KNOWING WITHOUT THINKING

For Homo sapiens, conscious knowledge seems to be normally experienced by way of thinking, through the use of the wondrous instrument of our brain, primarily the left side of the brain, or “left brain”.

Observing other living species, we see some demonstrate fundamental “knowing” without the use of a brain. We know this because not all living creatures have brains, yet they clearly make decisions and take action on the basis of those decisions. How does this happen, and what does it mean for human beings?

Our recognition of knowing fundamental truth and acting on it without thought seems to me to be of great importance in the way we deal with our reality. Sam, one of my three grandsons, once told me, “Poe, you think too much”. He was right. I have had the impression most of my life that thinking, reasoning, applying logic was the highest and best function for a human mind. Wrong.

What is the best application of our minds? Is it not to seek knowledge? To learn? To expand our consciousness, expand our minds? If so, we dare not limit our search for learning and increased knowledge to only one of our many capacities for gaining knowledge.

Our reliance on thought, reasoning, and logic as our principal source of gaining knowledge is, I suggest, fruitful and necessary as this approach can be, an error if applied as an exclusive approach. By doing so, we exclude what I see to be our greatest sources for gaining knowledge.