How Dare You Call Me Left-Brained … I’m Creative
Everybody is left-brained. I’ll expand that statement out a bit further. Everybody relies on the functions of the left brain; everybody uses language; everybody has a standard set of beliefs that they rely upon.
The standards we operate from, depend upon a process of thought. Language depends upon our experiences. Rationality depends upon accurate perceptions. We navigate the world with our beliefs, which become the standard we measure the world from. Beliefs, values, judgments can be simple or more complex tools of measurement, depending upon the individual. How engaged is the mind of any one person? Some people will be emotionally attached to nearly every experience they have while others simply attach themselves to what gets them through a day, and while others yet, more extremely - detach themselves from the processes of thought altogether.
There is structure in our mind-space that is organized in such a way to be like when ancient seafarers used the stability of the stars as navigational tools. Our beliefs, gained individually - but conditioned by our family structures can be, owned or unclaimed, true or false, moral or immoral; our beliefs fill that mind-space and become the north star leading us to the way we exist.
The Metaphysics of Mind-Space
Our mind-space exists with standards that revolve around an organizing principle. It exists and functions with or without our acknowledgement. No effort needs to be given if you follow the cues of those around you. Yet those principles you operate by will attach you to a certain kind of experience.
Some people may be more attached to the invisible connective tissue of life. They are connected to their senses in such a way that they seek out the closeness of people and things surrounding them because this part of experience is defined by emotion and feeling.
Other people may be more attached to explaining how life works. They are connected to the way information is organized and are typically dispassionate about the information they are organizing.
Other people still may be more interested in preserving the stability of structure. Large organizations, institutions with fully developed ideas would draw these people in. They are there to keep things running and enjoy step by step work.
And others still, may require action and organic experience to such a degree that they work against anything artificial and fight against it. They are most often individualists of the highest order.
These descriptions I’ve made are cursory. The picture is much larger. I’m basing these descriptions in observations about human behavior, but also trying to ground these observations in a potential point of origin, most likely revealed through a comprehension of human biology. Even in saying that, I shy away from mainstream definitions as much as I can. But ultimately it is impossible to separate myself too far. Communication does require that we share basic points about reality. Established language patterns cannot be avoided entirely.
Which leads me to this final point, before I proceed. For me, metaphysics is the study of organic experience and the functions underlying it. Organic experience is tied to Nature. However I do not solely equate Nature with a forest, an ocean view or a hike in the mountains. Nature, and ultimately metaphysics, demonstrates the functions of organic experiences in our interactions with the world around us … wherever we are.
The Cycle of Independence
Before I get into this. My process of understanding the world around me starts with making my observations as accurate as I can. In this case, I observed that human life begins dependent by moving through phases toward independence. There are 2 main things that I noticed from this observation:
Each phase indicates a change to the limits of knowing
There seems to be a pattern emphasized showing the existence of different parts of consciousness; from physical to emotional to mental to spiritual
The is how I’d describe the order of the cycle for now:
Essence precedes Existence … as Existence precedes Knowledge … as Knowledge precedes Awareness.
Essence
When I speak of the word essence it is not simply to reduce human behavior to a materialist philosophy. There is primacy in the physical, but acknowledging primacy does not have to be reductionistic; there can be more to the picture of reality than I am currently seeing.
Aside from that, I seem to remember some existentialist claim that existence precedes essence and my use of this term arose from there. I began by trying to understand if existence does indeed precede essence.
When I think about human life it is clear that life begins in a state of dependence. The emergence of the zygote is a demonstrated beginning of life. Are we mathematicians or artists in the womb? That remains to be proven or seen. What becomes clearer, for our purposes, is that the first stage of life starts with the formation of the body. In this state, we are physically connected to and dependent upon the mother.
We may be born with certain aptitudes, but at this stage, the expression of our aptitudes depend on the development of the physical form.
Existence
Existence is a kind of independence, since our traditional birthdays mark the day that our bodies are formed well enough to be separated from the mother.
Even at this stage, we are not working out equations or envisioning our next masterpiece. The context of our existence still depends upon the joys and pains derived from our bodies. We are dependent upon the good will of our parents to attend to our needs. Our language is emotion.
Our bodies are still growing, but now our emotions are involved. We feel life separate from our mothers.
Knowledge
Structure, organization and routine is a kind of knowledge that is derived from the influences in your life. Go to church - or not. Repeat what you’re told and get a gold star.
Mathematical or artistic aptitudes are now in progress. We are gaining experiences from peers and adults and other authorities.
Our bodies and emotions are joined with a mental life.
Awareness
The routines of life give us knowledge, but awareness is knowing. It is the first time you wad up a piece of paper into a ball and miss the bin, where you decide if you will leave the piece of paper for somebody else to pick up or you do it yourself.
There is a kind of awareness that goes beyond the immediacy of experience; it is a different mode of knowing. I am not talking about that right now. This kind of awareness is different because it is the stage where you might pretend that you don’t really notice your behaviors.
It is drinking alcohol, acting a fool all night then pretending that you blacked out on every unfriendly act you performed.
With awareness comes responsibility, and some of us are never truly ready to take that step. It is the beginning of independence.
It is the beginning of our spiritual lives.