> A surprising number of creative people have visions, hear voices, or have strange encounters in dreams
“Mentally ill”?
Check my last few threads, discussing the voices in our heads are actually disembodied others and we are not alone in our own minds.
This denial is dangerous and must end.
I don't experience any voices in my head. I am a visual-spatial thinker, not a verbal thinker. It certainly doesn't feel like there is anyone else in here with me.
That being said, it is clear that our brains are very complex and do many different tasks without our conscious knowledge. For example, when I do formulate words (while writing this comment, for example), I have no awareness of selecting vocabulary and applying grammatical rules; the words just pop into my head fully formed.
It is clear that some other part of my brain is doing the task of language construction, and I have often wondered if that part of my brain could have a separate consciousness of its own that I (referring to the consciousness that is trying to express itself to you now) have total ignorance of.
Perhaps many different brain tasks are done with isolated consciousnesses, and some people have a stronger sense of that than others.
Do you believe that everyone else thinks about grammar and consciously chooses the words they're using while speaking? Of course not.
To quote Jeff Goldstein: "The brain secretes thoughts like the stomach secretes stomach acid".
You’re quite right there are lower and lower levels of cognition, far below the soft mailable conscious awareness.
These can be gotten at and programmed through will, yet still full of mystery.
I didn’t hear “the voices” until after I was 30, though after over a decade I could look back and notice they were there all along (little clues that added up.) Not the same ones in character or identity mind you, they come and go, yet their network coverage may give the illusion they are one.
To share what I have learned of consciousness relating to what you’ve said…
Most are locked into a singular first person perspective like a flatlander. Every neuron in the mind, and the clusters in which they are arranged are individual units of consciousness that work together to form a whole. These are always operating, yet only one dominant region at a time (without development). This region varies throughout the day, or by kind of task (driving or working or watching tv for instance engaged different faculties.) Individual regions raffle up into the singular perspective most everyone else is familiar with.
These regions aren’t like individual selves, their thoughts and processes are more primitive and don’t really make coherent sense alone.
I can force my mind to use whichever part I wish through determined effort, yet when I do, I become sort of dumb in subtle things until that part wires itself to be more competent. Concentrate effort in the forward lobe for instance, or the back of the mind. It takes practice and time (days or weeks for slight improvements, not moments. Years for mastery.)
Anyone who has forced themselves through specialized training can tell you the beginning is arduous and it isn’t until much later that gains begin to multiply and finally things once impossible become first nature and look effortless. Everything of the mind is like this.
Advanced thought control can hobble the mind, cause spinning thoughts, direct attention, even manipulate sexuality (a game for them.) I’m stubborn and like confrontation, so I think my experiences are different than others who struggle and adapt to what they think “nature” is telling them.
Do you ever see shapes that aren't there? Do they rotate? Has one ever tried to hurt you?
I have fully mastered spatial visual projection. I was always imaginative, yet now it is as though a physical object is present in the “third eye”. These others do interesting things like sepia storyboards (show you a short visual skit). Other things which are actually amazing yet difficult to describe.
The darklings (my cute phraseology) try to hurt me at every opportunity. I experience “scitzophrinic city” everywhere I go, that’s where others talk about my thoughts (not knowing themselves where the words come from or relate to.) Many pretend to talk on their cell phones to have conversations with their voices (I don’t think the thought controlled are “allowed” to internally dialogue.)
I can see how someone less developed would flip out. I get territorial if I suspect danger (I’m a pretty tough guy.)
Look at the back of your local free news rags, how many advertisements for mental health are directed at young women. Vulnerable people have it much worse.
in todays economy the difference between bieng crazy and eccentric starts at about $2 million and then generaly transitions into full batshit insane at an order of magnitude higher
some mix of money,class,culture,fame and geography will work to shield all but the predetory violent madmen
one interesting modern development is bluetooth as it provides a constant background of people talking to themselves,gesturing and laughing
that,and at least in the west there are hordes of semi functional dimented elders weirding the mix
Art is about creative vision. The creative vision of the average person is something like corporate memphis. It fails to stand out like it's creator.
You need to be out there a little bit to do something unique. Being out there comes at a cost, it's harder to form relationships with people.
Being sufficiently creative is a mental illness.
Downvote this so I don't get stuck with 13
All of them? /s
You can’t create beautiful art unless you are crazy about art itself.