Conquering the inner vision

[Teacher]

Physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) has been called "the genius who ushered in the age of electricity." He is unquestionably one of the most creative and significant inventors of the last century and one of the most prolific. His 700 inventions include an electromagnetic motor, a turbine, wireless transmission and remote control devices. His discovery of a rotating magnetic field in the late 1800s is the basis for the use of alternating current, which made it possible to transmit electricity around the globe. It was Tesla who designed the first power plant at Niagara Falls (his system was preferred to Thomas Edison's DC system). He was known as a visionary futurist, and his notebooks are still being studied by scientists and engineers.

Like Leonardo's genius, Tesla's genius lies in his ability to discover hidden, invisible principles or deep structures in nature, and then apply these principles in practice, in his inventions. Using NLP psychological modeling tools, we discover some of the key cognitive processes that underlie his impressive creativity. Thus, we can understand some of those invisible psychic strategies that Tesla used to make his discoveries and inventions.

Tesla is said to have actually figured out how to generate electricity from the earth's magnetic field (thus creating a free and unlimited source of electricity). However, having demonstrated his work, he refused to reveal the secret and took it with him to the grave.

Foreseeing the future

As it turned out, Tesla himself could tell a lot about his own thought process. In an interview he was interviewed in 1919, Tesla provides some wonderful information that sheds light on the development of his creative thought processes.

“As a child, I suffered from an unusual disorder associated with the appearance of images, often accompanied by flashes of light that distorted the view of real objects and invaded my thoughts and actions. These were images of objects, scenes that I had already seen, and never what When I was told something, the image of the object designated by this word vividly appeared before my gaze, and sometimes I could not distinguish whether there was something in front of me that I simply saw, or it could be touched. I have a lot of discomfort and anxiety ... So that you can get an idea of my grief, imagine that I saw a funeral or something other heartbreaking. Then, inevitably, in the silence of the night, a vivid picture of this scene appeared in front of me and remained in front of my gaze, despite all efforts to remove it.

Obviously, Tesla describes his very pronounced from a very early age and powerful ability to visualize. He emphasizes that these images "were pictures of objects and scenes that he had already seen, and never what he imagined." The term "eidetic imagination" is used for remembered internal images that have the property of being so vivid that they completely seem real. This type of visual imagination is often associated with the right, non-dominant hemisphere of the brain.

Although the plausibility of Tesla's images seems remarkable, very often children are frightened by images and internal pictures that they cannot control, and also often have difficulty distinguishing external reality from their internal experience. Most children, however, eventually learn to suppress or diminish their vivacity as they grow, and thus "deal with reality" more effectively. Tesla, apparently, learned to cope with this problem in a different way:

“To free myself from these painful phenomena, I tried to focus my mind on something else that I saw, and thus achieved temporary relief; but in order to get it, I had to constantly conjure up new images. And soon I found that the stock of those images that were at my disposal had dried up; my source had dried up, so to speak, because I saw little of the world. I observed only objects in the house and in my immediate environment. When I did these mental exercises in the second or for the third time, to banish the terrible images from my imagination, this remedy gradually lost its power.

Then I instinctively began to make imaginary excursions outside the limits of the little world that I knew, and began to see new scenes. At first they were foggy and difficult to distinguish and immediately flew away, as soon as I concentrated my attention on them, but gradually I learned to hold them; they intensified and finally acquired the clarity of real things. I soon found myself seeking the greatest peace of mind when I simply followed my imagination further and further, all the while getting new impressions; and so I began to travel, of course, in my thoughts. Every night (and sometimes during the day), being alone, I began my travels; I saw new places, cities and countries, lived there, met people and made friends and acquaintances, and, as incredible as it may seem, they were dear to me just like people in real life,

