CREATIVE THINKING Part II - BEST Robotics Meta Skills

Brain Streaming at 12k Dr. Jens A. Hartmann Marty Strong Michael Steiner

We begin part two of Creative Thinking, BEST Robotics accelerated Meta-Skill by looking at one of the more interesting musings on the subject of creative thinking: Herman Hesse's – “Glasperlenspiel” The Glass Bead Game" (published in 1943). He writes:

“Our Glass Bead Game, however, transcends all individual disciplines and arts; it comprises them all and is a kind of universal language, a pure reflection of the spiritual and intellectual content of the universe."

Jens, the reference of Herman Hesse to language and transcending all disciplines together with arts (!) gives me chills and a strong sense of Goethe but also a reminder of the strong emphasis on Creativity as a language, which was Wittgenstein's forte. I’m also in awe of how anyone can create such a projection of Creative Thinking, which feels not like a story but more like a description of how our brain works in a sequential chain of activities. Maybe Hesse put into writing what his brain was dreaming – the Glasperlenspiel. Your thoughts?

Michael, "Hesse’s certainly exploring key elements of how the brain ignites creative thinking. In his “Pearl Games,” he provides us with a thought-provoking essay that delves deep into the nature of Creativity, imagination, and human experience. Here's a summary of that work that may benefit our readers as we start with the second journey into the world of Creative Thinking. Hesse describes a mystical game where players create a "pearl" (a symbol of wisdom) by sharing their thoughts, experiences, and insights. Each player adds a "layer" to the pearl, representing the collective contribution and accumulation of knowledge and understanding.

The game represents the journey of self-discovery, creative expression, and the pursuit of wisdom. Hesse emphasizes the importance of active imagination, introspection, and the integration of opposites (e.g., rationality and intuition). Through the Pearl Game, Hesse encourages readers to engage in a creative and reflective process, fostering personal growth, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world. In essence, “The Glass Bead Game" is an invitation to playfully explore the depths of human consciousness and Creativity, much like the harmony of creative thinking we discussed in part one!

Jens, I want to return to the initial image or analogy on the brain in part one of this three-part investigation into all things creative and help our readers understand our presentation more clearly. Are we saying that because of the biological “hardware” (the brain) and its fantastic structure and functions, the more we learn to accelerate and engage the various parts of this amazing organ, the more we ignite Creative Thinking?

Michael, I’ll answer by examining the functions through a comparison of insights between the scholars we’ve selected in this three-part essay on Creative Thinking (Wittgenstein, Heidegger & Goethe - M.S), as well as these locations you are pointing to, Michael. (Hardware/Brain M.S) We want to see this as a possible grid...

Wittgenstein's Philosophy:

Language as a tool, not a limitation (Left hemisphere, Broca's area)

Meaning is used, not fixed definition (Prefrontal cortex, DLPFC)

Games as a metaphor for creative exploration (Default mode network, DMN)

"The problems are solved, not by giving new information, but by arranging what we have always known." ?(Ludwig Wittgenstein)

Heidegger's Philosophy:

Being in the world, immersed in experience (Sensory cortex, primary motor cortex)

Hermeneutic circle, interpreting and reinterpreting (Prefrontal cortex, VLPFC)

Phenomenology, uncovering hidden meanings (Default mode network, DMN)

"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done"

(Ludwig Wittgenstein)

They even Title It Funny - Pay Dirt - STEM or Fun?

Goethe's Philosophy

Holistic thinking, interconnectedness (Right hemisphere, posterior parietal cortex)

Intuition and imagination sparks for Creativity (Anterior cingulate cortex, ACC)

Experimentation and observation, hands-on learning (Motor cortex, basal ganglia)

"You only learn what you can put to use."

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Viewing all three approaches (of Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Goethe – m.s.) operating in harmonious continuity, we find a symphony of imagination, innovation, and critical thinking in what can be expressed as the music of Creative Thinking. Let us embrace the wisdom of Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Goethe, and their wonderful insights into the mysteries of the human brain to unleash our full creative potential.

Jens, that was fantastic. You brought together all three amazing thinkers who studied our human potential to maximize the power of Creative Thinking. As we know, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Martin Heidegger, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe never met. They even lived in different historical periods. Yet, all three contributed profoundly to our understanding of Creative Thinking.

Your grasp of this essential discussion has also opened our minds and empowered our souls. Thank you, Jens! As I read and re-read this intellectual travel through time, an almost metaphysical journey to be sure, I heard and envisioned Mahler’s 9th symphony. It, to my mind, naturally aligns with our three historical contributors and, as you did for us, Jens, it brings together all the elements Flowing, intuitive, graceful, powerful, and pure. As Goethe put it

"Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

To which I would respond, that:

"Being, and not being bold, is not being at all"

This is also how I see BEST Robotics (btw.)

Apropos, being bold, next week, our friend and partner Marty Strong will conclude this Creative Thinking three-part series. As promised, he will take us on a deep dive into the world only known to #SEALs and an opportunity to understand what brain science and acceleration of meta-skills could translate to in the real world to the education leaders and, yes also to those who shape the future of the tech conglomerates. Until next week, do not miss the third and final part of our essay on Creative Thinking, the #MetaSkill.

Creative Thinking Part I