Appendix I – Creative Thinking for Christians
Introduction
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.
1 Corinthians 8:2 And if any man think that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. The Christian pilgrimage is a continuous learning pilgrimage.
Romans 14:5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Isaiah 27:12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Yehovah shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. The only person that you can have significant control of is yourself therefore personal growth in character and skills is always an individual endeavour.
Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears (let these sayings take root in the neural networks of your brain, anchor these sayings into the neural networks of your brain): for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
2 Corinthians 3:3 Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. Written with the Spirit of the Living God on the neural networks of your brain.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither you go. To internalize any subject matter to the level of subconscious competence it is always best to make a massive, focused effort.
Psalms 111:10 The Fear of Yehovah is the Beginning of Wisdom: a Good Understanding have all they that Do His Commandments: His Praise endures for ever. Practice makes perfect.
Jeremiah 29:13 And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart (with singleness of purpose). When you focus on a subject with singleness of purpose and search for it with all your heart your Reticular Activating System (R.A.S.) is triggered into action. Your R.A.S. acts as an antennae / filter which identifies every idea that relates to your current chief interest. Your subconscious mind automatically compares every combination and permutation of all information which has been sufficiently internalized into the neural networks of your brain when seeking a solution to your inquiry. Have a note pad with you at all times because a created insight could come to you at any time and in any situation. The output of your subconscious mind is posted to your short term memory and the next idea which pops into your short term memory will overwrite your newly created idea and that idea will be lost and it will be very difficult to recall – so write it down immediately! After you have a possible answer written down you can debrief it and verify it at will.
Matthew 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe (writer) which is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. After internalizing any subject matter to the level of subconscious competence your subconscious mind will automatically create (when activated) every permutation of that subject matter with all other similarly processed subject matter which has been internalized into the neural networks of your brain.
Exodus 36:1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom Yehovah Put Wisdom and Understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yehovah Had Commanded. In technology areas, when you experience a feeling of frustration your subconscious mind is indicating that it needs more inputs. So some research and internalized fact finding is called for.
By Knowledge and Wisdom
John 8:32 And you Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make you Free. When life presents you with a challenge it is always better to throw knowledge at the problem rather than money. When you don’t overcome an issue then the issue will persist. When you overcome the challenge you grow as a person.
Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that Finds Wisdom, and the man that Gets Understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto Her (for Christians the Wisdom of Yehovah is the Pearl of Great Price, the Holy Grail, the Golden Fleece, the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow). 16 Length of days is in Her right hand; and in Her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all Her paths are peace. 18 She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon Her: and happy is every one that retains Her. 19 Yehovah by Wisdom Has Founded the earth; by Understanding Has He Established the heavens. 20 By His Knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. Wealth is created by understanding and applying the well-known wealth creation principles. There is no limit to wealth creation. It is always better to throw knowledge at problems than to throw money at problems.
Proverbs 1:2 To Know Wisdom and Instruction; to Perceive the Words of Understanding; 3 To Receive the Instruction of Wisdom, Justice, and Judgment, and Equity; 4 To Give Subtilty to the simple, to the young man Knowledge and Discretion. The distinction between thoughts that were influenced by the Spirit of Yehshua and thoughts that were not so influenced is very subtle. However if you’ve never asked for the Faith of Yehshua you’ve never received it. Likewise for any other Fruit of the Spirit. Whether or not you have ever asked for Faith or any other Fruit of the Spirit is something that you can have no possible doubt about. Likewise you can have no possible doubt about which Spiritual / Biblical subjects you have internalized and thus you know your areas of competence. This kind of “knowing” is evidence of things not seen. Furthermore a single thought will not produce much evidence. A large, coherent body of thought will produce a large quantity of evidence. When you know that such a body of thought would never have occurred without the Influence of the Spirit of Yehshua then you have evidence, though intangible, of the Fruit and Work of the Spirit.
Hearing His Voice
Hebrews 4:7 Again, He Limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will Hear His Voice, harden not your hearts.
