Motto: This field has a lot of brilliant people with excellent analytic capabilities. The problem, as always, is in synthesis. (Yiannis Hadjichristos)
The main means.
Dear young LENR researcher! Suppose you will access
my blog; if this happens I dare to ask you, that before taking any decision,
please read these two papers: http://egooutpeters.blogspot.ro/2011/03/modes-of-thinking-my-taxonomy.html
and http://egooutpeters.blogspot.ro/2012/11/80-of-all-truths-are-pareto-truths.html.
I
don’t want to brag that I have really understood what has happened with me during
my career/life or that I have a good ability to learn. However, so many things
have happened to me and I have so desperately tried to understand things, that
eventually perhaps I have discovered “something” about our world and have
described it on my blog. These two writings are at least as useful as my
pragmatic 20 problem solving rules- that are already everywhere – in some 20
languages. Therefore I have ceased to popularize them. Solving too many great
problems worldwide, too fast, could have unexpected consequences. I have – grosso modo- the same ambition as the
creator of the Muppets -My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here. (Jim Henson)
but I don’t want to exaggerate so please
use my problem solving in moderation. Personal warning: a problem-less
existence would be boring. Let a few problems for the future generations,
please!
Anyway, from the Logic paper
you can learn how multi-facetted human thinking can be, and has to be for
helping you to cope with the tasks in profession and life. The Pareto-truth
paper will show you that what you are searching for, truth, is far from being
something ideal, simple and absolute and that it will not be easy to convince
and make it to work for you. And, ‘cause you have chosen LENR (or vice-versa) -
you are an extreme case. Believe Uncle Peter, you are a winner case, the reward
will be commensurate with the behemothiness of your task.
Alternative/complementary means
1) The first in chronological order is to learn to protect
yourself against the dark, dangerous, damaging aspects of thinking. A practical
start is this list of evils: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
Euphemistics again, they call it fallacies i.e. a hybrid of an error with a
delusion, but in real life all these appear as dirty tricks by which the users’
thinking is beating, humiliating and replacing your thinking. At some
conferences and on many forums this is the main activity.
2) Truth is fragmented and fractalized,
therefore short sentences with a very high idea/word ratio have a formidable effectiveness
in learning- aphorisms, proverbs, quotations. I hope you already have a
personal collection of them. On the Web you can find them all in a few minutes,
however not in the best order or with the optimal taxonomy, you have to
organize wisely you collection of quotations... For the present case, you can
start with: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/logic.html
and http://quote.robertgenn.com/getquotes.php?catid=317&numcats=368#.UVVcXRcwpCI
These quotations have a high dosis of
creativity
3) Please, never forget that due to the rather
perverse structure and weird functionality of truths, you will receive more
“mu” answers to your questions than straight yes or no-s, I hope you have
already understood the ubiquity of mu answers: from: http://egooutpeters.blogspot.ro/2012/12/is-cold-fusion-natural-essay-in.html.
Even better would be for you to read the book: “Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by
Robert Pirsig. One of the smartest books published during my intellectual
life-time.
Note It happens that the Internet has just now
(April 2, 2013) sent me the following good paper inspired by the Pirsig book:
Understanding Quality: Duty Towards
Self: https://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=wm#inbox/13dc9ca35ea03afb
4) Learn
all the time, but make much greater efforts to learn how to learn. Focusing is
vital, and you have to focus on learning to think. I am trying to help you in
this, but I am just an amateur and a late comer. Without the study of the ideas
and techniques of the greatest living authority in this field, Edward de Bono
you will not be really prepared for the task. Discover the world of de Bono. As
a first step I advice you to subscribe to http://www.debonosociety.com/
I have learnt a lot from Edward de Bono, I am
grateful to him; however I have decided ages ago to never be a “fan” of
anybody, never! I have written about this is my most unpopular statement: http://egooutpeters.blogspot.ro/2011/07/dirtiest-f-word.html
De Bono is the best known for the “Six Thinking
Hats” method a hugely successful thinking tool; however I prefer to use the 4
kinds of logic described in the first paper cited here. He has published over
30 books, I have read the 5 or 6 I was able to buy or borrow in the bad years,
but later I have extensively studied his works on the Web. In some issues I do
not agree 100% with him. For example human thinking has progressed slowly and
is, in some respect, obsolete and not creative enough. De Bono has invented
lateral thinking and this is a great possibility to progress. However read
please this: http://www.debonogroup.com/parallel_thinking.php
De Bono tries to convince us that the Gang of the Three Greeks- Socrates, Plato
and Aristotle are responsible for the predominant mode of thinking based on
argument. Very correctly he says: “Then came the
Renaissance. The Renaissance was brought about by the discovery of the classic
thinking methods of the ancient Greek philosophers. This "new
thinking" provided a breath of fresh air. Humanity was given a more
central role in the universe. Thinkers were allowed to use reason to work
things out. Logic was now allowed”.
