Holistic Thinking (In Context)

My dreamy exercises in de-verbalization have revealed a hugely potential ability of humans to think beyond language. It starts happening as abstraction from thoughts developed by the usually sequential articulation of (divisive) words "spelled out" to myself. As descent into the subconscious deepens, primordially non-verbal functions begin appearing with a surprising propensity for thought about surrounding reality in whole chunks undivided (and unqualified) by words.

When left-brain "chattering" in thereby quieted, one starts thinking in the aesthetic terminology of symbolic pictures—instead of words—as described in previous essays. This actually happens all the time in everyday consciousness; as when one "draws" a mental picture to clarify some problem. (Like Einstein reportedly did, dozing off into a revelatory dream, while formulating his theory of special relativity.)

The common experience is typically intermingled, however, with the usual domination of consciousness by words. One is falling back upon an obviously more ancient mode of thought when that domination is suspended.

The dreamy roots of rational consciousness then begin appearing—at deeper levels—as archetypal/ universal images. These whole-truths thereupon become available as vehicles for conscious thought: when the mind has thus shifted gears from its usually-dominant verbal to a more visual mode. (The latter is hypothetically associated in one previous essay—entitled "Verbal Embellishment"--with a primeval "language" of visual symbols which was reportedly mixed up by the introduction of articulate languages around a Tower of Babel in biblical mythology.)

Reactivation of the old non-verbal functions enables holistic thinking—projected throughout this webside as an untapped potential for deeper understanding—and an intuitive source for eureka inspiration (like Einstein's dream about riding a beam of light toward infinity). It would seem thus that we were born with an expanding rationality for discerning (empirically) whatever reality waits out there.

Recalling Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound"

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Mirroring (And Shadowing)

It is proposed accordingly that a mature synthesis of philosophy, science and theology unravel reality empirically—from context—by peeling off layers of deceiving appearance as though from inside some big onion. Investigators can expect these levels of appearance to paradoxically mirror (and shadow) one another. Their resulting revelation may be that the visible Cosmos in indeed composited—from inward to the very point of one's eyes outward—with "smoke and mirrors."

Plato's Cave As A (Contextual) School

Conceivably our world is an artificial enclave projected—through our minds (holographically)--from a surrounding-source reality: as something of a reflected copy thereof. This may be the ultimate (literal) lesson of Plato's Cave symbol (in Book 7 of THE REPUBLIC. Some years ago the controversial scientist Richard Hoagland presented support for this hypothesis to the United Nations.)

We "student-captives" do speak (intuitively) about another side where we may go upon death. This is conceivably an archetypal memory about departure from the immediate enclave (maybe the temporary school implied by Plato): back to our main lives—out there--

among the galaxies and beyond. Perhaps.