Harmony Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

It has long been known to creative people that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in all creative thought. While creativity in art, music and dance can often function with very little help from verbal left-brain processes, most creative work requires balanced, healthy cooperation between intuition and logical thought. This paper will examine why in most intellectual fields, the most wonderful, creative breakthroughs are the result of intuition. Intuition manifests itself in the evaluation of similarity when decision borders are too complex to be reduced to logical rules. It is also reflected in heuristic reasoning based on partial observations, where network activity selects only those paths that may lead to the right solution, excluding all bad moves (Duch, 2007: 1). The research question is important, equally as are advanced, scientific studies on intuition, because intuition leads to innovation. Intuition is the muse, the spark, the beginning without which many modern, scientific inventions would not be possible. Could intuition shed some light on the understanding of modern science explaining many of its unknowns? Or, are the two disciplines completely independent? Intuition originates in right-brain thinking, while logic is a product of the left brain. Intuition is useless, however, until it can be verified and described verbally and logically. Logic and language are at the basis of modern progress because they make it possible for one person to communicate her or his insights to another person. Knowledge is thus built upon knowledge, from the successive thinking of previous generations of reflective explorers, researchers and thinkers. In this essay, the author will elaborate on the phenomenon of intuition, hopefully leading to a more holistic understanding of the unconscious mind by bringing important elements involved in the process of intuition and science together. The great power of science is its ability through objective laws to reveal to us truth that we did not anticipate. In this role, it continues to be invaluable, and one of the greatest of human creations. Science often provides elucidation as we are bound to grope for a time as we grapple with problems unprecedented in human history. And wisdom is the child of experience which is a measure of truth. "In the years since man unlocked the power stored with the atom, the world has made progress, halting but effective, towards bringing that power under human control." (Kennedy, 1963: 22). The spirit of the times brings another challenge that must be overcome and that becomes humanity's salvation. In the Twenty-First Century, as humanity has learned to master the destructive potentialities of modern science civilisation moves toward a new era in which science can shed more light on the still unresolved novel, global challenges to fulfil its creative promise. But can science explain everything that could be only known at the intuitive level? Can Science shed some light onto some the miracles in the world? It is sometimes helpful to differentiate between the God of Miracles and the God of Order. When scientists use the word God, they usually mean the God of Order. The God of Miracles wonderfully intervenes in our affairs, performs magnificent miracles, destroys wicked cities, smites enemy armies, drowns the Pharaoh's troops (plus other wicked civilisations that do not follow sustainable strategies) and finally avenges the pure and noble (Kaku, 1995); as He is the only one who created the universe and it is at His command. All creation uses its power to punish unrighteous people or civilisations, but it becomes mild and kind to those who put their trust in God. This is not to say that miracles cannot happen, only that they are outside of the realm of explanation of what is commonly called science. Paradoxically, the world of science cannot explain some of the unknowns at the level of sub-consciousness, sense, supernatural or sacral. For example, in the word of God, light and darkness are contrasted several times as are those who follow each (Crawley, 1980: 562). It is contrast rather than comparison because there is no likeness of the two. One is opposed to the other, and one produces positive energy the other negative. One clear thing is that "the person who loves truth hates darkness. "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104); and the one who loves darkness hates light, "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light..." (John 3:20). Jesus had somewhat to say about this throughout His earthly ministry. He made it very plain regarding those who loved the truth (or light), as well as those who loved error (or darkness) when He said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (Crawley, 1980: 562). For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:19-21). From this, we can plainly see why some love darkness and refuse to come to the light and why some love truth. The person who loves the truth above all else, and wants nothing else, cometh to the light, for he has nothing to fear. For even if he is wrong, he needs, and wants, to know it; whereas when he is right everyone needs to know it. Thus, he cometh to the light, and does so continually that he continue to be right (Crawley, 1980: 562). This paper argues that we can subconsciously choose light and good deeds at the same time becoming more skilled and grittier. Grit is the tenacious pursuit of a dominant superordinate goal despite setbacks. According to Duckworth and Gross (2014: 2), "Research on grit is still in its infancy, and much remains to be discovered about its underlying psychological mechanisms." These researchers have shown that "Highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill" and shedding more light on important psychological concepts such as increased perseverance, passion and determination. Studies confirm that grittier competitors accumulate more hours of deliberate practice over the course of years, which in turn fully mediates the effect of grit on final ranking (Duckworth, Kirby, Tsukayama, Berstein, & Ericsson, 2011). Related research has identified harmonious passion (i.e., autonomous internalisation of a passionate activity into one’s identity) as a predictor of deliberate practice and, in turn, performance (Vallerand et al., 2014). Many other studies of expert performers in diverse domains have found that thousands of hours of extremely effortful deliberate practice are prerequisite for achieving world-class levels of skill (Ericsson & Charness, 1994). If, as Woody Allen has suggested, showing up and being engaged is crucial to success in any endeavour (as quoted in Safire, 1989), and if highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill, then it may be that grit predicts high achievement by inclining individuals to both show up and work very hard, continuously, toward a highly valued goal for years and even decades" simultaneously overcoming obstacles and excelling in their practice. To be gritty means wisely and holistically combing the whole body resources: subconsciousness and consciousness for the realisation of the chosen goal without burn out but constantly recharging and regenerating. This has much to do with the power of both self-control and volition. Therefore, subconscious could be working in balance with consciousness. Throughout all nature, we can find the law of action and reaction, of rest and motion so balance is an optimal state. When the two are in balance, then there will be harmony, equilibrium and extra energy flow. The novel solution that this paper introduces is that intuition allows seeing things differently by making a picture of reality in our minds while acting as a powerful catalyst, a powerhouse of our imagination while dissolving many complex puzzles and perplexing problems existing in contemporary science. It follows that both intuition and science could work in tandem.