He describes here the shortcomings and
limitation of what I call Logic in my essay. However, no fault can be
attributed to the three main Fathers of logic. First, because they were ahead
of their age and could not predict the future. Ancient Greece
5) I am not very apt in using
classic philosophy for this case, but I think that for this special case of
LENR, many smart ideas coming from the management and business literature are
adequate. Suddenly I remembered an author and a book that I insistently
recommend to my young friends. It was published in the same year when Cold
Fusion has appeared; it is A MUST UNDERSTAND
book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
by Stephen Covey.
6) Eventually, please accept that you are not
doing art but science, technology, engineering and you will not attain
perfection. Two of my septoes tell it:
Perfectionism is dangerous,
we need sustained perfectibilism.
I am not perfectionist but
maximalist-perfectibilist
While working at this essay, the Internet has
reminded me this principle: http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2013/03/28/bosss-tip-of-the-day-prompt-beats-perfect.aspx
The aim is Synthesis
I have started
with the idea to analyze the situation of LENR but discussing with Yiannis and
Axil, with my imaginary readers, with the Web and eventually with myself (my
left-left brain hemisphere with my right-left brain hemisphere); I
realized that actually a synthesis of the ideas is the aim of
work for LENR.
The aim is to attain a broad and deep
understanding of LENR and to develop it to a significant new source of energy.
When the synthesis is accomplished, we (history will define this “we”!) will
get a vision of the whole composed of parts and we will understand the place
and function of each part in the whole.
A member of de Bono’s “gang of three” has
explained the essence of the synthesis:
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (Aristotle)
It is about how
the parts work together; if they work well, we have a positive synergy. As a
sad aside, our world today is hit by epidemics of negative synergies and there
are so many tragic cases in which the whole is smaller than the sum of the
parts. Mainly national economies, These
negative synergies define the Crisis that seems to last indefinitely…
May I note here that Covey’s
book cited at 5) says the 6th habit of effective people is Synergize:
“Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as
to achieve goals no one person could have done alone.”
Note: In the English language there are 271 words
starting with the Greek prefix “syn”- meaning “together”: http://www.morewords.com/starts-with/syn/ or if you like Scrabble: http://www.scrabblefinder.com/starts-with/syn/
Looking at what Defkalion does and wants to achieve in the near
future, it becomes obvious that there are de facto two kinds of syntheses for
LENR+ (HENI)
-
a pragmatic one – putting together all the necessary parts by engineering at its
best- the synthesis of the commercial Hyperion energy generator. Decisive
factor=engineering
- a theoretical one, combining “known knowledge” and knowledge to
be newly created for this task thus that it gives the desired degree of
understanding of the process. Decisive factors: wisdom, good thinking, positive
synergy of theories.
Over 24 years were enough to demonstrate that LENR is a difficult
case belonging to the category thus described by the main author of this double
synthesis, Yiannis Hadjichristos:
“In complex
(non linear open systems) like the ones we are dealing with in LENR+ SYSTEMS,
synthesis is difficult as it assumes cultural jumps, overriding the mental
barriers of established ideas organized linearly and hierarchicaly.”
(I don’t want any priorities in LENR ideas; however I am proud
that I was able to state early that Coulomb’s is NOT the greatest Barrier to
useful LENR.)
Yiannis emphasizes the crucial contribution of paradigm changing
scientists as Prigogine and Margulis, but even more the necessity that similar high-impact
personalities whose ideas should be able to terminate the Crisis and the dearth
of ideas in physics.
Allow me please to repeat here a longer
quotation from my Logic paper:
“The
Cartesian, rectiliniar, rationalistic thinking of the bi-univocal cause-effect
type made us difficult to understand the interdependencies and the complexity
and it has lead to the necessity to remake the thinking process backward- from
the detail to the whole.
