Chapter 10 - Inner Creativity Flashcards
Creativity
Discovery of something new in a new context (fundamental creativity) or discovery of new meaning in an old context (situational creativity)
Inner creativity
Self-renewal, a happier and more whole way of being, transformation of contexts in which we live and discuver such that we can be permanently happy. Expressing the meaning of love in a story requires outer creatiivity, but becoming loving in one’s own life is inner creativity.
Paradox in material-realism
If matter is ultimate truth, it makes no sense for laws of physics to govern matter or for mathematics to apply to physics
Is truth the same in science and religion?
Science consists of search for mental, vital, and physical laws. They’re already in consciousness, science attempts to discover through math and thought.
Spiritual truths are about fundamental being, about consciousness itself
In both kinds of creativity we rise beyond thought and continuity. We recognize limits of rational thought.
Insight
Reached by quantum leap
Occurs when ego is out of the way. Occurs in outer creativity when we’re free in quantum modality to see gestalt of quantum thought possibilities that unconscious processing offers. In inner creativity, transcending ego-identity of ordinary consciousness IS insight
Three modes of knowing
Perception
Conception
Emotion
Outer creativity
Quantum leap of thought from old contexts into new contexts or meaning
Universal hologram
We each retain information of the whole, but in our ego we lose access. We regain access with encounter of quantum self to discover knowledge required for outer creativity
Quantum self
Experience is happening continuously if we are open to it.
Transpersonal self of transpersonal psychology. (atman of Vedanta philosophy, no-self of Buddhism, and Holy Spirit of Christianity)
Distinction between primary and secondary awareness experiences
Primary occurs at first collapse of quantum possibility waves in brain-mind complex that arise in response to stimulus.
Secondary via reflection in mirror of memory in individual brain-mind complex give sense of personal identity, ego. Ability to reflect arises as part of process.
True happiness
More “light” in outer world of sensory stimuli, so we look for happiness there. But true source is inside with quantum self, consciousness in its suchness
Differences between exoteric and esoteric branches of religion
Higher purpose of exoteric religion is to love and serve God, so they teach ethical and moral principles. Goal of esoteric is to become God. Esoteric emphasizes inner creativity.
Spiritual paths for journey beyond ego (Bhagavad Gita)
karma yoga - yoga of action bhakti yoga - yoga of devotion jnana yoga - yoga of knowledge raja yoga - path of meditation All traditions emphasize one or more of these paths Buddhism - jnana Sufis - bhakti Christianity - bhakti and karma
Designed to investigate reality via truth, cognition, and limitlessness
Overcoming ego
overcoming two obstacles, conditioning and simple hierarchy
Paths described in terms of new science
Jnana - search for truth through knowledge gained from mental creativity overcomes conditioned habits of thinking
Raja - uses meditation to transcend conditioned habits of thinking
Bhakti yoga - practice of tangled hierarchy in personal relationship to go beyond simple hierarchy and limited boundary of ego
Karma yoga - realizing in midst of action that cause of all actions comes from transcendent level
“Truth is a pathless land”
yogic paths aren’t recipes, they lead nowhere. Spiritual insight is discontinuous leap to deeper being, paths set context for leap
Jnana yoga (science of self)
Go through alternating steps of preparation and unconscious processing, encounter between ego and quantum self, insight, and manifestation.
Thought can never lead to self-knowledge
Resembles outer creativity most
Raja yoga
Meditation is a way t intervene with conditioned patterns
Why does meditation work?
Pay attention to feature (akin to position of material objects) thus losing control over direction of thought. When we lose direction we become centered and present.
Opens us to flow of experience; able to hold attention for prolonged periods. Thoughts arise but gyrate harmlessly around center of attention and peace and calmness pervade disposition.
When the mind becomes empty you transcend ordinary mind of discourse and become sensitive to primary creative reality of quantum self. (or better yet you transcend subject-object awareness altogether). We watch dualistic nature of thought in order to transcend it.
Concentration meditation
striving, work. Can’t reach enlightenment this way
Awareness meditation
become aware of thoughts without latching onto them + relaxation. Pay attention to direction of thought, sacrificing content of it. Complementary nature of awareness and concentration meditation in terms of uncertainty principle
Creative insight
aided by present-centeredness that concentration meditation builds, and awareness helps us with being or nondoing. When we become fully centered in nondoing, thus escaping conditioning, we become free to act creatively
True love
unconditional and tangled-hierarchical (in contrast to ego’s simple-hierarchy)
bhakti yoga
ego boundaries transcended through creative discovery of love. Impossible to love unconditionally while we identify with ego.
We use dualistic dynamics of relationship to transcend dualism.
How does right action lead us beyond the ego?
Ego centered actions always serve ego, whereas ethics demand we optimize other people’s interests as well as our own. Karma yoga enables us to see that both kind of actions are important.
