Attunement. When TransNarrative Cognition is enacted, there is a sense or feeling that accompanies this whole, all at once, apprehension. There is information entailed in this feeling. People report the nature of this information in different ways. Some report colors. Others sounds, words, or even melodies. Some report images, scenes, or energies. All convey something that the reporter considers germane to the object of inquiry. The value of these reports is measured by their contribution to advancing the inquiry.
NonLocal Self. The lst person, or self perspective is a construct, and not who the person is. Upon objectifying ego, we still know we are doing, thinking, and feeling. We are still here, and we are nowhere that can be pinpointed. To pin point anything about ourselves is to objectify it, leaving the objectifier still absent a location. The most workable articulation of this phenomenon is to use the term "nonlocal self". We cannot be located, and we are here. To accept this characterization of one's being is to provide a huge measure of freedom for ideas to come forth unhindered by any concern for what it means to oneself"there is no one we can find that anything pertains to.
A Quiet Amygdala. The 4 F amygdala responses have evolved to focus our resources on immediate threats. We all have experienced diminished capacities for creative thought when, say, an authority walks into the middle of our presentation, or we are terribly nervous when meeting someone, or a loud noise freezes us in place. In probably all cases of amygdala activation the higher cortical functions are compromised: One doesn't compose a critique of Heidegger's identity claims when the enemy is threatening to breach the wall. If highly complex thinking occurs in the absence of fear and threat, there is promise of many more possible resolutions to emerge regarding any problem of interest.
Systems Thinking. The vision that emerges in TransNarrative Cognition is more complex than narrative speaking can convey. Experience has shown that the most complex idiom available to convey the insights of TransNarrative Cognition is that of Systems Theory. I have looked for a more complex narrative idiom to no avail. Manuel De Landa with his notions of aggregation might qualify, but he also veers off into systems theory often in his writing. For now, there is no narrative idiom in sight that can capture the complexity of TransNarrative Cognition as well as Systems Theory. This is not to say that all insights must be conveyed with Systems Theory. Smaller portions of an insight can be conveyed in any narrative idiom; poetry and song included. Imagery can also be put to use here. But if a comprehensive narrative report of the nature of one's TransNarrative insight is desired, for now Systems Theory is the best option available.
It is very likely true that you recognized these capacities as being present when those "magic" moments have occurred for you, especially in a group effort. When "in the flow" or "creative groove", "at another level", or basking in the flow of excellent, new, and perfectly furthering ideas, ego is not present, fear is absent, vision is larger than words, you feel the nature of the project as if it lives itself, and you can effortlessly move in and out of any perspective presented or desired. This is not normal. Over a period of 3 million years this is the first time any critical mass of two-leggeds has been able to do this. Why now?
I have proposed that these are eight newly stabilized cognitive capacities and that these have emerged ideally suited to resolve the otherwise intractable problems of our times. I don't have to be right about either of these claims. If these capacities are not anything special, why not? If these are not the capacities we need at this time, what are?
Comments and critiques invited.
Note: The fact that you are still reading this says that you most likely have highly complex cognitive capacities. This is not trivial.
Bibliography Available Upon Request
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