Modern Humans insatiable curiosity and powerful human imagination
(both "learning" imagination and "creative" imagination) is constantly probing deeper and deeper into the secrets of nature, inventing new technology, and giving people more control over their own existence.
The Homo Sapiens brain is the culmination of billions of years of the evolution of life on earth. Beginning with a vague nerve area in the most primative life forms - the brain has slowly evolved through the millennia - becoming more and more complex - slowly evolving keener senses, enabling it's hosts to become ever more aware of the environment that surrounds them. After billions of years, a large brain had evolved in the Homo Sapiens species (both modern man and the Neandertals). It was a big brain but it was not yet imaginative - there is no evidence that either group had much creative power for thousands of centuries after they genetically went their separate ways. Both groups were very intelligent and had substantial "learning" imaginations but they had very little "creative" imagination.
Then somewhere around 50 thousand years ago the Homo Sapiens tribes began leaving evidence that creativity was beginning to take place - superior new tools and weapons were created, along with artifacts and art. Something revolutionary was beginning to happen on the planet. Modern Humans' children began showing signs of creative imagination. Nothing like this had ever happened before, the children had always remained at the same intelligence level as their parents. The Homo Sapiens species was beginning to rise to a higher plane of becoming aware of the wonders that surrounded them. They were becoming an imaginative species.
What transformed modern humans, into an imaginative beings and how long the "transformation" took is open for speculation. The Neandertals did show a little amount of creativity with their flintsone chipped tools but never had a chance to fully develop before they became extinct. Where the wiped out by modern man??
The mind of modern humans now had the power to imagine - to form mental pictures of things that did not exist and to imagine abstract concepts. The ability to mentally visualize nature in all its glory - for what it is. The ability to reach into an imaginary world and bring forth its fruits - to reality. Occasionally one of the children in a tribe would be endowed with a much keener imagination then the other children. This allowed the gifted child to standout in the tribe and sometimes even introduce an innovation or invention to his peers. Perhaps a better tool or artifact - perhaps a new word or idea. Many of these imaginative people became the storytellers of their tribes, witch doctors, chiefs, priests, etc.. They told their stories whether they were true or not - and still do today.
Once upon a time long long ago one of hunters in the tribe looking for a better way to hunt for food, invented a new contraption that would help feed his starving tribe. This young supermind introduced a strange new weapon, he had invented, to his tribe. No one had ever seen this strange contraption before and wondered what it was. It turned out to be a bow and arrow. The invention of the bow and arrow was one of the critcal turning points in human warfare and hunting. It gave his tribe a distinct advantage in its survival and prosperity. These young superminds contributed time and time to human progress throughout history. Other "superminds" constantly used their more powerful imaginations to help modern humans to slowly progress and eventually discover nature's deepest secrets. It would take thousands of centuries of step by step progress to get to the level of humankind's present day knowledge and technology.
Even in modern times, observing ordinary people in every walk of life there seems to be, among our species, a small percentage of imaginative superminds, (creative geniuses) who contribute to the continuous progress mankind has experienced, throughout its revolutionary history. They are the inventors, philosophers, scientists, innovators, storytellers, etc.. (Galileo, Newton, Bacon, Plato, Faraday, Moses, Chopin, Archimedes, Micheal Angelo, Franklin, the Wright bothers, Telsa, Edison,- just to name a random few of the more famous superminds - there are countless others.) They are people with powerful creative imaginations who forge ahead making it possible for our species to progress to ever higher levels of knowlege and innovation. They are part of the "MIND" of mankind, an entity on to itself that communicates with each other across time and space - improving each other's inventions, innovations, philosophies, art, etc.
Long ago in ancient times imaginative superminds invented the wheel-axle system, the bow and arrow, and of course, farming. These were just a few of the early major steps in the progression of mankind, there were many others. In most cases civilization benefits greatly from their works.
The superminds who have powerful creative imaginations seem to be sprinkled throughout the history of mankind, creating complex languages, inventing new innovations, philosophies, creating beautiful art and recently discovering and describing some of the physical laws of nature. They seem to be more of a product of the cultures they live in rather then inherited genes (probably a mixture of both). Cultures that are constantly challenged to survive eventually either overcome their challenges by innovation or become extinct as a culture. The superminds not only create original ideas, they also build upon the ideas of other minds and when they are in contact with many diverse cultures their creative imaginations tend to be more stimulated. When their survival depends on it such as in war their creativity works overtime. The Nazis were frantically working on futuristic weapons as they were beaten into submission.
The superminds all have an insatiable curiosity that compels them to, learn, investigate and speculate about everything that interests them (provided their culture doesn't stifle their creativity). Their imagination spews forth mental ideas that may or may not lead to the right solutions. Sometimes an inspiration will flash into their minds while they sleep. The majority of these creative superminds probably never develop to their full potential because of the conditions they live under - but many do!
Anthropologists now put the age of the transformation at around 50 thousand years ago. This is the time when the Homo Sapiens were transformed into the "Homo Imaginative Sapiens" (modern man). This is when the "Mind" of mankind came into being - a tremendous creative power that is an extension of Nature’s awesome power to create. The "Mind" of mankind creates things that Nature otherwise - could not create.
The "Homo Imaginative Sapiens" species are the culmination of evolution on Earth. Their brains have evolved to the point where they have an imagination powerful enough to become aware of - and appreciate the magnificent wonders of nature and to realize the possibility of the existence of their own "Creator". These superminds have a deep desire to create beautiful works and an insatiable curiosity to constantly probe deeper and deeper into the secrets of nature. By discovering how the physical "laws of nature" work and then applying this knowledge to practical innovations - the "Mind" of mankind is continually progressing forward in every direction.
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Donald L. Hamilton is author of - "The MIND of Mankind,
Human Imagination, the source of Mankind’s tremendous power!"
For more - Click on cover!
