Finding Your Way Out of the Labyrinth .... A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

The mind is a terrible thing to waste …. at some point we’ve all heard it, because it was an iconic slogan created by the advertising agency Young and Rubicam dating back more than four decades to when I was a child. Originally meant to promote the United Negro College Fund scholarship for black students, it certainly made an impression on me, as I have given that phrase a great deal of thought over the years while I endeavored to understand the workings of – not only my own mind – but more importantly the total concept of the mind in terms of how it relates to our collective human consciousness.

If we were to dissect any human brain, judging solely from outward appearances, one healthy brain probably wouldn’t differ than much from another, but when we consider the brain from a much broader perspective, going beyond its mere physiology to take into accounting how one chooses to develop his or her mind, then it is as unique and individual as our fingerprints. From a debating position, I’ve often stated categorically, “Perception is 100% reality,” which broken down roughly translates to whatever I perceive to be true is at least true to me. Therefore one must ask, “How is it that a brain that hardly distinguishes itself as inimitable becomes capable of forming subjective feelings as expressed in Thomas Nagel’s terminologies …. to experience the color red, breathlessness, nostalgia or pain?

I believe the answer is to be found in ‘consciousness’ which differentiates one mind from another through the often mysterious, subjective, first-person world as it seems to each of us the individual. The hallmark of the human mind is to use the brain to a greater or lesser extent throughout the course of any given day to interpret the world as it unfolds around us. Thus if we first view the mind and then to a greater extent consciousness, each as distinct components rooted in the physical brain, it may be possible to gain greater insight toward reaching that oftentimes most elusive of all goals …. human happiness.

But how do we tap into this potential when it resides at such a great depth buried deep within the recesses of our own minds that it almost feels impossible to reach? Well there may be any number of ways from controlled lab experiments to simply communing with nature, independent of the technology we’ve all become so accustomed to, but in practical terms I like to do so by walking the labyrinth. Labyrinths are an archetype with which we can have a direct experience through simply walking it with the understanding that it serves as a metaphor for life’s great journey, a sacred place, capable of taking us outside of our ego to that which resides within.

According to Wikipedia, the unicursal labyrinth was first inlayed into the pavement of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres found not far outside of Paris in 1200 CE, where the Ars Liberales curriculum formalized dialectic inquiry – a type of qualitative research method wherein various ideas and perspectives are tested – technologies of the imagination, and recursive spiritual development. The medieval designers intended that users experience the characteristic sense of integrated consciousness and heightened imaginative function through imagery that symbolized order versus confusion with the embedded capacity to activate the incubation of individual and collective imagination capable of bringing about shifts in perception, thus restoring personal equilibrium and greater perspective through having accessed tacit knowledge and inner wisdom.

Although its inception is medieval, I find labyrinths to be the ultimate combination of science and artistry as it relates to ‘wholeness’ by combining the imagery of the circle and spiral into meandering, but purposeful paths. With perfect symmetry, they are considered to be a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Consequently they have long been used exclusively as meditation and prayer tools.

Not to be confused with a maze – which is more of a puzzle – with twists, turns and blind alleys that require left-brain logical, sequential and analytical thinking to solve, the labyrinth has only one unicursal path whose only way in is also the same way out. Its circuitous pathways direct you to the center and back out again where within you are called upon to exercise intuition, creativity and imagery stemming from your right brain activity. It is more passive, and unlike a maze which requires active decision-making to navigate its corridors, the only choice with a labyrinth is whether or not to enter at all, or rather whether or not you choose to walk the path toward spiritual enlightenment.

Spiritual enlightenment can be a scary thing …. it calls upon one to be disposed toward changing him or herself through a willingness to alter their views about the world and society as a whole. Therefore, it is no longer possible to judge another for having mad bad choices which may or may not have led to unfortunate circumstances, no more than it is appropriate to judge someone for choosing to live a lifestyle that differs from your own. You must be willing to choose kindness first while finding the ability to step out of your own ‘comfort zone’ from time-to-time in order to address the needs of others. It doesn’t mean you have to sell off all your worldly possessions and join a commune somewhere, but it does mean you need to gain a healthier perspective about what it means to have nice things while comprehending they are not the things that define you or make you into a better person. Just as our laws are intended to make us ‘equal under the law’ collectively, we are challenged to grasp the even greater concept that we are all ‘equal under God’s law’ as well, thus we must continue to constantly strive to find ways – both big and small – to reach out to one another as a means to preserve and protect the world that is ours. Once you do so, you’ll discover the mind that might have been wasted pursuing more trivial pursuits was not your own.

I’ve included a link for labyrinth locations …. Happy walking!

http://labyrinthlocator.com/