Chapter 10 - Inner Creativity

Question 1

Creativity

Answer 1

Discovery of something new in a new context (fundamental creativity) or discovery of new meaning in an old context (situational creativity)

Question 2

Inner creativity

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Paradox in material-realism

Answer 3

If matter is ultimate truth, it makes no sense for laws of physics to govern matter or for mathematics to apply to physics

Question 4

Is truth the same in science and religion?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Insight

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Three modes of knowing

Answer 6

Perception
Conception
Emotion

Question 7

Outer creativity

Answer 7

Quantum leap of thought from old contexts into new contexts or meaning

Question 8

Universal hologram

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Quantum self

Answer 9

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)

Question 10

Distinction between primary and secondary awareness experiences

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

True happiness

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Differences between exoteric and esoteric branches of religion

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Spiritual paths for journey beyond ego (Bhagavad Gita)

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Overcoming ego

Answer 14

overcoming two obstacles, conditioning and simple hierarchy

Question 15

Paths described in terms of new science

Answer 15

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

Question 16

“Truth is a pathless land”

Answer 16

yogic paths aren’t recipes, they lead nowhere. Spiritual insight is discontinuous leap to deeper being, paths set context for leap

Question 17

Jnana yoga (science of self)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Raja yoga

Answer 18

Meditation is a way t intervene with conditioned patterns

Question 19

Why does meditation work?

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Concentration meditation

Answer 20

striving, work. Can’t reach enlightenment this way

Question 21

Awareness meditation

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Creative insight

Answer 22

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

Question 23

True love

Answer 23

unconditional and tangled-hierarchical (in contrast to ego’s simple-hierarchy)

Question 24

bhakti yoga

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

How does right action lead us beyond the ego?

Answer 25

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.