1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but Yehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. When an idea is dropped into your conscious awareness from the manna, from your subconscious mind or from any other external source, that idea resides in your short term memory which is a buffer memory. The idea has not yet been internalized into a dedicated neural network. Thus the next idea that pops into your short term memory displaces the manna and you will not be able to recall the idea. Therefore you must always write down the ideas which come to you from the manna. An idea from the manna will be a complete solution to the issue at hand so you can immediately begin debriefing your subconscious mind for the full details. For the same reason you should also write down the prayer request which led to the idea. After you have captured the idea in writing you can begin the due diligence process of verifying, revising and internalizing the idea.
COMMENT: The process of internalizing a concept to the level of subconscious competence is simple and easy but somewhat time consuming. After the first time that you have deliberately and methodically worked your way through the internalization process to the point of subconscious competence you will viscerally understand how much effort is required for you, what it means to internalize a body of thought and what ongoing difference it makes in your thought life. You will gain confidence in the process, you will raise your self-efficacy and your self-esteem, you will increase your confidence (faith) in your ability to accomplish anything that you set your mind to accomplish and you will never look back.
NOTE: When you ask yourself or anyone else a question it is almost impossible to not get a response and that response comes from the subconscious mind. Thus asking yourself or others a question is the most common way to activate the subconscious mind (the human spirit).
The Repetition Method of Internalization
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I Command you this day, shall be in your heart: 7 And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates. Following this procedure will internalize the Law into the neural networks of your brain. Repetition is the primary method of internalization. You use your conscious mind and will power to internalize the subject matter. After a subject matter is internalized very little will power is needed because the behaviour becomes automatic. When a subject is internalized it takes on a life of its own in your thought life. You are no longer the same person – you have grown as a person and your competence and creativity have increased. Neural networks atrophy with disuse and unused neural networks get reassigned to different uses. Normally, old and unused neural networks never die, they just slowly fade away.
Comment: The five routine stages of competence are (1) Ignorance, (2) Conscious incompetence (aware of but still trying to grasp the subject), (3) Conscious competence (pass a test, long term memory), (4) Subconscious incompetence (dilettante, borderline critical mass), (5) Subconscious competence (automatic – “Look ma, no hands”). Subconscious competence is the level of learning where the new information is imprinted on a dedicated neural network and the subject matter is understood viscerally and operates on auto-pilot. With normal effort it usually takes about three weeks of study and repetition to reach the level of subconscious competence although the process can be speeded up with intense motivation and focus and also with appropriate diet. Beyond the level of subconscious competence are the levels of mastery and world class mastery but these levels are not necessary to change your life. However until you achieve at least subconscious competence you have wasted your time. When you have achieved subconscious competence you have internalized the subject matter and you have grown as a person. Each subject which you internalize increases your mental capacity by a factor of n! (“n” factorial). By internalizing subject matter of your choice you can create a designer mind. **** Now that you know how to create a designer mind of your own choosing the question remains “Will you create a designer mind influenced and mentored directly by Yehshua or a designer mind influenced and mentored directly by Satan?”
Matthew 13:52 Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure [things] new and old. When you write all the things down as you progress you will eventually have a ready-made book which would be very useful especially for your progeny and also for the edification of other people. Writing things down produces much more mental discipline and focus than trying to wing it. A cortical homunculus is a rendering of the human body to the scale of the nervous system. When you engage both hands as in typing you are employing two thirds to three quarters of your nervous system in support of your internalization effort and in pursuit of your goals.
The Intensity Method of Internalization
1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. The transformation of your mind is a trial by fire. A second way to transform your mind is using the method of intensity.
Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that comes after me is Mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He Shall Baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: The Quest for Righteousness is a Baptism in the Spirit of Yehshua and a baptism in fiery trials. The Quest for Righteousness is an all out war against the wiles of Satan which are designed to induce you to sin.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Satan is to be destroyed with Knowledge by destroying his ideas. When life offers you some challenge then you need to overcome that challenge or the vexation will continue to nip at your heels until you do overcome it. When you develop a solution and internalize the solution at least to the level of subconscious competence then that problem cannot bother you very much anymore because you have grown as a person in competence and skill. Each person has their own pilgrimage through this minefield of Satan’s wiles.
