"What is essential in the work of art is that it should rise far above the realm of personal life and speak from the spirit and heart..." C.G.Jung

Friday, October 23, 2009

Multi-Tasking and "Brainlessness"

Just had an annual Halloween visit from that distant relative of mine (see earlier post) who claims to be a descendent of the Great Chief of all Nations. He may be. This time he brought with him three painted pumpkins, one for my wife and I, one for my wife's 99 year old mother, and one for us to give away to anyone of our choice. This year we chose one or our 14 grandchildren. All three of the pumpkins have that same "back from the dentist" full shinny grin. The Chief said the expression represents his feelings about anyone who elects not to try multi-tasking.

Surprised, I replied, "Chief, many people multi-task all of the time...don't they? We talk on the phone while doing all kinds of things. We watch TV while glancing at the newspaper or a magazine. Isn't that multi-tasking?"

"Not really," he said. "We hear of Multi-tasking so often. Computers do it well. But people don't. Actually, people "single-task" in multiple segments, but they don't really multi-task. We can't. We're not wired that way."

The Chief went on to explain to me that based on his observations, people actually shift their brain focus attention between two or more tasks much like a teacher or speaker answers questions from the audience. For example, a speaker might listen to a question from Jack in the audience, then quickly create an answer to respond. Next, the speaker might listen to a question from Mary in the audience, and then go through the same procedure. But the speaker (or questioners) can not listen to two questions at the same time, nor build answers at the same time.

The Chief used another example: A person of normal attention capacity can count how many Buffalo are on one hillside, then pause putting the total thus in memory, and then count how many Buffalo are on another hillside. The person can then bring the two totals back into focus and add them together for the grand total. But a person of normal capacity cannot count the Buffalo on two hillsides at the same time without glancing back and forth between them and recording subtotals along the way. The key here is "glancing back and forth."

The Chief told me that humans are wired in such a way to allow some of the brain's total capacity to be brought forward into an active brain chamber. Whatever that brought-forward percentage might be, it can then focus on whatever the person wishes, but it cannot focus on two or more activities at the same time without shifting its focus between one and the other. It can be aware of other activities, but it cannot specifically focus on more than one at a time. Experiment with the Buffalo example, or questions from the audience, yourself. I think you will find (like the Chief and now me) that while we can not technically multi-task, we can "shift-task."

Now, there is a huge danger in thinking that "shift-tasking" is the same as "multi-tasking." It's not. Shifting brain attention between two or more activities means that each of the activities is alternately functioning in "brainless states."

What this means to us is scary. When you see someone driving while talking on the cell, notice how they drive....much like one who is inebriated. The vehicle slows down and the driver's attention (shifting) appears to be focused primarily on just keeping the car in the road, even if it continues in the fast lane. Brainlessness. Of course if texting is also going on, the shifting attention and resulting driving is much worse. What the drivers are doing is "brain-shifting" using the same brain-shifting technique as described above.

Importantly and the scary part is that the activity from which the brain has just shifted, then has very little or no brain direction. That "shift-tasking" on two or more activities could be a very dangerous way to illustrate brainlessness. Please don't try it on the road. Instead, please pass this along to your loved ones and ask then not to try and prove what brainlessness looks like, especially when driving.

Now there is also good news in the singularity of the brain's specific focus abilities. During those times when things aren't going particularly well, when you may be feeling gloomy, or down, or depressed, your heart, mind and spirit may appear to be right there in the pits with you. Your brain may be supporting your negative thoughts and actually "awful-lizing" on and on, wallowing there in the doldrums with you. Most of us have been there. The good news is the brain cannot focus on gloom at the same time as it focuses on gratitude. It's the same rationale as counting the two Buffalo herds. You can only count one herd at a time. Try it. Go brainless with the negative stuff. Shift your brain to scanning a list in your mind of all you are grateful for. Try it. Keep shifting the brain from the negative tasking to the grateful tasking - over and over as necessary, until you come to your senses -- like you always do.

I am reminded of words from the Great Blog, Phillippians 4:8 (KJV) which says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Check that grin on the pumpkins again. I think the Chief and the Great Blog are both right. Best to all. ~ Page

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

When Creatures Engage

It was one of those rare sunrise moments, when those white winged wizards, those oceanfront Sea Gulls, dared outside of their protective limits, taking risks to check out an offering from my oldest daughter and yawning grandkids. It must have been more than hunger that powered the Gulls' recklessness.

Maybe they saw an opportune adventure to momentarily engage with one of their predators, a human, who appeared to be charitable. Some people claim to see a spark of God's spirit in creatures during moments like this. Like witnessing one of God's ideas of grace in disguise. All of life is poetry. We are some of the metaphors - searching for our own implicit analogies - as here, along the western edge of the massive Atlantic tablecloth, stretched flat and wide. Under the light. Good morning.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Thin Places...In The Future?

Places which capture the heart and spirit of visitors and occupants provide huge benefits and advantages for accomplishing facility goals. In Celtic history such highly engaging places were often called "Thin Places" meaning that the veil separating the mundane from the heart and spiritual realm at these places -- was seemingly very thin.

