22: The Transformative Energy of Practice

What is the Root of the Mysterious Energy that transforms Human?

Our investigations evoke certain questions. The Flame’s physical energy is a major factor in the transformation of dough into bread and matter into life. Similarly, the energy of practice is a major factor in the transformation of the Student into a Master.  What is the nature of the transformative energy of Practice? Further, Solar Energy cooked Matter on the Earth’s daily rotisserie for billions of years to create Life. In like fashion, the Student must Practice diligently for years to become a Master. Why must the Practice be regular? Why does regular practice generate sufficient heat or mental energy to realize potentials? Why does irregular practice fall short?

To answer these intriguing questions, we must first address the mystery of energy. Let's begin with the scientific factoid (widely believed to be true) that the Pupil must put in 10,000 hours of practice time to become a Master. This factoid yields two clues. 1) This observable and identifiable change in a human being's state required some kind of energy output. 2) The 10K hours of practice time is associated with or actually generates this energy of transformation.

What type of energy generates the transformative 'heat' that transforms a common human into a Master – a mere mortal into an Immortal? Is this some kind of biochemical reaction to thoughts? Or perhaps a neurological response to effort? Or is this perception of mastery just another illusion, a chimera founded in the automatic patterns of the energy exchanges of atoms and molecules?

While conceivably true, the material determinism of Scientism provides little, if any, explanatory power with regards the importance of practice in attaining mastery. If the transformative energy is biochemical or neurological in nature – some kind of response to thoughts or effort, how do thoughts and/or effort become physical energy? Although the biochemists might identify some kind of chemical reaction that is associated with mastery, what is the source of the reaction? Even if the neurologists pinpoint a particular area of the brain that lights up their little machines when an individual is involved in an intense practice session, what does this tell us about the individual's role in the process? Again the retreat to the absolute materialism of the scientific fundamentalists, provides very little explanatory power in terms of our power over our lives. So what is the source of this biochemical, neurological, or even subatomic energy that enables us to go through the process of transformation from ordinary to exceptional? What role do we as humans play in this process that allows us to develop the emergent talents of a virtuoso, something that we didn't have when we were undeveloped common ore?

Due to the inadequacy of the purely materialist explanation in providing any insight into our role as humans in the transformation process, we must look beyond the traditional approaches to human behavior. What other explanations are there? While psychology might provide insight into background and motivation, this tells us nothing about the transformative energy of intensive practice. Is there any kind of alternative explanation that addresses this mysterious phenomenon? Or must we wait for the upcoming uncovery of a novel scientific perspective to explain how a human exerts control over his life or just chalk it up to God (an equally unsatisfactory explanation)?

Wait no longer. We just happen to have an appropriate explanatory system in our back pocket. Instead of perceiving Life as a bag of atoms, as an electronic information processor, or as a bundle of psychological mechanisms (all equally valid perspectives), we take a novel approach. We examine Life in the light of her ability to digest an ongoing flow of environmental information. We suggest that this unusual perspective yields the secret to the Energy of Human Transformation.

The Cell Equation Process transforms Mental Energy into Physical Energy

So what is this mysterious method that Life employs to digest, not process, the ongoing flow of live information? In his landmark treatise, Mathematics of the Moment, the Author develops in great length the notion that Life employs the Cell Equation to digest information. Accordingly living systems are subject to the innate forms or patterns of the method. It seems that Life's method of information digestion has a huge influence on the manner in which she interacts with the material world. An abundance of evidence supports the correspondences between the forms of information digestion and the world of living matter.

However, we must stretch our minds to open up to this new perspective. If we can relax our mental constructs just a little, the rewards are great. For one, this unique mathematical approach to living systems provides a plausible explanation for the transformative heat of regular and intensive practice. Further, this perspective provides powerful insights into the role humans play in their interaction with their environment. The Cell Equation's mathematical system also provides explanatory power for many of Life's other mysteries. More importantly, this simple system that generates such complexity informs us about how to best exert control over our lives.

Let us begin our discussion by applying the Cell Equation System to our original questions: what is the source of the transformative 'heat' that is necessary to extract the Human Metal from Human Ore? What is the connection between regular practice and transformative 'heat'?

First we lay the theoretical framework. Reiterating for better retention: The Cell Equation System addresses Life as a system that digests living data streams. An abundance of evidence supports the proposition that living systems employ the forms of Cell Equation System to digest environmental information. This is what happens, but why does it happen?

In an investigation of the Why behind the What, the Author develops a system of info dynamics based upon the mathematics of the Cell Equation System. Lending credence to his analysis, info dynamics has the same underlying structure as does material dynamics. The parallels extends to the notion of mysterious energy. Employing the Einsteinian notion that matter and energy are transformations of each other, the Author develops the concept of energy density as applied to a data stream.

