Once upon a time, I adhered to logic like meat on bone. I would reason with logic learned in basic western philosophy courses. I’d take the if-then approach to my next move just as I’d been trained in school (grade school, then junior high, then so on and so forth) and would take great comfort in things that had an explanation; things that I understood.
But I found that this wasn’t always a one-size-fits-all approach. Often, I would observe things that made little sense. I’d question why a friend’s actions would run counter to her motives, why circumstances would sometimes seem unfair and why my thoughts and actions didn’t always match. I’d even watch movies and get hung up on the holes in their storytelling. If a scene seemed off, I’d assume there was an explanation for it and if I didn’t find it, I’d question my ability to comprehend the clues or wonder if certain facts were being withheld.
This kind of thinking simmered in a sort of crockpot. It marinated in a broth of experience seasoned with fresh perspective and flavored with a touch of imagination. Overtime, the meat on bone began to loosen.
So, I’m not really talking about cooking my brain here. I’m referring to how my mind began to open. I took eastern philosophy classes. I studied world religions. I practiced yoga and meditation. I threw myself in fields my logical mind wouldn’t consider and did short stints in advertising, banking, entrepreneurship and waitressing (is that a pc term, I truly don’t know). I drifted. I experimented. I had adventures. And all the while, I was seeking. What it was I sought, I’m not exactly sure.
But I’m glad I did. It helped me believe in something other than logic. It taught me to appreciate and even rely on feeling and intuition, like a sort of pre-decision making gut check when all the facts don’t seem to be enough. It showed me a way to engage in something that is undefined, unmapped or unknown.
So it seems that where logic ends is a juncture at which a mind, among other things, can begin to open.
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Is it possible to notice when the mind opens or closes?
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Image by KellyK
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
What a lovely post, Belinda. I find that the practices of yoga and meditation make me much more aware of what my mind is doing, when I am spinning my wheels, and when I am intuiting something beyond the constraints of the logical mind.
I rely on my intuition and feeling a lot. They are my companions in this journey. Logic is good but logic is not everything. I am glad that you found the balance that we all need in life.
My husband is very, very logical. Sometimes this is great, because I don’t always think things through, but other times it makes me a little nuts. I don’t think he’s every just decided to “wing it” in his life. Is that a male thing? I don’t know. I do think women are more apt to listen to intuition.
Letting go of logic is something that I have difficulty doing. I have no idea why it’s so hard for me.
Mama Zen, it’s not an easy thing to do. We’re trained to expect things to make sense, to hold on to something tangible.
“If a scene seemed off, I’d assume there was an explanation for it and if I didn’t find it, I’d question my ability to comprehend the clues or wonder if certain facts were being withheld.” My hubby is still like that! I go more by the sense of feel in life, emotion I guess. So much leeway in art.
It is interesting tho, to read this. I had never stopped to ask if I were a logically-thinking person. In Physics only, I guess.
Now Metaphysics for us.
Glad you embraced learning new things about new people. That’s always cool to do!
xoxo
Jannie, yes, it’s interesting that you bring up art, because I agree with you that there’s so much leeway there and yet when I read reviews by critics, it often sounds like they know exactly how a work of art should have turned out,especially when they perceive that it didn’t turn out the way it was meant to. Oh well, what do I know. I’m not about to review critics; that would just be foolish. : ) xox
Sounds like you’re trying to describe the element of “mystery” in our lives. There are some things that logic simply can’t explain.
Peace!
Logic is a tricky one. Sometimes our “big brains” get in the way of our inner guidance. I often say that learning to think with our “heart-mind” is the way to expressing our Authentic-Self.
“Big brains” — i guess it can get so big it’s become an obstruction.
Logic is something I have relied upon my whole life. Divorcing myself from logic is difficult, but I’ve learned to let go of it a little since my daughter was born. She encourages that a spirit that is more free, one without expectation.
I think (or maybe just hope) that the opening of mind over time is simply a part of the aging process. I know I was very opinionated, everything was black and white – for good, logical reasons.. But over the years, things have changed. Things are no longer black and white. There are blurred edges and colors everywhere. And knowledge helps that grow. We think we know so much when we’re young. But life, quest for knowledge, experience brings such depth to our perspective.