Today, thousands of such places throughout the world attract and astound people year after year. A small low budget, yet absolutely breathtaking chapel in the USA, was built in 1980 and has continued each year since to earn more funds from its modest tourists' fees than its original cost. Wouldn't you like to know how these places can do that? Wouldn't you like to consider Five Clues to their Thin Place power... for your places? That's what this book is about.

Now after thousands of years of Thin Places consistently linking with visitors' hearts and spirit, and confirmations of resulting place benefits through published attendance records and visitor responses, why then do we NOT program, design and build ALL of our people occupied facilities based on such human attraction responses? The excuse cannot be cost, for consider again the economic return on the small low budget chapel. Truthfully there is no excuse.

When place leaders, building committees, owners, trusees, CEOs, ministers and members accept mundane under-performing place decisions (often at higher costs), potential heart and spirit connections by customers, prospects and visitors they seek to serve, instead of being drawn to their places may instead be deflected and lost. Look around. Many places continue to fail for that very reason, while others like the small chapel and thousands of similar examples continue to excel providing huge goal benefits for their occupants, place owners, leaders and sponsors.

When then, will schools, colleges, universities, seminaries and professional associations seriously begin to teach and support this higher level of place engagement -- as echoed by C.G. Jung and demonstrated over the years by discerning place professionals? There are many successful examples of heart and spirit creations already bristling in art, music, literature, poetry and other fields. Think about that.

Now, it would appear during these critical times that those in the place industry and those being served by the place industry (churches, businesses, institutions and others) would seize this vital opportunity and seriously begin reversing downward trends by following that lead. This blog is an invitation to connect around that dream, inspire ways and people to help -- and begin. I invite you to join in.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Book Signing 10-3-09

The book signing at Hampden-Sydney College on 10-3-09 was a most exhilarating and refreshing opportunity to meet many new friends and Thin Place patrons. Hampden-Sydney parents, students and staff continue to be some of the most interesting and friendly people on the planet. Since my retirement this year, I am reminded of how grateful I remain for the energizing opportunities I shared with others to provide architectural services for the College for nearly twenty years -- all of us working together to further her noble mission. This parents' weekend was also somewhat of a homecoming for me.

Two of the parents I met (and sold a book to) are husband and wife ministers. Both have keen interests in the spirituality of Thin Places and quickly acknowledged the benefits and advantages such could play in achieving ministry goals. Later an architect parent dropped by and purchased a book. We discussed the low budget small chapel example in the book noting that it was built in the USA in 1980 and each year since it has earned more funds from its modest tourists fees than its original cost. It is also an absolutely beautiful, inspiring and spirited Thin Place with four AIA design awards.

After studying highly engaging places for over ten years, seeking answers on how places like this all across the globe can draw such powerful responses from visitors, my book, Thin Places and Five Clues in Their Architecture, illustrates what I found. Now, my next questions, as further nudged by Thin Place patrons and those at the book signing, are similar to that noted in my blog header text above: Why aren't all new places/ buildings designed this way? Why isn't connection with the human heart and spirit made a serious first priority goal of all facilities/places in programming and design -- just as it is in music, art and literature? For that connection benefit does not necessarily cost more. Often it costs less. Consider again the economics of the small chapel.

Back at home the next day, reviewing the book signing experiences and those unanswered questions with friends, one of them asked, "While churches today face serious challenges with many continuing to lose connections with people and communities, might they seriously look at the level of heart and spirit connections their places and programs actually provide their members and visitors? Are young ministers in seminaries being taught the power of Thin Places? And while some churches are reportedly close to losing their way....might they see these Thin Place examples and the drawing power evidenced over the years as an exciting possibility to help turn things around?" Good questions, I noted. Let's see what some of them think. What do you think?

In the meantime, I definitely recommend book signings for authors and readers. They offer not only the opportunity to buy/sell and sign books, but more importantly, they offer the opportunity to meet and talk with lots of people about diverse interests and views -- including place engagement for the human heart and spirit. Yes, I surely feel the pull.

Friday, October 2, 2009

When Heart and Spirit Sing

Sunrise Breeze Scouts

Heart and spirit often sing together at sunrise...where faint breezes become ushers just before the day's curtain begins to open. What a magnificent place -- a dawning thin place. I am reminded of a poem from my book, Thin Places and Five Clues. The poem was originally written at Nags Head Beach in North Carolina during a typical spirited engagement at sunrise. I still edit it from time to time to reflect new memories. Imagine the pre-dawn quiet. Listen to the hush giving way to faint sounds of awakening creatures. They grow louder as overhead flights in formation pass through the early morning air...that invisible fresh message-laden breeze.

Like a Mother's love
floating on unseen breath,
Pelicans escort divinity here
among morning's sunrise
across fauna's Disney World.

Invisible to us, breezes lift,
push, bend and more, as
it paints on borrowed canvasses,
thriving on ordinary moments,

to transform -- such into magic,
walking into whisking waltzes,
while amusing itself in solitaire,
spinning new patterns in the sand.

For without wind, waves would
sleep humdrum, flat with the kites.
Balloons would sit out the dance,
grayed under clouds parked broken.

But instead, Sea Oats celebrate
standing ovations from wind's sway,
while sails beyond, puff deep,
flaunting breeze's catch of the day.

Still, phantom wind ponders lonely.
Its palettes and engines linger,
hovering in its studios of whirl,
poised in yet another disguise, to
capture again our winged souls.