercise is often the primary factor.
How then do we start to think beyond mere calculation? One can try a regular practice of mentation upon a conceptual device that I briefly mentioned earlier, that of the paradox.
Begin with a simple set of opposing statements, such as "I am strong", and its reverse, "I am weak". Now spend some time studying the truth of both sides in turn, without analysis, just a basic observation of the factual foundations of each statement. Keep switching back and forth between them.
You will eventually come to see a balanced Truth appearing, if you can manage to remain undecided & impartial long enough. This may take some time before one sees concrete results, however it is a tried & true procedure.
This is actually a solo variation of the original form of the classical 'Dialectical Method', consistently applied by ancient Grecian philosophers. You can use it with another person, as long as you both can avoid any form of analytical argumentation.
The deeper meaning behind why this method works is that it creates a measure of distance between us and our thoughts. In developing (or rather, experiencing) this 'Observer' standpoint, we learn to detach from the outcome of our thinking, eliminating 'human' bias, which is more accurately the term applied to the result of a combination of bodily urges and fuzzy (unclear) sensory inputs.
Truth is not better, or worse. It simply IS. When we simply BE, we stand in/as Truth, and the world revolves around this zero-point. Without Mind, the physical body is adrift in a sea of darkness, having no intrinsic navigational system or rudder.
Another procedure to try is a process I've mentioned in prior writings, that of a reverse chronological reflection upon event chains in time. This likewise takes us away from the tyranny of the physical body, as it is the only portion of our BEing truly stuck in the forward movement of time. Other methods, approaches, and procedures exist, but these two are sufficient for our current discussion.
We must start seeing that we do not think very well, nor very thoroughly, for it is only upon this realization that we can then move towards a permanent solution. If we cannot understand someone else, or a particular concept, the fault lies within us. One need not agree to comprehend a situation.