The Mystery of sex transmutation

Prequote - More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earth

As may be ascertained from the title, this was a very “interesting” chapter and one that is often misunderstood. Mr. Hill was not a sex monger or an advocate of polygamy. He believed that the human mind responds to stimuli through which it can be keyed up to high rates of vibration known as creative imagination. It was his contention that the leading stimulus is the desire for sex expression. He also believed that most if not all successful people were/are highly sexual and influenced by a person of the opposite sex.

However, to understand this chapter, you need to focus on the word --transmutation. The definition provided is “the changing or transferring of one element or form of energy, into another”. Within this definition lies the key to the chapter. It is not the sexual urge that Mr. Hill is touting as the stimulus, it is the ability to reroute this urge into the creative process. This is why he believes most men do not produce their best work until latter in life. Most young men can not control their urges. In his words, “the lives of many men reflect the continued dissipation of energies, which could have been more profitably turned into better channels.”

While this conversation of sex transmutation is interesting, I found his conversation of the sixth sense – Creative imagination and its correlation to genius to be the pearl of this chapter. Mr. Hill’s definition of Genius is “a person who has discovered how to increase the intensity of thought to the point where he can freely communicate with sources of knowledge not available through the ordinary rate of thought.” He contended that through natural or outside stimuli, the genus transmutes the power of the stimuli into this increased intensity of thought.

The ten stimuli identified that have the ability to increase creative imagination most freely were:

1. Desire for sex expression
2. Love
3. A burning desire for fame, power or money
4. Music
5. Friendship
6. Mastermind alliance
7. Mutual suffering
8. Auto-suggestion
9. Fear
10. Narcotics or alcohol

Eight of these stimuli are natural and constructive and two are destructive. Many examples were given of great works that were done under the influence of narcotics and alcohol. However, in almost every case, the genus was destroyed by these very stimuli.

The creative imagination is a power that the majority of people never use. It is the direct link between the finite mind and infinite intelligence. All discoveries of basic and new principles come from the realm of creative imagination.

Where do ideas come from? The new IBM commercial that shows people ideating keeps running through my mind. Mr. Hill believed that ideas come from four places:

1. Infinite intelligence
2. One’s subconscious mind wherein is stored all sense impression and thought impulse that ever reached the brain though the five senses
3. From the mind of someone else that has just released the thought, or picture of the idea or concept through conscious thought
4. From the other person’s subconscious storehouse.

To get to infinite intelligence, the mind is stimulated through one or more of the ten mind stimulants. This has the effect of lifting the individual far above the horizon of ordinary thought, and permits him to envision distance, scope, and quality of thoughts not available on the lower plane. While on this exalted plane of thought, the creative facility is given freedom of action. The way has been cleared for the sixth sense to function. It becomes receptive to ideas that could not reach the individual under any other circumstance.

As with any skill, the sixth sense becomes more receptive with use. Mr. Hill described the process used by one of the best inventors of our time. He had a room that was almost sound proof and arranged that all light could be shut out. Within this room was a table with a writing pad. The inventory called on his creative imagination by going into this room and concentrating upon the known factors of the invention. He remained in this position until ideas began to “flash” into his mind about the unknown factors of the invention. It sure sounds to me that he ideated.

This is the process of the creative mind. This method is available to all of us if we just know how to use it. In most instances that successful inventor will use some form of this process. They organize and combine known facts, ideas or principles accumulated through experience. If this knowledge is insufficient, they then draw on upon sources of knowledge available to him through their creative faculty. This is done by:

1. Stimulating the mind so it works on a higher plane
2. Concentrate on the known factors and create in your mind the perfect of the unknown factors. This picture is held in the mind until the subconscious mind takes over and the mind is cleared of all thought and the inventor waits for the answer to “flash” into his mind.

While this sounds very bizarre, we all know it works. Most of our best ideas come when we are relaxed and our mind is clear. Unfortunately, most the time we do not have the foresight to write these ideas down and they just fade away into oblivion until we see an invention similar to our idea.

Unfortunately, Ideation is becoming a thing of the past. Most of our inventions are objects that babysit our mind rather than spark creativity. It is incredible how much time is spent in front of TV, and video games. It is almost as if most people are afraid to spend time alone and challenge their brain to come up with solutions. They do not trust themselves to come up with solutions. The world or others owe them a good life an a solution to all of their difficulties.

As a business owner, this leads to working in the business as opposed to working on the business. In order to keep the business fresh, the owner must have the ability to get above the day to day issues and see the possibilities. Sometimes this involves reading. Sometimes this involves listening. Sometimes this involves discussions with trusted advisors. Sometimes it is just sitting and a room and thinking of all the possibilities. But regardless, it always involves getting out of the day to day issues and looking beyond the present. Ideation at certain levels can not and should not be replaced or undervalued.