In his attempt to understand and explain the causal mechanisms behind the intriguing correspondences between the Cell Equation System and living behavior, he came up with an amazing theory. The mental energy of Attention is converted into information energy, which in turn is converted into physical energy. The Author suggests that this is the mechanism by which humans make interactive choices depending upon environmental conditions. In short, this is the manner in which Mind influences Body.

Attention/Cell Equation synergy transforms 1D Instants into 2D Moments into 3D Experience

However, the model is not mechanical, but is instead based upon the way in which the Cell Equation digests information. Attention supplies the Mental Energy of Living Systems.

The Mental Energy of Attention turns on the Cell Equation process. The Attention/Cell Equation synergy imparts meaning to a data stream by transforming one dimensional instants into two dimensional moments. Yet this is not enough. An individual moment has virtually no energy density. It is only when a series of these moments are strung together do they possess sufficient energy density to spark the gap into the material world and create an experience.

The mental energy of Attention is required to string moments together. If Attention is sustained over time, this has the potential of turning a 2-dimensional moment into a 3-dimensional experience. This process is not guaranteed. If Attention is interrupted for any reason, this threatens the Firing Process, er I mean the process of transformation, OK the potential for a 3D Experience. To build up sufficient energy density to effect a physical change the mental energy of Attention must be sustained for a sufficient number of moments. Only when the energy density approaches 100% is the information from an individual data stream transformed into a material form - such as a neural firing. This physical manifestation is the root of a memorable experience.

Transformation/Mastery requires a Sequence of Experiences

An individual experience, while meaningful, is equivalent to a single casting - a single turn on the rotisserie. The individual requires a series of these experiences to turn a 3D experience into multi-dimensional mastery. This is the rotisserie process. Just as a string of individual moments is required to generate the necessary momentum to create an Experience, a string of Experiences is required to stabilize the Transformation Process. A single Experience is akin to a revival meeting. It generates momentary transformative energy, but does not generate any lasting effects. A single turn of the rotisserie will not cook the duck. Flavorful and nourishing duck meat takes many turns of the rotisserie. Similarly, it takes many Experiences to cook the human. Just as a sequence of moments is required to generate the pulse of momentum that turns into an experience, a sequence of experiences is required to generate the pulse of momentum that stabilizes that experience. One practice session means little to the musician. It takes multiple practice sessions to develop any talent - the muscle memory to play a single piece of music. Then the musician must apply this same process to a sequence of compositions. Eventually with the 10,000 repetitions, the musician becomes a virtuoso. In the parlance of the Cell Equation System, the hierarchy of Attention Pulses eventually generates sufficient energy density to transform the Student into a Master.

The Hierarchy of Experience

We have truncated the Mastery process for the sake of brevity. In terms of the musician, there are many transformations the individual must go before reaching mastery. For instance, the single experience of a lesson and practice must be repeated many times to reach the level of proficiency required to move to more difficult pieces. Further there are many different types of talents that must be developed, including reading music, fingering, playing passages smoothly (legato), et al. Diligent practice is required to develop proficiency in each of these areas. With the talent this brings, the Student is able to make some rudimentary music. Then gradually over the years with regular Firings, the Student gradually refines the art of making music, until he achieves the level of mastery.

Reiterating, the mini-transformations accumulate with each practice session. With regular Firings of this kind the transformative heat eventually yields emergent properties that didn't exist in the Beginner. Employing the sustained Attention of Mental Energy on each level of the hierarchy, the moment turns into experience, which turns into talents, which yields music, and then turns into mastery. Each level of the hierarchy requires uninterrupted Attention to reach the next level. The Pupil must practice diligently to progress through the hierarchy of Experience.

On the level of moments the mental energy of Attention must be continuous, just as it is in the Casting Process. This sustained energy generates the Pulse of Attention - the basis of living experience. These pulse-like experiences must be strung together to move the individual up the experiential hierarchy. This pulsation is the daily Rotisserie Effect. Only if this pulsation is continued for sufficient duration will the Firing Process be successful. The human ore is cooked on the rotisserie; the vital juices are sealed in; the talents are gently refined; and the raw individual becomes a master.

