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LINKS: ....Bird Flu Info ....Your Memory Enhancer ....Neurotech ....Success Tips ....Free What IS "Integrative Thinking"?Integrative thinking is what many people know as "the creative process". Here's how it works. Different parts of the brain contribute different critical elements of insight, revelation and deep understanding. This is easy to illustrate using a four-quadrant model of the brain that accounts for its functions. First, look at the general model of brain function. Now look at the creative process. It's initiated because a person develops interest in a subject, problem or riddle. Then the person: 1. Collects information about the subject and studies it. This is predominantly analytical, left-brain activity. 2. Assembles that information into a complete mental picture of the subject. This is right-brain activity. 3. Finds, in that picture, the essence of the subject. This may result in an idea or image of something to be done - our traditional definition of "Creativity". But it may also result in deep understanding or comprehension of the essential nature of the subject being studied, the "Aha!" experience. 4. Creates a plan for doing something to communicate and materialize the idea, concept or understanding. 5. Takes action on that plan. Einstein's vision of the Theory of Relativity is a classic example of this type of thinking. It happens to be the one for which he gained recognition. But he had thousands of others. His deep understanding of "thinking", illustrated previously, is another example. Both integrative thinkers and "normal" people use the sequential, analytical abilities of their left-brain to gather information about something. But geniuses and systems thinkers use the "synthetical" abilities of their right brain to integrate the information into complete pictures that show the relationship between the pieces of data. This reveals what the information actually means. That's the source of their insight, deep understanding, and unique comprehension. Normal people don't create these pictures. They typically use data quantitatively, to measure things, not qualitatively, to understand their nature. Among the more distinguishing traits of integrative thinking is that the pictures it creates shows all the pieces of the system and the nature of their relationship to each other independently of time and space. It recognizes the "spiritual" portion of reality- the intangible causes of tangible effects. Our social systems, by their nature, work to prevent genius. They actively prohibit creative, holistic, integrative thinking. Our education system leads the prohibition. To understand what's going on, we have to understand a bit about systems. HOME...... Brain Food LINKS: ....Medical Dictionary ....Stress Management ....Allergy Info |