Understanding of complexity requires the
acceptance of paradoxes, of the existence of contradictions, the possibility
that there can be used different paradoxes. (I. Olteanu in his preface to the
book “The Third Wave” by Alvin Toffler)
The synthesis
of LENR+ is obviously based on a much encomprising, broad multi-, cross-, and
trans-disciplinary approach...
Any
successful LENR+ research needs therefore a great leader and an excellent team.
And positive synergy- a lot!
Yiannis
considers the basic role of Time in the LENR synthesis.
In
LENR “panta rhei” – all sequences flow. I have said ‘LENR is like an opera not
a song’. Yiannis’s analogy is even more relevant:
The LENR meta-theory syntheses have to be like a movie not like a
photography.
Very
efficient analytical tools are needed in order to make such a
a mastery
synthesis.
I think
that despite all those frightening obstacles described in this paper, 2013 will
be an excellent year for LENR syntheses- both real and mental.
Peter
Part 1 of 3
ReplyDeleteThe mind of man is a dark and murky place. Its mysteries have been under development for over ten million years; one layer of complexity piled on another, from the most basic and animalistic to the most human and altruistic. As humanity struggled to overcome its animal nature shaped by the wilderness from which we have sprung to the exalted pinnacles of civilization where we aspire to be.
But in that long march of time over the endless eons, none of the old mechanisms of mind have ever been replaced; they have only supplanted by evolution with the more modern machinery of thinking.
The bottom line, we cannot fight our human nature; we can only learn to live with it.
A strategy for problem solving that is not consistent with our nature is not destined to be ineffective as a tool in meeting its ultimate goals.
In the quest to understand ourselves, just how do our minds work: the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious? And what is the difference between them?
The concept of three levels of mind has been around for some time now. Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian psychologist was probably the first to study the dichotomy of mind and popularized that study into mainstream society as we know it today.
Freud has bequeathed to us a useful model of the mind, which he separated into three tiers or sections – the conscious mind or ego, the preconscious, and the unconscious mind.
One way to illustrate the concept of the three minds is by using a triangle. If you imagine at the very tip of the triangle is your conscious mind. It occupies only a small portion of space at the top, a bit like an iceberg where only a fraction of it is showing above the water. It probably represents about 10% of your brain capacity. This mental capability is newly developed and untried in the march of our evolution where communication of our thoughts requires some organization and logic to be transferred onward to others.
Below this is a slightly larger section that Freud called the preconscious, or what some refer to as the subconscious. It is much larger than the conscious mind and accounts for around 50-60% of our brain capabilities. This mental process keeps our ancestors alive in their fight to struggle out of the wilds of our first habitats and is usually devoid of logic and science but the preserve of intuition and feeling.
The section below this is the unconscious mind. It occupies the whole width of the base of the triangle and fills out the other 30-40% of the triangle. It is vast and deep and largely inaccessible to conscious thought, a bit like the dark depths of the ocean were the basest emotions live.
Your conscious mind is what most people associate with who you are, because that is where most people live day to day. It is the thin veneer of our being. It is the outer edifice of our existence that we expose to the world. But it’s by no means where all the action takes place.
Your conscious mind is a bit like the captain of a ship standing on the bridge giving out orders. In reality it’s the crew in the engine room below deck (the subconscious and the deeper unconscious) that carry out the orders. The captain may be in charge of the ship and give the orders but it’s the crew that actually guides the ship that does the dirty work, all according to what training they had been given over the years to best do so.
Part 2 of 3
ReplyDeleteOur conscious mind communicates to the outside world and the inner self through speech, pictures, writing, physical movement, and thought.
The subconscious mind, on the other hand, is in charge of our recent memories, and is in continuous contact with the resources of the unconscious mind.
The unconscious mind is the storehouse of all memories and past experiences, both those that have been repressed through trauma and those that have simply been consciously forgotten and are no longer important to us. It’s from these memories and experiences that our beliefs, habits, and behaviors are formed.
The unconscious constantly communicates with the conscious mind via our subconscious, and is what provides us with the meaning to all our interactions with the world, as filtered through our beliefs and habits. It communicates through feelings, emotions, imagination, sensations, and dreams.
It is where optimism is born and the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks that face us or the road blocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. It is the unreason of stubbornness, the thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep on thinking, to keep on hoping, to keep on reaching, to keep on working, and to keep on fighting.
It is the drive rooted in the instinct for survival that got us to where we are now over the countless generations in an endless cycle of birth and death.