To illustrate this key concept let us provide a concrete example. The musician strings a series of moments together to create a single practice session - the Experience. With an accumulation of these daily practice sessions the musician generates a higher level Pulse of Attention, which we deem a Transformation. This might be equivalent to 100 days of practice. These Transformations are then strung together to create an even higher level pulse, which is associated with the first level of Mastery. An

For the musician, moments are measured in fractions of a minute, experiences in hours, transformations in seasons, and mastery in decades. For instance, it could take 100 moments to create an hour long practice session – the Pulse of Experience. Then it could take 100 of these daily practice sessions to stabilize and refine the talent of a single practice session – 100 experiences to create the Pulse of Transformation. Then finally a hundred of these Transformation Pulses are required to create the Pulse of Mastery. If the core practice session (experience) is one hour long, the entire process of mastery takes 10,000 hours. If there is only one practice session per day then the entire process takes 30 years. If, however, there are 2 practice sessions a day the mastery process would take 20 years and 3 hour long practice sessions a day would take 10 years. Regardless of the time frame there are three distinct levels in the Hierarchy of Experience – Experience, Transformation and Mastery. This differrentiation is due to the mathematics of information digestion. Each level is associated with a Pulse of Attention – the daily experience pulse, the multi-seasonal transformation pulse and the decade long pulse of mastery. It is easy to envision the experience as the pulse of a daily practice or study session. We can envision the transformation pulse as a quarter in the school year and the mastery pulse as the decade it takes to acquire a doctorate. These are educational institutionalizations of three levels of the Hierarchy of Experience based upon the Pulse of Attention.

Interruptions can kill an Experience

When Attention is sustained for a sufficient time, it's momentum describes a pulse that rises to a peak and then gradually fades out. We refer to this characteristic curve generated by the Attention's momentum as the Pulse of Attention.

When interrupted, the peak and breadth of this pulse of momentum are diminished. This significantly impacts the ability of that particular Pulse of Attention to facilitate the dimensional transformation from 2D moment to 3D experience. Without a complete Pulse of Attention, there is no experience. If there is No Experience, then there is No Transformation.

Note that interruptions come in a variety of forms. The most basic interruption is a break in the continuous daily Casting. It can be a phone call that breaks up a practice session - the single Cast. Or it can be a break in the sequence of Firings that leads to the Pulse of Transformation. On the simplest level, the Student's daily practice sessions are erratic and never generate the momentum required to develop talent. On more complex levels, an individual's original urge for transformation is regularly quenched by heavy doses of TV. Trapped in the momentum of cultural conditioning, the hapless soul becomes a victim of his life's circumstances. Devoid of inner vitality, the health of body and mind deteriorates to the point of disease and even premature death.

Further, the harm of interruptions on a single session or on a sequence of sessions is disproportionate to their size. For instance, a relatively small interruption as the momentum of Attention is reaching its maximum are devastating to the potentials of the Pulse. Just as a player or even an entire team is getting 'hot', the opposing coach calls a time out to interrupt the momentum of attention.

Summarizing, Interruptions can kill the Momentum of a single Pulse of Attention that is necessary to generate a single Experience - the Casting. Interruptions can also kill the Momentum of the series of Attention Pulses (the series of Experiences) that are required to generate Transformation – the Rotisserie Process.

Mathematically, a reduced Momentum yields a low energy density. However, complete energy density is required to translate information into physical energy, for instance the firing of a neuron. The neuron won't fire if the energy density is too low.

If the neuron does not fire, there is no experience. There are no memory traces. It is as if nothing has happened. Further, there must be a sequence of neural firings (the experiences) to leave a stable memory trace (the transformation). If there are no experiences due to interruptions, there is no possibility of the yearned for transformation.

Why must Practice be Regular? or the Harm of Irregular Practice.

Now we can propose a plausible answer to our prior question. Why must Practice be regular to effect a Transformation? The mental energy of Attention transforms 1D instants into 2D moments. When Attention's mental energy is sustained continuously for a sufficient time, these 2D moments become a 3D experience via the Pulse of Attention. If enough of these Attention Pulses are strung together, the 3D experiences eventually become 4D transformations, which eventually become the higher dimensional Mastery. On each level, regularity is required to generate a pulse. This is for a simple reason. If this regularity is interrupted, the Pulse's potentials as an transformative instrument are compromised. This regularity applies to a practice session, as well as a series of daily practice sessions, as well as the annual level of practice, and even practice over decades.

The Mental Energy of Attention transforms Humans via Practice

We can also suggest a reasonable answer to our other initial question. What is the nature of the mysterious transformative energy behind regular practice? The Mental Energy of Attention. Nothing more or less. Sustaining attention on something is all it takes to transform a moment into an experience into a transformation. Focus is all it takes to transform an ordinary individual into an extraordinary human being. The mysterious energy of human transformation is mental in nature.

Mental Energy due to method of Digesting Information required of Living Systems

Further this mental energy arises due to our innate nature as living systems. As living systems, we must digest information. We speculate that Attention, on whatever level, turns on the Cell Equation, the method by which living systems digest information. This method of digesting information produces a momentum that creates the complete energy density that is at the root of human transformation. Pretty weird, to be sure.

Our next chapter sinks a little deeper into the transformation process by examining the Threshold of Generation. Read on, if you dare.

 

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