Tesla describes how, instead of turning off the visualization process, he learned to consciously channel his ability to visualize by "instinctively" applying the process to construction and guidance. Instead of trying to suppress the disturbing images of the mind, Tesla tried to direct his inner images to "something else." He tells how he was able to develop the skill of constructing images that appear in front of his mind's eye, and "see new scenes" that go "beyond the limits of the small world" that was familiar to him. All this allowed Tesla to shift his attention from disturbing remembered images (Vr) to constructed ones (Vc). Tesla indicated that it took him time to develop this skill. He mentioned that the constructed images "were at first very hazy and difficult to distinguish and flew away, when I tried to focus my attention on them, but gradually I learned to hold them; they have intensified and finally acquired the clarity of real things. "In this remark, it is very important that Tesla practically consciously learned to use another part of his brain. (In the NLP model, constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant hemisphere of the brain.) Tesla, seems to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream in reality; the inner images he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called “positive hallucinations.” The fact that those whom he saw in his fantasies were as dear as people in real life, "proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies. they have intensified and finally acquired the clarity of real things. "In this remark, it is very important that Tesla practically consciously learned to use another part of his brain. (In the NLP model, constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant hemisphere of the brain.) Tesla, seems to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream in reality; the inner images he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called “positive hallucinations.” The fact that those whom he saw in his fantasies were as dear as people in real life, "proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies. they have intensified and finally acquired the clarity of real things. "In this remark, it is very important that Tesla practically consciously learned to use another part of his brain. (In the NLP model, constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant hemisphere of the brain.) Tesla, seems to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream in reality; the inner images he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called “positive hallucinations.” The fact that those whom he saw in his fantasies were as dear as people in real life, "proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies. constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant hemisphere of the brain.) Tesla, seems to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream in reality; the inner images he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called “positive hallucinations.” The fact that those whom he saw in his fantasies were as dear as people in real life, "proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies. constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant hemisphere of the brain.) Tesla, seems to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream in reality; the inner images he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called “positive hallucinations.” The fact that those whom he saw in his fantasies were as dear as people in real life, "proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies.

In this remark, very important is the moment that Tesla practically consciously learned to use another part of his brain. (In the NLP model, constructed images are usually associated with the left, dominant brain hemisphere.) Tesla appears to have developed to a very high degree his ability to dream waking; those inner images that he observed are very similar to what in hypnosis is called "positive hallucinations." The fact that those he saw in his fantasies "were as dear as people in real life" proves that certain feelings seemed to be associated with these visual fantasies. This close connection between images and feelings may have played an important role in shaping his later developed ability to see concrete inventions in these "waking dreams".

It is interesting to note that Tesla's descriptions of his ability to fantasize very much resemble that of another famous scientist and genius, Albert Einstein, who said that he always thought in images, and not in words or mathematical formulas. Einstein argued that the theory of relativity grew out of his teenage fantasy when he tried to visualize what reality would be like if "he was riding at the end of a beam of light."

Tesla's attempts to manipulate internal images led to the development of another important side of his creative strategy.

“My initial anxiety, however, was somehow compensated. Continuous mental effort developed my ability to observe and made it possible to discover a very important truth. they prompted me to discover the initial impulse. After a while this effort became almost automatic, and I learned very easily to combine cause and effect. Soon I realized, to my great surprise, that every thought that arises in me was caused by some external impression. this, but all my actions were directed in a similar way. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions)

By learning to trace his mental processes back to external events (Ve <-> Vi), Tesla was able to establish an invaluable practical connection between his thoughts and reality. This connection no doubt kept his incredible imagination from becoming just a form of "leaving." On the contrary, this connection gave him the ability to turn his own science fiction into inventions that transformed the world.

Tesla's preoccupation with his inner images also led him to develop to a high degree what might be called "meta-knowledge." As a result of his observations of how his own brain received, processed and responded to "external impressions", Tesla formed the idea of a machine that could do the same. He was the first person who invented and understood what we now call "robotics". Think of his visionary description of "self-driving automata" that will "behave as if they are intelligent" and "will revolutionize many branches of trade and manufacturing."

“As time went on, it became quite clear to me that I was just an automaton, endowed with the ability to move, an automaton responding to the stimuli of my senses and thinking and acting accordingly. , sooner or later, its hidden capabilities will be proven. For many years I have been planning to create self-controlled automata, and I believe that it is possible to make such mechanisms that to some extent will behave as if they have a mind, and will cause a revolution in many branches of trade and production. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions).

It was Tesla's ability to connect his mental processes and internal maps with physical reality, along with extensive practice to stabilize and reinforce constructed images, that led him to inventive success in his mature years. He explained it this way:

“I was about seventeen years old when I started thinking seriously about inventions. Then, to my great pleasure, I noticed that I could visualize very easily. I didn't need models, drawings or experiments. I could draw them in my mind, unconsciously I came to develop a new method of materializing inventive ideas and concepts, completely opposite to the purely experimental and, in my opinion, just as fast and effective. becomes mired in the details and defects of such an apparatus, and as he perfects and reconstructs it, the ability to concentrate diminishes and he loses the idea of the principle that underlies it.but always at the expense of quality.