It is where these mystic chords of our passion lie that swell when touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our natures. It will not allow us to shrink from this great mission of life and the emotions that life engenders.
It is the part of us that says unto the latest generation that when we are tested we refused to let this journey of survival end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter to pass the gift of life forward; and with unreasoned eyes fixed on the horizon, we are compelled ever onward to carry forth, restore and maintain that great gift that cannot be squandered and deliver it safely to future generations.
Our subconscious is the work desk of our mind. Controlling and directing it is the key to personal change.
Our subconscious is a bit like the RAM in your computer; the short term memory in a computer and its job is to hold the programs and data that are currently in use so they can be reached quickly and easily by the computer processor. It’s a lot faster than the other types of memory, such as the hard disk or CD-ROM.
Your subconscious works in a similar way to computer RAM. It holds short term memory and current daily used programs.
Apart from short term memory, the subconscious also plays an important role in our day to day functioning.
It works hard at ensuring you have everything you need for quick recall and access to when you need it. Things like –
Memories – such as what your telephone number is, how to drive a car without having to consciously think about it, what you need to get from the shop on the way home etc.
Current programs you run daily, such as behaviors, habits, and mood.
Filters (such as beliefs and values) run information through to test their validity according to your perception of the world
Sensations taken in via your 5 senses and what it means to you.
If it doesn’t happen to have a filter or reference point in its RAM for some bits of information that come in, then it has a direct line to the storage place of the mind – the unconscious. It will ask the unconscious to pull out the programs that it best associates with the incoming data to help make sense of it all.
Part 3 of 3
ReplyDeleteThe subconscious is also constantly at work, staying a lot more aware of your surroundings than you realize. In fact, according to the NLP communication model we are assaulted with over 2 million bits of data every second. If our conscious mind had to deal with all that you would very quickly become overwhelmed and not be able to get anything done.
Instead, our subconscious filters out all the unnecessary information and delivers only that which is needed at the time, around 7 chunks of information. It does all this behind the scenes so you can perform our daily work uninhibited. And it does this as logically as it can; based on the programs it has access to in your unconscious.
The subconscious is where most problems are solved. These solutions flash into the conscious mind in a flash of inspiration, logic of the conscious follows the intuition of the subconscious.
It then communicates all the results into consciousness via emotions, feelings, sensations and reflexes, images and dreams. It doesn’t communicate in words, it flashes insights that we feel come out of nowhere to help us solve problems.
One of the truly great things about the subconscious (and one which we need to take advantage of to affect change) is … it obeys orders!
People often erroneously think that the subconscious is in charge and you are merely at its mercy. In fact it’s the complete opposite. Your conscious mind gives it the direction, the environment if you like, for which it operates in. The subconscious will only deliver the emotions and feelings of what you continuously think about.
Now I’m not saying it’s as easy as changing what you think of in one moment and your entire life will be changed. In most cases your default programs have too much energy attached to them to change instantaneously. It can be done though – such as after a massive life altering event or if enough pain is associated with the old behavior – but without a major shift like that it is likely the old programs will reemerge.
As an example of how the subconscious mind works, let us look at on of the greatest minds to have ever lived to see what formed it and what made it tick.
Leonardo DaVinci was a great painter, designer, scientist, futurist and thinker. He also had the gift of dyslexia.
One remarkable indication that Leonardo was dyslexic is in his handwriting. Leonardo was constantly sketching out his ideas for inventions. Most of the time, he wrote his notes backwards. Why did Leonardo write from right-to-left, in mirror image? Although unusual, this is a trait shared by many left-handed dyslexic people. Most of the time, dyslexic writers are not even consciously aware that they are writing this way.
Leonardo's spelling is also considered erratic and quite strange. He also started many more projects then he ever finished - a characteristic now often considered to be 'A.D.D.'
The way the world entered DaVinci’s mind forced his subconscious programs to compensate. How this process worked is not known but his genius was not developed on the conscious level. It was a miracle of adaptation.
Everyone has their own talents and abilities that have been formed by their nature and nurture. We must identify who can do the job needed to be done and let them do it.
The shaping the subconscious mind is a lifetime of effort.
Let Einstein understand the universe, Michelangelo build St. Peters cathedral, and William Shakespeare write the plays.
In this struggle of life our dies are cast; we must learn how to match the job with the right person.