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Publisher's
Information: Ian Robertson has always been fascinated by how
the mind makes images, for that awesome power directly and deeply affects
our lives. All of us "visualize" the world differently, and how
we do so dictates the way we feel, remember, and think--and therefore our
health, memory, and creativity. In this lively, accessible and fascinating
book, Robertson explains that most of us employ language as a basis for
visualization. In effect, we think in words more than in images. The
result is an imbalance between the logical and the intuitive, between
imagery-based thought and language-based thought. Opening the Mind's
Eye is both an enlightening and stimulating explanation of how we
"see," and a compelling argument for extending the mind's powers
to improve the quality of our lives. Like Daniel Goleman's Emotional
Intelligence, it combines insight and application
Pat's Comments: For
too long we've been steeped in a paradigm which celebrates the
"left-brain" mode of thinking, honoring all things logical,
linear and verifiable. This has allowed Western culture to neglect and
even ridicule "right-brain" modes of thinking, which draw upon
intuition, imagery and creativity. Until the talents of both
"sides" of the brain are brought into a balanced use, however,
we are going to continue to be frustrated in our efforts to find truly
effective solutions to our problems and create in the future the elegant
systems and structures that can carry us to new heights.
In Opening the Mind's Eye, Robertson
has done a marvelous job of helping the reader understand just why this
right-brain stuff is so very important--it's not a side-room arcade of
pleasant distractions for those who have the time and inclination to play;
rather, it is fully half of the processes of the brain! Ignore that half
of the brain's capabilities and you reduce the effectiveness of the brain
exponentially. And the research shows, Robertson points out, that
"images tend to be destroyed by words." The more devoted the
emphasis is on language, the more we eliminate the benefit of imagery.
So it's not always data gathering that moves
us forward as an enlightened species (as we have been brain-washed to
believe), it's also visual imagery. Robertson gives two examples.
First, Einstein's use of visual imagery to come to the conclusion that the
speed of light is always constant. But "perhaps the most famous
example of visual imagery underlying a great act of scientific creative
thinking is in the scientist Kekulé's dream that led to the discovery of
the structure of the benzene ring. Dozing by the fire, Kekulé saw atoms
gamboling in his mind's eye. Then they joined into long strings, twisting
like snakes. suddenly, he noticed one of the snakes seize hold of its own
tail. In a flash he awoke: this visual image had unlocked one of the major
scientific puzzles of the day--that the benzene molecule had a ring
structure."
In various chapters, Robertson looks at the role of mental
imagery in learning, creativity, stress management, healing, the pursuit
of excellence, working with different levels of consciousness, and
spiritual experience. This is an excellent resource for educators, health
care professionals, parents, coaches, therapists, and others who want to better
understand the role, capabilities and benefits of opening and
developing the mind's eye.
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Opening
the Mind's Eye: How Images and Language Teach Us How To See