Creative individuals remain in contact with the extra information constantly
streaming in from the environment. The normal person classifies an object,
and then forgets about it, even though that object is much more complex and
interesting than he or she thinks. The creative person, by contrast, is
always open to new possibilities.
(Jordan Peterson)
Patterns & chaos
LLI helps the mind to see patterns. Even if the patterns are not logical,
the sense of flow can be felt.
You are not troubled by paradoxes.
Paradoxes represents a
flaw in our own thoughts rather than the phenomena itself.
Illogical, irrational, ill-conceived behaviour in others can cause you to
become perplexed, as the mind attempts to resolve the contradictions and
disparities.
When you have encountered a situation that makes no sense, your mind
scrabbles to find sense.
Often, though, it is necessary to stop problem-solving and just move
on.
Not everyone lives a deliberate life. Not everyone can explain or understand
their own actions.
Reverse engineering
LLI enables you to 'reverse engineer' things.
For example: somebody uses the term 'passive aggressive' in the context of
'behaviour'...
You had never heard of the concept before.
Those three words and their associated meanings may be enough for the LLI to
kick in.
Without any knowledge of psychology, you could potentially extrapolate the
meaning of the term and perhaps be pretty accurate.
Maybe you could do this without LLI?
With LLI it happens instantaneously, often with a high degree of accuracy.
This means that summaries, trailers, re-caps and clues are not so good.
Exposure to a fraction may lead to a reconstruction of the whole.
The LLI uses your existing knowledge and makes associations subconsciously.
New meanings and insights emerge spontaneously.
The ability can be useful but also irritating. A small hint can often be too
much.
Misconceptions
People read about LLI and arrive at some unusual misconceptions:
"Your mind is awash
with thoughts chattering away"
This is not the case at all. The volume of data in the 'here and now' is
too overwhelming for there to be a little voice in your head providing a
running commentary. You learn to harness your mind at an early age and
it becomes exceptionally quiet. It becomes a problem-solving tool
rather than a chatroom.
Internal narrative is not thought. It is the echo of thought. LLI denies
you the 'voice in your head', but thoughts still take place.
"You become a child prodigy"
Education and academic learning are very linear. When latent inhibition
is decreased you tend to only to want to study things that you are
interested in.
Other topics seem irrelevant and/or boring. Government/university-designed courses seldom appeal. Most teaching is
linear. Schools regard you as disruptive and demanding. You are
frequently asked to shut up.
Schools may see you as having dyslexia, autism or OCD. This can be
inconvenient.
Tony Buzan's 'mind map' is one of the more sensible learning aids. It is
perfect for LLI. You can glance at the map and see relationships and
associations immediately. Like playing 'go'.
"There is an LLI test"
People imagine that there is an LLI test, rather like an IQ test.
In reality, there are a series of tests. These tests need to be administered
by a trained professional. You cannot test yourself on-line.
The
difficulty with any kind of testing is that the psychologists themselves are
part of the test. They have either designed it or interact with you, thus
skewing any apparent objectivity. In practice, objectivity is not possible.
It is just a concept. Everyone has a perspective. We were educated that way.
Remember that if a psychologist does not experience LLI themselves, they have
no more understanding of the condition than a blind person has of the colour
red. It is one thing to
observe the condition, quite another to actually live with it. Any test will
be flawed.
Diagnosing a dysfunction of this kind is not a simple matter. Rather than a
single isolated test, you may well be subjected to a variety of examinations
by different specialists. They may not even be able to determine what is
causing the dysfunction, let alone diagnose it.
"I have LLI"
You may become aware of your different perception by contrasting what
you see and how you respond relative to other people around you. This
does not mean that you have low latent inhibition. You may have
dyslexia, autism or OCD. You may have any number of psychological
dysfunctions.
Self-diagnosis is fundamentally unreliable. You cannot analyse your own
mind by using your own mind. A knife cannot cut itself.
Go and see a consultant. They may perform neurological tests, eye exams
and ask psychological questions. At some point they might find a label
that pleases them.
"LLI is cool"
No. It is useful in some ways and difficult in others. Nothing in life is
just one thing. For every positive aspect of the condition, there is a
negative element that balances it out.
Sensory overload, paranoia, hypervigilance - these are tangible
side-effects of LLI. You may spend much of your time compensating for
your condition rather than revelling in it. Your creativity comes with a
price.
"You can read every word on the page at the same time"
No. You can see every word on the page at the same time. You don't read them
all. You can read chunks of text at a glance. Too many words and numbers are
hard to digest. Focussing on a line/word is a conscious effort, and
difficult to sustain.
Patterns, lines, black and white contrasts - these are all quite hard on the
eyes.
Would you like a taste?
Place your open hand (palm facing) in front of your face such that
the fingertips are touching your forehead and the palm touches your nose.
Now try and unsee the hand?
This is what wearing a pair of sunglasses feels like when you have LLI.
You see the nose bridge, the edge of the frame and the arms.
Making the best of it
LLI is not some amazing gift. It has its pros and cons, like
everything else.
If you want to make the best of it, you need to expose yourself to
productive and positive stimuli.
Dogma, ideation, opinion and theory are just a waste of time.
Taoism is a good avenue because it observes people and nature, it looks to the
heart of things.
Krishnamurti and zen also do the same thing.
It can be useful to have a vehicle for LLI, such as tai chi,
music or art.
The specific outlet is unimportant (you may have several) but you do need
some means of channelling your insights into something worthwhile.
Random creativity is fine, but it lacks depth and will ultimately be
unfulfilling.
Find something that fascinates you, and probe deeper and deeper. Look for
the nature/character/quality/essence that lies at its core.
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Page created 24 February 2001