Power of Dreams/MDS Dream Forum

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Jul 11, 2006 - 5:06AM

68.52.89.165

Intuitive Imagination

Another feature of Crick’s mind was that he excelled in being able to visualize the physical relationship of objects. He could intuitively imagine in his mind’s eye the space-group symmetry of a crystal’s unit cell, meaning how far it must be rotated to look the same again. A glance at Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray photos of DNA told him what she had not grasped, that the two parallel chains of the DNA double helix must run in opposite directions.

“Although it is necessary to be able to handle the algebraic details, I soon found I could see the answer to many of these mathematical problems by a combination of imagery and logic, without first having to slog through the mathematics,” he said.

From Francis Crick 'Discoverer of the Genetic Code' by Matt Ridley

Francis Crick is associated with two discoveries, probably two of the most important in the 20th century: the double helix of DNA and the genetic code.

I wanted to post this so those of us who have no formal training in Jungian psyche but have an intuitive sense to his philosophies can better understand that 'intuitive' connection.

He had the gift of being able to scan vast amounts of confusing experimental data, reject parts that seemed not to fit and divine the correct answer. Before DNA, biochemists had stamp-collected a large number of amino acids. In 1953 Crick and Watson, in sessions at the Eagle pub in Cambridge, set out to select some finite number of amino acids that DNA might reasonably code for.

Ridley observes: “They came up with 20. That they got the list exactly right, despite being amateur biochemists, is a minor miracle.”

Crick’s special ability to combine his intuitions with theoretical and empirical judgment was at its finest in his astonishingly prescient paper of 1958 on protein synthesis.

I feel a vindication of sorts, reading about Crick's experiences, knowing that the mind, or more precisely the psyche, has that intuitive abililty to discern truth. I believe we all have this ability, it is merely a matter of focusing on the divine discipline needed to bring it about. One does not have to be a trained psychologist to grasp Jung. In fact I believe
there are many Jungian psyches who fail to understand the real truths in Jung's philosophies. The reason being it is within the intuitive psyche, the metaphysical, that the truths reside, awaiting discovery.

Read more about Crick from this article
from today's New Your Times.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56

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Jul 11th, 2006 - 5:06 AM

P.T.

Jul 26, 2006 - 10:42AM

69.14.105.55

Re: Intuitive Imagination

hi, i've read about the r.franklin/crick debate in the past (whodunit?), but never read of the intuitive aspect of crick's thinking. einstein famously claimed to think in images, and it became a fad, or group confession or something, thereafter for intelligentsia to assert they similarly thought in images... but it all gives me an excuse to mention rudolph arnheim's book 'visual thinking,' a classic, which talks about the eye forming concepts before the visual messages reach the brain/further sorting. very neat stuff. the idea of visual thinking draws a comparison between instantly categorizing large masses of data/ instantly categorizing our personal visual 'landscapes.' i like,on rainy days, to ponder the assertions that the verbal parts of our brains developed later in evolution (anybody a jean auel/earth children addict? what a researcher) and feel that some day noam chomsky will capitulate to my idea that verbal syntax is not innate but that it was modeled on our visual response to the environment. (i hope noam reads this site?) and that in fact all of our thinking patterns were/are modeled on visualization responses....or maybe smell....

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Jul 26th, 2006 - 10:42 AM

Gerard

Jul 26, 2006 - 1:59PM

68.52.89.165

Re: Intuitive Imagination

P.T.,
It is evident you have done some serious reading. I wish more would do so. I am of the opinion that our senses are capable of development, especially the intuitive sense {needed to properly interpret dreams}. I'll have to give some deep thought to how much of our thinking patterns were/are modeled on visualization responses. The primitive mind was definitely influenced by visual sensations and those universal patterns have been passed down through our evolutionary history. But I can't say that about all thinking patterns are based on visualizations. The inherent, innate patterns are real and many are passed down through the DNA. Just as a turtle heads for the water upon birth, an imprintation from their DNA, humans also have certain inherent patterns. Dreams expose many of those universal patterns that are out of balance. Perhaps the visualization of the patterns affected the innate response to them. Of course I look to what relationship such visualization has to do with our dreaming minds.

What do others think of this question about visulaization of patterns? It seems to be great subject to analyze in relationship to our dreams.

Gerard

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Jul 26th, 2006 - 1:59 PM

Claire

Aug 3, 2006 - 3:07PM

82.10.69.82

Re: Intuitive Imagination

Intuition is not often strengthened by intellectual knowledge however, all learning facilitates.
Intuition, as I see it, is strengthened by the trust in your 'self' as the balance of your ego and psyche to guide you in making 'right' responses and choices throughout your own path in life - the word 'right' being right for you. Also your appreciation of beauty, truth, and the ability to listen to rhythm pattern and form and celebrate these.
Theory however, helps us to avoid delusion and subjective psyche fantasies - although many would argue what is objectivity compared to each persons experience of their own 'subjective' reality.