My method is different. I am in no hurry to get down to practical work. When I have an idea, I immediately begin to build a device in my imagination. I change the design, make improvements and activate this device in my brain. And it makes no difference to me whether I start my turbine in my head or test it in my workshop. I can even notice that it is out of balance. However, there is no difference in the results. Thus, I quickly develop a new concept and can improve it without touching anything. And as soon as I get to the stage when I make all the possible improvements that I could think of in the invention, and when I don't see any shortcomings anywhere else, only then I embody the product of my imagination in a concrete form ... My device will invariably work like this as I expected, and the result of the experiment always turns out as I planned it. For twenty years, I have not had a single exception. Why should it be different? Engineering work, electrical and mechanical, has yielded positive results. There are almost no problems that do not lend themselves to mathematical treatment and whose results cannot be calculated or determined in advance based on the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). For twenty years, I have not had a single exception. Why should it be different? Engineering work, electrical and mechanical, has yielded positive results. There are almost no problems that do not lend themselves to mathematical treatment and whose results cannot be calculated or determined in advance based on the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). For twenty years, I have not had a single exception. Why should it be different? Engineering work, electrical and mechanical, has yielded positive results. There are almost no problems that do not lend themselves to mathematical treatment and whose results cannot be calculated or determined in advance based on the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. " (Nikola Tesla. My inventions). which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). Which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). Which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). Which do not lend themselves to mathematical processing and the results of which cannot be calculated or determined in advance on the basis of the available theoretical and practical data. I affirm that putting into practice a crude idea, as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). as is usually done, is nothing more than a waste of energy, money and time. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions). 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Tesla's strategy bears a striking resemblance to the strategy described by Mozart, who argued that first he composed the music in his head, and then, when it was ready, he simply “copied” it onto paper. Mozart wrote that he saw the music in his mind's eye in such a way that “it was almost completely complete and complete in my brain, so that I could see it as a beautiful painting or statue ... I have already said, by this moment everything is already finished; and what is written on paper is very rarely different from what was in my imagination. "(E. Holmes. The Life of Mozart, including his correspondence).

On the other hand, Tesla's inventive strategy was in many ways different from the strategy of his contemporary and the man who for some time was his colleague, Thomas Edison, whose methods Tesla probably has in mind in his criticism. Edison, who argued that "invention is 1% inspiration and 99% sweat," strove to immediately translate his ideas into material forms and to work with them. Edison, for example, spent fourteen months testing various materials in order to find one that would work best for the filament in a light bulb. Tesla referred to Edison's trial-and-error approach as "finding a needle in a haystack" and eventually became his main rival. While both strategies were apparently effective, Tesla's internal visualization strategy was likely

There is an interesting anecdote. Once they tried to catch Tesla on his assertion that he could create his machines in his imagination and that for him "there was no difference" whether he started his turbine "in his thoughts" or tested in the workshop. In order to prove this, Tesla "built" one imaginary turbine in his brain, and ordered another for real. Both cars were launched at the same time. A month after that, Tesla disassembled his imaginary turbine and precisely pointed out those parts that were worn out or destroyed. When the real car was disassembled and inspected, it turned out that Tesla's description of every part exactly matched what was found in the real car!

In a wonderful description of his own subjective processes, Tesla describes in great detail the characteristics of the inner workings of his imagination during the process of creating an invention:

trying to organize themselves into living forms. Curiously, I cannot project the shapes onto this gray background until the second phase is reached. "(Nikola Tesla. My inventions)

This intriguing description has some rather interesting parallels with Leonardo's description of his method of "stimulating and prompting the brain to invent all sorts of things." In his explanation of this technique, Leonardo da Vinci stated:

if you "... look at any wall with different stains or a wall made from a mixture of different kinds of stones ... you can see similarities with different landscapes, decorated with mountains, rivers, rocks ... figures in fast movement and strange facial expressions ... an infinite number of things that you can then reduce to separate and clearly perceived forms. "(Evard McCurdy, George Brailler. Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks).

Leonardo appears to be describing an external visual support that can be used to achieve the "inert gray background" that Tesla was holding within himself.

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