We are stuck in habits of materialist, reductionist, abstract thinking that have been inculcated from all directions of our culture; and which are sustained by all public discourse.
Breaking free and developing better, truer, stronger ways of thinking - thinking with the innate cosmic and unconstrained scope consequent upon the divine part of our human natures - is difficult.
Furthermore, we cannot really use conscious 'will power' in this task, because conscious will is rooted in the same world of habit which we are trying to escape. With conscious will power; we are in the paradoxical situation of deploying exactly that which we are simultaneously trying to change!
To break the evil habits of our mainstream, mundane thinking; we need to be able to think actively, and from our real (divine) selves. We cannot just let our thoughts happen; but we cannot use will power.
And I believe we cannot achieve that active thinking by increments, we cannot attain metaphysical transformation by generalizing from earlier and specific successes.
(This is why Rudolf Steiner's meditation exercises seem to be useless at generating active primary thinking - since they rely upon the mistaken assumption that the general can be built-up stepwise from the specific.)
How then might we 'strengthen' (as Owen Barfield terms it) our primary thinking, and develop the capability of using it more often and more fully?
The answer is by what Coleridge called "imagination" - if that term is properly understood; which is also what Tolkien called "subcreation". And this is by the act of creating in thinking - i.e. in primary thinking - which is creating in the non-material, spiritual, realm.
All material is spiritual - because matter comes-from spirit; so creation in the material realm - i.e. creating stuff like poetry, music, painting, scientific or philosophical theorizing - is potentially valid.
Such activities are potentially good for developing 'imagination' so long as they are active and innerly-driven. But these are minority activities - and such material manifestations of creativity are secondary.
The Real Thing about creating goes on in thinking: thinking is primary, when it comes to the kind of imagination/ subcreation we need.
Unconscious creativity (e.g. that of a child, or someone who creates something valued by accident, or without trying) is Not what we want and need - if we are to break the materialist mind-set.
No - to develop the imagination; requires that creation be conscious, active, chosen.
And such creation happens first in thinking.
Whether or not thinking later results in a poem, song, new theory or whatever - is secondary and inessential.
The value in creating comes from the thinking - even if that thinking is unspoken, unexpressed.
Indeed, the expression of creativity is always secondary; and - necessarily - incomplete, distorted and inferior to the original and primary thinking that led to it.
Thus; whether inner creativity of thinking is recognized by 'other people', or is accorded praise and status - is inessential. "Great" poets or painters may in fact be less primarily creative than one who has never even spoken about his inner states of primary thinking.
So, imagination, creation, in the realm of primary thinking; is what is needed to develop the desired true and good alternative to the false and evil thinking-habits of this time and place.
And such creation can only come from the thinker being aligned with God and divine creation; and can only happen when the thinker is motivated by love.
This is another reason why it cannot be achieved by conscious will power - when the Good-alignment is absent, and/or motives are selfish or manipulative - then primary thinking just does not happen; and a kind of pseudo-creativity is the result.
It might be said that plenty of people are 'already doing this kind of inner-creating without realizing they are doing it'. But that does not suffice.
We need to be clear that anyone who does not realize he is doing it, is actually not doing it!
This is clear from the fact that such unconsciously creating people remain trapped in the habit-prison of mundane materialist thinking - often barely aware of the fact.
Our core task here-and-now is to become conscious about many things which used to be unconscious.
We need to become conscious that we are indeed in a socially-imposed thought-prison of mundane materialist thinking; conscious that we want to escape this prison; and consciously decide to develop our primary thinking - our inner and spiritual creativity.
And yet, many people have and do imagine and think of all sorts of lies and untrue things, while sincerely believing these imaginations are primary thinking and align with reality and who/ what they perceive God to be.
ReplyDeleteSo, while I think true in saying that we are in a prison and that we must become conscious of this fact, I do not think it is something we can escape in our present situation by developing our primary thinking 'better' and have confidence that we have arrived at a better place than others, given that they will almost certainly feel the same about the place that they have arrived at through their own thinking and imagination.
In order to tap into our divine selves, as you say, and find our way out of this mess, we need better tools than what we are currently equipped with. In my opinion, this is probably the most important thing of which we should become conscious and a point that might be worthwhile spending some amount of imagination on in terms of its implications and potential remedies.
@WW - "And yet, many people have and do imagine and think of all sorts of lies and untrue things, while sincerely believing these imaginations are primary thinking "
ReplyDeleteWell, no.
As I said, this has to be conscious, active etc - and most people are *not in the slightest degree* conscious or active in their thinking. Nor do they believe that primary thinking changes reality - eternally.
