Beyond the Mundane Mind

I’m fascinated by the mind. You should be, too. But chances are you probably don’t even think about the mind.

Which, by the way, is a head trip in and of itself—the mind can contemplate itself, and still may not understand what it’s looking out. I’m going to write a book called The Inception Matrix someday, just you watch.

But the mind…

How could anyone consider this thing mundane? I mean, the human mind conceived of all the wonders of technology surrounding us. The mind invented the language I’m writing in, the letters and words that represent that language, the keyboard I’m using to type, the computer I’m using to connect to the internet, and the internet itself. Plus all the billions of other technologies and concepts and conventions that are required just for me to write down my thoughts and you to read them. Start thinking about that… it’s a bottomless rabbit hole, I assure you.

The mind has no limits. True, our minds may be limited. We may have trouble visualizing things, may have memory problems, may be incapable of doing complex equations in our head. But those limits—I’m just going to put it out here—are largely self-imposed. Barring some catastrophic injury or mental disability, you know deep down that you could learn to do those equations. That with practice and a lot of effort, you could train your mind to give you the exact results you want. You do know that, right?

Some would disagree. I’ve certainly met people in my life who were adamant that this was all false. They argue for the weakness and limitations of individuals. But we’re talking about the human mind here. There are no limits. Weakness is just something to push against, to become stronger.

Einstein, Tesla, Leonardo—know what these three had in common? A lot, actually. But one of the biggest shared attributes was their ability to visualize and express complex ideas in simplified terms. They used their minds to see through the evolution of some theory or technology or invention, and they expressed that into reality for all us mere mortals. Einstein conceived his theory of relativity by imagining what it would be like to ride a particle of light. Tesla was known for building his inventions first in his mind, experimenting and perfecting them before building them in the real world. Leonardo was adept at the observation and understanding of real-world phenomenon, and visualized everything he encountered first in his mind and then on the page of his notebooks.

Brilliant. I love brilliant people.

But I’m convinced—absolutely convinced—that every thinking human on the planet is capable of doing the same. I’m convinced that every human mind has the ability to conceive of the unreal to such fine degree that they can manifest it into reality through their efforts. I’m convinced that all humans possess the power to explore the universe itself just by visualizing it in great detail in their minds. Theories can be tested. Inventions can be designed. Entire cultures and civilizations can be built. It all starts in the mind.

How could we ever treat that as mundane?

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If you like this post, there’s a blog full of this kind of stuff. And Side Notes is basically an extension of my Note at the End, which you’ll find in all of my novels. And you can find those by clicking here. Share this post with your friends, if you found it helpful. And buy my books if you’d like to support me and my work!