The Big Think: Super Radiance and Cohesive Thought
There is a very interesting physics concept called SUPER RADIANCE. And while it's rather complicated, the short-hand version can be quickly understood. Let's say you have a particle that has a "strength" of 5 units. Add another similar particle and the total "strength" is 5 + 5 or 10 units strong. The more you add, the more "strength" is developed in a direct, linear fashion. A more practical exapmple is adding people to a team focused on a task. The more members of the team, the more powerful the "thinking" power--a bit like the idea that "two heads are better than one". (Yes, not the best example, but it's close)
Now enter the concept of SUPER RADIANCE. When certain particles are in a unique alignment, the emitted force isn't additive but exponential! So our two particles (with an individual strength = 5) no longer add up to 10 (5 + 5) but create the heightened force of 5 squared! (5 x 5) or 25!. The difference between 10 units and 25 units of strength! If we had 3 particles, the net strength would be 5 x 5 x 5 or 125. The physics is very interesting but for me, the interesting application is the relationship to consciousness and creative thought.
We have all experienced how certain groups of people "click". How the collective thought and output seem, in some unexplained way, seems greater than the sum of the parts!! It's just the human version of a profound quantum physics principal.
Got it?
It's subtle. But it's amazing just what happens when people "are on the same page" and experience that "flow" of mind.
In his seminal work, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are most happy when they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. It is a state in which people (alone or in a group) are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the groove. The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great absorption, engagement, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored.
It's this interesting "flow" state that may represent the stepping stone to human SUPER RADIANCE.
Have you experience this? It's amazing place to be! And the results can be truly transformative and profound!
December 26th, 2011 - 14:13
Is there also the effect of a catalyst? That subject matter or environment that can agitate radiance? For creatives, the subject or influencers can be equally as important. Great post.
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December 27th, 2011 - 10:46
John, I am sorry to contradict you on the basis of reasoning. People are not simple particles. We need to share to put our minds to flow.
Of course, the more members of the team, the more powerful the “thinking” power is. But every team lost efectiveness while teams need to comunicate between each member. And to share, between human beings, is something more complex than between particles.
Under this assumptions, 5 + 5 are usually 6 or 7 but not 10 or 25. Is still powerful, but less than with particles.
I agree that the flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, but I think with people it’s slower that what explains the theory of particles.
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January 29th, 2012 - 13:47
The catalyst must drive home the message to absorption. Then, I believe, this exponential power occurs. However, are the layers infinite? I guess they would be when considering the mass movements we are seeing around the world?
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