In sum, I am trying to emphasize here that thinking on the basis of a false and incoherent and unconscious/ automatic/ unacknowledged set of metaphysical assumptions Does No Good.
Yes, this puts it well!
ReplyDeleteYour point about the potential "products" of creativity being secondary is spot-on. The primary purpose of the sort of vital thinking you describe is not the creation of works, but the thinking itself. Berdyaev often refers to this as "answering the call of God", and notes that any tangible "creation" emerging from primary thinking (creativity) inevitably cools and becomes objectified as it settles into culture and the world.
However, the thinking behind the creation -- the creative act -- is like fire and remains white-hot in the realm of spirit if it aligns with God and Creation. Berdyaev places this kind of thinking outside time, which I think is an error. Otherwise, his ideas on this subject basically line up with the other thinkers you mention and with what you have expressed so well here.
@Frank
ReplyDeleteI think one reason that people are tempted to put this kind of thought outside time, is the need for it to be linked with past and future. But of beings are eternal, and the contact between them is direct (mind to mind, thinking the same thoughts) then this removes that problem. Any Being that has had an experience can subsequently 'share' it with another Being.
@WW - In your early comment, you seem concerned about error - self-deception. And, of course, we are prone to error in this mortal life. But when intentions are honest, error is self-correcting (e.g. by inner guidance from the divine-within and externally from the Holy Ghost).
ReplyDeleteThe main reason that ordinary, mundane, perception/ memory driven thinking is so prone to error is that it is usually trying to be expedient. But if primary creativity is in thinking, then it is disconnected from expediency, so there is no reason to pretend, or cling to error - wishful thinking or delusions just don't work.
Material creativity (poems, painting, public ideas) - by contrast - is much more prone to error and other distortions than is thinking; because manifestations are, at least, intended to communicate and designed to have that effect - and are often intended to gain status, money, manipulate others etc. Material manifestations can seldom approximate to being wholly pure in motivation.
Bruce,
ReplyDeleteYes, it is with error and self-deception that I am primarily concerned about in this train of thought you have articulated. One doesn’t need to be pretending or clinging to error to still have landed in error. Delusions and wishful fancies definitely do exist in creative thought, as these thoughts, while perhaps coming from a divine place, are also mingled with our fallen natures and so will all to some extent miss the mark, think.
Are these errors self-correcting? I would disagree with you and say no, not fully. We will need more than we currently have, as individuals and collectively, to find our way through. I do agree that the Holy Ghost plays an important role in this, but perhaps more tangibly and real, and less abstract and prone to individual interpretations and feelings, so that Men are not having to compare whose Holy Ghost derived insights are superior to that of another who also claims such inspiration.
Meaning, more specifically, that when there is mention of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, we may be speaking of a gift yet to come, and that this gift will be a tangible thing or set of things brought by this Being and given to Men, meant to bring them out of darkness and error that is inescapable otherwise. Without this gift, while we may get many things right, as you have said it is an all-or-nothing thing when it comes to our understanding of reality, and we may be just swapping out one jail cell that we were conscious of with another cell that we are less aware of, making matters potentially worse if we do not recognize this is what we have done.
@WW - "Are these errors self-correcting? I would disagree with you and say no, not fully. "
ReplyDeleteThey do not need to be "fully" but only *sufficiently* self-correcting. Sufficient for salvation - which means sufficient to follow Jesus to resurrected eternal life.
"we may be speaking of a gift yet to come"
No. There is no need to wait for more; Jesus did all that was necessary, gave us everything we need. Each of us who genuinely desires to accept His gift, will find all the guidance he needs.
We can stop this thinking (in part) by stopping sinning, praying often, and following God's commands. The last item requires the dropping of the ego.
ReplyDelete"I believe we cannot achieve that active thinking by increments, we cannot attain metaphysical transformation by generalizing from earlier and specific successes. (This is why Rudolf Steiner's meditation exercises seem to be useless at generating active primary thinking - since they rely upon the mistaken assumption that the general can be built-up stepwise from the specific.)"
ReplyDeleteI hope you expand on this. If anything, it is too well put. Maybe you have, I am a few days in arrears.
While I'm here, thanks for putting me onto What Coleridge Thought (as well as Saving). They are your best interpreters! I had written Coleridge off as some junkie poet friend of Byron's. Boy, did I get my comeuppance.
@out - I'm delighted to hear that you have found Barfield, and esp WCT, so useful!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure *how* to expand on that statement - probably it will be elaborated-on in future postings (assuming the statement captures something true and significant).