NOTE: Using several methods of internalization is more effective than using a single method.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His Glory Shall Be Revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding Joy. Every one faces these kinds of trials in life. The more stubborn that you are the more fiery your trials will be.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. The wisdom of the wise of the world is the art of politics, the art of the double-cross and the art of practising the rules for radicals. When the “wisdom” of such people is exposed and taken away these people have nothing to fall back on so they will be the most recalcitrant and the trials that they experience will be like a veritable lake of fire.
Hebrews 5:8 Though He Were a Son, yet Learned He Obedience by the things which He suffered; 9 And Being Made Perfect (Complete), He Became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that Obey Him;
John 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. 2 Every branch in Me that Bears not Fruit He Takes Away: and every branch that Bears Fruit, He Purges it, that it may bring forth more Fruit.
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Neural networks can be scrambled by intense experiences which contradict the conditioning of existing neural networks.
1 Peter 1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations (a temptation is a putting to the test): 7 That the trial of your Faith (of your spiritual competence), being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the Appearing of Yehshua Christ: The trial by fire (the intensity method of mind transformation) builds a bullet proof mind which hates the evil and loves the good. There are rules or principles for successfully fighting spiritual warfare which is mostly a contest of inner moral strength. Success in fighting spiritual warfare (the Quest for Righteousness) requires good information about the Moral Truth (the willing or choosing part) and also requires a Boost from the Moral Strength of Yehshua (the doing part).
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which Works in you both to Will and to Do of His Good Pleasure.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is Good and Acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who Will Have all men to Be Saved, and to come unto the Knowledge of the Truth. It is the Will of God that all men Be Saved.
John 8:32 And you Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make you Free. The Truth (the Knowledge of the Holy, the Knowledge of the Morally Perfect Inner Thought Life), when well understood, is so compelling that sin becomes vile in comparison.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither you go. Spiritual warfare is the ultimate head game and includes an intense physical component. Massively focused action beginning in our internal self-talk and Influenced by the Spirit of Yehshua is the Way to Overcome Satan and consciously and deliberately create a Righteous Designer Mind (the New Birth, the Spiritual Rebirth).
The Dietary Method of Internalization
There are herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme and basil which augment the memory. For example, sage is a cholinesterase inhibitor. Cholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine which is the primary memory neurotransmitter. Brain Force by Infowars works well. Also much memory and brain health related dietary information is available on the internet.
The Group Method of Internalization
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to Good Works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. Brainblitzing with two or more people is perhaps the fastest means to effect transformation of mind.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. From the house church movement it has been determined that the optimum size of a brainstorming group is six participating people. When the group swells to twelve people it splits into two groups of six. The most dominant person in each group should be assigned the role of note-taker so as not to inhibit the flow of ideas. When the idea flow stops the ideas can then be organized, debriefed, revised, vetted, internalized etc. The number of ideas which can be generated by six people can be roughly estimated by the total number of skills in the group which skills have been internalized to the level of subconscious competence. The subconscious mind, when asked and when engaged, can readily generate all permutations of the ideas readily available in the skills of the people. Only ideas which have been internalized to the level of subconscious competence are readily available for this process (however in a super adrenaline rush your subconscious mind can access more ideas). Assuming a total of fourteen such skills available to the brainstorming group (an extremely small number) then the number of ideas which can be generated is n! (“n” factorial) which is 14! =~ 87 billion. Therefore a small brainstorming group and even some individuals can outperform any A.I. system in idea creation.
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of the Elohiym Moved (Cogitated) upon the face of the waters. The cogitations of your subconscious mind are presented to your conscious mind as a finished product.
Proverbs 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Proverbs 24:6 For by wise counsel you shall make your war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Comment: The steps to problem solving are (1) Define the problem, (2) Research, (3) Incubation – internalize the research, (4) Illumination – write down the solution, (5) Verification – debrief your subconscious mind for full details of the solution, (6) Internalization – internalize the solution into a dedicated neural network.