Lateral Thought...

I've always marveled at the inner workings of ones mind. For example, we refer to this unseen person as our subconscious, and speak of it/them as a separate person inside us. The one who knows better. There is a surface us, and an us at the back of our mind that thinks much more clearly, who has full access to our cataloged memories and dreams, and can see the actions we take, and can calculate with eerie accuracy the repercussions of said actions. They are the ones who know the dewy decimal system to our library of experiences, and yet don't feel the need to share that information with us.

In most cases, the only time we realize that a part of us knew what was going to happen is when we are kicking ourselves, hoping to hit the part of us that's grinning and saying "I told you so, you bloody big oaf". I can't help wonder why it is that that part of us is not in control. Wouldn't it be better to have the bit that can think clearly in charge?

I did a bit of an amateurish experiment once. There is a game called Brain Age for the Nintendo DS that is meant to exercise your brain. A lot of you will know which game I am speaking of. It tells you in its intro that different parts of your brain are used when you are doing different tasks, just like when you exercise different parts of your body. For example, reading out loud, doing simple math problems, solving a riddle and matching colours with words use different bits of brain matter.

I went into the game where you are given a set amount of time, and it asks you as many simple math problems as you can answer in that time. When my main mind, or over-mind is in control, then it seems that I have to think of it and I don't do as well as I should be able to. I then tried to just not think of it and let my subconscious take over. I did quite a lot better that time around. It seems to be akin to a sort of mental instinct. Parts of my mind know the answers already and are quick with the response, but the over-mind doubts, rethinks, and sometimes wrongly changes the answer that the subconscious mind provided. This is one reason why you should not go back and change your answers in multiple choice quizzes.

For each action, your mind is completing hundreds of small calculations to make sure that that task gets completed. When you catch a ball, your subconscious has to calculate the speed of the ball, the trajectory of the ball, analyze the surface on which you stand to ensure you don't trip, or how hard it's going to have to work the legs to get going to the right spot, where to position your hand to catch the ball, and so on. Your over-mind does not even consider this. It thinks, ball, hand up, catch, and that is that. If your subconscious is making these calculations, it is reasonable to conclude that this would explain other daily phenomenon. I for one find it a little odd how often I go to grab a bunch of paperclips to complete a job, and wind up grabbing the exact amount that I will need.

There are those out there that claim to have the supernatural ability to predict the outcome of events. I am not about to try and say that they are all wrong. Especially speaking as one who started crying and carrying on over a song that reminded me of my Grandfather for no apparent reason the day he was admitted to hospital in another Province days before I was to be told that he was dying. Or even as one who, as a child, heard the phone rang, looked up at my Grandmother and announced that my best friend Nesta was dead just as she picked it up to hear the same news from my Aunt.

To assume that we know that these things can't happen is quite arrogant of us. What I am saying however is that a good portion of them may be explained by a keen subconscious pointing out the obvious to us.

I'd like to see how well my subconscious would do in the driver seat so to speak. I imagine it would be like falling into a deep sleep, then awaking to find that you have advanced in life farther than you thought you could. I wonder if you would be a different person with the over-mind in the background.

It is also possible that having the subconscious in charge would be disastrous. That there is meant to be a fuzzy blanket between the surface you and the inner you. I for one would like to find out. Perhaps ridding ourselves of the fuzzy barrier is the next step in evolution. Either way, I will be doing everything I can to try and thin out the separation between my subconscious and my over-mind. If I start changing personalities, let me know.

Riddle answer:

You ask the man which of the two roads lead to his home village, and go there. If he is a liar from Faseville, then he will point to Truthville as a lie. If he is a truthful man from Truthville, then he will point the way to his home village.

What has no weight, can be seen with the naked eye, and if you put it in a barrel, it will make the barrel lighter?

Offski!